Cooling of hard disk drives with separate mechanical module and drive control module

A data storage drive assembly, comprising:

• a drive mechanical module configured to store data;
• a drive control module separably coupled to the drive mechanical module, wherein the drive control module comprises one or more heat producing components and is configured to control at least one mechanical operation in the drive mechanical module;
• a backplane assembly, wherein at least one of the drive mechanical module and the drive control module is separably coupled to the backplane assembly;
• and
• one or more air passages on at least one side of each of the drive mechanical module and the drive control module, wherein at least one of the one or more air passages is configured to allow a stream of air to flow across the one or more heat producing component comprised in the drive control module.

A method, comprising:

• separably coupling each of one or more mechanical modules of a hard disk drive and a control module configured to control at least one mechanical operation of the mechanical module with a backplane assembly, such that the mechanical module is electrically coupled to the control module based at least in part on coupling with the backplane assembly;
• providing one or more air passages on a side of the drive control module or the one or more mechanical modules;
• and
• moving air through at least one of the one or more air passages to remove heat from at least one heat producing component on the drive control module or the one or more mechanical modules.