Disk drive adjusting fly height based on air density measured from rate of temperature change
AssigneeWestern Digital Technologies, Inc.
InventorsAlan P. Rice, Timothy A. Ferris
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk, wherein the head comprises a dynamic fly height (DFH) actuator. The disk drive further comprises an electrical heating element, and control circuitry operable to select an operating control signal applied to the DFH actuator by heating the electrical heating element for a first heating time, measuring a rate of temperature change of the electrical heating element, and selecting the operating control signal applied to the DFH actuator in response to the rate of temperature change.
Claims19
A disk drive comprising:
- a disk;
- a head actuated over the disk, wherein the head comprises a dynamic fly height (DFH) actuator;
- an electrical heating element;
- and
- control circuitry operable to select an operating control signal applied to the DFH actuator by:
- heating the electrical heating element for a first heating time;
- measuring a rate of temperature change of the electrical heating element;
- and
- selecting the operating control signal applied to the DFH actuator in response to the rate of temperature change.
A method of operating a disk drive, the disk drive comprising a disk, a head actuated over the disk, wherein the head comprises a dynamic fly height (DFH) actuator, and an electrical heating element, the method comprising:
- heating the electrical heating element for a first heating time;
- measuring a rate of temperature change of the electrical heating element;
- and
- selecting an operating control signal applied to the DFH actuator in response to the rate of temperature change.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.