Western Digital Technologies, Inc.

Brian A Johnson

Jaesoo Byoun

Gaku Ikedo

Hideaki Ito

Naoyuki Kagami

Timothy A Ferris

Ryan P Mayo

Hiroki Watanabe

Robert P Ryan

Shrey Khanna

Various illustrative aspects are directed to a data storage device comprising a disk and a spindle motor configured to rotate the disk wherein the spindle motor is powered by a drive voltage generated in response to a host voltage. The data storage device includes a head configured to be actuated over the disk by a head actuator and control circuitry comprising an isolation field effect transistor (ISOFET) configured to prevent a reverse current from flowing from the drive voltage to the host voltage when the host voltage falls below a threshold. The control circuitry sets a turnoff current level at which the ISOFET is directed to turn off to prevent the reverse current from flowing determines a drain-source on resistance Rdson of the ISOFET, and calculates a voltage turnoff threshold at which the ISOFET is turned off from the turnoff current level and the determined Rdson.

Data storage device with smart ISOFET threshold voltage automatic tuning

A data storage device comprises a lead actuator that actuates a first read-write head over a first disk and a support actuator that actuates a second read-write head over a second disk. A spindle motor rotates the first and second disks. In response to an emergency power off (EPO) event, a processing device retracts and parks the actuators using an internal supply voltage generated from a back electromotive force (BEMF) voltage of the spindle motor, and egresses data from a volatile to a non-volatile semiconductor memory. Egress is throttled before the actuators are retracted and parked when the internal supply voltage falls to or below a first egress throttling threshold voltage. Egress is throttled after the actuators are retracted and parked when the internal supply voltage falls to or below a second egress throttling threshold voltage.

Data storage device having dual actuators and method for data egress throttling during emergency power off retract (EPOR)

Various illustrative aspects are directed to a data storage device comprising a first spindle motor configured to rotate one or more disks in a first stack of disks, a second spindle motor configured to rotate one or more disks in a second stack of disks, and one or more processing devices configured to detect back electromotive force (BEMF) voltages generated by the first spindle motor and the second spindle motor. In other aspects the one or more processing devices can control speeds of the first spindle motor and the second spindle motor based on the detected BEMF voltages.

Dual spindle motors and dual spindle motor control for data storage

A data storage device comprises a lead actuator that actuates a first read-write head over a first disk and a support actuator that actuates a second read-write head over a second disk. A spindle motor rotates the first and second disks. In response to an emergency power off (EPO) event, a processing device retracts and parks the actuators using an internal supply voltage generated from a back electromotive force (BEMF) voltage of the spindle motor, and brakes the spindle motor. The spindle motor is not braked until both the lead and support actuators have been retracted and parked.

Data storage device having dual actuators and method for emergency power off retract (EPOR) of dual actuators

Various illustrative aspects are directed to a data storage device comprising one or more disks, an actuator arm assembly comprising one or more disk heads and a voice coil motor (VCM), the VCM configured to operate in a PWM mode and a linear mode, and one or more processing devices configured to: seek the VCM towards a target track in the PWM mode; transition the VCM from the PWM mode to the linear mode, wherein the transitioning comprises switching an offset compensation value from a first offset compensation value to a second compensation offset value to compensate for a transition offset induced while transitioning the VCM from the PWM to the linear mode, wherein the first and the second offset compensation values correspond to the PWM and linear modes, respectively, and seek the VCM towards the target track in the linear mode for a linear mode time.

VCM PWM to linear mode transition offset optimization to improve PES

Various illustrative aspects are directed to a data storage device comprising one or more disks; an actuator arm assembly comprising one or more actuator arms, and configured to position the one or more actuator arms over disk surfaces of the one or more disks; one or more fine actuators, disposed on the one or more actuator arms; and one or more processing devices. The one or more processing devices are configured to: output a driver current to the one or more fine actuators, wherein the one or more processing devices are configured to rate limit a rise of the driver current over time during an activation of the driver current to within a selected rate limit of current rise over time.

Data storage device with soft on-disk activation of fine actuators

A data storage device is disclosed comprising a storage medium, an input configured to receive a supply voltage from a voltage source, and control circuitry powered by the supply voltage. The control circuitry is configured to adjust a load of the data storage device, detect a load voltage at the adjusted load, detect a load current at the adjusted load, process the detected load voltage and the detected load current to detect a current limit of the voltage source, and configure the data storage device in response to the detected current limit of the voltage source.

Data storage device detecting supply current limit

A data storage device is disclosed comprising a first actuator configured to actuate a head over a disk, a second actuator configured to rotate the disk, a first control circuit configured to generate a servo command, and a second control circuit configured to receive the servo command from the first control circuit, control the first actuator or the second actuator using the servo command, and override the servo command to avoid an overcurrent condition.

Data storage device capable of overriding a servo command to avoid an overcurrent condition

A data storage device is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk, and a spindle motor configured to rotate the disk. A first driving voltage is applied across a first and second windings of the spindle motor connected in series while measuring a first mutual inductance voltage across a third winding, wherein the first driving voltage comprises a first amplitude and a first polarity. A second driving voltage is applied across the first and second winding connected in series while measuring a second mutual inductance voltage across the third winding, wherein the second driving voltage comprises the first amplitude and a second polarity opposite the first polarity. The first measured mutual inductance voltage and the second measured mutual inductance voltage are combined to generate a first mutual inductance signal, and an angular position of the spindle motor is estimated based on the first mutual inductance signal.

Data storage device detecting spindle motor position at increased resolution using mutual inductive sense

A data storage device is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk, and a spindle motor configured to rotate the disk, wherein the spindle motor comprises a plurality of windings. During a power failure the head is unloaded by generating a periodic signal, shorting the windings of the spindle motor based on the periodic signal in order to generate a power voltage, and adjusting the periodic signal based on an amplitude of the power voltage.

Data storage device regulating BEMF power voltage during power failure

A data storage device is disclosed comprising a spindle motor configured to rotate a disk, and a first voice coil motor (VCM) configured to actuate a head over the disk. During at least fifty percent of a seek of the head over the disk, a spindle control signal is generated based on a continuous function of a current flowing through the first VCM, and the spindle control signal is applied to the spindle motor.

Data storage device adjusting spindle motor current based on continuous function of voice coil current during seek

A data storage device is disclosed comprising a voice coil motor (VCM) configured to actuate a head over a disk. The head is used to read data recorded on the disk to generate a read signal, and the read signal is processed to generate a current command signal at a servo sample rate having a servo sample interval. A current flowing through the VCM is detected, and a current error signal is generated based on a difference between the current command signal and the detected current flowing through the VCM. An analog command signal is generated based on the current error signal, and the analog command signal is applied to the VCM. A saturation in the analog command signal is detected, and a first deglitch window is generated during which the saturation detection is disabled, wherein the first deglitch window is programmed relative to the servo sample interval.

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Laguna Hilla, CA, United States of America

Brian A Johnson