Western Digital Technologies, Inc.

Hiroki Watanabe

Naoyuki Kagami

Gaku Ikedo

Jaesoo Byoun

Hideaki Ito

Brian Kenneth Tanner

Brian A Johnson

James Jinshi Ng

Brian Johnson

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 The spindle motor is not braked until both the lead and support actuators have been retracted and parked.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

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)

The present disclosure generally relates to an electronic circuit and method of operating thereof to back up write cache data on DDR memory in data storage devices during an emergency power off (EPO). The method involves using a power management integrated circuit (PMIC), a combo driver and one MOSFET for regulator output. The method involves detecting a voltage value that is below a predetermined threshold value, retracting a write head away from a hard disk drive (HDD), backing up data, and then resetting the HDD after the backup is complete. The backing up and retraction may occur in parallel or in sequence. The method utilizes the spindle back-electromotive force (BEMF) power to have sufficient power to make the backup. If the power from the spindle BEMF is too low, then the retraction is suspended and a high impedance is present to lighten the load until the BEMF recovers before the power on reset. As such, the back-up data is not reset and volatized by a lack of power.

Write data protection at emergency power off

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Fujisawa, Japan

Hiroki Watanabe