Western Digital Technologies, Inc.

Suleyman Attila Yolar

Mostafa Pakzad

Minh N Trinh

Choo-Bhin Ong

Joseph M Viglione

Cheng Fatt Yee

Kameron K Jung

Henry Kuo

John Minh Hon Quan

Linh G Tran

Ronald L Nelson

James M Mang

Peter H Greilach

A method of operating a disk drive is disclosed, the disk drive comprising a head actuated over a disk surface, and a first non-volatile semiconductor memory (NVSM). Calibrated parameters are stored in the first NVSM, wherein the calibrated parameters for accessing the disk surface. Prior to altering the disk drive, the calibrated parameters are uploaded from the disk drive to a host. After altering the disk drive, the calibrated parameters are downloaded from the host to the disk drive and the calibrated parameters are stored in a second NVSM.

Modifying a disk drive while preserving calibrated parameters stored in a non-volatile semiconductor memory

A multiple hard drive connection system includes a first backplane, a second backplane, and a card assembly. The first backplane includes a pass-through and a first socket, and couples to a control system such that the first socket is in electrical communication with the control system. The second backplane is adjacent to and spaced apart from the first backplane, includes a second socket aligned with the pass-through, and couples to the control system such that the second socket is in electrical communication with the control system. The card assembly includes a first edge card connected to the first socket and a second edge card extending through the pass-through and connected to the second socket. The card assembly couples to a hard drive such that the hard drive is in electrical communication with the control system via the first backplane, the second backplane, and the card assembly.

Systems and methods for connecting multiple hard drives

An asynchronous system for testing disk drives includes a test platform that includes a plurality of slots for receiving and for providing communication with drives. The slots are segregated into a plurality of groups configured to satisfy predetermined environmental, communication bandwidth and test schedule requirements of the drives to be loaded therein. An automated loader/unloader is configured to selectively load drives into and out of the platform and to move drives between the plurality of groups. A module controller is assigned to each group of slots, each module controller being coupled to the slots of its assigned group and configured to administer at least one test to drives loaded in its assigned group while insuring that the predetermined environmental, communication bandwidth and test schedule requirements of its assigned group remain satisfied. A test matrix controller controls the loader/unloader to asynchronously move each drive that passes the test(s) administered in one group to a selected empty slot of another group for administration of a next test, to asynchronously move each drive that completes or fails the series of tests out of the platform. The moving steps are carried out without compromising the respective environmental, communication bandwidth and test schedule requirements of the plurality of groups.

Methods and systems for asynchronously testing a plurality of disk drives

Growing community of inventors

Irvine, CA, United States of America

Suleyman Attila Yolar