Seagate Technology Incorporated

Ximin Shan

Sandeep Dominic Sequeira

Abhay Tejmal Kataria

Dipeshkumar J Purani

Richard Edward Martin

LingZhi Yang

XingHui Huang

Richard Arthur Herr

Jye Kai Chang

Alexander T Le

Salman Al Saif

Apparatus and method for managing a data storage device during extended idle conditions of the data storage device in which host access commands are not being received or serviced. In some embodiments, upon detection of an idle condition, a control circuit identifies a selected data transducer of the data storage device and a corresponding initial radial position of the data transducer with respect to an associated rotatable data recording surface. The control circuit performs a serpentine seek operation during the idle condition to gradually advance the selected data transducer in a selected radial direction across the data recording surface beginning at the initial radial position and ending at a final radial position. The serpentine seek operation prevents the transducer from being maintained in a stationary position during the idle condition, reducing the likelihood of damage through thermal asperity contact events, lubrication disturb, wear, etc.

Serpentine seeks during data storage device idle periods

A discrete Fourier transform (DFT) of a position error signal (PES) of a read/write head controlled by a currently-used controller is determined. A plurality of predicted PES spectra are determined based on the DFT of the PES and a plurality of sensitivity functions associated with a plurality of controllers. One of the plurality of controllers is selected based on respective deviation metrics of the plurality of PES spectra. Servo control of the read/write head changes to use the selected controller.

Selecting servo controller based on predicted position error signal spectrum

Apparatus and method for determining a position of a writer supported by a multi-stage actuator. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a multi-stage actuator which supports a transducer adjacent a data recording surface. The multi-stage actuator has a coarse actuator and a microactuator. The transducer includes a write element and a read element. A controller is adapted to determine a position of a write element of the transducer with respect to the data recording surface responsive to a position of a read element of the transducer and a displacement distance of the microactuator away from a neutral position.

Multi-stage actuator with writer position determination capability

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Longmont, CO, United States of America

Ximin Shan