Method for inspecting the skew of a magnetic head, for selectively

Abstract

A method of inspecting the skew angle of the transducing gap of a magnetic head in a disk drive having a rotatable spindle, a lead screw rotatably mounted to a motor and carrying a carriage with a magnetic head affixed thereto, the magnetic head having a transducing gap that is disposed in a transducing relationship relative to bits of information on a disk and that is skewed at an angle relative to a radial line of the disk, the magnetic head serving to produce a read signal having an amplitude corresponding to the skew angle and to the acute angle of the bits. The method comprising providing a disk on the spindle, the disk including a track having bits of information recorded at a plurality of predetermined acute angles relative to a radial line of the disk, the acute angles lying in a range between a first angle in the counterclockwise direction and a second angle in the clockwise direction, rotating the disk, and monitoring the amplitude of the read signal, whereby when the amplitude corresponds to a preselected skew angle lying between the first and second angles, whereby a magnetic head having a skew angle greater than the preselected skew angle is capable of being rejected. In the apparatus, the motor is mounted to a plate which in turn is selectively positionable on a housing. By selectively moving the plate, the lead screw can be relocated such that the transducing gap is parallel to the radial line.