The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 22, 1994
Filed:
Oct. 16, 1991
Richard J Blackborow, Cupertino, CA (US);
John Brooks, San Jose, CA (US);
Jeffery H Appelbaum, San Mateo, CA (US);
Garrick Yeung, San Jose, CA (US);
Faheem Dani, San Jose, CA (US);
Tim R Glassburn, Milpitas, CA (US);
Quantum Corporation, Milpitas, CA (US);
Abstract
A mass storage subsystem is connectable to a host computer via a host adapter and includes a subsystem bus extending from the host adapter to at least one base unit and a removable disk drive cartridge for use with the base unit. A control signal path extends between the base unit and the removable disk drive cartridge when it is installed and connected within the base unit. The disk drive cartridge includes a housing, at least one storage disk rotatably mounted within the housing, at least one data transducer head within the housing and positionable by a head positioner at selected concentric data storage tracks defined on a storage surface of the storage disk. A bus interface circuit is provided for directly connecting to the subsystem bus when the cartridge is installed and connected within the base unit, and a cartridge controller is provided for controlling operations of the bus interface circuit and the head positioner and for communicating with the base unit via the control signal path. The base unit comprises a disk cartridge receiving structure for receiving and connecting the disk drive cartridge, a stand-in interface circuit connected to the subsystem bus means for presenting an active and 'drive not ready' disk cartridge appearance to the subsystem bus when the disk drive cartridge is not installed and connected within the base unit, and a base unit controller including a cartridge control for controlling operations of the disk cartridge receiving structure, and a stand-in interface control for communicating with the cartridge controller via the control signal path and for thereupon controlling stand-in operation of the stand-in interface circuit.