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:
Apr. 25, 2000
Filed:
Dec. 16, 1998
John P Hill, Nederland, CO (US);
STMicroelectronics, N.V., , NL;
Abstract
Disclosed is a tracking control integrated circuit (IC) system implementation and method for controlling the gain of a digital-to-analog converter in a disk drive system. The tracking control IC system includes components defined in integrated circuit chips and components defined on a printed circuit board. The tracking control IC system is configured to be implemented in a disk drive system that includes a disk media. The tracking control IC system includes a servo controller chip that includes a compensator/processor, the digital-to-analog converter, and a switch. The switch is configured to receive a high gain signal (being Low or High) for setting the switch in an open state or a closed state. The tracking control IC system further includes a power amplifier chip having amplifying elements. The power amplifier chip has a first input and a second input, both of which connect to selected ones of the amplifying elements. The digital-to-analog converter includes a first output that is in communication with the switch and the first input of the power amplifier chip. The digital-to-analog converter has a second output that is in communication with the switch, and the switch has an output that is coupled to the first input of the power amplifier chip through the selected amplifying elements. The switch therefore enables the tracking control IC system to have a wider dynamic range control voltage Vc without increasing the die area of the servo control chip, without adding external active components to the PCB, and without increasing the control signal's susceptibility to noise pickup or offsets.