Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed including a disk, an actuator arm, a head attached to a distal end of the actuator arm, a mechanical position sensor operable to generate a position signal representing a position of the head relative to the disk, and a voice coil motor for rotating the actuator arm about a pivot. The disk is rotated at a predetermined velocity, a control signal is generated in response to the position signal generated by the mechanical position sensor, and the control signal is applied to the voice coil motor in order to seek the head radially over the disk while writing a spiral track to the disk. The spiral track is then processed to maintain the head along a servo track while writing product servo sectors along the servo track.

Abstract: A switching voltage regulator is disclosed for regulating a voltage supplied to system circuitry. The switching voltage regulator comprises an oscillator operable to generate an oscillator signal representing a gate speed of a reference circuit in the system circuitry, and a frequency generator operable to generate a reference signal representing a target gate speed of the reference circuit. A cycle comparator compares at least one cycle of the oscillator signal to at least one cycle of the reference signal, and switching circuitry charges a charging element based at least on part on the comparison.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed including a disk having a plurality of servo tracks. The servo tracks are banded together to form a plurality of servo track bands, and each servo sector comprises a fine track address that identifies one of the servo tracks. The disk drive further comprises a head attached to a distal end of an actuator arm operable to generate a read signal by reading the disk, and a mechanical position sensor operable to detect a coarse position of the actuator arm. The coarse position is processed to identify one of the servo track bands, and the read signal is processed to detect one of the fine track addresses, wherein the detected fine track address identifies a servo track within the identified servo track band. The identified servo track band is combined with the detected fine track address to generate a servo track address.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising an actuator arm, a head attached to a distal end of the actuator arm, a voice coil motor for rotating the actuator arm about a pivot, and an optical sensor operable to generate a first position signal representing a position of the actuator arm with respect to the disk, wherein the first position signal is substantially unaffected by a vibration mode of the actuator arm. Servo sectors recorded on the disk are processed to generate a second position signal representing a position of the head with respect to the disk, wherein the second position signal comprises a significant component due to the vibration mode of the actuator arm. A control signal is applied to the voice coil motor in response to the first and second position signals.

Abstract: A discontinuous switching voltage regulator is disclosed including a charging element operable to generate an output voltage, switching circuitry coupled to the charging element, and switch control circuitry to configure the charging element during a cycle, including to charge the charging element for an on-time, discharge the charging element for a discharge time, and tristate the charging element for a tristate time. In operation, the on-time is initialized to a first on-time, and a first switch time is measured comprising the first on-time and a first discharge time of a first cycle. A first tristate time of the first cycle is measured, and a first ratio of the first tristate time to the first switch time is determined. The first ratio is compared to a first ratio threshold, and the on-time is adjusted to a second on-time if the first ratio exceeds the first ratio threshold.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk, an actuator arm, a head coupled to the actuator arm, a base, and an optical sensor operable to detect a position of the actuator arm. The optical sensor comprises a light source that is stationary relative to the base, a plurality of light sensitive sensors positioned to receive light from the light source, and a substantially opaque element positioned between the light source and the light sensitive sensors configured to control an amount of light at least one of the plurality of light sensitive sensors detects relative to the position of the actuator arm.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a voice coil motor (VCM) driven in a PWM mode using model reference current feedback. The PWM circuitry and VCM form a plant transfer function which varies with changes to the plant characteristics, such as the resistance of the voice coil fluctuating with temperature drift. A plant model having a model transfer function generates an estimated state of the VCM in response to a detected current flowing through the voice coil. A correction block, responsive to the detected current, adjusts PWM timing signals so that the plant transfer function substantially matches the model transfer function.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for adjusting at least one of a supply voltage and a clocking frequency applied to digital circuitry of a computing device, wherein the digital circuitry comprises a plurality of critical path circuits and a corresponding plurality of propagation delay error circuits. Each propagation delay error circuit generates a propagation delay error signal representing an error in propagation delay for the corresponding critical path circuit. The computing device further comprises a voting circuit for comparing the propagation delay error signals in order to select the largest propagation delay error signal for use in adjusting the at least one of the supply voltage and clocking frequency.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for adjusting at least one of a supply voltage and a clocking frequency applied to digital circuitry of a computing device, wherein the digital circuitry comprises a critical path circuit. A propagation delay frequency representing a propagation delay of the critical path circuit is generated, and a frequency error signal is generated representing a difference between a reference frequency and the propagation delay frequency. At least one of the supply voltage and the clocking frequency is adjusted in response to the frequency error signal.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk and a voice coil motor (VCM) having a voice coil for actuating a head over the disk. A VCM driver comprises an H-bridge driver having a plurality of driver switches for driving current through the voice coil to ground. A first pulse width modulated (PWM) signal controls a first voltage level driving the voice coil relative to a duty cycle of the first PWM signal, and a second PWM signal controls a second voltage level driving the voice coil relative to a duty cycle of the second PWM signal, wherein the first voltage level is greater than the second voltage level.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a microprocessor and a power driver for generating at least one actuator signal applied to the VCM actuator, wherein a serial communication circuit is used to communicate with the power driver. At least one control component periodically generates a control signal, wherein the control signal is transmitted at a substantially constant periodic interval using the serial communication circuit, and a timer times the periodic interval. A job queue controller queues and arbitrates serial communication requests to access the power driver using the serial communication circuit. The serial communication requests include a request to transmit the control signal and requests generated by the microprocessor. The job queue controller services a communication request generated by the microprocessor if the communication request can be serviced before the timer expires.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising an interface for receiving a primary supply voltage and a secondary supply voltage from a host computer. The primary supply voltage is applied to the windings of a multi-phase spindle motor in a commutation sequence, and the secondary supply voltage is connectable to a center tap of the windings.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head, a disk and a spindle motor for rotating the disk. An internal supply voltage is generated from a back EMF (BEMF) voltage across the windings of the spindle motor. The internal supply voltage is applied to a voice coil motor for use in parking the head during a spin-down mode. The internal supply voltage is compared to a threshold in order to activate a demand limit control signal. A periodic signal periodically disconnects the internal supply voltage from the VCM while the demand limit control signal is active.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a spindle motor for rotating a disk, wherein the current applied to the spindle motor is controlled by adjusting a duty cycle of a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal. A current sensor generates a current sense signal representing a current flowing from a supply voltage. The current sense signal is integrated to generate an integration signal. The integration signal is compared to a threshold, and the result of the comparison is used to adjust the duty cycle of the PWM signal. In this manner the disk drive draws essentially constant average input current from the supply voltage which decreases the spin up time of the disk.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal generator for generating PWM control signals applied to the driver switches of a voice coil motor (VCM). The PWM control signals comprise a PWM cycle time, a Tforward time interval of the PWM cycle time wherein a positive control voltage is applied to the VCM, a Treverse time interval of the PWM cycle time wherein a negative control voltage is applied to the VCM, and a Tdead time interval of the PWM cycle time wherein a substantially zero control voltage is applied to the VCM. The Tdead time interval is adjusted to control a magnitude of an actual ripple current flowing through the VCM.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a first disk surface and a second disk surface, wherein a first head is actuated radially over the first disk surface and a second head is actuated radially over the second disk surface. Each disk surface comprises a plurality of tracks, wherein each track comprises a plurality of data sectors for storing user data and N embedded servo sectors for storing servo data. The N embedded servo sectors on the tracks on the first disk surface are recorded at a physical angular offset from the N embedded servo sectors on the tracks on the second disk surface. While accessing a track on the first disk surface through the first head, the servo data on the first disk surface is read through the first head and the servo data on the second disk surface is read through the second head, thereby increasing the servo sample rate.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising an interface for receiving a supply voltage from a host computer and control circuitry for controlling at least one operation of the disk drive. The supply voltage is applied to the windings of a multi-phase spindle motor in a commutation sequence during a normal operating mode, and a secondary voltage supplied by a center tap of the windings is used to power the control circuitry during the normal operating mode.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a voice coil motor (VCM) driver including an H-bridge driver having a first sense resistor connected in series with a supply voltage and a second sense resistor connected in series with ground. First and second amplifiers amplify the voltages across the first and second sense resistors, wherein the output of the amplifiers drive respective first and second oscillators. A counter processes the frequency signals output by the oscillators to generate a digital representation of the current flowing through the voice coil of the VCM.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a voice coil motor (VCM) for actuating a head radially over a disk. A VCM driver comprises first and second transistors forming a common collector amplifier for sensing a current flowing through a voice coil of the VCM. The common collector amplifier improves the accuracy of the current sense measurement when the VCM is driven in a pulse width modulated (PWM) mode.

Abstract: A split actuator comprising two spring coupled actuators that share a common pivot bearing. The two reduced inertia actuators permit overlapping motions during a seek operation thereby reducing dead times in transfer of data between disk and transducers disposed on the actuators. A spring member that spring couples the two actuators boosts relative motions by storing and releasing spring potential energy selectively. The spring member is also configured so as to substantially restrict the relative motions of the two actuators to rotational motions about a common axis of the common pivot bearing. Rigidity of the spring member to non-rotational relative motions, as well as tuning of the spring member to provide a rigid response to selected frequencies, the spring member in conjunction with the common pivot bearing result in mechanical disturbance being substantially common to the two actuators, thereby allowing predictable and manageable disturbance corrections.