Abstract: The technology disclosed herein pertains to a method for determining expected command completion time (CCT), the method including receiving a plurality of position error signals (PESs) for an HDD over a predetermined time period, determining sigma of the plurality of PESs, retrieving upper off-track limits (UOL) for one or more data sectors of the HDD, calculating average number of retrieved sectors (A) between two consecutive occurrences of the |PES|>UOL for the HDD, and determining required number of revolutions (CCT) to collect data based on the average number of retrieved data sectors (A) and a total number of requested data sectors (N).

Abstract: A system includes a storage unit, a trusted time source, a key generation unit, and an encryption unit. The storage unit is configured to store data. The trusted time source provides a correct time responsive to a request. The key generation unit receives a time expiration associated with the data stored on the storage unit. The time expiration indicates when the data stored on the storage unit is to become inaccessible. The key generation unit further receives the correct time from the trusted time source and generates an encryption key based on the correct time and further based on the time expiration. The encryption unit is configured uses the encryption key to encrypt the data stored on the storage unit. A certificate that includes the time expiration and a decryption key associated with the encryption key is generated responsive to the data stored on the storage unit being encrypted.

Abstract: Described are magnetic recording heads that include an air-bearing surface and that are designed to be useful or potentially useful in two or more different types of fluid atmospheres; also described are related methods of testing the magnetic recording heads and installing the magnetic recording heads in a hard disk drive, as well as hard disk drives that contain a magnetic recording head as described.

Abstract: A slider includes a slider body with an air-bearing surface and a top surface opposing the air-bearing surface. A plurality of slider bond pads are disposed on or parallel to the top surface and proximate to or at a trailing edge of the slider. The plurality of slider bond pads have an exposed surface facing away from the top surface of the slider body. One or more mounting supports extend from the top surface to a distance of at least 12 ?m above the exposed surface of the plurality of slider bond pads.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to electronic devices that include a composition that generates a gaseous oxidizing agent component within the interior gas space of the electronic device. The present disclosure also relates to electronic devices that include a container that includes a gaseous oxidizing agent component in a manner that the gaseous oxidizing component can transfer from the container to the interior gas space of the electronic device. The present disclosure also involves related methods.

Abstract: Described are adhesive compositions that contain adhesive polymer and carbon nanotubes; devices (e.g., electronic devices and electronic device enclosures) and compositions that include one of these adhesive compositions; and uses of such adhesive compositions as part of an electronic device.

Abstract: A data storage device includes at least one data storage disc, at least one head supported by a rotatable actuator arm, an elevator configured to move the rotatable actuator arm in a z direction, a first vertical guide post, a ramp assembly configured to support the head on a movable ramp, and a bracket attached to the movable ramp. The at least one head is configured to communicate with the at least one data storage disc when positioned over the at least one data storage disc. The movable ramp is moveable in a z direction parallel to the first vertical guide post. The bracket is engageable to the rotatable actuator arm so that the bracket moves along the first vertical guide post in unison with z direction motion of the rotatable actuator arm via the elevator, and the bracket is disengageable from the rotatable actuator arm.

Abstract: An assembly for lapping multiple row bars, the assembly including a carrier having at least one carrier bond pad, multiple row bars adjacent to each other in a stack, wherein a first row bar of the stack is positioned closer to the carrier than any of the other multiple row bars of the stack and comprises at least one row bar bond pad, an electrical connection between at least one of the carrier bond pads and at least one of the row bar bond pads of the first row bar, and at least one electrical trace extending through at least two of the multiple row bars and electrically connected to at least the first row bar and one additional row bar of the stack. An outermost row bar of the stack includes an outer surface and at least one electronic lapping guide.

Abstract: Systems and methods for adding a cap-layer to magnetic recording media are described. In one embodiment, the method may include depositing a magnetic recording layer over a substrate, depositing an interface layer over the magnetic recording layer, and depositing a carbon overcoat layer over the interface layer. In some cases, sputter deposition is used to deposit at least the interface layer. In some cases, oxygen is used as a background gas of the sputter deposition.

Abstract: Improving performance in solid state devices (SSDs) by controlling or throttling the depth of the request queue. In one implementation, a method includes monitoring a request queue in a solid state device (an SSD), the request queue comprising a first request and a second request having an actual time interval therebetween, determining a number of active memory dies of the SSD, determining a target interval based on the number of active memory dies and a target number of active memory dies, and responsive to the actual time interval being less than the target interval, delaying acting on the second request until after the target interval.

Abstract: A method for identifying a drive malfunction source includes receiving as input multiple drive event records each recorded by a different one of multiple storage drives in a mass storage system. Among other data, each one of the drive event records including internal tasks performed by the associated storage drive and communications transmitted between an external host and a controller of the associated storage drive. The method may further include comparing the drive event records using a processor to identify at least one discrepancy in recorded drive events indicative of the drive malfunction source.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for protecting firmware and other types of control data used in a processor-based device, such as but not limited to a solid-state drive (SSD). In some embodiments, the firmware is stored in a firmware store as a plurality of program instructions in a first sequence. The program instructions are loaded to a local memory in a different, second sequence. In some cases, a random number is generated and the second sequence is selected using the random number. A translation table may be generated and used by a programmable processor to locate the various program instructions in the second sequence. In other cases, instructions with calls and other references to other instruction lines are modified based on the order in the local memory. Other forms of control data may also be generated and stored to the local memory in a random order and interspersed with the firmware.

Abstract: Heuristic based approach to authentication of requests in a stateless protocol environment. Heuristics may be applied to a request to calculate a trust level for the request. The trust level for a request may at least in part be based on request parameters for the request and one or more previously received requests in a user context profile. Thus, historical request metadata may be used in calculating a trust value of a received request. If the trust value for a request exceeds a trust threshold, the request may be authenticated without forwarding the request to an authentication server. Thus, for requests in which the trust value exceeds the trust threshold, system performance may be improved by not requiring computational overhead and/or network bandwidth to be used in authentication. In this regard, the format of the request may still comport with the stateless protocol, but authentication may be made more efficient.

Abstract: In one aspect, a data storage device includes a disc, an arm, a head, a linear driver, and an elevator. The disc has a read/write surface defining an x-y plane. The arm has a head end that is movable relative to the disc. The head is configured to interact with the read/write surface. The linear driver is configured to move the arm along a substantially straight line in the x-y plane. The elevator is configured to move the arm in a z direction. In another aspect, rather than a linear driver, the data storage device includes a rotary actuator and a pivot actuator. The arm includes a first portion and a load beam. The rotary actuator is configured to move the first portion about a first pivot axis; the pivot actuator is configured to move the load beam about a second pivot axis relative to the first portion.

Abstract: Hard errors are determined for an unsuccessful decoding of codeword bits read from NAND memory cells via a read channel and input to a low-density parity check (LDPC) decoder. A bit error rate (BER) for the hard errors is estimated and BER for the read channel is estimated. Hard error regions are found using a single level cell (SLC) reading of the NAND memory cells. A log likelihood ratio (LLR) mapping of the codeword bits input to the LDPC decoder is changed based on the hard error regions, the hard error BER, and/or the read channel BER.

Abstract: A recording head for writing data on tracks of a data storage medium is provided. The recording head includes a writer having a write pole and a trailing shield. The write pole includes a pole tip configured to write on the tracks of the data storage medium. The recording head also includes first and second writing-assistance wires positioned between the pole tip and the trailing shield in a down-track direction to enable a writing-assistance current to be provided to produce an assist magnetic field that augments a write field produced by the write pole.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for categorizing error types encountered in data access operations based on bit information from a data segment. An example apparatus includes a circuit configured to perform error recovery for one or more data segments including determining an error recovery operation of a plurality of error recovery operations to perform based on bit information of the one or more data segments. The example circuit also performs the determined error recovery operation.

Abstract: A data storage device includes an electrical connector configured to receive an input voltage to power electronics of the data storage device. The data storage device further includes a fuse electrically coupled between the electrical connector and the electronics. The fuse is configured to output a signal indicative of current being inputted to the data storage device. The data storage device further includes a controller configured to calculate power based on the input voltage and the signal indicative of the current.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for dynamically adjusting parameters used during a read operation to reduce stress on a read head. In certain embodiments, an apparatus may comprise a read head configured to read data stored to a data storage medium, and a control circuit that controls a parameter of the read head influencing the read head's ability to accurately read data. The control circuit may be configured to extend the working lifespan of the read head by monitoring a read performance of the read head, and adjusting the parameter to reduce the read performance when the read performance is greater than a first threshold.

Abstract: Read error mitigation in solid-state memory devices. A solid-state drive (SSD) includes a read error mitigation module that monitors one or more memory regions. In response to detecting uncorrectable read errors, memory regions of the memory device may be identified and preemptively retired. Example approaches include identifying a memory region as being suspect such that upon repeated read failures within the memory region, the memory region is retired. Moreover, memory regions may be compared to peer memory regions to determine when to retire a memory region. The read error mitigation module may trigger a test procedure on a memory region to detect the susceptibility of a memory region to read error failures. By detecting read error failures and retirement of a memory regions, data loss and/or data recovery processes may be limited to improve drive performance and reliability.