Abstract: There is disclosed herein a method and apparatus for centering a disk on a spindle, a spinstand and a method of testing with a spinstand. The method of centering includes attaching the disk to the spindle with a stick-slip clamp. A vector is determined by which the centre of the disk is displaced from the spindle axis and the vector is aligned with a movably mounted piezo actuator. A voltage is then applied to the piezo actuator to cause the piezo actuator to apply an impulse to the edge of the disk to cause the disk to slip in the clamp and reduce the displacement of the disk.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method and apparatus for measuring a signal using a measurement system. The signal has a frequency component that is to be detected by the measurement. The frequency component has a varying phase. The signal has at least one interruption thereto. The method includes: processing the signal with the measurement system to detect the frequency component in the signal and stalling the measurement system before the start of the interruption. The stall period is calculated such that the processing of the signal is resumed: i) after the end of the interruption, and ii) where there is substantially no discontinuity between the phase of the frequency component in the signal at the end of the stall and in the phase of the frequency component in the signal at the beginning of the stall.

Abstract: An optical inspection system includes a polarizing isolator that reduces error in measurements by preventing ghost light reflected or scattered from element of a detection subsystem from re-entering the illumination and detection optical paths. The polarizing isolator may include a polarizing splitter that isolates light directionally according the a linear polarization state and two quarter-wave plates for transforming linearly polarized light to circularly polarized light.

Abstract: The invention provides a data storage system for connection to a primary power source, the data storage system comprising: one or more data storage media; one or more interfaces, each interface able to connect to at least one of the data storage media so as to couple power from the primary power source to the at least one of the data storage media; one or more energy modules, each energy module being able to connect to an interface for providing back-up power to the one or more of the data storage media in the event of a failure of the primary power source.

Abstract: The invention provides a component electro-optical printed circuit board backplane for assembly in a modular electro-optical backplane, the component electro-optical printed circuit board backplane comprising: optical channels for the propagation and transmission of optical data signals and electrical channels for the propagation and transmission of power and control signals; connectors for connection in-plane to at least one other component electro-optical printed circuit board; and, at least one socket for receiving, in use, a user circuit. The invention also provides a modular backplane made up of plural such component backplanes.

Abstract: A storage assembly includes a physical expander for connection in use to two or more SCSI initiators, and two or more storage devices, wherein the expander is controlled such that it presents plural virtual expanders. A method for connecting two or more storage devices to two or more SCSI initiators within a storage assembly, includes providing a physical expander for connection in use to the two or more SCSI initiators, and two or more storage devices, and controlling the single expander such that it presents plural virtual expanders.

Abstract: The present application is directed to a slider supporting apparatus for flying a slider of a hard disk drive in the manufacturing process to provide electrical performance characteristics. The present invention discloses an integrated design including the electrical interconnect, the gimballing mechanism, the preload mechanism and the slider supporting mechanism integrated into a single supporting structure.

Abstract: The present application is directed to a slider supporting apparatus for flying a slider of a hard disk drive in the manufacturing process to provide electrical performance characteristics. The present invention discloses an integrated design including the electrical interconnect, the gimballing mechanism, the preload mechanism and the slider supporting mechanism integrated into a single supporting structure.

Abstract: There is disclosed a carrier (50) for a disk drive (100) for inserting a disk drive into a bay (22) of a storage enclosure (10), a storage enclosure and methods relating to the same. The carrier (50) comprises a housing for housing a said disk drive, and a latch member (61) slidably attached to the housing. The latch member has at least one latch part (64) for engaging with a corresponding engagement part of a said bay to latch the carrier (50) into position when the latch member (61) is slid in a latch direction to a latch position.

Abstract: There is provided a method of scheduling requests from a plurality of services to at least one data storage resource. The method comprises receiving, on a computer system, service requests from said plurality of services. The service requests comprise metadata specifying a service ID and a data size of payload data associated with said service request, and at least some of said service IDs have service throughput metadata specifying a required service throughput associated therewith. The method further includes arranging, in a computer system, said requests into FIFO throttled queues based on said service ID and then setting a deadline for processing of a request in a throttled queue. The deadline is selected in dependence upon the size of the request and the required service throughput associated therewith. Then, the deadline of each throttled queue is monitored and, if a request in a throttled queue has reached or exceeded the deadline the request is processed in a data storage resource.

Abstract: The invention provides a data storage system and a method of cooling storage media within a data storage system. The data storage system comprises an enclosure; plural drawer structures each containing plural storage media such as disk drives, wherein the storage media are arranged such that air can pass vertically within the system through and between at least 2 of the plural drawers thereby to cool the disk drives in the system by a vertical flow of air within the system; and air flow generating means to generate a vertical flow of air through the drawers.

Abstract: There is disclosed an electronics module (101) for a data storage device enclosure (100) and data storage device enclosures (100). The module comprises an enclosure connector (104) for connecting to the enclosure, at least one bay constructed and arranged to receive a data storage device (200), and a controller (102) arranged to selectively provide access to storage devices to which it is connected. The module (101) has a communications path (107) between the controller and the enclosure connector (104) by which the controller can communicate with storage devices in the enclosure. The module (101) also has a first communications path to the data storage device (200) when received in the bay by which the controller can communicate with that data storage device. The module (101) also has a second communications path to the data storage device (200) when received in the bay by which that data storage device can be accessed from outside the module.

Abstract: There is provided an optical waveguide comprising an optical core having transverse sides, the optical core extending along a curved path; an optical cladding on the transverse sides of the optical core, wherein the distribution of the optical cladding on the transverse sides of the optical core is asymmetric about the centre of the core.

Abstract: There is disclosed a storage enclosure (10) and method of manufacturing a storage enclosure (10) comprising a plurality of bays (22) for receiving disk drives (100), the storage enclosure comprising: a chassis (24); a plurality of guide members (28), each bay having a first guide member at one end of the bay and a second guide member at the opposed end of the bay, the guide members (28) being constructed and arranged to engage with and guide a disk drive (100) into the bay (22) and to hold the disk drive (100) in a received position in the bay (22); and, a plurality of resilient mounts (97) by which each guide member (28) is attached to the chassis (24), wherein the mount (97) is arranged to isolate the disk drive from the chassis to reduce vibration being transmitted between the disk drive and the chassis.

Abstract: The invention provides an optical printed circuit board connector, comprising: a housing having a major plane; an optical interface for connection in use to another optical interface on a device to which in use the optical printed circuit board connector is arranged to be connected, in which the optical interface on the connector is mounted such that it is twistable about a vertical axis in the major plane to vary the launch angle of light from the interface with respect to the housing.

Abstract: The present application is directed to a slider supporting apparatus for flying a slider of a hard disk drive in the manufacturing process to provide electrical performance characteristics. The present invention discloses an integrated design including the electrical interconnect, the gimballing mechanism, the preload mechanism and the slider supporting mechanism integrated into a single supporting structure.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for scanning a read/write head of a hard disk drive during manufacture. The method comprises: providing a magnetic sensor; moving the magnetic sensor relative to and in close proximity to the read/write head under test; obtaining measurements from the head under test or the sensor, representing a two-dimensional magnetic map; processing the map to obtain an accurate map of the head sensitivity of the head under test from which the key performance characteristics of the head can be obtained.

Abstract: There is disclosed a test apparatus for performing testing with a read/write head and method of testing with a test apparatus. The test apparatus includes a head load mechanism for receiving and positioning the read/write head during testing and a multi-channel preamplifier arranged to interface plural channels to a measurement system. A first channel of the multi-channel preamplifier has a connector for connecting to the read/write head. One or more other channels of the multi-channel preamplifier is connected to or has a connector for connecting to another device for interfacing that device to the measurement system.

Abstract: There is provided a method and apparatus for storage of cable, comprising: a cable reel, said cable reel being rotatable about an axis and having a surface spaced from said axis, said surface being arranged to store wound cable thereon, the cable reel further comprising: a first receiving portion for receiving a first part of the cable; a second receiving portion for receiving a second part of the cable; and a guide for guiding the cable between the first and second receiving portions, wherein the guide is arranged to guide the cable along a path extending in three dimensions.

Abstract: There is provided a method and apparatus for power management in a storage resource. The storage resource comprises at least one RAID array including a plurality of physical drives. The method comprises: determining a reduced number of physical drives within a RAID array upon which data is to be concentrated; moving data stored on said RAID array and/or targeting data written to said RAID array to one or more of said reduced number of physical drives such that said data is concentrated on said reduced number of physical drives in said RAID array; and selectively applying power management logic to enable, based on at least one power management criterion, one or more physical drives in said RAID array to be powered down or to be supplied with reduced power.