Abstract: A disk drive having a single head for recording data on and reading data from a disk-type recording medium, the disk drive including: a spindle motor to rotate the disk-type recording medium; and a controller to drive the spindle motor and the single head. The controller drives the single head to record system information of the disk drive on an original copy portion and at least one backup copy portion of the disk-type recording medium.

Abstract: A method of screening a hard disk drive (HDD) including: measuring one or more parameters to display read/write head performances at least two times during an HDD process; and calculating variances of the measured one or more parameters and judging whether head degradation has occurred based on the calculated variances.

Abstract: A method optimizing a recording current in consideration of operating temperatures of a hard disk drive and a method of setting a recording density in consideration of tracks per inch (TPI) or adjacent track erasure (ATE) characteristics. The method of optimizing the recording current measures a rate of errors under a test condition corresponding to the operating temperature of a hard disk drive, while changing a recording parameter, selects a recording parameter value corresponding to a smallest rate of errors, and optimizes the recording current for the hard disk drive under operating environmental conditions using the selected recording parameter value.

Abstract: A method of measuring the degree of thermal pole tip protrusion (TPTP) of a magnetic head and controlling a recording current in consideration of the degree of TPTP, in relation to a hard disk drive includes measuring the rate of errors contained in data by performing writing and reading operations while changing the level of an overshoot current (OSC), detecting a minimum error rate and a maximum error rate while changing a range of the OSC, and determining the degree of TPTP by measuring the difference between the minimum error rate and the error rate at the maximum OSC.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to determine a magnetic write width of a magnetic head using burst patterns. The method includes seeking a target track on a magnetic disc to write a burst pattern on the target track; seeking tracks adjacent to the target track to write burst patterns on the adjacent tracks, which are offtracked by a predetermined percentage toward the target track, moving the magnetic head along a radial direction of the magnetic disc and measure an output signal of the magnetic head, to create an offtrack profile, and determining an amplitude reduction ratio of the target track from the offtrack profile, to determine a magnetic write width corresponding to the determined amplitude reduction ratio.

Abstract: A method of screening a hard disk drive (HDD) including: measuring one or more parameters to display read/write head performances at least two times during an HDD process; and calculating variances of the measured one or more parameters and judging whether head degradation has occurred based on the calculated variances.

Abstract: A disk drive having a single head for recording data on and reading data from a disk-type recording medium, the disk drive including: a spindle motor to rotate the disk-type recording medium; and a controller to drive the spindle motor and the single head. The controller drives the single head to record system information of the disk drive on an original copy portion and at least one backup copy portion of the disk-type recording medium.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed determining the presence of base line popping noise for a read head inside an assembled disk drive, as well as, determining read bias conditions for operating the read head free of base line popping noise. These further include performance evaluation of the read head for read bias conditions free of base line popping noise. They also include repairing the read head using DC write current and read bias current within the assembled disk drive.

Abstract: A method optimizing a recording current in consideration of operating temperatures of a hard disk drive and a method of setting a recording density in consideration of tracks per inch (TPI) or adjacent track erasure (ATE) characteristics. The method of optimizing the recording current measures a rate of errors under a test condition corresponding to the operating temperature of a hard disk drive, while changing a recording parameter, selects a recording parameter value corresponding to a smallest rate of errors, and optimizes the recording current for the hard disk drive under operating environmental conditions using the selected recording parameter value.

Abstract: A method of measuring the degree of thermal pole tip protrusion (TPTP) of a magnetic head and controlling a recording current in consideration of the degree of TPTP, in relation to a hard disk drive includes measuring the rate of errors contained in data by performing writing and reading operations while changing the level of an overshoot current (OSC), detecting a minimum error rate and a maximum error rate while changing a range of the OSC, and determining the degree of TPTP by measuring the difference between the minimum error rate and the error rate at the maximum OSC.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to determine a magnetic write width of a magnetic head using burst patterns. The method includes seeking a target track on a magnetic disc to write a burst pattern on the target track; seeking tracks adjacent to the target track to write burst patterns on the adjacent tracks, which are offtracked by a predetermined percentage toward the target track, moving the magnetic head along a radial direction of the magnetic disc and measure an output signal of the magnetic head, to create an offtrack profile, and determining an amplitude reduction ratio of the target track from the offtrack profile, to determine a magnetic write width corresponding to the determined amplitude reduction ratio.

Abstract: The invention includes methods determining the presence of base line popping noise for a read head inside an assembled disk drive, as well as, determining read bias conditions for operating the read head free of base line popping noise. The invention further includes performance evaluation of the read head for read bias conditions free of base line popping noise. The invention also includes repairing the read head using DC write current and read bias current within the assembled disk drive.