Abstract: The invention is a hard-disk-drive (HDD) assembly that includes a flame having the exterior dimensions of a particular form-factor HDD, an HDD with a form-factor smaller than the frame, a pair of mount assemblies that support the HDD entirely within the larger form-factor frame, and an electrical cable located entirely within the frame and having one end connected to the HDD and the other end exposed to the frame exterior at the position determined by the specifications of the larger form-factor. The HDD assembly thus presents a smaller form-factor HDD as a fully plug-compatible alternative to a larger form-factor HDD. The mount assemblies have spring-like cantilever arms in contact with damping material to provide a highly-damped nonlinear spring system that provides mechanical-shock resistance for the HDD in a direction normal to the planes of the disks and high stiffness in a direction parallel to the planes of the disks.

Abstract: A control system for an actuator arm assembly of a hard disk drive reduces the Non-Repeatable Run-out (NRRO) caused from external sources exciting higher-frequency actuator arm assembly modes. The actuator arm assembly includes a primary actuator and a secondary actuator. The control system includes a primary control loop controlling the primary actuator and a secondary control loop controlling the secondary actuator. The secondary control loop includes at least one peak filter at a frequency corresponding to at least one frequency that is greater in frequency than the primary mode of the actuator arm assembly. The primary actuator can be any type of primary actuator. Similarly, the secondary actuator can be any type of actuator that is located between the primary actuator and a read/write head.

Abstract: A control system for an actuator arm assembly of a hard disk drive reduces the Non-Repeatable Run-out (NRRO) caused from external sources exciting higher-frequency actuator arm assembly modes. The actuator arm assembly includes a primary actuator and a secondary actuator. The control system includes a primary control loop controlling the primary actuator and a secondary control loop controlling the secondary actuator. The secondary control loop includes at least one peak filter at a frequency corresponding to at least one frequency that is greater in frequency than the primary mode of the actuator arm assembly. The primary actuator can be any type of primary actuator. Similarly, the secondary actuator can be any type of actuator that is located between the primary actuator and a read/write head.

Abstract: Actuator arm pivot assemblies used in hard disk drives carry the read/write heads used for data transfer to/from the disk surface. Actuator arm pivot assemblies use pivot cartridges for the pivoting mechanism. Typical pivot cartridges are built on a thin sleeve made out of a stiff material, such as stainless steel. This sleeve is expensive to manufacture relative to other parts of the assembly. Eliminating the sleeve from an actuator arm pivot assembly achieves significant manufacturing cost savings.

Abstract: The present invention is directed towards a family of vibroacoustic emulators to simulate the vibroacoustic characteristics of components of an electronic device. Specific embodiments for simulating a hard disk drive comprise a housing and a vibroacoustic generator coupled to the housing. Various embodiments enable acoustic emulation through a cover side and base side, out-of-plane vibrational emulation to simulate hard disk drive during seek periods, and in-plane vibrational emulation to simulate a hard-disk drive during idle periods. Methods for using the vibroacoustic emulators to characterize system noise are also disclosed.

Abstract: A disk drive system (and method) includes an actuator system including a first voice coil motor (VCM), a second voice coil motor for enhancing dynamic resonance properties of the actuator system, and a single error position detecting mechanism, thereby enabling a higher bandwidth servo system configured with a single position error detection source.

Abstract: An active control mechanism and method for stabilizing a servo-controlled actuator system such as an actuator system in a data recording disk drive by compensating the vibrational modes of the actuator's arm assembly. The control mechanism has a sensing arrangement which can include one or more individual sensors attached to the actuator at locations where they generate signals in phase with the vibrational modes, and especially with all the low-frequency major vibrational modes, of the arm assembly. A control mechanism derives from the signals an adjustment signal consisting of three corrective terms—a stiffening correction, an active damping correction, and an inertia correction by a phase correction. Furthermore, high-frequency out-of-phase modes can be stabilized by appropriately shifting the phase of the signals. The adjustment signal is used in the feedback control loop to stabilize the actuator system.

Abstract: A disk drive having an arm assembly equipped with a primary actuator such as a VCM and a mode-canceling actuator such as a PZT mounted at a location selected in such a way that the strain in the mode-canceling actuator is in phase with sway deformations of the primary actuator produced by the vibrational modes of the arm assembly. The primary actuator is driven to exert a primary force, f ⋁ pm , on the arm assembly while the secondary driver ensures that the mode-canceling actuator applies a mode-canceling force, f ⋁ m ⁢   ⁢ c , on arm assembly such that the gain and phase of one or more vibrational modes are canceled.

Abstract: A disk drive head assembly enables adjustment of a center of gravity of the head assembly of a depopulation version, while suppressing an occurrence of a resonance frequency affecting the performance of the disk drive apparatus. The head assembly for the data storage media includes: magnetic heads for reading/writing data from/to the data storage media, arms to which the magnetic heads are attached, a pivot shaft holder for supporting the arms, a coil for a voice coil motor extended from the pivot shaft holder, and a counter weight provided at a predetermined position opposite to a coil for the voice coil motor with respect to the pivot shaft holder.

Abstract: A disk drive system (and method) includes an actuator system including a first voice coil motor (VCM), a second voice coil motor for enhancing dynamic resonance properties of the actuator system, and a single error position detecting mechanism, thereby enabling a higher bandwidth servo system configured with a single position error detection source.

Abstract: A disk drive head assembly enables adjustment of a center of gravity of the head assembly of a depopulation version, while suppressing an occurrence of a resonance frequency affecting the performance of the disk drive apparatus. The head assembly for the data storage media includes: magnetic heads for reading/writing data from/to the data storage media, arms to which the magnetic heads are attached, a pivot shaft holder for supporting the arms, a coil for a voice coil motor extended from the pivot shaft holder, and a counter weight provided at a predetermined position opposite to a coil for the voice coil motor with respect to the pivot shaft holder.

Abstract: A stator magnet according to a first embodiment of the present invention forms a voice coil motor with a closed coil. The closed coil is supported by an actuator arm in a rotatable manner and at a predetermined rotation angle. The closed coil has first and second side edges that extend along different lines in radial directions whose center is a center of rotation of the actuator arm. It also has an outer edge that connects edges of outer sides of the first and second side edges with viewed from the radial direction, and extends along an arc whose center is the center of rotation. A first magnetic pole region is located within a moving area of the first side edge to act on the first side edge. A second magnetic pole region is located within a moving area of the second side edge to act on the second side edge. The polarity of the second magnetic pole region is opposite to the polarity of the first magnetic pole region.

Abstract: An actuator assembly having two coils disposed between the poles of a voice coil motor (VCM) magnet for improved dynamic performance during settling and tracking operations in a disk drive. The two coils in the VCM are connected to separate current sources to allow the current flow in the two coils to have the same sense (clockwise or counterclockwise) or the opposite sense with respect to each other. When the current flows in the two coils have the opposite sense, excitation of the principal in-plane bending mode resonance of the actuator assembly is suppressed allowing the use of an increased servo bandwidth for settling and tracking operations of the disk drive. During seek operations of the disk drive, where maximum torque on the actuator is desirable, the coil currents in the two coils are chosen to have the same sense so that the forces on the actuator from the two coils are additive.

Abstract: A system and method for using a piezoelectric (PZT) element to simultaneously actuate and sense a displacement of an arm assembly; e.g., an assembly for reading and writing data in a storage medium. The simultaneous actuating and sensing function of the PZT is achieved by adding a high-frequency excitation to a control signal which actuates the PZT. The control signal and the high-frequency excitation cause deformation of the PZT translating into arm displacement and cause the generation of an electrical response signal by the PZT. A bridge which simulates the reactance/resistance of the PZT receives the response signal and derives from it the displacement of the arm assembly. Suitable compensation techniques for active control of the PZT and for mitigation of mechanical vibrations and other disturbances experienced by the arm assembly may then be implemented based on the displacement.

Abstract: An active control mechanism and method for stabilizing a servo-controlled actuator system such as an actuator system in a data recording disk drive by compensating the vibrational modes of the actuator's arm assembly. The control mechanism has a sensing arrangement which can include one or more individual sensors attached to the actuator at locations where they generate signals in phase with the vibrational modes, and especially with all the major vibrational modes, of the arm assembly. A control mechanism derives from the signals an adjustment signal consisting of three corrective terms--a stiffening correction, an active damping correction and an inertia reduction correction--and the adjustment signal is used in the feedback control loop to stabilize the actuator system.

Abstract: A magnetic recording disk drive uses a rotary actuator with an elastomeric damping member located on the actuator arm. The actuator head support arm has a pair of rails that extend from the actuator pivot to the distal end where the read/write heads are supported. A lateral cross-member extends between and interconnects the rails. The cross-member contains a recess, and elastomeric damping material is located in the recess. The recess is a cut completely through the cross-member so that the cross-member is formed as two stubs extending from respective rails with a gap between the stub ends. The damping material is located in the gap and damps vibration of the actuator arm.

Abstract: An actuator assembly for a magnetic storage system wherein the end arms are dynamically tuned to reduce the modes of vibration on the actuator to improve the performance and stability of the actuator assembly in the magnetic storage system. In one embodiment, the upper and lower outer arms of the actuator assembly are thinned in the same or similar locations. In another embodiment, the upper and lower outer arms of the actuator assembly are notched at high strain energy points to reduce the stiffness of the outer arms. In still another embodiment, the upper and lower outer arms of the actuator assembly are both notched and thinned at the same or similar locations.