Abstract: A soft start sequencer is disclosed for starting a plurality of voltage regulators, the soft start sequencer comprising a first clock for clocking a plurality of soft start circuits, wherein each soft start circuit for ramping a reference signal from a first value to a second value over a ramp time after a delay time. Each soft start circuit comprises a divider operable to divide the first clock by an integer N to generate a second clock, a first counter clocked by the first clock, the first counter operable to time the delay time, and a second counter clocked by the second clock, the second counter operable to time the ramp time after the delay time.

Abstract: A disk drive is discloses comprising a disk, a head connected to a distal end of an actuator arm, and a voice coil motor (VCM) for rotating the actuator arm about a pivot in order to actuate the head radially over the disk. If when a power failure occurs the radial location of the head is less than a predetermined distance from the outer diameter of the disk, the VCM is controlled to move the head toward the inner diameter of the disk and stopping the head before it reaches the inner diameter of the disk. The VCM is then controlled to move the head toward the outer diameter of the disk until the actuator arm unloads onto a ramp.