Abstract: In a magnetic disk apparatus which is removably mounted or embedded to a host apparatus and intermittently accessed for recording/reproducing data, a RAM contained in the host apparatus is utilized for a portion or entirety of a buffer RAM for use in the intermittent access to accomplish a reduction in size and cost of the magnetic disk apparatus. In addition, the magnetic disk apparatus is controlled to rotate a magnetic disk at a variable rotational speed, and operated at a rotational speed at which the total power consumption is minimized in accordance with the capacity of the utilized buffer RAM and whether an access is made for recording or reproduction, thereby improving a power saving effect.

Abstract: A magnetic disk apparatus includes a low-rotation mode for decreasing the revolution number of a disk, in the low-rotation mode, any control signal for decelerating the disk is not generated to permit it to be decelerated owing to inertial drive and when a detected speed falls below a target speed, the disk is accelerated to thereby realize power saving.

Abstract: A magnetic disk apparatus has: a magnetic disk having a magnetic film formed on a substrate; a spindle motor for rotating the magnetic disk; a magnetic head for writing/reading information on/from the magnetic disk; a supporting member for supporting the magnetic head; a driving mechanism for moving the magnetic head to a predetermined position on the magnetic disk; a magnetic writing/reading circuit for enabling the magnetic head to write/read information on/from the magnetic disk; an interface for sending/receiving signals for controlling the information to/from another information processing device, a device for detecting whether or not the magnetic disk apparatus is in operation; and mechanism for latching movable part of the magnetic disk apparatus on the basis of detection result of the detecting device.

Abstract: A magnetic disk apparatus has: a magnetic disk having a magnetic film formed on a substrate; a spindle motor for rotating the magnetic disk; a magnetic head for writing/reading information on/from the magnetic disk; a supporting member for supporting the magnetic head; a driving mechanism for moving the magnetic head to a predetermined position on the magnetic disk; a magnetic writing/reading circuit for enabling the magnetic head to write/read information on/from the magnetic disk; an interface for sending/receiving signals for controlling the information to/from another information processing device, a device for detecting whether or not the magnetic disk apparatus is in operation; and mechanism for latching movable part of the magnetic disk apparatus on the basis of detection result of the detecting device.

Abstract: A hard disk drive and magnetic medium including a servo area, a data area divided into a plurality of sector blocks and at least one micro-servo area disposed between two sector blocks. There may be a micro-servo area immediately preceding each of the plurality of sector blocks. The micro-servo areas include an address mark and a track parity check code that allow the detection of an external shock that causes the recording (write) head to skip to an adjacent track in the hard disk medium. The micro-servo area is smaller than the servo areas, and various numbers of different track parity check codes can be used for different resolution of shock detection. An acceleration sensor may also be provided to detect larger external shocks. By detecting various external shocks with improved accuracy, and aborting the recording operation of data if an external shock is detected, the corruption of data in adjacent tracks is substantially reduced to improve disk drive performance.

Abstract: A hard disk drive and magnetic medium including a servo area, a data area divided into a plurality of sector blocks and at least one micro-servo area disposed between two sector blocks. There may be a micro-servo area immediately preceding each of the plurality of sector blocks. The micro-servo areas include an address mark and a track parity check code that allow the detection of an external shock that causes the recording (write) head to skip to an adjacent track in the hard disk medium. The micro-servo area is smaller than the servo areas, and various numbers of different track parity check codes can be used for different resolution of shock detection. An acceleration sensor may also be provided to detect larger external shocks. By detecting various external shocks with improved accuracy, and aborting the recording operation of data if an external shock is detected, the corruption of data in adjacent tracks is substantially reduced to improve disk drive performance.

Abstract: The magnetoresistance effect element is of a multilayered structure having at least magnetic layers and an intermediate layer of an insulating material, a semiconductor or an antiferromagnetic material against the magnetic layers, and the magnetoresistance effect element has terminals formed at least on the opposite magnetic layers, respectively, so that a current flows in the intermediate layer. The film surfaces of all the magnetic layers constituting the magnetoresistance effect element are opposed substantially at right angles to the recording surface of a magnetic recording medium. Therefore, the area of the magnetic layers facing the recording surface of the magnetic recording medium can be extremely reduced, and thus the magnetic field from a very narrow region of the high-density recorded magnetic recording medium can be detected by the current which has a tunneling characteristic and passes through the intermediate layer.

Abstract: A magnetic disk apparatus includes a low-rotation mode for decreasing the revolution number of a disk, in the low-rotation mode, any control signal for decelerating the disk is not generated to permit it to be decelerated owing to inertial drive and when a detected speed falls below a target speed, the disk is accelerated to thereby realize power saving.

Abstract: The magnetoresistance effect element is of a multilayered structure having at least magnetic layers and an intermediate layer of an insulating material, a semiconductor or an antiferromagnetic material against the magnetic layers, and the magnetoresistance effect element has terminals formed at least on the opposite magnetic layers, respectively, so that a all the magnetic layers constituting the magnetoresistance effect element are opposed substantially at right angles to the recording surface of a magnetic recording medium. Therefore, the area of the magnetic layers facing the recording surface of the magnetic recording medium can be extremely reduced, and thus the magnetic field from a very narrow region of the high-density recorded magnetic recording medium can be detected by the current which has a tunneling characteristic and passes through the intermediate layer.

Abstract: A magnetic disk apparatus includes a requesting unit for requesting the magnetic disk apparatus to re-set a value of specification information capable of determining performance of the magnetic disk apparatus in combination with either identification result or flag information; a performance unit for causing the magnetic disk apparatus which receives the request to re-set the own specification; a detecting unit for detecting an internal condition of the disk apparatus; a processing unit for processing the detection result; a conversion unit for converting the internal condition of the magnetic disk apparatus into states of a numeral value, a figure, a color, and a sound in combination with the process result, and for notifying the converted condition to a user; and a battery.

Abstract: In a magnetic disk apparatus which is removably mounted or embedded to a host apparatus and intermittently accessed for recording/reproducing data, a RAM contained in the host apparatus is utilized for a portion or entirety of a buffer RAM for use in the intermittent access to accomplish a reduction in size and cost of the magnetic disk apparatus. In addition, the magnetic disk apparatus is controlled to rotate a magnetic disk at a variable rotational speed, and operated at a rotational speed at which the total power consumption is minimized in accordance with the capacity of the utilized buffer RAM and whether an access is made for recording or reproduction, thereby improving a power saving effect.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thinner-type magnetic disc apparatus while maintaining the stiffness of the case. The magnetic disc apparatus includes a magnetic disk 100, a spindle motor 109 that rotationally actuates the magnetic disk, a magnetic head 110 that records and reproduces information on the magnetic disk, a carriage 209 with the magnetic head mounted at its tip, a voice coil motor (VCM) 101 that drives the carriage, electronic components 200 and 201 for processing signals from the magnetic head and a case 102 that encloses these structural element. Electrical wiring 108 interconnects the magnetic head and the electronic components or interconnects the electronic components, or both, and is plated onto the inner bottom surface of the case. An interface connecting part 300 is plated onto the outer bottom surface of the case and is connected to electrical wiring that is plated onto the inner bottom and side-wall surfaces of the case.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method and a device that exhibit better performance against factors inhibiting an increase in track density than the current system. A servo pattern is constituted of a plurality of patterns arranged on both sides of the center lines of tracks, the patterns on one side of the center line being shifted in the track direction from the patterns on the other side along the center line, and patterns A and B are each constituted of two types of phase patterns arranged in the track-width direction, which are patterns 11 and 12 and patterns 13 and 14, respectively. The positional signal of a magnetic head is decoded by determining a sinusoidal function, which roughly agrees with the waveform of the reproduced signal of the servo pattern, based on the information on the frequency of the reproduced signal which has been stored in advance.

Abstract: The magnetoresistance effect element is of a multilayered structure having at least magnetic layers and an intermediate layer comprised of an insulating material, a semicondcutor or an antiferromagnetic material against said magnetic layers, and the magnetoresistance effect element has terminals formed with at least on the opposite magnetic layers, respectively, so that a current is sure to be flowed in the intermediate layer. The film surfaces of all the magnetic layers constituting the magnetoresistance effect element are opposed substantially at right angles to the recording surface of a magnetic recording medium. Therefore, the area of the magnetic layers facing the recording surface of the magnetic recording medium can be extremely reduced, and thus the magnetic field from a very narrow region of the high-density recorded magnetic recording medium can be detected by the current which has a tunneling characteristic and passes through the intermediate layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thinner-type magnetic disc apparatus while maintaining the stiffness of the case. The magnetic disc apparatus comprises a magnetic disk 100, a spindle motor 109 that rotationally actuates the magnetic disk, a magnetic head 110 that records and reproduces information on the magnetic disk, a carriage 209 with the magnetic head mounted at its tip, a voice coil motor (VCM) 101 that drives the carriage, electronic components 200 and 201 for processing signals from the magnetic head, a case 102 that encloses these structural elements, electrical wiring 108 that interconnects the magnetic head and the electronic components or interconnects the electronic components, or both, and is plated onto the inner bottom surface of the case, and an interface connecting part 300 that is plated onto the outer bottom surface of the case and is connected to electrical wiring that is plated onto the inner bottom and side-wall surfaces of the case.

Abstract: The magnetoresistance effect element is of a multilayered structure having at least magnetic layers and an intermediate layer of an insulating material, a semiconductor or an antiferromagnetic material against the magnetic layers, and the magnetoresistance effect element has terminals formed at least on the opposite magnetic layers, respectively, so that a current flows in the intermediate layer. The film surfaces of all the magnetic layers constituting the magnetoresistance effect element are opposed substantially at right angles to the recording surface of a magnetic recording medium. Therefore, the area of the magnetic layers facing the recording surface of the magnetic recording medium can be extremely reduced, and thus the magnetic field from a very narrow region of the high-density recorded magnetic recording medium can be detected by the current which has a tunneling characteristic and passes through the intermediate layer.

Abstract: A magnetic disk unit of form factor size with a low power consumption, a short average seek time and a high performance. The unit includes at least two spindles for supporting and rotating magnetic disks. Specifically, two 1.3-inch disks, three 1.0-inch disks or four 0.7-inch disks are arranged in a housing originally intended for a 1.8-inch magnetic disk. The unit further includes a device for writing and reading information while selecting a spindle. The card-type disk unit thus can be reduced in thickness, with a smaller power consumption for starting the disk rotation and further with an improved average seek velocity.

Abstract: A magnetic disk apparatus includes a requesting unit for requesting the magnetic disk apparatus to re-set a value of specification information capable of determining performance of the magnetic disk apparatus in combination with either identification result or flag information; a performance unit for causing the magnetic disk apparatus which receives the request to re-set the own specification; a detecting unit for detecting an internal condition of the disk apparatus; a processing unit for processing the detection result; a conversion unit for converting the internal condition of the magnetic disk apparatus into states of a numeral value, a figure, a color, and a sound in combination with the process result, and for notifying the converted condition to a user; and a battery.

Abstract: A hard disk drive and magnetic medium including a servo area, a data area divided into a plurality of sector blocks and at least one micro-servo area disposed between two sector blocks. There may be a micro-servo area immediately preceding each of the plurality of sector blocks. The micro-servo areas include an address mark and a track parity check code that allow the detection of an external shock that causes the recording (write) head to skip to an adjacent track in the hard disk medium. The micro-servo area is smaller than the servo areas, and various numbers of different track parity check codes can be used for different resolution of shock detection. An acceleration sensor may also be provided to detect larger external shocks. By detecting various external shocks with improved accuracy, and aborting the recording operation of data if an external shock is detected, the corruption of data in adjacent tracks is substantially reduced to improve disk drive performance.

Abstract: A magnetic disk apparatus has: a magnetic disk having a magnetic film formed on a substrate; a spindle motor for rotating the magnetic disk; a magnetic head for writing/reading information on/from the magnetic disk; a supporting member for supporting the magnetic head; a driving mechanism for moving the magnetic head to a predetermined position on the magnetic disk; a magnetic writing/reading circuit for enabling the magnetic head to write/read information on/from the magnetic disk; an interface for sending/receiving signals for controlling the information to/from another information processing device, a device for detecting whether or not the magnetic disk apparatus is in operation; and mechanism for latching movable part of the magnetic disk apparatus on the basis of detection result of the detecting device.