Abstract: A fly height detector apparatus and associated method for detecting the fly height of a read/write head spatially disposed from a data storage surface during a data transfer operation. The fly height detector apparatus comprises a receiver circuit measuring the frequency of the read/write head; a perturbation deliverable to the gap between the read/write head and the data storage surface to invoke a dynamic response in the read/write head; and a processor circuit responsive to the receiver circuit to derive a fly height in relation to the dynamic response frequency. The processor circuit comprises a memory in which is stored a numerical model describing a functional interrelationship between the fly height and the read/write head frequency.

Abstract: A disc head slider includes a slider body having a disc-facing surface, a recessed area positioned on the disc-facing surface, and a raised rail positioned on the disc-facing surface adjacent the recessed area. The raised rail includes a bearing surface and a recessed step surface which is recessed from the bearing surface and is raised from the recessed area. A plurality of bearing pads are formed on the recessed step surface and have upper surfaces that together define the bearing surface. A non-bearing pad is formed on the recessed step surface and has an upper surface, which is generally coplanar with the bearing surface, and a pointed leading pad edge.

Abstract: A patterned magnetic storage medium has a plurality of data sectors separated by respective servo sectors with each servo sector having a pattern of pits representing servo data. Grooves in each data sector separate adjacent tracks. Non-uniform means patterns the grooves to a model of minimum or zero fly height perturbations of a slider adjacent the medium. The non-uniform means preferably comprises lands pseudo-randomly spaced along each groove to form segmented grooves of pseudo-random length, with the lands being pseudo-randomly positioned across the data sector. In other embodiments, the servo sectors have lengths along each track to define a null frequency that matches a pitch frequency of modulation of a slider due to the pits of the servo sectors.