Abstract: A disk drive includes a disk drive base, a disk drive top cover, and a head actuator pivotably attached to the disk drive base. The disk drive base and the disk drive top cover together form a disk drive enclosure that encloses the head actuator. At least one read head is attached to the head actuator. A disk drive printed circuit board (PCB) is attached to the disk drive base outside the disk drive enclosure. A motion sensor is attached to the disk drive base outside the disk drive enclosure. The motion sensor is disposed between the disk drive PCB and the disk drive base. The first motion sensor is electrically connected to the disk drive PCB by a plurality of resilient conductive prongs that are preloaded between the disk drive PCB and the first motion sensor.

Abstract: A disk drive includes an opaque cover secured to a base, where the opaque cover has an opening. A see-through insert, which includes an electrically conductive material, is affixed to the opaque cover over the opening. The electrically conductive material may be a coating applied to the see-through insert which, in one embodiment is a polymer coating having a certain surface resistivity. Alternatively, the coating's ESD-dissipative properties may be due to the presence of sputtered gold, sputtered indium tin oxide or a metal film. The electrically conductive material may alternatively be embedded in the see-through insert.

Abstract: A method of assembling a disk drive includes providing a disk drive base. The method further includes providing a disk drive cover having an inside face and an outside face. The inside face is coated with an electrically insulative material. The method further includes contacting, continuously during a period, the outside face with an electrically conductive grounding element that is part of an assembly fixture that is not part of the disk drive being assembled. The method further includes attaching the disk drive cover to the disk drive base during the period.

Abstract: A disk drive with reduced acoustic noise is disclosed. The disk drive comprises a disk, a head, an actuator arm for actuating the head radially over the disk, a base, and a cover attached to the base to form a head disk assembly chamber. The cover comprises an inner layer having a depression, the depression comprising a convex surface and a concave surface, an outer layer attached opposite the concave surface to the inner layer, the inner layer and the outer layer thereby defining walls of a cavity. The cover further comprises a damping medium disposed within the cavity, whereby the inner layer, the outer layer, and the damping medium form a multi-layer noise-damping sandwich which reduces noise emitted by the disk drive.