Abstract: A method and apparatus for start-stop testing magnetic heads and hard disks in real disk-drive environment is provided. The tester has essentially the same dimensions as a conventional disk drive so that rotation of the disk pack inside the tester housing generates the same aerodynamic conditions as in a real disk drive. An accurate head positioning system, the operation of which does not depend on the deterioration of the magnetic conditions of the head and disk, is located inside the tester housing, and the friction and sticking forces can be measured till the moment of physical crash inside the housing. An essential advantage of the tester of the invention in that the measurement and positioning systems are combined into a single unit. The aforementioned combined system is based on the use of a Hall-effect sensor attached to the voice coil of the type used in the disk drive.

Abstract: An apparatus for testing magnetic heads that interact with magnetic disks includes a translational slide and a rotatable arm mounted to one end of the slide. The translational slide moves the rotatable arm in a longitudinal direction parallel to the surface of a magnetic disk. The arm rotates the magnetic head to different positions relative to data tracks on the disk. A second translational slide moves the magnetic head vertically above the disk to adjust the vertical position of the head. The three movements of the head, (1)horizontally across the disk, (2)rotationally by the arm, and (3)vertically relative to the disk surface are controlled by servomechanisms. A read/write amplifier circuit is connected to the head under test. The test apparatus is controlled by a computer that interfaces with circuitry connected to the servomechanisms.

Abstract: A test mixture for testing a head gimbal assembly has a flex interconnect circuit with one or more test pads, and includes a clamp assembly and a connector board. The clamp assembly is secured to the connector board for locking the test pads in position. The connector board includes probing pins that contact the test pads in order to establish an electrical path with the head gimbal assembly. The clamp assembly includes a base and a self-locking mechanism, with the base serving as an interface between the self-locking mechanism and the connector board. The self-locking mechanism serves to position the test pads in a desired relation relative to the probing pins and to clamp the test pads during testing. The self-locking mechanism includes a clamp arm having a guiding slide that receives part of the flex interconnect circuit for positioning the test pads within the self-locking mechanism. The connector board is secured to a magnetic test cartridge.

Abstract: An apparatus for testing magnetic heads that interact with magnetic disks includes a translational slide and a rotatable arm mounted to one end of the slide. The translational slide moves the rotatable arm in a longitudinal direction parallel to the surface of a magnetic disk. The arm rotates the magnetic head to different positions relative to data tracks on the disk. A second translational slide moves the magnetic head vertically above the disk to adjust the vertical position of the head. The three movements of the head, (1)horizontally across the disk, (2)rotationally by the arm, and (3)vertically relative to the disk surface are controlled by servomechanisms. A read/write amplifier circuit is connected to the head under test. The test apparatus is controlled by a computer that interfaces with circuitry connected to the servomechanisms.

Abstract: A testing apparatus for detecting popcorn noise in magnetic heads comprises a fully integrated testing system which includes an analog circuit portion and a digital circuit portion. The analog circuit portion is implemented to interface with a magnetic head while the digital circuit portion is designed to store the testing sequence, analyze the testing data, control and execute the testing routines. The testing apparatus is designed for production environments where testing data are required instantaneously as feedback for production process monitoring.

Abstract: A system for testing a voice coil member of a rotary actuator head stack assembly (HSA) of a disk drive includes a plurality of testing circuits, each of which selectively performs at least one predefined test on the voice coil member. During testing, the head stack assembly is removably mounted on a base plate with the axis of rotation of the head stack assembly normal to the top surface of said base plate. A flat reference coil is disposed in a fixed position parallel to the top surface of the base plate to provide an inductively coupled relationship between the reference coil and the coil under test. The ends of the coil under test are connected to a pair of terminals in the base plate. A polarity test circuit for determining the polarity of the coil under test is connected to the terminals. Other test circuits are selectively connected to the terminals and the tests are conducted in a controlled sequence without the need to move the fragile head stack assembly.