Speed control of actuator arm and spindle in a data storage device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12579999-B2
Application number	US-202418661857-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2024
Priority date	May 13, 2024
Publication date	Mar 17, 2026
Grant date	Mar 17, 2026

Abstract

A data storage device comprises a disk; a spindle on which the disk is mounted; a spindle motor that rotates the spindle; an actuator arm configured with a recording head; and an actuator that rotates the actuator arm about a pivot to move the actuator arm radially across a disk surface. Control circuitry controls the actuator to move the actuator arm across the disk surface while simultaneously applying an active brake to decelerate the spindle by controlling a driver voltage to be out of phase with a back electromotive force (BEMF) voltage of the spindle motor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A data storage device comprising:
a disk; a spindle on which the disk is mounted; a spindle motor configured to rotate the spindle; an actuator arm configured with a recording head; an actuator configured to rotate the actuator arm about a pivot to move the actuator arm radially across a surface of the disk; and control circuitry configured to:
control the actuator to move the actuator arm across the disk surface while simultaneously applying an active brake to decelerate the spindle by controlling a driver voltage of the spindle motor to be out of phase relative to a back electromotive force (BEMF) voltage of the spindle motor; and
increase a deceleration rate of the spindle by controlling the driver voltage of the spindle motor to be less than the BEMF voltage of the spindle motor.

2 . The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to control the deceleration rate of the spindle by manipulating a phase difference and a differential between the driver voltage of the spindle motor and the BEMF voltage of the spindle motor.

3 . The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to complete deceleration of the spindle to a low spindle speed before the actuator arm reaches an inner diameter area of the disk surface, as part of a process where the actuator arm is moved radially from an outer diameter area of the disk surface to the inner diameter area of the disk surface at a load velocity.

4 . The data storage device of claim 3 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to complete deceleration of the spindle to the low spindle speed at about a time that the actuator arm reaches a middle diameter area of the disk surface.

5 . The data storage device of claim 4 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to regulate the spindle motor to rotate the spindle at the low spindle speed while controlling the actuator to move the actuator arm from the middle diameter area of the disk surface to the inner diameter area of the disk surface.

6 . The data storage device of claim 5 , wherein when the actuator arm reaches the inner diameter area of the disk surface, the control circuitry is further configured to control the actuator to move the actuator arm from the inner diameter area of the disk surface to the outer diameter area of the disk surface at a park velocity that is greater than the load velocity while regulating the spindle motor to rotate the spindle at the low spindle speed.

7 . The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to perform a burnishing process while controlling the actuator to move the actuator arm across the disk surface while simultaneously applying the active brake to decelerate the spindle to a low spindle speed.

8 . The data storage device of claim 7 , wherein the burnishing process is an in-field repair step triggered when a logged parameter of the data storage device reaches a threshold.

9 . Control circuitry for controlling an actuator arm and a spindle of a data storage device, comprising:
an arm control circuit configured to control an actuator to move the actuator arm across a disk surface; and a spindle control circuit configured to:
simultaneously with the arm control circuit controlling the actuator to move the actuator arm across the disk surface, apply an active brake to decelerate the spindle by controlling a driver voltage of a spindle motor to be out of phase relative to a back electromotive force (BEMF) voltage of the spindle motor; and
increase a deceleration rate of the spindle by controlling the driver voltage of the spindle motor to be less than the BEMF voltage of the spindle motor.

10 . The control circuitry of claim 9 , wherein the spindle control circuit is further configured to control the deceleration rate of the spindle by manipulating a phase difference and a differential between the driver voltage of the spindle motor and the BEMF voltage of the spindle motor.

11 . The control circuitry of claim 9 , wherein the spindle control circuit is further configured to complete deceleration of the spindle to a low spindle speed before the actuator arm reaches an inner diameter area of the disk surface, as part of a process where the actuator arm is moved radially from an outer diameter area of the disk surface to the inner diameter area of the disk surface at a load velocity.

12 . The control circuitry of claim 11 , wherein the spindle control circuit is further configured to complete deceleration of the spindle to the low spindle speed at about a time that the actuator arm reaches a middle diameter area of the disk surface.

13 . The control circuitry of claim 12 , wherein the spindle control circuit is further configured to regulate the spindle motor to rotate the spindle at the low spindle speed while the actuator arm moves from the middle diameter area of the disk surface to the inner diameter area of the disk surface.

14 . The control circuitry of claim 13 , wherein when the actuator arm reaches the inner diameter area of the disk surface, the arm control circuit is further configured to control the actuator to move the actuator arm from the inner diameter area of the disk surface to the outer diameter area of the disk surface at a park velocity that is greater than the load velocity; and the spindle control circuit is further configured to regulate the spindle motor to rotate the spindle at the low spindle speed while the arm control circuit controls the actuator to move the actuator arm from the inner diameter area of the disk surface to the outer diameter area of the disk surface at the park velocity.

15 . A method for controlling an actuator arm and a spindle of a data storage device, the method comprising:
controlling an actuator to move the actuator arm across a disk surface; simultaneously with moving the actuator arm across the disk surface, applying an active brake to decelerate the spindle by controlling a driver voltage of a spindle motor to be out of phase relative to a BEMF voltage of the spindle motor; and increasing a deceleration rate of the spindle by controlling the driver voltage of the spindle motor to be less than the BEMF voltage of the spindle motor.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
performing a burnishing process while controlling the actuator to move the actuator arm across the disk surface while simultaneously applying the active brake to decelerate the spindle to a low spindle speed.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the burnishing process comprises:
triggering an in-field repair step when a logged parameter of the data storage device reaches a threshold.

Assignees

• Western Digital Tech Inc

Inventors

• Tieu Triet

Classifications

• G11B19/28 Primary

  Speed controlling, regulating, or indicating (G11B19/24 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G11B19/2009

  Turntables, hubs and motors for disk drives; Mounting of motors in the drive (means for clamping of disk to turntable G11B17/022 and subgroups) · CPC title

• G11B19/2063

  Spindle motor power-down sequences · CPC title

• G11B21/12

  Raising and lowering; Back-spacing or forward-spacing along track; Returning to starting position {otherwise than during transducing operation} · CPC title

• G11B19/22 Primary

  Brakes other than speed-regulating brakes · CPC title