Disk drive employing comb filter for repeatable fly height compensation

[0001] Disk drives comprise a disk and a head connected to a distal end of an actuator arm which is rotated about a pivot by a voice coil motor (VCM) to position the head radially over the disk. The disk comprises a plurality of radially spaced, concentric tracks for recording user data sectors and embedded servo sectors. The embedded servo sectors comprise head positioning information (e.g., a track address) which is read by the head and processed by a servo controller to control the velocity of the actuator arm as it seeks from track to track.

[0002] Because the disk is rotated at a constant angular velocity, the data rate is typically increased toward the outer diameter tracks (where the surface of the disk is spinning faster) in order to achieve a more constant linear bit density across the radius of the disk. To simplify design considerations, the data tracks are typically banded together into a number of physical zones, wherein the data rate is constant across a zone, and increased from the inner diameter zones to the outer diameter zones. This is illustrated in FIG. 1, which shows a prior art disk format 2 comprising a number of data tracks 4, wherein the data tracks are banded together to form a plurality of zones.

[0003] The prior art disk format of FIG. 1 also comprises a number of servo sectors 6₀-6_N recorded around the circumference of each data track. Each servo sector 6, comprises a preamble 8 for storing a periodic pattern, which allows proper gain adjustment and timing synchronization of the read signal, and a sync mark 10 for storing a special pattern used to symbol synchronize to a servo data field 12. The servo data field 12 stores coarse head positioning information, such as a track address, used to position the head over a target data track during a seek operation. Each servo sector 6, further comprises groups of servo bursts 14 (e.g., A, B, C and D bursts), which comprise a number of consecutive transitions recorded at precise intervals and offsets with respect to a data track centerline. The groups of servo bursts 14 provide fine head position information used for centerline tracking while accessing a data track during write/read operations.

[0004] An air bearing forms between the head and the disk due to the disk rotating at high speeds. Since the quality of the write/read signal depends on the fly height of the head, conventional heads (e.g., magnetoresistive heads) may comprise an actuator for controlling the fly height. Any suitable fly height actuator may be employed, such as a heater which controls fly height through thermal expansion, or a piezoelectric (PZT) actuator. It is desirable to determine the appropriate fly height actuator control signal (e.g., appropriate current applied to a heater) that achieves the target fly height for the head.

[0014] FIG. 2A shows a disk drive according to an embodiment of the present invention comprising a head 16 actuated over a disk 18 comprising a plurality of tracks 20. The disk drive further comprises a fly height actuator operable to adjust a fly height of the head 16, and control circuitry 22 operable to execute the flow diagram of FIG. 2B to generate a fly height control signal. A fly height measurement (FHM) is generated for the head (step 24), and a fly height error (FHE) is generated as a difference between the FHM and a target fly height (step 26). A comb filter is used to generate fly height compensation values (step 28) in response to the FHE, and a fly height control signal is generated in response to the FHE and the fly height compensation values (step 30), wherein the fly height control signal is applied to the fly height actuator.

[0015] In the embodiment of FIG. 2A, the data tracks 20 are defined by a plurality of embedded servo sectors 32₀-32_N. As the head 16 passes over a servo sector, the control circuitry 22 demodulates the read signal 34 into a position error signal (PES). The PES is filtered by a suitable compensation filter to generate a control signal 36 applied to a voice coil motor (VCM) 38. The VCM 38 rotates an actuator arm 40 about a pivot in order to position the head 16 radially over the disk 18 in a direction that reduces the PES.

[0016] In the embodiments of the present invention, a suitable fly height actuator is integrated with the head 16, such as a suitable heater or piezoelectric actuator. The control circuitry 22 generates a fly height control (FHC) signal 42 applied to the fly height actuator in order to maintain the head 16 at a target fly height while writing data to and reading data from the disk 18. The control circuitry 22 generates the FHC signal 42 in response to the fly height compensation values generated using the comb filter, and in one embodiment, the control circuitry 22 generates feed-forward compensation values using the comb filter which are used to generate the FHC signal 42.

[0017] FIGS. 3A and 3B show embodiments of control circuitry wherein a fly height measurement (FHM) 44 is subtracted 46 from a target fly height (TFH) 48 to generate a fly height error (FHE) 50. A loop filter 52 filters the FHE 50 to generate a control signal 54 which is added 56 to a feed-forward compensation value 58 generated by a comb filter 60 to thereby generate the FHC 42 applied to the fly height controller integrated with the head 16. A fly height estimator 62 processes a signal 64 that is indicative of the fly height in order to generate the FHM 44. The fly height estimator 62 may implement any suitable algorithm to generate the FHM 44, such as processing a capacitance 64 measured between the head 16 and the disk 18 which is indicative of fly height. In another embodiment, the fly height estimator 62 may processes a read signal 64 emanating from the head 16 while reading a test pattern from the disk to generate the FHM 44 (e.g., using a harmonic ratio method and/or an overwrite method). In one embodiment, a fly height measurement is generated for each servo sector and therefore the fly height adjusted at a sampling rate equal to the frequency of servo sectors.

[0018] In the embodiment of FIG. 3A, a comb filter 60 is adapted in response to the FHE 50 input into the loop filter 52 until the feed-forward compensation values 58 converge to acceptable values. In the alternative embodiment of FIG. 3B, the comb filter 60 is adapted in response to the control signal 54 output by the loop filter 52 until the feed-forward compensation values 58 converge to acceptable values. In one embodiment, the comb filter 60 is adapted during a calibration procedure while reading a test pattern from the disk. After the feed-forward compensation values 58 converge, the input to the comb filter 60 is disabled so that the comb filter 60 does not adapt during normal operation. In another embodiment, the comb filter 60 may be adapted continuously during normal operation so that the feed-forward compensation values 58 adapt, for example, to changes in environmental conditions (e.g., changes in temperature).

[0019] FIG. 4A shows control circuitry for implementing the comb filter 60 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a switch 66 enables the input 68 of the comb filter 60 when adapting the feed-forward compensation values 58, and disables the input of the comb filter 60 once the feed-forward compensation values 58 converge to acceptable values. The comb filter 60 comprises N registers 70₀-70_N wherein each of the registers 70, corresponds to one of the N servo sectors 32, (FIG. 2A). When the head passes over a servo sector 32_i, a multiplexer 72 applies the content of the corresponding register 70, to a first coefficient α 74 the output 76 of which is added 78 to the input 68. The output 80 of the adder 78 is routed by demultiplexer 82 back to the input of the corresponding register 70_i. The output 80 of the adder 78 is also multiplied by a second coefficient β 84 to generate the feed-forward compensation value for the servo sector 32_i. This process is repeated for each of the N servo sectors over a revolution of the disk. At the end of the revolution, the processes repeats by circling back to the first register 70₀. The process is repeated over a number of disk revolutions until the feedforward compensation values 58 converge to acceptable values, after which the switch 66 disables the input of the comb filter 60. During normal operation, as the head passes over each servo sector 32_i, the multiplexer 72 applies the output of the corresponding register 70_i to the first coefficient α 74 which is then amplified by the second coefficient β 84 to generate the corresponding feedforward compensation value 58 for the servo sector 32_i.

[0020] FIG. 4A shows the frequency response H(e^jω) of the comb filter 60, and FIG. 4B shows an example magnitude of the frequency response, where 1/N represents a rotation frequency of the disk. In this embodiment, the magnitude of the comb filter frequency response comprises a plurality of peaks for extracting the rotation frequency from the FHE (1N) and harmonics (2N, 3N, . . . ) of the rotation frequency from the FHE. In one embodiment, at least one of the β and α coefficients is adjusted in order to adjust at least one of a width and magnitude of the peaks. In one embodiment, at least one of the β and α coefficients are also adjusted within predetermined limits to achieve stability. In the embodiment of FIG. 4A, the first coefficient α 74 adjusts a width and magnitude of the peaks (wherein α 74 is a fractional value between 0 and 1), whereas the second coefficient β 84 adjusts only the magnitude of the peaks.

[0021] FIG. 5 shows a flow diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention for calibrating the β and α coefficients, wherein the β and α coefficients are first initialized (step 86), for example, to nominal values. A number of revolutions is also initialized (step 87) for adapting the comb filter. The comb filter is then adapted over the number of revolutions (step 88) after which the FHE is evaluated (e.g., average compared to a threshold) to determine whether the feed-forward compensation values have converged to acceptable values (step 90). In one embodiment, the process may end early if the FHE falls below the threshold before finishing the number of revolutions. If after the number of revolutions the FHE has not fallen below the threshold (step 90), at least one of the β and α coefficients are adjusted (step 92), for example, to increase the amplitude and/or width of the peaks in the frequency response of FIG. 4B. The flow diagram is then repeated from step 88 until acceptable values for the β and α coefficients have been determined.

[0022] In one embodiment, the β and α coefficients are adjusted at step 92 within predetermined limits that ensure the fly height control loop remains stable. If the β and α coefficients reach their limits after being adjusted at step 92, in one embodiment the number of revolutions for adapting the comb filter at step 88 is increased, the β and α coefficients are reset to nominal values, and the calibration procedure is repeated until acceptable values for the β and α coefficients are determined.

[0023] In one embodiment, the flow diagram of FIG. 5 is executed in order to calibrate the β and α coefficients for a number of different radial locations on the disk, such as for each physical zone (FIG. 1). During normal operation when the head crosses over a calibration boundary, the β and a coefficients are programmed with the corresponding values, and the registers 70₀-70_N of the comb filter 60 are loaded with the corresponding values.

[0024] In another embodiment, the comb filter may be recalibrated over the life of the disk drive in response to changes in operating conditions. For example, the comb filter may be recalibrated if environmental conditions change (e.g., ambient temperature, altitude, etc.) which may affect the fly height of the head. In one embodiment, when recalibrating the comb filter the previously calibrated values for the β and α coefficients are used to adapt the comb filter over a number of revolutions. If the number of revolutions required to adapt the comb filter exceeds a threshold (i.e., if it takes too long to adapt the comb filter), the flow diagram of FIG. 5 may be re-executed to recalibrate the β and α coefficients to values better suited to the new operating conditions.

[0025] The comb filter 60 of FIG. 4A may be implemented using any suitable technique, and may comprise alternative configurations. For example, the first coefficient α 74 may be positioned at the input of the registers 70₀-70_N rather than the output. In addition, the registers 70₀-70_N may be implemented in any suitable manner, such as with a circular buffer or other addressable memory. In other embodiments, the comb filter may be implemented in firmware executed by a microprocessor. Accordingly, the particular comb filter shown in FIG. 4A is illustrative, but any suitable implementation may be employed in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of the present invention wherein the fly height compensation values generated by the comb filter may be post processed to attenuate one or more frequencies, such as one of the harmonics of the rotation frequency. After adapting the comb filter (step 100), the values stored in the registers 70₀-70_N are converted into the frequency domain (step 102), for example, by computing a Discrete-Time Fourier Transform (DTFT). One or more frequencies are then attenuated in the frequency domain (step 104), for example, by attenuating one or more harmonics of the rotation frequency. The frequency domain is then converted back into the time domain (e.g., by computing an inverse DTFT) and the register values restored (step 106).

[0027] Any suitable control circuitry may be employed to implement the flow diagrams in the embodiments of the present invention, such as any suitable integrated circuit or circuits. For example, the control circuitry may be implemented within a read channel integrated circuit, or in a component separate from the read channel, such as a disk controller, or certain steps described above may be performed by a read channel and others by a disk controller. In one embodiment, the read channel and disk controller are implemented as separate integrated circuits, and in an alternative embodiment they are fabricated into a single integrated circuit or system on a chip (SOC). In addition, the control circuitry may include a suitable preamp circuit implemented as a separate integrated circuit, integrated into the read channel or disk controller circuit, or integrated into an SOC.

[0028] In one embodiment, the control circuitry comprises a microprocessor executing instructions, the instructions being operable to cause the microprocessor to perform the steps of the flow diagrams described herein. The instructions may be stored in any computer-readable medium. In one embodiment, they may be stored on a non-volatile semiconductor memory external to the microprocessor, or integrated with the microprocessor in a SOC. In another embodiment, the instructions are stored on the disk and read into a volatile semiconductor memory when the disk drive is powered on. In yet another embodiment, the control circuitry comprises suitable logic circuitry, such as state machine circuitry.