System and method for reduced vibration interaction in a multiple-disk-drive enclosure

• US 20050185374A1
• Filed: 12/29/2004
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Assurance Software and Hardware Solution LLC
• Original Assignee: Atrato, Inc. (Assurance Software & Hardware Solution LLC)
• Inventors: Lemaire, Charles A., Wendel, Eric J., Hall, Jonathan E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,280,353 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.330
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2015 Redundant power supplies power supply failure G06F1/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2056 by mirroring
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/08 Insulation or absorption of undesired vibrations or sounds
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/128 of the plurality of recording/reproducing devices, e.g. disk drives, onto a chassis
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/142 by air cooling

Abstract

A system and method for an improved multiple hard-disk-drive data-storage enclosure. Some embodiments position drives in counter-rotating pairs, each simultaneously accessing half the data, such that seek-caused actuator rotational-acceleration vibration cause simultaneous canceling rotational torque. Some embodiments position the edge of a first drive (or drive pair) at an angle to the actuator midpoint of a nearby second drive (or drive pair), such that rotational-acceleration vibration from a seek-caused actuator rotation in the first drive does not cause a rotational movement into the second drive that affects the tracking or seek operation. Some further embodiments position drives in a herringbone pattern to redirect air flow in addition to reducing rotational-acceleration vibration interaction. Other embodiments include a printed wire circuit board mounted to reduce the rotational-acceleration vibration interaction.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an enclosure;

a connector circuit board held in the enclosure and having a plurality of disk-drive connectors including a first disk-drive connector and a second disk-drive connector adapted to be connected to a respective first and second disk drive; and

a visco elastic material configured to attach the first and second disk drive to the enclosure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first disk-drive connector is positioned in a first row of disk-drive connectors extending generally from a front to a back of the enclosure and the second disk-drive connector is positioned in a second row of disk-drive connectors extending generally from the front to the back of the enclosure, wherein each disk-drive connector in the first row is positioned across from and at a non-parallel angle to a corresponding disk-drive connector in the second row.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising the plurality of disk drives.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a controller that places data striped across the first row and mirrors the data of the first row to corresponding disk drives and locations on the second row and that performs read spitting between the first row and the second row.

5. An apparatus comprising:

a substrate having a plurality of disk-drive connectors including a first disk-drive connector and a second disk-drive connector that are adapted to be connected to a first disk drive and a second disk drive, respectively;

wherein the disk drives each have a first major face A, a second opposite major face B, a first edge C perpendicular to the connector, and a second opposite edge D parallel to edge C;

wherein the disk drives each have an actuator, and an axis of rotational mass intersecting a center point of rotational mass of the actuator and perpendicular to face A;

wherein the first disk-drive connector and the second disk-drive connector are positioned at least as close to one another as to other disk-drive connectors;

wherein when connected to their respective disk-drive connector, the first disk drive'"'"'s major face A and second disk drive'"'"'s major face B are positioned substantially parallel and next to each other.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first disk-drive connector and second disk-drive connector are positioned offset from one another to substantially align the axes of rotational-acceleration vibration of the first and second drives.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a controller coupled to the first disk-drive connector and the second disk drive and configured to drive an actuator of the first disk drive and an actuator of the second disk drive with substantially simultaneous complementary motions that induce counter-rotating rotational-acceleration vibration forces in the drives relative to one another.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first disk-drive connector and the second disk-drive connector are positioned in a first row of disk-drive connectors and a third disk-drive connector and a fourth disk-drive connector are positioned in a second row of disk-drive connectors, wherein each disk-drive connector in the first row is positioned across from and at a non-parallel angle to a corresponding disk-drive connector in the second row.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a controller that places data striped across the first row and mirrors the data of the first row to corresponding disk drives and locations on the second row and that performs read spitting between the first row and the second row.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a substrate having a plurality of disk-drive connectors including a first disk-drive connector and a second disk-drive connector that are adapted to be connected to a first disk drive and a second disk drive, respectively;

wherein the disk drives each have a first major face A, a second opposite major face B, a first edge C perpendicular to the connector, and a second opposite edge D parallel to edge C;

wherein the disk drives each have an actuator, and an axis of rotational mass intersecting a center point of rotational mass of the actuator and perpendicular to face A;

wherein the first disk-drive connector and second disk-drive connector are positioned at least as close to one another as to other disk drives and positioned relative to one another such that the first disk drive'"'"'s major face A and second disk drive'"'"'s major face A are positioned substantially parallel and next to each other; and

a controller coupled to the first disk-drive connector and the second disk drive and configured to drive an actuator of the first disk drive and an actuator of the second disk drive with substantially simultaneous motions that induce counter-rotating forces in the drives relative to one another.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first disk drive and second disk drive are positioned parallel and offset from one another to substantially align the axes of rotational mass of the first and second drives.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first disk-drive connector and the second .disk-drive connector are positioned in a first row of disk-drive connectors and a third disk-drive connector and a fourth disk-drive connector are positioned in a second row of disk-drive connectors, wherein each disk-drive connector in the first row is positioned across from and at a non-parallel angle to a corresponding disk-drive connector in the second row.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a controller that places data striped across the first row and mirrors the data of the first row to corresponding disk drives and locations on the second row and that performs read spitting between the first row and the second row.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a substrate having a plurality of disk-drive connectors including a first disk-drive connector and a second disk-drive connector that are adapted to be connected to a first disk drive and a second disk drive, respectively;

wherein the disk drives each have a first major face A, a second opposite major face B, a first edge C perpendicular to the connector, and a second opposite edge D parallel to edge C;

wherein the disk drives each have an actuator, and an axis of rotational mass intersecting a center point of rotational mass of the actuator and perpendicular to face A;

wherein the first disk-drive connector and second disk-drive connector are positioned at least as close to one another as to other disk-drive connectors and positioned such that when connected to their respective disk drives the first disk drive'"'"'s major face A and second disk drive'"'"'s major face B are positioned substantially parallel to each other and their center points are offset to each other, and the first edge C of the second disk drive is aligned substantially close to the axis of rotational mass of the first drive.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a controller coupled to the first disk-drive connector and the second disk drive and configured, for at least some accesses, to drive an actuator of the first disk drive and an actuator of the second disk drive with substantially simultaneous complementary motions that induce counter-rotating rotational-acceleration vibration forces in the drives relative to one another.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first disk-drive connector and the second disk-drive connector are positioned in a first row of disk-drive connectors and a third disk-drive connector and a fourth disk-drive connector are positioned in a second row of disk-drive connectors, wherein each disk-drive connector in the first row is positioned across from and at a non-parallel angle to a corresponding disk-drive connector in the second row.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a controller that places data striped across the first row and mirrors the data of the first row to corresponding disk drives and locations on the second row and that performs read spitting between the first row and the second row.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a substrate and having a plurality of connector;

a plurality of disk drives including a first disk drive and a second disk drive, each connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of connectors;

wherein the disk drives each have a first major face A, a second opposite major face B, a first edge C perpendicular to the connector, and a second opposite edge D parallel to edge C;

wherein the disk drives each have an actuator, and an axis of rotational mass intersecting a center point of rotational mass of the actuator and perpendicular to face A;

wherein the first disk drive'"'"'s major face A and second disk drive'"'"'s major face A are positioned at a non-parallel angle to one another, and at least as close to one another as to other disk drives;

wherein the first disk drive'"'"'s major face A and the first edge C of the second disk drive are positioned substantially next to each other; and

wherein the first edge C of the second disk drive is aligned substantially close with the axis of rotational momentum of the first drive.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first disk drive'"'"'s major face A and second disk drive'"'"'s major face A are positioned at an angle greater than 45 degrees to one another.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first disk drive'"'"'s major face A and second disk drive'"'"'s major face A are positioned at an angle of about 90 degrees to one another.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a plurality of first and second drive pairs.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the plurality of drive pairs are arranged in a pattern to direct airflow.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the plurality of drives pairs form a herringbone pattern.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the plurality of drives pairs form a herringbone pattern with a graduated spacing between drives.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the plurality of drives pairs are placed closer to one another in portions of the enclosure where airflow is cooler and further apart in portions of the enclosure where airflow is warmer.

26. A method comprising:

providing a drive enclosure holding a plurality of disk drives including a first and second drive, wherein the first and second drives are at least as close to one another as they are to any other drives, orienting a first edge of the first drive next a center of rotational-acceleration vibration of the second drive.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising mirroring at least some data stored on the first drive to the second drive;

for each one of a plurality of write operations to specified locations, writing identical data to the first drive and the second drive; and

for each one of a plurality of read operations to specified locations, reading data from either the first drive or the second drive but not both.

28. A method comprising:

providing a drive enclosure holding a plurality of disk drives including a first and second drive, wherein the first and second drives are at least as close to one another as they are to any other drives,

orienting the first drive and the second drive substantially parallel to one another and such that the actuators are in counter rotating origin to one another.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

driving the actuator of the second drive substantially simultaneous to the first drive and in the opposite rotational direction.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

driving the actuator of the second drive substantially simultaneous to the first drive and in the opposite rotational direction.

31. An apparatus comprising:

a substrate having a plurality of disk-drive connectors including a first disk-drive connector and a second disk-drive connector each adapted to be connected to a respective first and second disk drive;

wherein the first disk-drive connector and second disk-drive connector are positioned at least as close to one another as they are to any other disk drives; and

wherein the first disk-drive connector and second disk-drive connector are positioned relative to one another so as to reduce the transfer of rotational-acceleration vibration from the first disk drive to the second disk drive.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the first disk-drive connector and the second disk-drive connector are oriented an approximately a right angle to one another.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the first disk-drive connector is positioned in a first row of disk-drive connectors and the second disk-drive connector is positioned in a second row of disk-drive connectors, wherein each disk-drive connector in the first row is positioned across from and at a non-parallel angle to a corresponding disk-drive connector in the second row.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising a controller that places data striped across the first row and mirrors the data of the first row to corresponding disk drives and locations on the second row and that performs read spitting between the first row and the second row.