Temperature Control Within Disk Drive Testing Systems

• US 20090261228A1
• Filed: 04/17/2008
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teradyne Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Teradyne Incorporated
• Inventors: Merrow, Brian S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,102,173 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 248/550
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1928 sensing the temperature of one space
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1816 Testing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2516 Hard disks
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/142 by air cooling
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/144 by detection, control, regulation of the temperature

Abstract

A disk drive test slot thermal control system includes a test slot including a housing having an outer surface, an internal cavity defined by the housing and including a test compartment for receiving and supporting a disk drive transporter carrying a disk drive for testing, and an inlet aperture extending from the outer surface of the housing to the internal cavity. The disk drive test slot thermal control system also includes a cooling conduit, and a thermoelectric device mounted to the cooling conduit. The thermoelectric device is configured to cool or heat an air flow entering the internal cavity through the inlet aperture.

Claims

1. A disk drive test slot thermal control system comprising:

a test slot comprising;

a housing comprising;

an outer surface,

an internal cavity defined by the housing and comprising a test compartment for receiving and supporting a disk drive transporter carrying a disk drive for testing, and

an inlet aperture extending from the outer surface of the housing to the internal cavity;

a cooling conduit; and

an thermoelectric device mounted to the cooling conduit and configured to cool or heat an air flow entering the internal cavity through the inlet aperture.

2. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 1, wherein the cooling conduit is configured to absorb heat dissipated by the thermoelectric device.

3. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 1, wherein the cooling conduit is liquid cooled.

4. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric device comprises a solid-state device.

5. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric device comprises a thermoelectric cooler.

6. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 5, wherein the thermoelectric device comprises a bulk thermoelectric cooler or a thin film thermoelectric cooler.

cooling conduit

7. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 1, further comprising a heatsink connected to the thermoelectric device.

8. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 1, wherein the test slot includes a ducting conduit disposed within the internal cavity and configured to convey an air flow from the inlet aperture towards the test compartment.

9. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 8, wherein the ducting conduit is configured to direct an air flow underneath a disk drive disposed within the test compartment.

10. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 8, further comprising an electric heating device disposed within the internal cavity and configured to heat the air flow being conveyed through the ducting conduit.

11. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 10, further comprising a heatsink disposed within the ducting conduit and connected to the electric heating device, wherein the electric heating device is configured to heat the heatsink.

12. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 10, further comprising test electronics in electrical communication with the thermoelectric device and the electric heating device and configured to control current flows to the thermoelectric device and the electric heating device.

13. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 12, further comprising one or more temperature sensors disposed within the internal cavity, wherein the one or more temperature sensors are electrically connected to the test electronics, and wherein the test electronics are configured to control flows of current to the thermoelectric device and the electric heating device based, at least in part, on signals received from the one or more temperature sensors.

14. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 12, wherein the test electronics are disposed outside of the internal cavity.

15. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 1, further comprising test electronics in electrical communication with the thermoelectric device and configured to control a flow of current to the thermoelectric device.

16. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 15, further comprising one or more temperature sensors disposed within the internal cavity, wherein the one or more temperature sensors are in electrical communication with the test electronics, and wherein the test electronics are configured to control a flow of current to the thermoelectric device based, at least in part, on signals received from the one or more temperature sensors.

17. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 16, wherein the test electronics are disposed outside of the internal cavity.

18. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 1, further comprising an electric heating device configured to heat an air flow within the internal cavity.

19. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 18, wherein the electric heating device comprises a resistive heater.

20. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 18, further comprising test electronics electrically connected to the electric heating device and configured to control a current flow to the electric heating device.

21. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 20, further comprising one or more temperature sensors disposed within the internal cavity, wherein the one or more temperature sensors are electrically connected to the test electronics, and wherein the test electronics are configured to control a current flow to the electric heating device based, at least in part, on signals received from the one or more temperature sensors.

22. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 21, wherein the test electronics are disposed outside of the internal cavity.

23. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 1, further comprising test electronics configured to communicate one or more test routines to a disk drive within the test compartment.

24. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 23, further comprising a test slot connector disposed within the internal cavity and configured to engage a mating connected on a disk drive, wherein the test slot connector is electrically connected to the test electronics.

25. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 24, wherein the test electronics are disposed outside of the internal cavity.

26. The disk drive test slot thermal control system of claim 25, further comprising a connection interface circuit disposed within the internal cavity, wherein the connection interface circuit is configured to provide electrical communication between the test slot connector and the test electronics.

27. A disk drive test rack comprising:

multiple test slots;

a cooling conduit configured to convey a liquid toward the test slots; and

multiple thermoelectric devices each mounted to the cooling conduit and each associated with a corresponding one of the test slots, wherein the thermoelectric devices are each configured to cool or heat an air flow entering the associate one of the test slots.

28. The disk drive test rack of claim 27, comprising

a test slot compartment comprising the test slots, the cooling conduit, and the thermoelectric devices;

and

a test electronics compartment comprising test electronics configured to communicate with the test slots for executing a test algorithm.

29. The disk drive test rack of claim 28, further comprising a heat exchanger disposed within the test electronics compartment and in fluid communication with the cooling conduit, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to cool an air flow within the test electronics compartment, thereby to the cool the test electronics.

30. The disk drive test rack of claim 29, further comprising an air mover disposed within the test electronics compartment and configured to direct an air flow across the heat exchanger and toward the test electronics for cooling the test electronics.

31. The disk drive test rack of claim 30, further comprising an air filter disposed between the air mover and the heat exchanger and configured to filter an air flow within the test electronics compartment.

32. The disk drive test rack of claim 30, further comprising an air filter disposed at an inlet of the air mover and configured to filter an air flow directed toward the test electronics compartment.

33. The disk drive test rack of claim 28, wherein the thermoelectric devices are in electrical communication with the test electronics, wherein the test electronics are configured to control operation of the thermoelectric devices.

34. The disk drive test rack of claim 28, wherein each of the test slots includes one or more temperature sensors in electrical communication with the test electronics, and wherein the test electronics are configured to control operation of the thermoelectric devices based, at least in part, on signals received from the one or more temperature sensors.

35. The disk drive test rack of claim 28, wherein the test electronics compartment is substantially isolated from the test slot compartment such that air flow between the test electronics compartment and the test slot compartment is substantially inhibited.

36. The disk drive test rack of claim 27, wherein the cooling conduit is configured to absorb heat dissipated by the thermoelectric devices.

37. The disk drive test rack of claim 27, wherein the thermoelectric devices are operable to remove heat energy from the cooling conduit.

38. The disk drive test rack of claim 27, wherein the thermoelectric devices are operable to remove heat energy from a liquid flowing in the cooling conduit.