Method and apparatus for preventing cold temperature induced damage in a disk drive

• US 6,169,930 B1
• Filed: 04/17/1998
• Issued: 01/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands BV (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Blachek, Michael D., Smith, Gordon James
• Primary Examiner(s): Auve, Glenn A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHUNG TRANS, XUONG MY
• Application Number:
  US09/062,072
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 700/79, 700/299, 700/300, 360/97.02, 360/78.04, 360/75
• US Class Current: 700/79
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/00 Error detection; Error correction; Monitoring error detection, correction or monitoring in information storage based on relative movement between record carrier and transducer G11B20/18; monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing G11B27/36; in static stores G11C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• 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 33/144 by detection, control, regulation of the temperature

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for preventing cold temperature induced damage in a direct access storage device (DASD). A temperature of the direct access storage device (DASD) is measured and compared with a predetermined minimum cold temperature. The direct access storage device (DASD) is started responsive to the measured temperature being greater than or equal to the predetermined minimum cold temperature. A warning indication is provided to the user responsive to the measured temperature being less than the predetermined minimum cold temperature. A microcode routine is stored in a random access memory (RAM) in the DASD. The microcode routine is performed for heating the direct access storage device (DASD) responsive to the measured temperature being less than the predetermined minimum cold temperature.

Claims

1. A method for preventing cold temperature induced damage in a direct access storage device (DASD) comprising the steps of:

measuring a temperature of the direct access storage device (DASD);

comparing a predetermined minimum cold temperature with said measured temperature; and

starting the direct access storage device (DASD) responsive to said measured temperature being greater than or equal to said predetermined minimum cold temperature;

heating said direct access storage device (DASD) responsive to said measured temperature being less than said predetermined minimum cold temperature by applying a current to an actuator in said direct access storage device (DASD) and said applied current having an opposite direction as a normal current for moving a transducer head onto a disk surface; and

identifying a predefined time interval, and disabling said applied current responsive to said identified predefined time interval.

2. A method for preventing cold temperature induced damage in a direct access storage device (DASD) as recited in claim 1, wherein said temperature measuring step including placing a sensor inside said direct access storage device (DASE)).

3. A method for preventing cold temperature induced damage in a direct access storage device (DASD) as recited in claim 1, wherein said temperature measuring step including attaching a sensor to an enclosure of said direct access storage device (DASD).

4. A method for preventing cold temperature induced damage in a direct access storage device (DASD) as recited in claim 1, further includes the step of providing a warning indication for a user.

5. A method for preventing cold temperature induced damage in a direct access storage device (DASD) as recited in claim 1, further includes the step of comparing an available battery power with a minimum value.

6. A method for preventing cold temperature induced damage in a direct access storage device (DASD) as recited in claim 5, wherein the step of heating said direct access storage device (DASD) is responsive to said available battery power being greater than or equal to said minimum value.

7. A method for preventing cold temperature induced damage in a direct access storage device (DASD) as recited in claim 5, further includes the step of providing a warning to a user responsive to said available battery power being less than said minimum value.

8. A direct access storage device (DASD) comprising:

at least one disk mounted for rotation;

a transducer head mounted for movement across a disk surface,

a sensor for measuring a temperature of the direct access storage device (DASD);

a controller coupled to said sensor for comparing a predetermined minimum cold temperature with said measured temperature;

said controller operatively arranged for starting the direct access storage device (DASD) responsive to said measured temperature being greater than or equal to said predetermined minimum cold temperature;

said controller operatively arranged for heating said direct access storage device (DASD) responsive to said measured temperature being less than said predetermined minimum cold temperature by applying a current to an actuator in said direct access storage device (DASD) and said applied current having an opposite direction as a normal current for moving a transducer head onto a disk surface; and

for identifying a predefined time interval, and for disabling said applied current responsive to said identified predefined time interval.

9. A direct access storage device (DASD) as recited in claim 8, includes a warning indicator for providing a cold temperature warning to a user responsive to said measured temperature being less than said predetermined minimum cold temperature.

10. A direct access storage device (DASD) as recited in claim 8, wherein said controller operatively arranged for comparing an available battery power with a minimum value and wherein said heating of said direct access storage device (DASD) is responsive to said available battery power being greater than or equal to said minimum value.

11. A direct access storage device (DASD) as recited in claim 8, wherein said controller operatively arranged for comparing an available battery power with a minimum value and for providing a warning to a user responsive to said available battery power being less than said minimum value.

12. Apparatus for preventing cold temperature induced damage in a direct access storage device (DASD) comprising:

means for measuring a temperature of the direct access storage device (DASD);

means for comparing a predetermined minimum cold temperature with said measured temperature;

means for starting the direct access storage device (DASD) responsive to said measured temperature being greater than or equal to said predetermined minimum cold temperature; and

means for heating said direct access storage device (DASD) responsive to said measured temperature being less than said predetermined minimum cold temperature by applying a current to an actuator in said direct access storage device (DASD) and said applied current having an opposite direction as a normal current for moving a transducer head onto a disk surface; and

for identifying a predefined time interval, and for disabling said applied current responsive to said identified predefined time interval.

13. Apparatus for preventing cold temperature induced damage in a direct access storage device (DASD) as recited in claim 12 wherein said temperature measuring means including a sensor provided with said direct access storage device (DASD).

14. Apparatus for preventing cold temperature induced damage in a direct access storage device (DASD) as recited in claim 12 further includes means for providing a cold temperature warning to a user responsive to said measured temperature being less than said predetermined minimum cold temperature.

15. Apparatus for preventing cold temperature induced damage in a direct access storage device (DASD) as recited in claim 12 further includes means for comparing an available battery power with a minimum value and said means for heating said direct access storage device (DASD) is responsive to said available battery power being greater than or equal to said minimum value.