Method and apparatus for saving calibration parameters for a removable cartridge

• US 6,781,782 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Iomega Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Rochat, Daniel D., Reimann, Mark L., Bracken, Allen T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sniezek, Andrew L.
• Application Number:
  US09/746,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20020118480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,342 Days
• Field of Search: 360/75, 360/69, 360/71, 360/31, 360/77.02, 360/77.04, 360/78.04, 711/115, 710/8, 710/13
• US Class Current: 360/75
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 17/04 Feeding or guiding single record carrier to or from transducer unit guiding during transducing operation G11B17/34

Abstract

An information storage device (10, 510, 610, 710, 810) includes a cradle (12, 512, 612, 712, 812) which can removably receive a cartridge (11, 411, 511, 611, 711) that contains a rotatable hard disk (91, 326-327). A read/write head (107, 331-334) is supported for movement adjacent the disk by a pivotal actuator arm (101). The cradle controls alignment of the head with the disk using feedback servo tracking. Calibration parameters used to perform this tracking, such as servo information or read channel information, may be stored in a special track (414) which is on the disk, and which may be a read-only track. The special track stores a plurality of sets of calibration parameters, each corresponding to a respective combination of a cradle and an environmental characteristic such as temperature. The special track may also be used to store the number of times that the cartridge has been inserted into each of several different cradles, as well as a selected retry method which is more likely than other methods to be successful in recovering data that was subject to errors.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising an information storage cartridge which includes:

a port;

an information storage medium having an information storage surface, said information storage surface storing information which includes control information, said control information including a plurality of control parameter sets which each correspond to a respective receiving unit into which said cartridge can be removably inserted; and

structure operable to transfer information between said port and said storage medium, including a head electrically coupled to said port and operable to effect at least one of reading information from and writing information to said storage medium, said head and said storage medium being supported for relative movement in a manner causing said head to move relative to said surface while remaining adjacent thereto, wherein when said cartridge is removably inserted into a receiving unit said structure is operable to facilitate reading of said control information from said information storage surface using said head, and to thereafter facilitate relative movement of said head and said storage medium as a function of a current control parameter set that corresponds to a receiving unit into which said cartridge is currently inserted.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said current control parameter set is a selected one of said control parameters sets stored on said storage medium.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said current control parameter set is a control parameter set determined by a calibration procedure in a situation where said control information lacks a control parameter set that corresponds to a receiving unit into which said cartridge is currently inserted.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said structure is operable to facilitate storage in said control information of said current control parameter set determined by said calibration procedure.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each said control parameter set of said control information further corresponds to a respective one of a plurality of ranges of a predetermined environmental parameter.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said environmental parameter is a temperature characteristic.

7. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said environmental parameter is a humidity characteristic.

8. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said environmental parameter is an ambient air pressure characteristic.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control information further includes a plurality of count values which respectively indicate the number of times that said cartridge has been inserted into respective receiving units that can removably receive said cartridge.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control information further includes a table associating with each of a plurality of receiving units that can removably receive said cartridge a selected one of a plurality of different retry methods, wherein each said retry method can be used to attempt to recover data from said storage medium in response to detection of an error.

11. A method of operating an information storage cartridge which includes a port and an information storage medium having an information storage surface, comprising the steps of:

storing on said storage surface information which includes control information, said control information including a plurality of control parameter sets which each correspond to a respective receiving unit into which said cartridge can be removably inserted;

supporting said storage medium and a head for relative movement in a manner causing said head to move relative to said surface while remaining adjacent thereto;

transferring information between said port and said storage medium, including use of said head to effect at least one of reading information from and writing information to said storage medium;

reading said control information from said information storage surface using said head;

selecting from said control information one of said control parameter sets which corresponds to a respective receiving unit into which said cartridge is currently inserted; and

thereafter effecting the relative movement of said head and said storage medium as a function of said selected control parameter set.

12. A method according to claim 11, further including the steps of:

responding to insertion of said cartridge into a receiving unit by determining whether one of said control parameters sets in said control information corresponds to the receiving unit in which said cartridges is removably inserted;

responding to a determination that said control information lacks a control parameter set for the receiving unit by carrying out a calibration procedure to determine a control parameter set which is then added to said control information; and

then carrying out said selecting step.

13. A method according to claim 11, including the step of configuring said control information so that each of said control parameter sets corresponds to a combination of a respective receiving unit and a respective range of a predetermined environmental parameter.

14. A method according to claim 13, including the step of selecting a temperature characteristic as said predetermined environmental parameter.

15. A method according to claim 13, including the step of selecting a humidity characteristic as said predetermined environmental parameter.

16. A method according to claim 13, including the step of selecting an ambient air pressure characteristic as said predetermined environmental parameter.

17. A method according to claim 11, including the step of including in said control information a plurality of count values which respectively indicate the number of times said cartridge has been inserted into respective receiving units that can removably receive said cartridge.

18. A method according to claim 11, including the step of providing within said control information a table associating with each of a plurality of receiving units that can removably receive said cartridge a selected one of a plurality of retry methods, wherein each said retry method can be used to attempt to recover data from said storage medium in response to detection of an error.

19. An apparatus comprising:

an information storage cartridge having information storage structure which stores selected information that includes control information, said control information including a plurality of control parameter sets which each correspond to a respective receiving unit into which said cartridge can be removably inserted, said information storage structure including an information storage medium with an information storage surface, at least a portion of said selected information being stored on said surface of said information storage medium.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19, including:

a head which, when said cartridge is removably inserted into a receiving unit, is movable relative to said surface of said information storage medium while remaining adjacent thereto; and

further structure which, when said cartridge is removably inserted into a receiving unit, is operable to facilitate reading of said control information from said information storage structure, and to thereafter facilitate relative movement of said head and said storage medium as a function of a current control parameter set that corresponds to a receiving unit into which said cartridge is currently inserted.

21. An apparatus according to claim 20,

wherein said control information is stored on said surface of said information storage medium;

and

wherein said further structure facilitates use of said head to effect said reading of said control information.

22. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said current control parameter set is a selected one of said control parameters sets stored on said storage medium.

23. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said current control parameter set is a control parameter set determined by a calibration procedure in a situation where said control information lacks a control parameter set that corresponds to a receiving unit into which said cartridge is currently inserted.

24. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said further structure is operable to facilitate storage in said control information of said current control parameter set determined by said calibration procedure.

25. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein each said control parameter set of said control information further corresponds to a respective one of a plurality of ranges of a predetermined environmental parameter.

26. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said environmental parameter is one of a temperature characteristic, a humidity characteristic, and an ambient air pressure characteristic.

27. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said control information further includes a plurality of count values which respectively indicate the number of times that said cartridge has been inserted into respective receiving units that can removably receive said cartridge.

28. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said control information further includes a table associating with each of a plurality of receiving units that can removably receive said cartridge a selected one of a plurality of different retry methods, wherein each said retry method can be used to attempt to recover data from said storage medium in response to detection of an error.

29. A method of operating an information storage cartridge which includes information storage structure having an information storage medium with an information storage surface, comprising:

storing in said information storage structure selected information which includes control information, said control information including a plurality of control parameter sets which each correspond to a respective receiving unit into which said cartridge can be removably inserted, at least a portion of said selected information being stored on said surface of said information storage medium.

30. A method according to claim 29, including:

causing a head to move relative to said surface of said information storage medium while remaining adjacent thereto when said cartridge is removably inserted into a receiving unit;

reading said control information from said information storage structure when said cartridge is removably inserted into a receiving unit; and

thereafter effecting relative movement of said head and said storage medium as a function of a current control parameter set that corresponds to a receiving unit into which said cartridge is currently inserted.

31. A method according to claim 30,

wherein said storing of said selected information includes storing said control information on said surface of said information storage medium;

and

wherein said reading of said control information includes use of said head to read said control information from said surface.

32. A method according to claim 30, further including:

responding to insertion of said cartridge into a receiving unit by determining whether one of said control parameters sets in said control information corresponds to the receiving unit in which said cartridge is removably inserted;

responding to a determination that said control information includes a control parameter set for the receiving unit by selecting from said control information as said current control parameter set a control parameter set for the receiving unit.

33. A method according to claim 30, further including:

responding to insertion of said cartridge into a receiving unit by determining whether one of said control parameters sets in said control information corresponds to the receiving unit in which said cartridge is removably inserted;

responding to a determination that said control information lacks a control parameter set for the receiving unit by carrying out a calibration procedure to determine a control parameter set which is then added to said control information and used as said as said current control parameter set.

34. A method according to claim 29, including configuring said control information so that each of said control parameter sets corresponds to a combination of a respective receiving unit and a respective range of a predetermined environmental parameter.

35. A method according to claim 34, including selecting as said predetermined environmental parameter one of a temperature characteristic, a humidity characteristic, and an ambient air pressure characteristic.

36. A method according to claim 29, including providing within said control information a plurality of count values which respectively indicate the number of times said cartridge has been inserted into respective receiving units that can removably receive said cartridge.

37. A method according to claim 29, including providing within said control information a table associating with each of a plurality of receiving units that can removably receive said cartridge a selected one of a plurality of retry methods, wherein each said retry method can be used to attempt to recover data from said storage medium in response to detection of an error.