Counteracting gas ingestion in a hydrodynamic bearing spindle motor

• US 6,985,324 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2003
• Issued: 01/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Evault Incorporated (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Heiney, Eric N., Martin, Steve R., Herbst, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): TZENG, FRED
• Application Number:
  US10/629,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20040156139A1
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 360/69, 360/234.1, 360/97.02, 360/99.08, 360/99.12, 360/230, 360/234.3, 360/235.4, 360/265.2, 360/265.6, 360/271.3, 360/254.2, 310/90, 384/100
• US Class Current: 360/69
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 25/043 using rotating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/08 Insulation or absorption of undesired vibrations or sounds
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/121 the apparatus comprising a single recording/reproducing device

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method of counteracting gas ingestion in a hydrodynamic bearing of a spindle motor in a data storage device comprises waiting for activity of a host connected with the data storage device to become idle. When the activity of the host becomes idle, a determination is made whether to release gas from a fluid of the hydrodynamic bearing of the spindle motor. Responsive to determining to release gas from a fluid of the hydrodynamic bearing of the spindle motor a motor spin down routine for the spindle motor is performed.

Claims

1. A method of counteracting gas ingestion in a hydrodynamic bearing of a spindle motor in a data storage device, the method comprising:

waiting for activity of a host connected with the data storage device to become idle;

determining whether to release gas from a fluid of the hydrodynamic bearing of the spindle motor; and

responsive to determining to release gas from a fluid of the hydrodynamic bearing of the spindle motor, performing a motor spin down routine for the spindle motor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to release gas from a fluid of the hydrodynamic bearing of the spindle motor comprises:

determining an amount of time since a previous spin down routine was performed; and

comparing the amount of time since the previous spin down routine was performed to a predetermined amount of time.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined amount of time is less than or equal to 24 hours.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined amount of time is 12 hours.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the motor spin down routine for the spindle motor comprises:

storing original state information from the data storage device;

spinning down the spindle motor from an operating speed to a stop;

waiting for a predetermined amount of time;

spinning up the spindle motor from a stop to the operating speed;

resetting a timer; and

restoring the original state information.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining whether a new command or reset request has been received by the data storage device from the host; and

responsive to a new command or reset request being received, aborting the motor spin down routine.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining whether a new command or reset request has been received by the data storage device from the host is performed prior to spinning down the spindle motor.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein determining whether a new command or reset request has been received by the data storage device from the host is performed after spinning up the spindle motor.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the predetermined amount of time comprises 2 to 5 seconds.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the predetermined amount of time comprises 5 seconds.

11. A data storage device comprising:

a spindle motor having a rotating shaft, the rotating shaft supported by a hydrodynamic bearing;

a microprocessor coupled with the spindle motor to control rotation of the spindle motor; and

a memory, the memory having stored thereon a series of instructions representing a routine to counteract gas ingestion in a hydrodynamic bearing of the spindle motor in the data storage device, the routine, when executed by the microprocessor, causes the microprocessor to wait for activity of a host to which the data storage device is connected to become idle, determine whether to release gas from a fluid of the hydrodynamic bearing of the spindle motor, and responsive to determining to release gas from the fluid of the hydrodynamic bearing of the spindle motor, perform a motor spin down routine for the spindle motor.

12. The data storage device of claim 11, wherein the microprocessor determines whether to release gas from the fluid of the hydrodynamic bearing of the spindle motor by:

determining an amount of time since a previous spin down routine was performed; and

comparing the amount of time since the previous spin down routine was performed to a predetermined amount of time.

13. The data storage device of claim 12, wherein the predetermined amount of time is less than or equal to 24 hours.

14. The data storage device of claim 12, wherein the predetermined amount of time is 12 hours.

15. The data storage device of claim 11, wherein the motor spin down routine for the spindle motor comprises:

storing original state information from the data storage device;

spinning down the spindle motor from an operating speed to a stop;

waiting for a predetermined amount of time;

spinning up the spindle motor from a stop to the operating speed;

resetting a timer; and

restoring the original state information.

16. The data storage device of claim 15, wherein the motor spin down routine further comprises:

determining whether a new command or reset request has been received by the data storage device from the host; and

responsive to a new command or reset request being received, aborting the motor spin down routine.

17. The data storage device of claim 16, wherein determining whether a new command or reset request has been received by the data storage device from the host is performed prior to spinning down the spindle motor.

18. The data storage device of claim 16, wherein determining whether a new command or reset request has been received by the data storage device from the host is performed after spinning up the spindle motor.

19. The data storage device of claim 15, wherein the predetermined amount of time comprises 2 to 5 seconds.

20. The data storage device of claim 15, wherein the predetermined amount of time comprises 5 seconds.

21. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon a series of instructions representing a routine to counteract gas ingestion in a hydrodynamic bearing of a spindle motor in a data storage device, the routine, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:

wait for activity of a host to which the data storage device is connected to become idle;

determine whether to release gas from a fluid of the hydrodynamic bearing of the spindle motor; and

responsive to determining to release gas from a fluid of the hydrodynamic bearing of the spindle motor, perform a motor spin down routine for the spindle motor.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein determining whether to release gas from a fluid of the hydrodynamic bearing of the spindle motor comprises:

determining an amount of time since a previous spin down routine was performed; and

comparing the amount of time since the previous spin down routine was performed to a predetermined amount of time.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the predetermined amount of time is less than or equal to 24 hours.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the predetermined amount of time is 12 hours.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the motor spin down routine for the spindle motor comprises:

storing original state information from the data storage device;

spinning down the spindle motor from an operating speed to a stop;

waiting for a predetermined amount of time;

spinning up the spindle motor from a stop to the operating speed;

resetting a timer; and

restoring the original state information.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 25, further comprising:

determining whether a new command or reset request has been received by the data storage device from the host; and

responsive to a new command or reset request being received, aborting the motor spin down routine.

27. The machine-readable medium of claim 26, wherein determining whether a new command or reset request has been received by the data storage device from the host is performed prior to spinning down the spindle motor.

28. The machine-readable medium of claim 26, wherein determining whether a new command or reset request has been received by the data storage device from the host is performed after spinning up the spindle motor.

29. The machine-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the predetermined amount of time comprises 2 to 5 seconds.

30. The machine-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the predetermined amount of time comprises 5 seconds.