Removable hard disk drive (HDD) that is hot-plug compatible with multiple external power supply voltages

• US 7,332,832 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2004
• Issued: 02/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands BV (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Rowan, Bryan S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherry; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): AMAYA, CARLOS DAVID
• Application Number:
  US10/788,911
• Publication Number:
  US 20050200998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,453 Days
• Field of Search: 307/43
• US Class Current: 307/43
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/122 Arrangements for providing electrical connections, e.g. connectors, cables, switches
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1588 comprising at least one synchronous rectifier element H02M3/1582, H02M3/1584 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

Circuitry in a hard disk drive (HDD) senses the supply voltage, normally at power-on, and applies appropriate DC-to-DC conversion (pass-through, step-down, or boost regulation) according to the design requirements of the HDD.

Claims

1. A circuit for sensing an input supply voltage and providing a desired output voltage, the circuit comprising:

a voltage sensing circuit, configured to sense, at least at a predetermined time, a value of the input supply voltage and provide a voltage indication signal based on the supply voltage, so sensed;

a control circuit, responsive to said voltage indication signal, that generates a control signal; and

a switching element having a control terminal that receives said control signal;

said control signal being different for different first and second values of said supply voltage, so sensed, wherein

said first value of said supply voltage, so sensed, is different from said desired output voltage, and

said control signal is in the form of a pulse train for switching said switching element for said first value of said supply voltage, so sensed, wherein said pulsed control signal has a duty cycle greater than 0% and less than 100%.

2. The circuit of claim 1 wherein said predetermined time is at power-on.

3. The circuit of claim 1 wherein said desired output voltage is used to power motors and logic in a hard disk drive.

4. The circuit of claim 1 wherein said first value of said sensed supply voltage is lower than said second value of said sensed supply voltage.

5. The circuit of claim 1 wherein:

said second value of said sensed supply voltage is equal to said desired output voltage; and

said control signal is in the form of a fixed level for said second value of said supply voltage, so sensed.

6. The circuit of claim 5 wherein said fixed level is such as to keep said switching element in an ON state.

7. The circuit of claim 5 wherein said fixed level is such as to keep said switching element in an OFF state.

8. The circuit of claim 1, and further comprising a second switching element having a control terminal, and wherein:

said control circuit is further configured to provide a second control signal based on the supply voltage, so sensed, to said control terminal of said second switching element; and

said second control signal is such as to maintain said second switching element in an ON state for one of said first and second values of said supply voltage and in an OFF state for the other of said first and second values of said supply voltage.

9. The circuit of claim 8, and further comprising a third switching element having a control terminal, and wherein:

said control circuit is further configured to provide a third control signal based on the supply voltage, so sensed, to said control terminal of said third switching element; and

said third control signal is a pulse train for switching said third switching element for one of said first and second values of said supply voltage, and a fixed level for the other of said first and second values of said supply voltage.

10. The circuit of claim 8, wherein the first control signal is output from a first output terminal of the control circuit and the second control signal is output from a second output terminal, and wherein the first control signal and the second control signal are different signals.

11. A chipset for a hard disk drive comprising:

the circuit of claim 1; and

a motor control circuit powered by said desired output voltage from said circuit.

12. A hard disk drive comprising:

the circuit of claim 1;

a magnetic disk;

a spindle motor connected to said disk to rotate said disk upon the application of power;

a head for reading and writing data from and to said disk;

a head motor connected to move said head across said disk upon the application of power; and

a motor control circuit coupled to said spindle motor and said head motor to control the application of power to said spindle motor and said head motor;

at least one of said spindle motor, a head motor, and motor control circuit receiving power supplied by said circuit.

13. A circuit for powering a hard disk drive, the circuit comprising:

a voltage sensing circuit, configured to sense, at least at a predetermined time, a single supply voltage at one input node and provide a voltage indication signal based on the supply voltage, so sensed;

at least one DC-DC conversion circuit, connected to said one input node and to an output node, for converting said single supply voltage, so sensed, to a different desired output voltage when said single supply voltage sensed at the one input node is not the desired output voltage and providing said different voltage on said output node; and

a control circuit, coupled to said voltage sensing circuit and to said DC-DC conversion circuit for controlling said DC-DC conversion circuit depending on said supply voltage, so sensed, wherein when the sensed single supply voltage is the desired output voltage, said control circuit controls the DC-DC conversion circuit to not convert the sensed single supply voltage to a different voltage so that said sensed single supply voltage is provided on said output node.

14. A circuit for powering a hard disk drive, the circuit comprising:

a voltage sensing circuit, configured to sense, at least at a predetermined time, a single supply voltage at one input node and provide a voltage indication signal based on the supply voltage, so sensed;

at least one DC-DC conversion circuit, connected to said input node and to an output node, for converting said single supply voltage, so sensed, to a different desired output voltage and providing said different voltage on said output node;

a switchable pass-through path between said input node and said output node; and

a control circuit, coupled to said voltage sensing circuit, said DC-DC conversion circuit, and said switchable pass-through path;

said control circuit controlling said DC-DC conversion circuit and said switchable pass-through path so that;

when said voltage indication signal indicates that said single supply voltage is different from said desired output voltage, said control circuit

enables said DC-DC conversion circuit to supply said different voltage on said output node, and

prevents said pass-through path from passing said supply voltage to said output node; and

when said voltage indication signal indicates that said supply voltage is equal to said desired output voltage, said control circuit

prevents said DC-DC conversion circuit from supplying said different voltage on said output node, and

allows said pass-through path to pass said supply voltage to said output node.

15. The circuit of claim 14 wherein said desired output voltage is greater than said voltage sensed at said input node.

16. The circuit of claim 14 wherein said desired output voltage is less than said voltage sensed at said input node.

17. The circuit of claim 14 wherein said DC-DC conversion circuit is a switching regulator.

18. The circuit of claim 14 wherein said control circuit prevents said DC-DC conversion circuit from supplying said different voltage on said output node by disabling said DC-DC conversion circuit.

19. The circuit of claim 14 wherein said DC-DC conversion circuit includes a switching element that is also located in said pass-through path.

20. A hard disk drive comprising:

a magnetic disk;

a spindle motor connected to said disk to rotate said disk upon the application of power;

a head for reading and writing data from and to said disk;

a head motor connected to move said head across said disk upon the application of power; and

a motor control circuit coupled to said spindle motor and said head motor to control the application of power to said spindle motor and said head motor;

power distribution circuitry for connection to a power source solely through a two-pin connection to the power source, said connection providing a supply voltage between a voltage supply node and a ground node, said power distribution circuitry including;

a voltage sensing circuit, configured to sense, at least at a predetermined time, said supply voltage and provide a voltage indication signal based on the supply voltage, so sensed;

at least one DC-DC conversion circuit, connected to said voltage supply node and to an output node, for converting said supply voltage, so sensed, to a different desired output voltage when said supply voltage sensed at the voltage supply node is not the desired output voltage and providing said different voltage on said output node; and

a control circuit, coupled to said voltage sensing circuit and to said DC-DC conversion circuit for controlling said DC-DC conversion circuit depending on said supply voltage, so sensed, wherein when the sensed supply voltage is the desired output voltage, said control circuit controls the DC-DC conversion circuit to not convert the sensed supply voltage to a different voltage so that said sensed supply voltage is provided on said output node.

21. The circuit of claim 20 wherein:

said voltage supply node is at 5 volts;

at least one component of said hard disk drive requires a voltage greater than 5 volts; and

said DC-DC conversion circuit includes a switching regulator that converts 5 volts to a higher voltage.

22. The circuit of claim 20 wherein:

said voltage supply node is at 12 volts;

no components of said hard disk drive require a voltage greater than a predetermined voltage that is less than 12 volts; and

said DC-DC conversion circuit includes a switching regulator that converts 12 volts to a voltage that is less than 12 volts.

23. The circuit of claim 20 wherein:

said voltage supply node is at 12 volts;

no components of said hard disk drive require a voltage greater than a predetermined voltage that is less than 12 volts; and

said DC-DC conversion circuit includes a linear regulator that converts 12 volts to a voltage that is less than 12 volts.