Data storage device reducing spindle motor voltage boost during power failure

• US 8,922,940 B1
• Filed: 05/27/2014
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Western Digital Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Ferris, Timothy A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sniezek, Andrew L
• Application Number:
  US14/287,550
• Time in Patent Office: 217 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 360/75
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/2081 emergency power-down
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 21/12 Raising and lowering; Back-spacing or forward-spacing along track; Returning to starting position otherwise than during transducing operation

Abstract

A data storage device is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk, a spindle motor configured to rotate the disk, and control circuitry configured to perform a power fail operation by boosting a power voltage generated based on the spindle motor to generate a boosted voltage, controlling an operation of the data storage device using the boosted voltage, and when the power voltage falls below a threshold, reducing the boosting so as to reduce the boosted voltage.

Claims

1. A data storage device comprising:

a head actuated over a disk;

a spindle motor configured to rotate the disk; and

control circuitry configured to perform a power fail operation by;

boosting a power voltage generated based on the spindle motor to generate a boosted voltage;

controlling an operation of the data storage device using the boosted voltage; and

when the power voltage falls below a threshold, reducing the boosting so as to reduce the boosted voltage.

2. The data storage device as recited in claim 1, wherein the power voltage is generated based on a back electromotive force (BEMF) voltage generated by the spindle motor.

3. The data storage device as recited in claim 2, further comprising a voice coil motor (VCM) configured to actuate the head over the disk, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to perform the power fail operation by controlling the VCM based on the power voltage.

4. The data storage device as recited in claim 3, wherein reducing the boosting increases an available current to drive the VCM using the BEMF voltage.

5. The data storage device as recited in claim 1, wherein the boosted voltage is reduced based on a linear function of the power voltage.

6. The data storage device as recited in claim 5, wherein the boosted voltage is reduced based on:

V_BOOST=M*V_PWR

where;

V_PWR is the power voltage;

V_BOOST is the boosted voltage; and

M is a non-zero scalar.

7. The data storage device as recited in claim 1, wherein the boosted voltage is reduced by at least one step decrement based on the power voltage.

8. The data storage device as recited in claim 7, wherein the boosted voltage is reduced by a staircase of decrements based on the power voltage.

9. A method of operating a data storage device, the method comprising performing a power fail operation by:

boosting a power voltage generated based on a spindle motor to generate a boosted voltage;

controlling an operation of the data storage device using the boosted voltage; and

when the power voltage falls below a threshold, reducing the boosting so as to reduce the boosted voltage.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the power voltage is generated based on a back electromotive force (BEMF) voltage generated by the spindle motor.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising performing the power fail operation by controlling a VCM based on the power voltage.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein reducing the boosting increases an available current to drive the VCM using the BEMF voltage.

13. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the boosted voltage is reduced based on a linear function of the power voltage.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the boosted voltage is reduced based on:

V_BOOST=M*V_PWR

where;

V_PWR is the power voltage;

V_BOOST is the boosted voltage; and

M is a non-zero scalar.

15. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising reducing the boosted voltage by at least one step decrement based on the power voltage.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising reducing the boosted voltage by a staircase of decrements based on the power voltage.