HDD Head Pressure Sensing via Temperature and Heater
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current data storage devices, such as hard disk drives (HDDs), face challenges in accurately measuring internal pressure without using a dedicated physical pressure sensor, which adds cost and complexity, while internal pressure affects performance and reliability.
Innovation Solution
The use of a head with a temperature sensor and a heater, positioned on a ramp within the data storage drive, measures temperature changes due to varying heater power settings to determine internal pressure, eliminating the need for a dedicated pressure sensor by correlating these changes with gas flow velocity and pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a dedicated physical pressure sensor is used to measure internal pressure, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The head assembly performs multiple functions: data storage access, temperature sensing, and pressure measurement. By making the head multi-functional, the patent eliminates the need for dedicated pressure sensing components, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining measurement capability through the existing temperature sensor and heater combination
Solution Approach 2:
The head uses its own temperature sensor and heater components to measure pressure by observing temperature changes caused by gas flow variations at different pressures. This self-service approach allows the head to perform pressure measurement without requiring external or dedicated sensing devices, reducing overall system complexity
2Measurement precision
If a dedicated physical pressure sensor is used to measure internal pressure, then measurement precision is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The head assembly performs multiple functions: data storage access, temperature sensing, and pressure measurement. By making the head multi-functional, the patent eliminates the need for dedicated pressure sensing components, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining measurement capability through the existing temperature sensor and heater combination
Solution Approach 2:
The head uses its own temperature sensor and heater components to measure pressure by observing temperature changes caused by gas flow variations at different pressures. This self-service approach allows the head to perform pressure measurement without requiring external or dedicated sensing devices, reducing overall system complexity
3Device complexity
If temperature changes are used to measure pressure, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision may be affected by temperature control accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The system measures temperature changes at different heater power settings and uses these measurements to determine gas flow velocity and pressure relationships. By establishing feedback loops between heater power, temperature measurement, and pressure calculation, the system compensates for temperature control variations and maintains measurement precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the heater power setting parameter to create different temperature conditions, then measures the resulting temperature changes to infer pressure information. By systematically varying the heater power parameter and measuring the responses, the system extracts pressure data while accounting for temperature control characteristics
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method effectively measures internal pressure within the data storage drive, enhancing reliability and performance by utilizing existing components, thereby reducing costs and complexity.
Implementation Method 1
a head with a temperature sensor and a heater, positioned on a ramp within the data storage drive, measures temperature changes due to varying heater power settings
Implementation Method 2
The controller is configured to obtain first temperature sensor measurement values for different head heater power settings
Implementation Method 3
correlating these changes with gas flow velocity and pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A data storage drive includes a rotatable data storage medium, and a head communicatively couplable to the data storage medium. The head includes a temperature sensor and a heater. The data storage drive also includes a ramp for supporting the head when the head is moved away from the data storage medium, and a controller. The controller is configured to obtain first temperature sensor measurement values for different head heater power settings when the head is positioned on the ramp, and is configured to determine an internal pressure of the data storage drive as a function of the first temperature sensor measurement values.