An HGA loader provides HGAs, in succession, to a multiple workstation head tester. An HGAs carrier station receives HGAs to be tested. An alignment station on the base includes an alignment surface which selectively rotates about an alignment axis. A camera generates images of an HGA on the alignment surface, which is rotated so that the HGA has a desired spatial orientation which is maintained as the HGA is transferred to an HGA testing workstation. A received, oriented HGA is positioned to enable read/write test operations on a disk rotating on an adjacent spinstand. To effect the successive position operations, a transporter includes a track overlying the workstations, and a carriage movable along the track, to pass from workstation to workstations. The loader is automatically operative under the control of a controller.

According to one embodiment, physical position information on errors on a recording medium is acquired, physical position relationship between the errors on the recording medium is calculated based on the position information, and a failure mode related to the errors is determined based on the position relationship.

Described are clamps useful for temporarily holding a slider of a hard disk drive in a test socket for dynamic electrical testing of the slider, as well as related assemblies that include the test socket, a head-gimbal-assembly, a testing assembly, and related methods of use.

Described are clamps useful for temporarily holding a slider of a hard disk drive in a test socket for dynamic electrical testing of the slider, as well as related assemblies that include the test socket, a head-gimbal-assembly, a testing assembly, and related methods of use.

A media library (10) for evaluating a health of a head (256) of a media drive (26) includes a library control system (30) that is configured to control oversight functionality of the media library (10). The library control system (30) receives media drive information generated during at least one of a read procedure and a write procedure being performed by the media drive (26) and analyzes the media drive information to determine the health of the head (256) of the media drive (26). The media drive information includes drive performance metrics generated by the media drive (26) during a read verify procedure performed by the media drive (26) upon request of the library control system (30) of the media library (10).

A media library (10) for evaluating a health of a head (256) of a media drive (26) includes a library control system (30) that is configured to control oversight functionality of the media library (10). The library control system (30) receives media drive information generated during at least one of a read procedure and a write procedure being performed by the media drive (26) and analyzes the media drive information to determine the health of the head (256) of the media drive (26). The media drive information includes drive performance metrics generated by the media drive (26) during a read verify procedure performed by the media drive (26) upon request of the library control system (30) of the media library (10).

A testing system includes a production-type laser having optical modes of a production laser that interfaces with an optical path of a heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) slider. A far-field light illumination path delivers excitation light from the production-type laser to the optical path of the HAMR slider, the excitation light being emitted from an air bearing surface (ABS) of the HAMR slider. Optics receive the emitted light from the ABS and distribute the emitted light to one or more sensors. The system determines, based on signals received from the one or more sensors, a depolarization of the emitted light and a coupling efficiency of the HAMR slider. The system may also measure light reflecting out of the optical path and Fourier transform these measurements to determine locations of reflections within the optical path.

A testing system includes a production-type laser having optical modes of a production laser that interfaces with an optical path of a heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) slider. A far-field light illumination path delivers excitation light from the production-type laser to the optical path of the HAMR slider, the excitation light being emitted from an air bearing surface (ABS) of the HAMR slider. Optics receive the emitted light from the ABS and distribute the emitted light to one or more sensors. The system determines, based on signals received from the one or more sensors, a depolarization of the emitted light and a coupling efficiency of the HAMR slider. The system may also measure light reflecting out of the optical path and Fourier transform these measurements to determine locations of reflections within the optical path.

According to one embodiment, when an inspection of a defect of a recording surface of the magnetic disk is carried out by using the first processing section and the second processing section on the basis of the output of the gap sensor, a magnetic disk device is configured to compare a threshold defined on the basis of outputs of the first processing section at a plurality of tracks excluding a track which is an inspection object and an output of the first processing section at the track which is the inspection object with each other and, when the output of the first processing section at the track which is the inspection object exceeds the threshold, detect that there is a defect on the track concerned of the magnetic disk.

According to one embodiment, when an inspection of a defect of a recording surface of the magnetic disk is carried out by using the first processing section and the second processing section on the basis of the output of the gap sensor, a magnetic disk device is configured to compare a threshold defined on the basis of outputs of the first processing section at a plurality of tracks excluding a track which is an inspection object and an output of the first processing section at the track which is the inspection object with each other and, when the output of the first processing section at the track which is the inspection object exceeds the threshold, detect that there is a defect on the track concerned of the magnetic disk.