A computer program product, according to one embodiment, includes a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith. The program instructions are readable and/or executable by a controller to cause the controller to: determine first and second currents to apply to an actuator assembly in response to detecting a track following error. The first and second currents are applied to the actuator assembly simultaneously. The actuator assembly itself includes: a fine motion motor for enabling positioning of a beam of a head carriage assembly. The actuator assembly also includes a skew motion motor for enabling rotatable positioning of the head carriage assembly about an axis of skew. Furthermore, the actuator assembly includes a main coil configured to induce skew motion and lateral motion of the beam of the head carriage assembly relative to the fine motion motor and the skew motion motor upon energization of the main coil.

A method according to one embodiment includes generating a y-position estimate based on a servo readback, and determining a nonlinearity-correction value corresponding to the y-position estimate. The method further includes adjusting the y-position estimate using the nonlinearity-correction value. A computer program product for compensating for nonlinearity in a timing based servo pattern according to another embodiment includes a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith. The program instructions are readable and/or executable by a controller to cause the controller to perform the foregoing method. An apparatus according to another embodiment includes a controller configured to perform the foregoing method.

A method according to one embodiment includes generating a y-position estimate based on a servo readback, and determining a nonlinearity-correction value corresponding to the y-position estimate. The method further includes adjusting the y-position estimate using the nonlinearity-correction value. A computer program product for compensating for nonlinearity in a timing based servo pattern according to another embodiment includes a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith. The program instructions are readable and/or executable by a controller to cause the controller to perform the foregoing method. An apparatus according to another embodiment includes a controller configured to perform the foregoing method.

An approach to a reduced-head hard disk drive (HDD) involves a load/unload (LUL) ramp subsystem that includes a ramp assembly that includes a rotatable latch link configured for mechanical interaction with a head-stack assembly (HSA) and a LUL ramp coupled with the latch link, configured such that in response to a force applied to the latch link by the HSA, the latch link rotates which disengages a magnetic latch and drives the LUL ramp to rotate into an operational state disengaged from any recording disk of a multiple-disk stack. The subsystem may further include a motor configured to drive rotation of a lead screw to which the ramp assembly is attached, to drive vertical translation of the ramp assembly, thereby providing for loading the vertically-translatable HSA onto and off of each of the disks of the disk stack.

A method of determining radial position of a magnetic head that includes a first read sensor and a second read sensor includes: with the first read sensor, detecting a servo spiral formed on a disk; with the second read sensor, detecting the servo spiral; measuring a time interval between when the servo spiral is detected by the first read sensor and when the servo spiral is detected by the second read sensor; and based on the time interval, determining a radial position of the magnetic head relative to the disk.

A data storage device includes a data storage disc, an arm, a head, a rotary actuator, and an elevator. The disc has a read/write surface defining an x-y plane. The arm includes a load beam. The head is supported by the load beam, and the head is configured to interact with the read/write surface. The rotary actuator is configured to move a first portion of the arm about a first pivot axis in the x-y plane. The elevator is configured to move the arm in a z direction relative to a vertical surface and is configured to frictionally engage the vertical surface to hold the arm at a z direction position while allowing the rotary actuator to move the first portion of the arm about the first pivot axis. In another aspect, an apparatus includes a stack block, first and second clamp arm assemblies, and first and second piezoelectric actuators.

A data storage device includes a data storage disc, an arm, a head, a rotary actuator, and an elevator. The disc has a read/write surface defining an x-y plane. The arm includes a load beam. The head is supported by the load beam, and the head is configured to interact with the read/write surface. The rotary actuator is configured to move a first portion of the arm about a first pivot axis in the x-y plane. The elevator is configured to move the arm in a z direction relative to a vertical surface and is configured to frictionally engage the vertical surface to hold the arm at a z direction position while allowing the rotary actuator to move the first portion of the arm about the first pivot axis. In another aspect, an apparatus includes a stack block, first and second clamp arm assemblies, and first and second piezoelectric actuators.

A method of assembly a dual stage actuated suspension includes either applying an adhesive to a microactuator motor and then B-staging the adhesive, or applying an adhesive that has already been B-staged such as in film adhesive form to the microactuator then assembling the microactuator into a suspension and then finishing the adhesive cure. The adhesive can be applied to bulk piezoelectric material, with the adhesive being B-staged either before or after it is applied to the bulk piezoelectric material, and the piezoelectric material then singulated into a number of individual piezoelectric microactuators. The method allows greater control over how much adhesive is used, and greater control over spread of that adhesive and control over potential contamination, than traditional liquid epoxy dispense methods.

First and second tracks are read simultaneously via a first reader mounted in a head-gimbal assembly. The first reader provides a first signal based on detecting a total perpendicular field of the first and second tracks. The first and second tracks are read simultaneously via a second reader mounted in the head-gimbal assembly. The second reader provides a second signal based on detecting a total longitudinal field of the first and second tracks. At least one of a position error and a timing error of at least one of the first and second readers are determined based on user data read via the respective first and second signals.

The present invention addresses the problem of providing an output device, which can reduce the impact on an object to which power is supplied even when an output unit continuously fails to supply a voltage. To solve the problem a brake mechanism includes a contact member and a variable unit. The contact member may be brought into contact with a read head that reads information recorded as an information stream stored in a medium that moves relative to the read head. The variable unit changes a contact state between the contact member and the read head when the information representing the displacement between the position on the medium read by the read head and the position in the recorded information stream exceeds a prescribed range.