A method of forming a recording head for use with a data storage medium in a data storage device. The method includes forming first and second writers of different target geometries. A first recording measurement is performed on one or more storage media using the first writer. A second recording measurement is performed on the one or more storage media using the second writer. Based on a comparison of the first and second recording measurements to a predetermined quantity, either the first writer or the second writer is selected to be operational in the data storage device.

According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording medium includes a first magnetic region, a second magnetic region, and a third magnetic region. The second magnetic region is provided between the third magnetic region and the first magnetic region in a first direction from the third magnetic region to the first magnetic region. A first composition ratio of a first Pt atomic concentration in the first magnetic region to a first Co atomic concentration in the first magnetic region is higher than a second composition ratio of a second Pt atomic concentration in the second magnetic region to a second Co atomic concentration in the second magnetic region. A third composition ratio of a third Pt atom concentration in the third magnetic region to a third Co atom concentration in the third magnetic region is higher than the second composition ratio.

Two or more read modes of a data storage system and device are defined. The data storage device is capable of concurrently reading from two or more tracks using two or more read transducers. The read modes utilize different numbers of the two or more read transducers while reading data. The read modes are selected based on an operating condition of the data storage system or device.

A storage device includes a storage medium and a transducer head with two writers positioned to write to a same surface of the storage medium. The two writers are separated from one another along a down-track direction of a data track on the storage medium and independently controllable to write data.

An apparatus and method for dynamic multiple actuator drive data access are disclosed. A particular embodiment includes: receiving a data transfer request including at least one data package; determining a type of the data transfer request; partitioning the data package into a plurality of data segments, if the data transfer request is a parallel data mode request; assigning one or more actuator drivers and one or more actuator controllers for the data transfer request; initiating a data transfer to or from the data storage medium using one or more of the plurality of actuators corresponding to the one or more assigned actuator controllers; storing or retrieving an individual data package of the data transfer request to or from the data storage medium wherein the entire data package is wholly accessible to a single actuator, if the data transfer request is a random data mode request; and storing or retrieving an individual data segment of the data transfer request to or from the data storage medium wherein the data package is accessible to the plurality of actuators, if the request is a parallel data mode request.

A head slider for use in a disk drive is movably positionable relative to a magnetic recording disk and includes at least one write element for writing data to the magnetic recording disk. The write element includes a writer coil electrically connected between a first bond pad and a second bond pad, where the connection between the first bond pad and the second bond pad includes a center tap located proximate to a voltage null point. The head slider also includes at least one read element for reading data from the magnetic recording disk, the read element electrically connected between the center tap and a third bond pad, where the write element and the read element are configured to be selectively activated based on biased inputs to the first bond pad, the second bond pad, and the third bond pad.

A bond pad set includes at least one ground pad and at least one electrical bond pad configured to bias and send/receive signals. The bond pad set is electrically connected to a multiplicity of electrical components. At least one electrical bond pad of the bond pad set is shared between two or more of the electrical components.

Disclosed herein are magnetic storage media with embedded disconnected circuits, and magnetic storage systems comprising such media. A magnetic storage media comprises a recording layer comprising a storage location, and an embedded disconnected circuit (EDC) configured to assist in at least one of writing to or reading from the storage location in response to a wireless activation signal. A magnetic storage system comprises a signal generator configured to generate a wireless activation signal, a magnetic storage media with a plurality of storage locations, and a write transducer and/or a read receiver. The magnetic storage media has at least one EDC configured to assist in writing to and/or reading from at least one of the plurality of storage locations in response to the wireless activation signal.

Disclosed herein are methods of using embedded disconnected circuits (EDC) in magnetic storage media to assist in reading data from and writing data to the magnetic storage media. A wireless activation signal is used to activate an EDC in a magnetic storage media. Once activated, the EDC may assist to record data in and/or read data from one or more memory locations of the magnetic storage media.

A slider includes an array of two or more transducer sets offset from one another in a cross-track direction. Each transducer set includes at least one writer and at least one reader. All of the transducer sets are configured to operate simultaneously to perform any combination of reading and writing on two or more tracks of a recording medium. At least one actuator is included between two the transducer sets. The actuator is configured to adjust a cross-track spacing between the two transducer sets in response to a control current.