JP2546039B2 - Patrol seek activation control method and magnetic disk device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a patrol seek start control method for a magnetic disk device and a magnetic disk device for implementing this method.

[Conventional technology]

In recent years, with the increase in recording density in magnetic disk devices, there is an increasing tendency to reduce the magnetic head levitation height to the limit in order to improve the electromagnetic conversion characteristics and increase the storage capacity. Therefore, minute dust accumulated on the surface of the recording medium becomes a problem, which affects the levitation characteristics of the magnetic head and causes a serious obstacle. In the past, efforts have been made to reduce dust as a countermeasure, but removal of residual dust at the time of assembly and dust generated at movable parts of the apparatus during operation is limited. Also, the accumulation of dust on the surface of the recording medium is affected over a long period of time, and if the magnetic head is positioned in that area when dust accumulation is small, it will be removed. In this case, there is proposed a method of automatically changing the position in the apparatus without a seek (movement) instruction from the system.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

In this conventional method, the execution interval of patrol seek is fixed, and it is not possible to set it according to the frequency with which the magnetic disk is used, and the seek operation request from the system comes during the patrol seek operation until the patrol seek operation ends. The system can be repeated more often.
Therefore, there is a problem that it affects the performance of the system.

[Means for solving the problem]

The patrol seek activation control method of the present invention does not issue a seek operation instruction from the host device at a fixed time interval after the seek operation of the magnetic disk device that seeks and positions the carriage mechanism equipped with the magnetic head according to an instruction from the host device. In a method of controlling the start of a patrol seek, which is a seek operation performed by a magnetic disk device alone for the purpose of removing minute dust accumulated on the surface of a recording medium, a first time measuring means and a second time measuring means for measuring a predetermined time. Means and the instruction of the above-mentioned higher-order device to perform a seek control device when a seek operation instruction is given, set the time-measurement time of the first and second time-measurement means to an initial value, start re-time measurement, and perform the patrol seek. The first step for setting the patrol seek mode in which the execution interval of is the initial setting value, and the timing of the second timing means. Between it is not after the lapse of the set time,
The second step of setting the patrol seek mode in which the execution interval of the patrol seek is faster than the present time when the time measured by the first time measuring means has elapsed the set time, and the second time measuring When the time count time of the means has exceeded the set time, the patrol seek control process is performed to execute the patrol seek, and the time corresponding to the patrol seek mode is set in the first time count means to reset the time count. And a third step to start.

Another invention of the present invention is an invention of a magnetic disk device used directly for carrying out the invention of the above-mentioned method, comprising a seek controller for starting a patrol seek, controlling a patrol seek operation, and a seek operation. In the magnetic disk device, the patrol seek activation control method according to the present invention is used to control the patrol seek activation.

[Work]

In the present invention, the activation interval of the patrol seek is automatically shortened when the frequency of use of the magnetic disk device becomes low,
It is controlled so that it becomes longer when the use is started, and the influence of the patrol seek operation on the system performance is suppressed.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, showing a configuration of a magnetic disk device for implementing the patrol seek activation control method of the present invention and a seek controller for implementing the patrol seek activation control method. Is.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a data input / output interface, 2 is a control signal input / output interface, 3 is a memory in which control information for performing patrol seek activation and patrol seek operation and seek operation control is stored,
4 is a sequence control unit that controls the seek control unit for starting the patrol seek and controlling the patrol seek operation and the seek operation, and 5 and 6 are timers for measuring the execution interval of the patrol and the frequency of use of the magnetic disk device. (First timer and second timer)
Reference numerals 5 and 6 constitute a time measuring means for measuring a predetermined time. Reference numeral 7 is a seek control signal input / output interface.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of FIG. 1, and shows a processing procedure of patrol seek activation control by the sequence control unit 4. And each step 21,22
...... At 39, the predetermined processing is executed respectively. In FIG. 2, (a) indicates = N and (b) indicates = a.
(<N) and (c) indicate = 0.

Next, the operation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

First, the seek controller is controlled by the sequence controller 4. The sequence controller 4 receives a seek command from the control signal input / output interface 2 and seek information from the data input / output interface 1, respectively, and a carrier mechanism (not shown) via the seek control signal input / output interface 7. The control unit controls the seek operation.

The control information for activating the patrol seek and controlling the patrol seek operation and the seek operation is described in the memory 3, and the timers 5, 6 for measuring the execution interval of the patrol seek and the frequency of use of the magnetic disk device. Is equipped with.

Next, the preset time of the timers 5 and 6 and the initial setting of the patrol seek start mode are performed (steps shown in FIG. 2).
21, 22, 23, 24).

Subsequently, when a seek instruction is received from the host device (step 25), the seek control process (step 26) is executed to execute the seek from the host device, and the patrol seek start interval is set to the initial value (longest interval: patrol seek mode). 0)
Then, the timers 5 and 6 are restarted (step 27) and the next seek instruction is waited for.

Then, the timer 6 is a timer for activating a patrol seek, and when the timer 6 is up (step 29), a patrol seek control process (step 30) is executed to execute the patrol seek. Next, set the time of the timer 6 according to the patrol seek mode (steps 31, 32,
33 and 34) and restart timer 6 (step 35).

If the seek instruction and patrol seek from the host device are not activated and the patrol seek activation interval is already the shortest (patrol seek mode is N) (step 36), the next seek instruction and patrol seek are activated. Wait (steps 25, 29).

Then, the timer 5 is used for measuring the time during which no seek instruction is given from the host device and for accelerating the patrol seek activation interval.

If the Patrol Seek activation interval is not yet the shortest (Patrol Seek Mode is N) and the timer 5 has timed out (Step 37), restart the timer (Step 38).
Then, the patrol seek start time is shortened by one step (step 39).

In this way, the sequence control unit 4 and the timers 5 and 6 perform seek control processing when a seek operation instruction is given by the instruction of the host device, and initialize the time counting time of the timers 5 and 6 which form two time measuring means. Set the value to start the timekeeping again, and set the patrol seek mode in which the execution interval of the patrol seek becomes the initial setting value, and the time measured by the timer 6 does not exceed the set time, and the time measured by the timer 5 When the set time has passed, the step to set the patrol seek mode so that the execution interval of the patrol seek is faster than the current one, and the patrol seek is performed when the time measured by the timer 6 has passed the set time. In order to execute the patrol seek control process, the step for setting the time corresponding to the patrol seek mode in the timer 5 and starting the time counting again is provided.

Further, the magnetic disk device is provided with a seek control unit for performing patrol seek activation, patrol seek operation, and seek control, and is configured to use the patrol seek activation control method.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, since the patrol seek activation interval is long when the magnetic disk device is frequently used and is short when the magnetic disk device is not frequently used, a seek instruction from the host device comes during the patrol seek. This has the effect of reducing opportunities and reducing the impact on system performance.

Further, dust is likely to be deposited when the frequency of use is low, but when the frequency of use is low, the patrol seek start interval is shortened, so that the accumulation of dust can be suppressed. Further, since the patrol seek activation interval is short, it is possible to remove dust on the entire surface of the storage medium in a short time.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of FIG. 1 ... Data input / output interface, 2 ... Control signal input / output interface, 3 ... Memory, 4 ... Sequence control unit, 5,6 ... Timer, 7 ... Seek control signal input / output interface.

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A surface of a recording medium without a seek operation instruction from the host device at a fixed time interval after the seek operation of a magnetic disk device that seeks and positions a carriage mechanism equipped with a magnetic head according to an instruction from the host device. In a method of controlling the start of patrol seek, which is a seek operation performed by a magnetic disk device alone for the purpose of removing the minute dust accumulated in the above, a first time measuring means and a second time measuring means for measuring a predetermined time; When a seek operation instruction is given by an instruction from the host device, the seek control device is performed, the time counts of the first and second timekeeping means are set to initial values, and reclocking is started. The first step for setting the patrol seek mode as the initial setting value and the time measured by the second time measuring means have exceeded the set time. A second step of setting the patrol seek mode in which the execution interval of the patrol seek is faster than the present time when the time measured by the first time measuring means has exceeded a set time; When the time measured by the timekeeping means of No. 1 has exceeded the set time, the patrol seek control process is performed to execute the patrol seek, and the time corresponding to the patrol seek mode is set in the first timekeeping means and reset. A patrol seek activation control method comprising: a third step for starting timing. 2. A patrol seek start control method according to claim 1, further comprising a seek control unit for starting patrol seek, controlling patrol seek operation and seek operation, and controlling the patrol seek start. Characteristic magnetic disk device.