WO2001050468A1

WO2001050468A1 - Disk drive

Info

Publication number: WO2001050468A1
Application number: PCT/CZ2000/000091
Authority: WO
Inventors: Otakar CERNY; Miroslav CERNY
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-12-31
Filing date: 2000-12-22
Publication date: 2001-07-12
Anticipated expiration: 2002-06-30
Also published as: AU1990701A

Abstract

Disk drive (9), comprising at least two heads (2a, 2b) controllable mutually independently, wherein for example one of heads (2a, 2b) controllable mutually independently is fixed. Usage of disk drive (9) namely by data reading/recording that is performed for example at least by two mutually independently controllable heads (2a, 2b) or at least by two mutually independent ways (16, 17, 18) or at least by two parts (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) of the device for data processing concurrently.

Description

DISK DRIVE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention applies to the disk drive for data reading/recording and to an usage of this disk drive.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As yet known disk drives are used especially as parts of devices for data processing, for example of computers, multimedia disk recording devices and players, television and telecommunication devices, but also of other similar devices (below only devices), in a process of data processing for data reading and/or recording, otherwise said for data reading/recording, namely by other parts of a device, such as especially a processor, a memory, for example semiconductor, or adapters of input/output (external, additional) devices (peripheries).

A disk drive consists usually of a mechanics, a controller, an interface and connecting cable or cables:

Mechanics compsrises usually one or more record carriers, i.e. disks, that together rotate on one spindle, further it compsrises one movable reading/recording head or together movable group of reading/recording heads, for data reading/recording in one or more tracks on each reading/recording surface of the disk, and it compsrises also holders and a positioning mechanism. Mobility of a head, contingently common mobility of a group of heads above the surface of disks is hereat provided thereby, that this head or group of heads is fixed on a movable holder (group of heads usually with the help of auxiliary holders), which is actuated by one positioning mechanism. So heads are by the mechanical aspect controllable mutually dependently. Tracks read/recorded during one positioning of the group of heads, placed one above the another, create a cylinder.

A controller, strictly speaking a controller of heads, compsrises an electronic circuit, which controls the working of a disk drive, i.e. it provides the positioning of heads including their involvement into function, it organizes peculiar data reading/recording on the surface of disks by the way of encoding (during recording) or decoding (during reading) and in cooperation with a bus it provides the data carrier between the disk drive and other part of a device, for example a processor, videlicet it provides data reading/recording by parts of a device in a disk drive. The controller provides switching of electronic circuits of heads into activity, videlicet into processing a cycle of data reading/recording thereby, that there is engaged always only one head - it is unable to concurrently activate two or more heads, not even if they shall practice data reading/recording by one positioning in tracks of the same cylinder. So the heads are also by electric aspect controllable mutually dependently.

An interface (an adapter, input/output circuit) provides the connection, adaptation, communication of the disk drive with the mainboard of a device. In dependence on technology of a device the interface is for example shaped as a card with appropriate electronic circuits and then it is plugged by the medium of connectors into an additional slot on a device bus, or the interface can be integrated directly into the mainboard. The controller, eventually practically the whole adapter too, can be also placed directly on a mechanics of a disk drive, insofar that the card plugged into a slot on a bus only transfers data to the bus, while data come out of the disk drive already in format of the bus, i.e. in format, which is acceptable for other parts of the device. The adapter can be also common for several disk drives - it serves at the same time as a controller of their connection to the bus. A cable or cables serve especially to interconnection of the controller, interface and the mechanics of the disk drive, eventually to connection of a disk drive for example to a bus of a device. The connection can be fixed, permanent or by the medium of connectors.

Particular types of known disk drives have, except general properties, their specialties. For example by an optic or an magnetooptic disk drive there is used to be for data reading/recording in one, eventually in more spiral tracks available usually one disk and one head, which head along implementation allows either reading/recording, or only reading. By a magnetic disk drive with exchangeable disk - diskette, i.e. by floppy-disk drive, there are available one disk (diskette) and a group of two heads, while each head is intended for reading/recording in circular tracks on one surface of the disk. By a magnetic disk drive with permanent installed disks, otherwise said by a "harddisk", there are used to be available more disks and a group of heads, whereof each head is intended for reading/recording in circular tracks on one surface of the disk as well, eventually there can be instead of one universal head on each auxiliary holder for the given surface available two special heads - one for data reading and the second one for data recording - while in this case both heads are not active all at once.

A disk drive or its part, for example a disk mechanics or an adapter, can be exchangeable in a device and in addition it can be in particular implementation from the aspect of connecting, for example internal or external, portable or stationary.

The device can comprise even several connecting places for various types of disk drives.

Connecting of each disk drive to a bus can be made for example by separate adapter or by the medium of an adapter, common for example for 4 disk drives.

Data carried by heads, i.e. read/recorded on a disk surface, are here meant especially as the information about storage of sectors and of sector groups, data located in sectors, but also the sectors or tracks identifiers, the information about heads position and clock pulses. From/to a disk drive and inside of a device at all, there are, instead of data, carried also other kinds of information, for example addresses, control and subsidiary information, signals.

Particular parts of the disk drive create by the medium of the controller in every moment from all possible internal ways for data transfer, connecting particular heads with the interface, always just one internal way. i.e. a way for the possibility of sequential data reading/recording in this disk drive by other parts of the device, videlicet a way for transfer of all needful information, like data, addresses and control or subsidiary information, to realization of sequential cycles of data reading/recording. The width of this way is different in different places of the disk drive - for example in a place of data reading/recording by the head on the disk the width of data way is 1 bit, while in the place of connector in the interface for connecting into a slot on the bus the data way has available for example 16-line wires - it is 16-bits wide. The connecting cable hereat compsrises in all for example 68-line wires, because there are transferred by it not only data, but also addresses and other information decoded from the disk and further the information, that are not stored on a disk, but which are necessary for the function of the disk drive.

Generally every disk drive compsrises an input/output electronic circuit, which is interconnected with other internal circuits of this disk drive. By the medium of this input/output electric circuit the all data and other information transfer is practiced (or the cycle of data reading/recording is practiced) also outside of this disk drive. Videlicet this circuit co-generates also the external ways, by them the disk drive is connected with input/output electronic circuits, with interfaces of other parts of a device.

The ways for information transfer in a device, i.e. the ways, connecting input/output circuits of particular parts of a device, accordingly from the aspect of the disk drive, external ways, can comprise also for example needed interconnections, switches and converters, slots (bases, connectors) for attachment of exchangeable parts of a device, if any controllers for switching, retrieval of the way to appropriate part of a device.

The way for the realization of process of data reading/recording between two parts of device is a conjugate way, serving to transfer of information, for example of data, addresses and other kinds of information, needed to realization of sequential cycles of data reading/recording between two parts of device, and it usually in itself therefore compsrises one way for transfer of data, one way for transfer of addresses and another ways for transfer of other kinds of information. From this view then for example the way for data transfer can be an element of conjugate way for realization of cycles of data reading/recording.

In dependance on concrete embodiment of disk drive, for example the way for data transfer can be engaged so that it serves also for transfer of other information, for example of addresses, pertinent to the process of data reading/recording, or there can be for transfer of various kinds of information with the view to increace of baud rate, for example in groups, created parallel partial ways (channels) with various width, so that for example for data transfer is available data way (data bus) of width 16 bits, for transfer of addresses the address way (address bus) of width 16 bits and for transfer of special control or additional information, signals there are available other partial ways (components of control bus) mostly 1-bit.

State-of-the-art disk drives allow during the process of data processing to perform data reading/recording only subsequently, always only with one head (with one of group of coactive movable heads), and this so that data reading/recording realizes always on the only one surface of the only one disk in the only one position of the only one track by means of the only one of heads, that is at me moment set into function by controller. Otherwise said, data reading/recording with head on the disk is done subsequently per one bit, by one-bit transfer, onebit way, so that in time of reading/recording of certain data bit on the disk there cannot in the same disk drive run reading/recording of other data bit.

To basic parameters of disk drives belong access time (for example in miliseconds - ms) and baud rate (for example in MB/s, Mb/s).

Access time to searching certain position, sector on the disk, consists for example by ,.hard disk" partly of exposition time, it is time for transposition of head or of groups of heads by actuator to chosen track or to cylinder including activation of the head above chosen track, and then of rotary waiting time, it is waiting, until the track on the disk turns round with given sector to the head. Baud rate indicates, how quickly it is possible to read the data from the disk and to transfer them for example into RAM of the device, or also to the contrary, to transfer data from RAM and record on the disk. The baud rate, for example by data reading, is given above all by the fact, that data are read from sectors in tracks by particular heads subsequently, further it depends on transfer frequency and it is influenced by access time, as well as for example so that before transmission of data into internal memory of the device it must be usually performed their separation and checked up their validity.

Position (address) of all tracks on all disks in disk drive within selected configuration is not changed, it is known in any moment of disk drive running, it is possible for data reading/recording at any time to address the head to necessary track and to expose it by actuator. Relative positions of sectors beginnings in tracks are for example by „hard disks" by accurate method adjustable (by formatting) and specifications (addresses) about data storage in sectors are also available in the device all the time. Factual momentary position of sectors toward heads is however not monitored and for data reading/recording it is first needed to seek this sector by head on appropriate track, which requires certain rotary waiting time.

Parameters of present disk drives are indeed constantly enhanced, but all the same they are often binding for the device power. Especially expressive this limit shows, if demands on cooperation of disk drive for example with processor, operating memory and another parts of device, appear quickly consecutive and further with large demands on data bulk.

It is possible by current construction of disk drives with searching mechanism to shorten the access time very hardly; exposition time (by „hard disk" used to be several miliseconds) practically only by increment of speed of actuator and rotary waiting time (used to be also several miliseconds) by rising speed of the disk.

Higher baud rate (used to be several MB/s) by disk drive and thereby better utilization of the device is used to be reached by rank of methods, for example:

- By rising density of record by advanced construction of heads and actuator.

- By improving methods of organization of data on the disk - for example by more sophisticated formatting and geometry of the disk, coding data on the disk, defragmenting of files.

- At least partly uninterrupted function of computer parts, for example of processor, working memory, adapters of external devices, their sequential cooperation with relatively slow disk drive, is enabled by temporary data storage in buffers, that are used to be component of additional device for example of disk drive adapter.

- By network servers there it is usual, that by data processing some operations of data reading/recording with use of for example magnetic disk drives are multiple accelerated by means of so-called disk arrays created by concurrently running of a number of disk drives (mirroring), which along however brings inadequate growing of proportions, mass and price of the device.

- According to technical possibilities frequency of data transfer rises in the disk drive so as not to very lag behind frequency of processor and operating memory.

- Except partly utilization of optical elements in optical and magnetooptical drives certin experiments are performed with using of optical elements by data transfer in a „hard disk", however by actual method of data processing with sequential reading/recording in the disk drive and by present construction of disk drives such usage of optics is not enough effective.

Slowness of known disk drives hinders rising of power not only by personal computers, but it has its part for example also in inefficiently rapid access to data on servers disks and thereby in long, sometimes vain waiting of users for accomplishment of their demands in computer networks.

Actuator of disk drives requires for its working electric energy, whose consumption is above all by portable computers one of important parameters.

Disk drives (else disk memories too) have however also advantages - they are energy independent and allow to constantly save considerable data bulk at low price. Semiconductor memories, energy dependent and also independent, are still exceedingly quick, hereat multiway associative semiconductor memories allow also to perform data reading/recording by more ways concurrently, but by greater capacities they are exceedingly expensive.

In area between slow and cheap disk memory on the one hand and quick and expensive semiconductor memory on the other hand exists large space.

Limits and also main disadvantages of mentioned present disk drive, where it is important high speed of data reading/recording on the disk, are then partly usage of movable heads with the only one actuator in whole disk drive, with result especially in relatively long access time to data in tracks, and then sequence of data reading/recording in particular tracks on disks in disk drives, which has fundamental effect on baud rate.

Objective of the invention is to create a disk drive for data reading/recording and also methods of its application, by means of which essentially data transfer accelerates along with shortening of access time and with decrement of consumption of electric energy so that most operations of data reading/recording in the disk drive will run concurrently.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention solves mentioned objective so that it creates a disk drive for data reading/recording by various parts of device for data processing, that comprises heads for data reading/recording on the disk, -further it comprises ways for data transfer, which ways connect heads with interface of disk drive and which are elements of ways, connecting disk drive with various parts of device for data processing, whose principle consists in that it comprises at least two heads controllable mutually independently.

According to advantageous embodiment of the invention at least two heads controllable mutually independently are movable mutually independently.

According to next advantageous embodiment of the invention at least one of heads controllable mutually independently is fixed.

According to other advantageous embodiment of the invention a disk drive comprises at least two mutually independent ways or elements of ways for data transfer from/to various parts of a device.

Invention refers also to a device for data processing, comprising ways or elements of ways for data transfer from/to various parts of a device for data processing, whose substance is, that it comprises way or elements of the way for data transfer from/to disk drive, contingently from/to its interface, which disk drive comprises at least two heads controllable mutually independently.

Invention refers also to a device for data processing, comprising disk drive or its component, for example interface, which disk drive comprises at least two heads controllable mutually independently.

Invention refers also to a part of the device for data processing, for example processor, memory, adapter, mainboard or bus, comprising ways or elements of ways for data transfer from/to various parts of a device, whose substance is, that it comprises way or elements of the way for data transfer from/to disk drive, if need be from/to its interface, which disk drive comprises at least two heads controllable mutually independently.

Invention refers also to a part of the device for data processing, comprising disk drive or its component, for example interface, which disk drive comprises at least two heads controllable mutually independently.

Invention further refers to usage of the device for data processing or its parts, including disk drive, according to the invention by data processing and other information processing, namely by data reading/recording.

According to advantageous embodiment of invention the data reading/recording is performed at least by two mutually independently controllable heads in the disk drive concurrently.

According to another advantageous embodiment of invention the data transfer from/to disk drive performs at least by two mutually independent ways concurrently. According to another advantageous embodiment of invention the data reading/recording in the disk drive performs at least by two other parts of device concurrently.

Devices and their parts for data processing by the invention, above all their disk drives with heads mutually independently controllable, are possible as from aspect of construction, number, spatial ordering and electric engagement into ways for data transfer, so from aspect of usage method to be variously combined and resulting embodiments will then in various extent enable to: a) considerably accelerate the data processing by acceleration of data transfer so that:

- in the disk drive access time shortens and most operations of data reading/recording in the disk drive will run concurrently,

- data transfer from/to various parts of a device for data processing will be realized by more ways concurrently, b) decrease self consumption of electric energy and noisiness, c) increase reliability of their running, d) decrease demand of using semiconductor memories, especially with respect to demands for their capacity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In following description there are at large explained some advantageous exemplary embodiments of invention with appeal to enclosed drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates scheme of disk drive according to the invention with two mutually independently movable heads.

FIG. 2 illustrates scheme of disk drive according to the invention with one head movable and with other heads fixed.

FIG. 3 illustrates scheme of disk drive according to the invention with all heads fixed.

FIG. 4 illustrates scheme of the device according to the invention with disk drive.

Proportions of particular parts of disk drives on pictures mismatch supposed reality, namely for example with regard to very small proportions of magnetic heads, and pictures are conformed to wants of plasticity - for example transfer ways are illustrated simplified and tracks on disks are not on pictures illustrated at all.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In FIG. 1, 2 and 3 there are schemes of disk drives, comprising disk mechanics 9a with movable heads 2a, if need be fixed (immovable) heads 2b for data reading/recording on the surface of the disk 1 and electronics 3, that comprises controller and adapter and that serves namely to operating with heads 2a, 2b and actuators 6, 7. For possibility of concurrent data reading/recording by more parts of device in the disk drive, for example by means of multiway (multichannel) bus, comprise these disk drives mutually independent data ways - internal ways 16 and elements of external ways 17, illustrated schematically, namely disk drive in FIG. 1 comprises attachment to two, for example sixteen-bit, data ways 17 and disk drives in FIG. 2 and 3 comprise attachment to twenty-five, for example sixteen-bit, data ways 17. Every of these ways 17 for data transfer can comprise in itself for example partial ways for transfer of other needed information for realization of cycles of data reading/recording, it is for transfer of addresses and of control or additional information, if need be these partial ways can be for example available in one set of ways common for all data ways.

In FIG. 1 there are hereat available two heads 2a controllable mutually independently, which are movable mutually independently, hereat their mutually independent mobility is ensured so that they are fixed to holders 4 and 5, of which every is fixed to one of actuators 6 and 7, that are mutually independent. Heads and pertinent actuators are mutually independently controllable by electronics 3 of disk drive.

Embodiment of disk drive at least with two mutually independently movable heads enables to realize data reading/recording for example in different tracks, but also in one track, it is in different parts of one track all at once. Their usage is possible above all in magnetic disk drives with circular tracks on the disk. In optical or magnetooptical drives with spiral track on the disk they can be also applied, indeed in them apparently by abandonment of principle of ..constant peripheral velocity" or by buffers utilization for particular heads during reading/recording, if concurrently working heads would perform data reading/recording on various radii of the disk. Data reading/recording by multibit mode can be performed for example in parallel spiral tracks and by conservation of „constant peripheral velocity" for example by means of more heads, hereat particular heads or groups of heads could be actuated by one common actuator, or else by several separate actuators, hereat corresponding actuators would move in parallel spiral tracks nearly of the same radius for example synchronously.

In FIG. 2 there are available heads 2a, 2b controllable mutually independently in such ordering, that one head 2a is movable by fixation to movable holder 4 with actuator 6 and it enables data reading/recording in any track of given surface of the disk 1, while the other heads 2b are fixed (immovable) by attachment to holder 8, that is fixed (immovable), i.e. that it is permanent or temporarily, for example only in time of certain rotation speed of the disk 1, stabilized in one, for example adjustable, position at disk surface, insofar that these fixed heads 2b serve to data reading/recording permanent only in determinate circular tracks.

Fixed heads 2b can be evidently disposed only in that space, where the movable head 2a, if need be movable holder 4, do not move.

T is or analogical embodiment with greater number of fixed heads can be with advantage used by magnetic disk drives, above all by „hard disk". It is here advantageous to use fixed heads for data reading recording above all in most often exploited tracks.

In FIG. 3 there are then all heads 2b fixed by attachment to fixed holder 8. All heads 2b are here also mutually independently controllable and serve for data reading/recording permanent in determinate tracks (every head 2b in one track).

As a basic variant of disposition of fixed heads 2b it is suggested the spiral disposition one by one piece above circular tracks of the disk 1, to ensure current density of tracks and thereby also usual total capacity of disk drive, and in such distances among heads 2b, so as not to happen to their functional interaction. In case being above every track disposed more heads 2b, these heads 2b can be disposed for example in parallel spirals with beginning of spiral shifted about such part of circuit of the disk 1, that answers to number of heads 2b per track. This ordering will enable to retain fairly high number of tracks on pertinent functional surface.

Heads 2b can be disposed also in concentric circles over determinate circular tracks, by sufficient miniaturization in number for example several hundreds per one circle, which else by reason of width of heads 2b will limit number of tracks and capacity of disk drive, but on the other side this disposition offers possibility of bold shortening of rotary waiting time.

By exclusive using of fixed heads, it is by absence of actuator, also reliability of disk drive can be boldly increased, which will be advantageous for its setting in extreme conditions. Indispensable effect by this embodiment of disk drive can be also decrement of electric energy consumption.

Mentioned embodiment of invention can be perspective again in „hard disk" drive, for example to creation of highly quick virtual memory with large capacity, especially then by concurrent engagement of higher number of disk drives. Creation of extra accurate track by fixed head will enable to minimize dimensions of heads, but also width and pitch of tracks, it is to increase density of fixed heads and then also of tracks, and thereby to increase capacity of the disk.

Holder 8 of fixed heads 2b can be embodied for example as thin plate or foil, on which heads 2b with electric supplies will be permanent or adjustably fixed. By that way it will be possible to decrease pitch of disks and hereat total height of disk drive, or else it will be possible to place more disks into the same space.

Holder 8 of fixed heads 2b can be made from material, that has equal or cognate thermal expansivity like base material of the disk, to as much as possible reduce possibility of different dilatations of holder and of the disk and thereby also potentiality of errors by data reading/recording by influence of thermal changes. Holder can be for example in order to decrement of thermal deformations formly modified, for example by suitable distribution to segments. However it is possible to correct errors from thermal dilatations also by software.

It is supposed else accurate production of disks, holders and heads, that will enable to retain constant and hereat minimal distance of fixed heads from off the disk surface, but all the same it can be by certain embodiment of disk drive advantageous, for example to retain near contact of heads with the disk surface, to flexible and equally press the holders with heads to the disks surface, for example by foam mass layer.

Holders with fixed heads can be to the surface of disks for example also flexible and equally drawn, for example by depression caused by air streaming in space among disk surface and fixed heads in time of full speed of disks, while in time of decreased speed of disks heads and surfaces of disks will be by reason of depression fall shifted off asunder themselves. This effect can be with advantage sustained by some constructions of disk drive for example by flexibility of holders with heads or by release of disks along rotation axis of disks.

It is supposed that anyhow movable heads, also fixed heads will be by useful choice of friction materials modified for minimization of friction in touch with disk surface, specially by low speed, all the same in mechanics of „hard disk", where precise cleanness of internal space is kept, minimization of friction can be resolved for example so that among disk surface and heads a thin, enough carrying sliding gaseous, liquid or plastic layer will be permanent available. In spite of that it will be obviously advisable to pay increased attention to generation of warm in the disk drive with fixed heads and if need be to ensure intensified (self- or forced) cooling to it, with use of for example cooling ribs.

At least two heads can be individually or within one or more groups of heads mutually independently controllable for example only upon electric aspect (namely fixed heads) or also upon mechanic aspect (movable heads).

For example disk drive can comprise coactive movable group of 8 heads, that can be by one actuator exposed to determinate cylinder with eight tracks and then, particular heads can be electrically mutually independently connected into function so that through various 1-bit ways can run reading/recording of 8 various data files for occasions of processing various processes concurrently, for example contemporarily, and hereat mutually independently.

Data reading/recording can run by particular mutually independently controlled heads concurrently - contemporarily for example by multibit transfer of certain data file, and this for example so that coactive movable group of 8 heads can be by one actuator exposed to given cylinder with eight tracks and data reading/recording by particular electrically mutually independently controlled heads then can run concurrently by 8-bit transfer, 8-bit way. Data reading/recording can at the same time begin by all heads contemporarily, in one moment, or also for example (with buffers utilization) by some heads later, according as the engaged sector turns round to given head.

Or there, for example within coactive movable group of 8 heads, the partial group of 4 heads can transfer - read data from disk into sound card and the second partial group of 4 heads can in one time, concurrently, transfer - record data from network card into disk.

To concurrent multibit data reading/recording on the disk it will be possible to apply also the embodiment of the disk drive, that will comprise for example coactive movable group of heads electrically controllable mutually independently, ordered so that on every auxiliary holder for one surface will be fixed always at least two mutually independently controllable heads, that will be able to perform data reading/recording in corresponding tracks concurrently.

In relation to various potentialities of heads proportions there are in this context offered various methods of advantageous ordering of movable heads. For example heads can be disposed on one holder with shift so that their radial distance will comport with adjacent tracks, or they can be disposed just abreast - then their radial distance (with regard to axis of the disk) will answer for example to 100 tracks. They can be also ordered so that several heads, each with mutually independent control, will be conjoined into one miniaturized compact aggregate on one holder. Mutually independently controllable heads can be on one holder ordered also consecutive so that they will allow data reading/recording concurrently in one track.

Other embodiment of disk drive by the invention can comprise for example greater number of mutually independently movable groups for example of 8 heads, so that every group of heads can be exposed concurrently, in equal time, to another or also to the same cylinder, hereat particular heads within given group can be controlled subsequently or concurrently, for example contemporarily.

Another embodiment of disk drive by the invention, for example with 4 disks, can comprise for example one coactive movable group of 8 electrically mutually independently controllable heads, hereat this group can provide data reading/recording in all tracks on every surface of every disk with that particular heads in this group will operate subsequently or concurrently, and further disk drive will comprise for example 8000 fixed heads disposed by 1000 pieces per each surface of each disk, hereat each head will ensure data reading/recording in other determinate track with that these fixed heads can be interconnected into groups for example of 16 pieces, which groups can transfer data for example concurrently or subsequently.

Also by combination of attachment of movable and fixed heads it can be created a multibit channel (way) for data reading/recording.

Particular heads or groups of heads can be, permanent or temporarily - dynamically, connected also for example so that they will be a component of a number of transfer ways for example in cases, when it will be necessary to transfer data on common parts of ways from/to various parts of a device contemporarily.

Device for data processing according to the invention, for example computer, can comprise for example additional device for monitoring of absolute position of sectors in tracks, it is of roll angle or distance toward some determinate position in the disk drive. This additional device can be comprised for example fully or partially directly in the disk drive. To mentioned purpose of following sectors position monitoring it would be possible to use also for example at least one of heads, movable or fixed. If speed of the disk does not change or it only reasonably varies, it is possible for example to monitor passing of the beginning of check sector by every turn or only at certain time interval and from this to deduce position of all other sectors in following period until further check. If disk speed changes, then monitoring of disk speed and sectors position is more demanding and it will require for example more check positions. To monitoring of speed and angle of disk roll it is possible to use also separate sensor in the disk drive and heads then remain available for data reading/recording. Sector address can be so widen for example by parameter of momentary position toward determinate standing position of disk drive, for example toward some head in determinate track.

Knowledge of accurate position of sectors or accurate prediction of this position has meaning especially in that it is other of potentialities, how effectively use multiple number of heads in the track, for example: a) To shortening of the rotary waiting time; in case of demand of sector searching there is analyzed distance of sector from particular movable heads or from fixed heads in given track and after pertinent analyze of another possible criteria, for example of urgency of embodiment of other operations, it is possible to address the head for data reading/recording, that has the optimal position toward searched sector. b) To optimal timing of beginning of operation of data reading/recording is enough to begin data reading/recording till near before or at the moment by sector turn to determinate head. Data can be sent into determinate additional device directly without necessity of larger exploitation of buffers and it is possible to exploit the rotary waiting time for more urgent operations of disk drive or other parts of a device in the meantime.

With a view to maximal utilization of method and of device in compliance with the invention it can be in determinate conditions advantageous to perform data reading/recording with using of buffers for example for every concurrently controlled head or group of heads. Under the very same purpose there is supposed, that utilization of buffers, above all their number, size and assignment to particular heads or groups of heads, can be operatively in accordance with requirement (dynamically) complied to requests on data reading/recording, especially to bulk and importance of data, if need be complied also to possibilities of data reading/recording by particular heads or groups of heads, namely to ordering of heads over tracks and to heads mobility. For example for increment of data transfer fluency, two and also more buffers can be dynamically assigned to one head, every for storage for example of parts of other data file by their sequential reading/recording by head in the track.

To creation of mutually independent ways for data reading/recording by mutually independently controllable heads in disk drive there are by the invention offered many potentialities for example by combining the mutually independent ways inside of disk drive and the mutually independent ways within bus on mainboard of the device.

From viewpoint of position toward disk drive it is possible by the invention to term these ways (channels), connecting particular heads with interface inside of disk drive, as internal ways 16 and ways, connecting input/output circuit (interface) of disk drive with input/output circuits (interfaces) of various parts of a device, as external ways 17, 18.

It is possible to optimize the number and width of these mutually independent ways by the invention, their separation to data, address or control ways or their combinations, as well as assigning of ways to particular heads, and on the other side it is possible to optimize the assigning of these ways to connected parts of the device, for example in accordance with supposed using to capacity for transfer of data - information, hereat ways can be created fast, without any or at least without operative potentiality of change, or they can be dynamically created and by controller assigned in accordance with actual requirement.

Particular components of disk drive in compliance with the invention, i.e. heads, controller and interface (adapter), can for data reading/recording in the same disk drive create for example several mutually independent internal ways connecting interface with heads, engaged into function by controller for example concurrently, hereat every of these ways can comprise also more heads, engaged concurrently into function by controller, and these internal ways can be within the device interconnected by interface with external ways for data reading/recording it is with ways, by that disk drive connects with input/output electronic circuits, interfaces other parts of a device.

If there has some part of the device, for example processor, semiconductor RAM memory or adapter of disk drive, to perform data reading/recording for example in two disk drives according to the invention, for example by means of at least two mutually independent ways concurrently, then there could be every disk drive connected for example by complete way for data reading/recording, it is by way, that will serve to transfer of data, addresses and control or additional information. With regard to, that however it is only hardly possible to use capacity of all kinds of ways by transfer of necessary information equally, the economic ordering of ways can appear as suitable, for example by form of bus, and this for example such, that data part of bus, mostly used to capacity, will comprise at least two mutually independent ways for data transfer (data ways), hereat to one disk drive will be connected at least one way and to the second disk drive at least the second way. If at the same time there will not addresses, if need be other information, be transferred directly by the help of these data ways (alternately with data transfer), then both disk drives can alternately share one common address part of bus (address way), because it is used to be from time aspect essentially fewer used to capacity than data part of bus, and from the same reason also only one set of channels can be sufficient for transfer of control and additional information (common control part of bus). Number of channels of address and control parts of bus can be however increased, as far as if their transmissivity would not suffice to transmissivity of multichannel data part of bus.

Device by the invention, for example computer, can have available for example the disk drive with controller, with interface and with mechanics equipped by 6400 mutually independently controllable heads, which components of disk drive create mutually independent channels (ways) for connection with other computer parts, for example 100 internal channels (ways) 64-bit for data transfer, 20 internal channels 32-bit for transfer of addresses and 50 internal channels control and additional, and also the bus embodiment in computer can be same, it is the data bus part will comprise 100 channels 64-bit, address bus part 20 channels 32-bit and control bus part 50 channels control and additional, hereat all mutually independent channels of given kind can transfer data, if need be addresses or other information, concurrently.

Parts of a device, for example mainboard, processor, semiconductor memory or adapter of external device, for example adapter of disk drive, (or also group of such parts of a device), can be for example equipped with connectors and especially modified input/output circuits for concurrent connection with disk drive in compliance with the invention by means of particular or multiple mutually independent ways (oneway or multiway connection) for example for data transfer, if need be for transfer of addresses or other kinds of information.

These ways (channels), for example for data transfer, leading from disk drive, can be for example all available to all multiway (multichannel) parts of devices, for example by system of multiway (multichannel) bus with shared control, hereat ways will be to these computers parts individually, in groups or all at once, assigned stably or dynamically by momentary need in sequence for example in accordance with importance of part of a device or according to importance of data.

To conducting of corresponding signals, it is to data transfer, inside and outside of disk drive or of whole device by the invention it is possible to apply various means, for example wire conductors or also wireless technologies.

A part of the device, for example mainboard or adapter of external device, can by the invention comprise disk drive or its component, for example adapter (interface) and controller. Mechanics of disk drive then can be for example free connected by cable. Device in compliance with the invention can be engineered for example so that its various parts will be freely connectable, for example by insertion into slots on bus, or they can in the device create a compact unit.

Device in sense of invention is understood also as the arrangement of particular devices, for example computers, connected for example by mutually independent ways to disk drive according to the invention, especially in such case, when these ways and their attachment were for given effect modified or installed. In compliance with the invention then for example not only alone server or some workstation, but by their medium also whole attached computer network can have attached to usage for purposes of data reading/recording in connection with data processing in the network for example one disk drive with more heads mutually independently controllable, which disk drive can be by server or by workstation assigned for example whole under administration of one processor or any of its channels, hereat this processor or channel can give instructions for reading/recording of various files in the disk drive for example by more ways concurrently or subsequently. This device for operation in the network in compliance with the invention can be for example designed also so that one disk drive by the invention can be exploited concurrently by a number of processor channels or of a number of processors, for example of array of processors (for example neural network), that can operate separately, mutually independently or as component of adapter of external device, or the disk drive can be exploited for example by a number of devices concurrently. At the same time every mentioned computer or its part, for example processor or processor channel, memory or adapter, can be with this disk drive connected by one or more ways.

In FIG. 4 there is scheme of the device, which comprises disk drive 9, that comprises, for possibility of concurrent data reading/recording, eleven mutually independent internal ways 16 for data transfer, that are all used to connection with the other parts 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 of the device by the medium of adapter 9b by means of mutually independent external ways 17. From it processor 10 is connected with three ways, semiconductor RAM memory 11 is connected also with three ways and what applies to adapters, then graphics card 12 is connected with two ways and the other, it is sound card 13, printer adapter 14 and network card 15, are connected always with one way.

Device by the invention, except other parts 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, can comprise for example adapter 9b of disk drive 9 with more heads 2a, 2b controllable mutually independently and disk mechanics 9a with heads controllable mutually independently will be connectable to device as an external one.

Multichannel bus, serving especially for data transfer among particular multichannel parts of device, for example among parts 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, can be for possibility of full power utilization of parts created for example by higher number of separate, mutually independent multibit buses, ways 18, connecting input/output circuits, interfaces of these device parts among them, in FIG. 4 it is created by three ways 18, which can be for example separately or all at once dynamically assigned in determinate sequence to three-channel parts 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 of the device. Hereat every of these ways 18 can comprise for example partial ways - partial buses - for transfer of data, addresses and control or additional information.

Disk drive 9 can be connected for example with some mutually independent ways 17 directly to particular buses, ways 18.

Space on disks of disk drive in compliance with the invention can be for example segmented to areas assigned to single processors or there can be all areas available to all the processors, hereat the sequence of assignment of areas to processors separately or by groups will be for example possible to be dynamically controlled in accordance with selected criteria. In this case data reading/recording in the disk drive can pass almost independently by particular processors in assigned areas according to scope of heads, hereat reading/recording operations from particular processors can from time aspect variously blend together. Device by the invention can also comprise for example more disk drives according to the invention, hereat particular parts of files can be for example directly by central processor read/recorded by mutually independent ways by the help of either of mutually independently controllable heads or groups of heads for example in either of disk drives or the parts of files can be transferred for example among particular disk drives in compliance with the invention mutually.

If in some places of transfer ways according to the invention also despite increased number of channels the baud rate should come to be insufficient, it is possible to increase it also by higher transfer frequency.

By using of electric stream and elements for its conducting in the disk drive and in the device in compliance with the invention at all, for example some great number of metal conductors applied for creation of needful number of ways for data reading/recording in the disk drive can cause problems with their placement into delimited space of disk drives, if need be of computers and multimedia devices. Therefore it can be here very advisable to use at least partly for transfer of data and other information inside and outside of disk drive and parts of a device, as well as for connection of all devices among them, the light radiance and optoelectronic elements, for example optical cables, with which also reliability of data transfer further increases and establishment of the higher frequency simplifies implementation, if need be of larger width of data transfer.

Various orderings and engagements of heads in the disk drive into ways for data transfer and their sequential or concurrent usage by the invention can have generally following very different effect on baud rate:

- Greater number of mutually independently controllable heads in the disk drive by the invention enables to perform data reading/recording by all such heads or groups of heads, movable or fixed, concurrently, which has boldest effect on increment of baud rate.

- Using of more mutually independently movable heads or groups of heads has utility also for example in shortening of actuating time, it is of time for location of needed track, namely so that there is exposed the head, that is next of given track.

- Using of fixed heads in the disk drive for sequential and also concurrent data reading/recording in circular tracks has meaning firstly in that actuating time reduces only to head activation, it is to electric attachment of the head and to run of instruction in electronic circuits.

- Using of greater number of heads, movable or fixed, that allow sequential or concurrent data reading/recording in the same track, has utility in potentiality of shortening of rotary waiting time, that answers turn of the disk with needed sector to next head, it is by pitch of heads on circle over track. By movable heads there can be in that case advantageous to actuate these heads or groups of heads contemporarily. So for example by placing of hundred fixed heads over track average rotary waiting time can shorten even hundredfold, thus instead of several milliseconds it will take several tens of microseconds.

- Access time shortens with increasing number of fixed heads per track. It is however necessary to remember that by reason of width of heads it is not possible by heads disposition in circles to create high number of tracks, which limits total capacity of disk drive. As far as however there will yet be needful to ensure sufficient capacity of disk drive, there can be used combination for example according to style FIG. 2, it is co-operation of fixed and movable heads, hereat movable heads will operate also on these tracks, that will be out of scope of fixed heads, or else a part of the disk can be settled by fixed heads in circles and a part by heads in spirals.

- Heads controlled concurrently allow to reach high baud rate. In case of using fixed heads the baud rates from/to disk drive can even manifold overreach parameters of present semiconductor memories. - For the sake of acceleration of data transfer by concurrent data reading/recording there can be by utilization of invention, above all by more fixed heads per track, used other organization of data on the disk, for example instead of actual tendency for files defragmenting there could be much preferable on the contrary certain form of files fragmenting, for example to so many parts, how many mutually independently controllable heads are in the disk drive - particular parts of file are then possible to be read or recorded practically contemporarily, during fraction of original time.

To perform data reading/recording in the disk drive concurrently in compliance with the invention means for example, that at the same time, when it is performed the exposition of movable heads 2a to determinate track or it lasts the rotation of the disk 1 with given sector to the head 2a (rotary waiting time lasts) or it runs reading/recording of determinate data parts in the track under head 2a or it runs data transfer between processor 10 and disk drive 9 through buffer by means of one way 16, 17, 18 (one channel), for example 16-bit, there can be performed the electric attachment (activation) of fixed head 2b (the actuating in sense of movement of mechanical arms by fixed head 2b falls off), situated over the same or other track, or there can last the rotation of the disk 1 by needed sector to the head 2b (rotary waiting time lasts) or there can run reading/recording of further chosen part of data in the track under head 2b or there can run data transfer between semiconductor RAM memory 11 and the same disk drive 9 through other buffer by means of the second way 16, 17, 18 (second channel), for example 16-bit.

From character of invention by exemplary embodiments there follows, that mentioned embodiments of the device in compliance with the invention, for example device, comprising „hard disk" with more mutually independently movable heads or with fixed heads, will be advisably available also by data processing, by which data reading/recording performs by particular heads subsequently, through only one way anyhow in present computers, comprising „hard disk" with coactively movable heads. Also in these occasions namely the especially shortening of rotary waiting time can mean important acceleration of work with device.

From character of invention also follows, that device will be advantageously utilizable by data processing also in these occasions, when this device will comprise only parts, for example processor and semiconductor memory or adapter of external device, comprising for example two mutually independent ways for possibility of concurrent data transfer from/to disk drive, comprising at least two mutually independent heads, and hereat this device would comprise only current disk drive. Appropriate free ways can be namely used for example to attachment of greater number of current disk drives or they can be used for example to more operative mutual cooperation of other parts of a device, namely by utilization of transfer capacity of these ways.

Pursuant to mentioned examples it is possible for various powers and intentions of usage to complete within of invention a number of another combinations of heads ordering, disk drives, parts of a device and devices as complexes, including their connection by ways especially for data transfer, to creation of namely computers or multimedia devices, for example disk players or TV-sets with disk memory, as well as their networks and other arrangements.

INDUSTRIAL EXPLOITATION OF THE INVENTION

Disk drives and devices with disk drives by the invention will be possible to be with advantage most exploited above all by production of computing technique and by its usage to complicated calculations or in applications (databases) with many concurrent operations, especially to contemporary work of more participants, for example in computer networks. Alike the devices according to the invention will be able to serve to development of multimedia devices and of potentialities of their exploitation, namely to multiple concurrent access to disk with saved data. As Another perspective branch for utilization of the device by the invention appear to be telecommunications including television.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. Disk drive for data reading/recording by particular parts of device for data processing, that comprises heads for data reading/recording on the disk, further it comprises ways for data transfer, which ways connect heads with interface of disk drive and which are elements of ways, connecting disk drive with particular parts of device for data processing, characterized by that it comprises at least two heads (2a, 2b) controllable mutually independently.

2. Disk drive of claim 1, characterized by that at least two heads (2a, 2b) controllable mutually independently are movable mutually independently.

3. Disk drive of claims 1 or 2, characterized by that at least one of heads (2a, 2b) controllable mutually independently is fixed.

4. Disk drive of claims 1 through 3, characterized by that it comprises at least two mutually independent ways (16, 17, 18) or elements of ways (16, 17, 18) for data transfer from/to particular parts (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) of the device.

5. Device for data processing, comprising ways or elements of ways for data transfer from/to particular parts of a device for data processing, characterized by that it comprises way (16, 17, 18) or elements of the way (16, 17, 18) for data transfer from/to disk drive (9), if need be from/to its interface (9b), which disk drive (9) comprises at least two heads (2a, 2b) controllable mutually independently.

6. Device for data processing, characterized by that it comprises disk drive (9) or its component, for example interface (9b), which disk drive (9) comprises at least two heads (2a, 2b) controllable mutually independently.

7. The part of the device for data processing, for example processor, memory, adapter, mainboard or bus, comprising ways or elements of ways for data transfer from/to particular parts of a device, characterized by that it comprises way (16, 17, 18) or elements of the way (16, 17, 18) for data transfer from/to disk drive (9), if need be from/to its interface (9b), which disk drive (9) comprises at least two heads (2a, 2b) controllable mutually independently.

8. The part of the device for data processing, characterized by that it comprises disk drive (9) or its component, for example interface (9b), which disk drive (9) comprises at least two heads (2a, 2b) controllable mutually independently.

9. Usage of the device for data processing or its parts, including disk drive, as set forth in any one of claims 1 through 8 by data processing and other information, especially by data reading/recording.

10. Usage as set forth in claim 9, by that data reading/recording performs at least by two mutually independently controllable heads (2a, 2b) in the disk drive (9) concurrently.

11. Usage as set forth in claims 9 or 10, by that data transfer fromto disk drive (9) performs at least by two mutually independent ways (16, 17, 18) concurrently.

12. Usage as set forth in any one of claims 9 through 11, by that data reading/recording in the disk drive (9) performs at least by two parts (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) of the device concurrently.