Importance

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Abstract

A wear indicator is incorporated on the slider of a magnetic transducer in a magnetic storage system for in operation on-the-fly detection of the state of wear of the transducer. The wear indicator involves monitoring a change in an electrical property of an electrical circuit structure as the transducer is worn by abrasion against the magnetic disk medium. In one aspect of the present invention, the resistance (or conductance) of the circuit is monitored during disk drive operations. Part of the resistance (conductance) circuit structure is mounted on the slider and it is physically worn along with the wearing of the transducer. A predetermined change in resistance (or conductance) gives an indication of the predetermined wear limit at which the transducer should be replaced prior to its actual failure. In a specific embodiment, the circuit is configured such that an open circuit (infinite resistance or zero conductance) indicates that the wear limit has been reached. In another aspect of the present invention, the capacitance between a probe mounted on the slider and the magnetic disk is monitored during disk drive operations. The capacitance of the circuit changes as the transducer wears. A predetermined change in the capacitance give an indication of the wear limit at which the transducer should be replaced prior to its complete failure.

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First Claim