Patent ID: 6378051
Filing Date: 2002-04-23
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
An apparatus for arbitrating requests for access to a single buffer memory embedded within a disk drive including a disk storing data regions and servo regions, the requests presented by client channels including a disk data channel, a host interface data channel, and a microprocessor channel, the servo regions providing disk drive head servo information for a head positioning program executed by a microprocessor, the apparatus comprising:a buffer manager arranging the disk data channel, the host interface data channel, and the microprocessor channel into a round-robin circular priority queue, assigning the disk data channel a highest priority for buffer access requests in the queue, and conducting an arbitration cycle by progressively servicing buffer access requests pending within the queue, beginning with providing buffer access to the disk data channel; a data transducer head sensing a disk servo region; a head position servo coupled to the data transducer head asserting a servo interrupt signal to at least one of the buffer manager and the microprocessor in response to the sensing of the servo region; and the buffer manager assigning the highest priority to servicing the microprocessor channel buffer access requests while the servo interrupt signal is asserted, thereby rapidly clearing the microprocessor channel access requests and expediting execution of the head positioning program.