Patent ID: 7589928

Claim:
A system comprising: a magnetic device comprising a main pole for writing to a magnetic medium and a read element for reading from the magnetic medium; a thermal sensor spaced from the main pole and separate from the read sensor, disposed adjacent to the magnetic device and at or near a medium confronting surface proximate the magnetic medium, wherein the sensor generates signals related to thermal variations caused by changes in a distance between the magnetic device and the magnetic medium, wherein a resistance of the sensor increases in response to the thermal variations, and wherein the increase in resistance is measured by passing a sense current through the sensor; a heating element for heating the sensor to vary a sensitivity of the sensor to the thermal variations; wherein the sense current passes through the sensor and the heating element in series or in parallel; an actuator separate from the sensor for varying the distance between the magnetic device and the magnetic medium; and a controller that controls the actuator to control the distance between the magnetic device and the magnetic medium in response to the sensor signals.