JPH0449569A - Floppy disk driving device with oscillation stop function - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the power consumption by forcibly stopping the operation of an oscillating circuit incorporated in a floppy disk driving device in the holding state. CONSTITUTION:A three-state buffer 11 included in a stop circuit 10 has the output level set to the high impedance state in response to some instruction included in a control signal to practically electrically separate an oscillating circuit 4 from the stop circuit 10. As the result, the oscillating circuit 4 starts oscillation to output a clock signal. In the holding state in which the control signal is not inputted, the three-state buffer 11 has the output level fixed through a buffer 12, and consequently, the input level of an inverter 9 is fixed. As the result, the period operation of the inverter 9 is suppressed to forcibly stop the oscillation.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a floppy disk drive, and more particularly to a technique for reducing power consumption in a standby state.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, floppy disks have been widely used as external recording media for computers. Recording, reproducing, and erasing of information on a floppy disk is performed by a floppy disk drive device that is built in or externally attached to a host device such as a computer.

A conventional drive device drives a floppy disk in response to a control signal sent from a host device, and records, reproduces, and erases information in accordance with predetermined timing. An oscillation circuit is generally provided to output a clock signal for regulating this predetermined timing.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

Generally, a floppy disk drive is not always in operation, but records, reproduces, and erases information at any time in accordance with commands from a host device. However, in the past, even when the drive device is in a standby state, the oscillation circuit for outputting a clock signal is always in an oscillating state, which has caused a problem in that power consumption increases accordingly. In particular, as information processing devices become smaller and smaller, it is necessary to reduce power consumption in a standby state as much as possible in floppy disk drives that receive power from built-in batteries or the like rather than from commercial power sources. Among all circuit components, oscillation circuits have a particularly large problem of power consumption. In addition, the memory capacity of host devices such as computers is increasing, and the frequency with which external floppy disk drives are operated tends to decrease. Therefore, the need to keep the floppy disk drive in a standby state by constantly operating the oscillation circuit is decreasing.

[Means for solving problems]

In view of the above-mentioned problems of the conventional technology, it is an object of the present invention to provide a small floppy disk drive having a structure capable of reducing power consumption in a standby state.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object of the present invention, the floppy disk drive device is equipped with a stop circuit for forcibly stopping the oscillation of the oscillation circuit when no control signal is sent from the host device. This stop circuit releases the stop state of the oscillation circuit in response to any one of a device use command, a specific device selection command, or a device activation command included in the control signal. The oscillation circuit is provided to output a clock signal that controls at least one of the erasing timing for the floppy disk, the operation timing of the head drive source, or the steady state detection timing of the floppy disk drive source.

[For production]

According to the present invention, the operation of the oscillation circuit built into the floppy disk drive is forcibly stopped in the standby state. The forced stop is released in response to an operation command from a host device, and a lock signal is output as required for timing control.

〔Example〕

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the overall circuit configuration of a floppy disk drive according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, a floppy disk drive device 1 is connected to a host device 2 such as a personal computer. The host device 2 sends a control signal and a write signal to the floppy disk drive device 1, and receives a ready signal from the device 1.

The floppy disk drive 1 has a built-in controller 3. The controller 3 includes an oscillation circuit 4 for outputting a clock signal. In this embodiment, the oscillation circuit 4 uses a crystal resonator 5 as an oscillation source. A load resistor 6 and a pair of load capacitors 7 and 8 are connected to both ends of the crystal resonator 5. Furthermore, inverter 9
are connected in parallel and feedback is applied to sustain the vibration of the crystal resonator 5. As a result, a clock signal having a frequency corresponding to the natural frequency of the crystal resonator is output to the output terminal of the inverter 9. In this embodiment, a crystal oscillation circuit is used, but the invention is not limited to this.

A stop circuit 10 is connected to the oscillation circuit 4.

The stop circuit 10 is composed of a three-state buffer 11 and a buffer 12. Three-state buffer I
The output level of I is controlled by a control signal.

The controller 3 further includes an erase timing generation circuit 1.
3. It is equipped with a phase output timing generation circuit 14 and a ready signal generation circuit 15. The erase timing generating circuit 13 receives a write signal and regulates so-called tunnel erase timing in response to a clock signal. Further, the phase output timing generation circuit 14 regulates the operation timing of the head drive source in response to the clock signal. Furthermore, the ready signal generation circuit 15 controls the steady state detection timing of the floppy disk drive source and sends the ready signal to the host device 2.
Send to. In this embodiment, a single oscillation circuit 4 is used to control three timing generation circuits 13 to I5. However, it is not limited to this,
An oscillation circuit may be built in or added to each timing generation circuit. Needless to say, even in this case, the oscillation circuit is configured to be forcibly stopped by the stop circuit.

The floppy disk drive 1 further includes, as mechanical components, a magnetic head 16, a step motor 17 for moving the magnetic head 16 in steps, and a spindle motor 18 for rotating the floppy disk. The magnetic head 16 is connected to the erase timing generation circuit 13 via a recording and reproducing IC 19. The step motor 17 is a step motor control buffer IC20
It is connected to the phase output timing generation circuit 14 via.

The spindle motor 18 is connected to the ready signal generation circuit 15 and sends an index signal. In addition, the spindle motor 18 has a spindle motor control buffer IC 25.
is also connected. This buffer IC 25 is configured to accept a motor-on signal included in a control signal sent from the host device 2.

Next, the operation of the above-mentioned floppy disk drive will be explained in detail with reference to FIG. Generally, the control signal sent from the host device 2 includes a device use command, a specific device selection command, a device activation command, and the like. The device use command, also called an in-use command, instructs the use of a floppy disk drive. The specific device selection command is also called a drive select command, and has the function of selecting a specific one from among the floppy disk drives connected in parallel. The device start command is also called a motor-on command and instructs the spindle motor 18 to start rotating. Three-state buffer 1 included in stop circuit 10
1 changes its output level to a high impedance state in response to any command included in the control signal, thereby electrically isolating the oscillation circuit 4 from the stop circuit 10. As a result, the oscillation circuit 4 starts oscillating and outputs a clock signal. Conversely, when no control signal is input, the output level of three-state buffer 11 is fixed via buffer 12, and therefore the input level of inverter 9 is fixed. As a result, the feedback operation of inverter 9 is suppressed and oscillation is forcibly stopped. In this embodiment, the stop circuit IO is composed of a three-state buffer, but is not necessarily limited to this, and a switch circuit controlled by a control signal can be used.

By outputting the clock signal, the floppy disk drive is placed in a movable state. In this state, the spindle motor control buffer IC 25 outputs a drive signal to rotate the spindle motor 18 in response to a motor-on command included in the control signal. Spindle motor 18
inputs an index signal to the ready signal generation circuit I5 intermittently according to its rotation angle. Ready signal generation circuit 1
5 measures the interval between index signals based on the clock signal, and sends a ready signal to the host device 2 when it is confirmed that the rotational speed of the spindle motor 18 has reached a steady state. That is, the ready signal generation circuit 15 detects the steady state of the spindle motor 18, which is the floppy disk drive source.

When the host device 2 receives the ready signal, it sends out a write signal for recording information, for example. When this information recording is performed over a track on a floppy disk on which information has already been written, it is necessary to perform a so-called tunnel erase to erase unnecessary portions at the same time as recording the information. This tunnel erase must be performed after a predetermined delay time has elapsed since information was written. For this reason, the erase timing generating circuit 13 accepts the write signal and regulates the channel erase timing by a predetermined delay time (ΔIIJL) based on the clock signal. According to this timing, the magnetic head 16 re-records information and erases unnecessary portions.

During the information recording operation, the magnetic head 16 is driven by the step motor 17.
The data is intermittently transferred across the tracks of the floppy disk. In order to regulate this intermittent transfer timing, the phase output timing generation circuit 14 controls the step motor control buffer IC 20 based on the clock signal.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing the mechanical configuration of the floppy disk drive. As shown in the figure, the floppy disk drive device 1 includes a spindle motor 18 for mounting and rotating a floppy disk 21, and a magnetic head 16 for recording, reproducing, and erasing information on the surface of the rotating floppy disk 21. ing. magnetic head 16
is mounted on a helad carriage 22 and can be moved in the radial direction of the floppy disk 21. The head carriage 22 is slidably supported by a guide rod 23 and is moved in steps by a lead screw 24 connected to the rotating shaft of a step motor 17.

In the standby state, all movable parts are in a stationary state, and the operation of the oscillation circuit built into the controller is forcibly stopped as described above.

To record, reproduce, or erase information, the floppy disk 21 is first mounted on the spindle motor 18.

In this state, when a control signal is sent from a host device (not shown), the spindle motor 18 starts rotating in accordance with a motor-on command. In the rotation start-up state, the spindle motor 18 outputs an index signal at every predetermined rotation angle. At this time, the oscillation circuit built into the controller is stopped from operating in response to the motor-on command and is oscillating. The interval between index signals is measured based on the clock signal output from the oscillation circuit, and when the interval becomes constant, a ready signal is sent to the host device.

In response to the ready signal, the host device sends a write signal to the floppy disk drive to drive the magnetic head 16 to write information. The magnetic head 1G includes a writing electromagnet and an erasing electromagnet. In addition to writing, timing control of the erase delay time is performed to perform so-called tunnel erase. This delay time timing is measured based on a clock signal. In addition, the magnetic head 16 is moved in steps by a step motor 17 and a lead screw 24 to search for tracks, and the interval between these steps is also controlled by a clock signal.

Finally, FIG. 3 shows a laptop-type word processor incorporated in a floppy disk drive according to the present invention. This word processor consists of a host device 2, such as a personal computer, and a floppy disk drive 1 built into the host device. This laptop-style word processor is powered by an internal battery rather than a commercial power source. floppy disk 21
is used whenever necessary, and the floppy disk drive device 1 is normally placed in a standby state. Since the oscillation circuit is forcibly stopped in this standby state, power consumption can be significantly reduced. Therefore, the capacity of the battery built into the word processor is not wasted.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, power consumption is reduced by forcibly stopping the operation of the oscillation circuit built into the floppy disk drive in the standby state. Therefore, it is possible to extend the battery power life of a laptop-type personal computer or word processor, for example, which has a built-in floppy disk drive.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a floppy disk drive, Figure 2 is a schematic plan view showing the mechanical configuration of the floppy disk drive, and Figure 3 is a built-in floppy disk drive. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a laptop-type word processor. ]・Floppy disk drive device 1 ′ ( 2... Host device 3... Controller 4
...Oscillation circuit 5...Crystal resonator 9...
・Inverter IO...stop circuit 11...
three state buffer

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In a floppy disk drive device that drives a floppy disk in response to a control signal sent from a host device and performs recording, playback, and erasing of information in accordance with a predetermined timing, the clock signal is output and the predetermined timing is set. 1. A floppy disk drive device comprising: an oscillation circuit for controlling the control signal; and a stop circuit for forcibly stopping the oscillation of the oscillation circuit when the control signal is not sent. 2. Claim characterized in that the stop circuit releases the stop state of the oscillation circuit in response to any one of a device use command, a specific device selection command, or a device activation command included in the control signal. 1. The floppy disk drive device according to 1. 3. The oscillation circuit is provided to output a clock signal that governs at least one of the timing of erasing the floppy disk, the operation timing of the head drive source, or the steady state detection timing of the floppy disk drive source. The floppy disk drive device according to claim 1, characterized in that: