CURRENT CONTROL LOOP CALIBRATION USING INTEGRATOR

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To check through integration a bias calibration level for a current control loop of a drive motor on a tape drive. SOLUTION: The tape drive includes a current controller having a request signal, a bias signal, a feedback signal and others as inputs. The current controller incorporates an integrator connected to its output. The method includes a step for setting the request signal to a zero current level, a step for setting the bias level to a level that substantially prevents the integrator from driving itself high, a step for stepping down the bias signal to form a stepped down bias signal, a step for measuring a sense parameter at the output of the current controller, a step for determining whether the sense parameter is high for the stepped down bias signal, and a step for setting the bias calibration level to a level sufficiently above the stepped down bias signal such that the integrator is not driven high when the request signal is set to a zero current level. COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI