US Patent 10152105 Common controller operating multiple storage drives

A mass data storage system includes a number of communicatively coupled storage drives powered by one or more power supplies. A common controller selectively connects power and a data signal to a desired storage drive via instructions within a control signal received by the common controller. The common controller includes switches that selectively connect power to a voice coil motor and a spindle motor of the desired storage drive. The common controller further includes a switch that controls the preamp of the desired storage drive and a switch that controls the flow of data to and from the desired storage drive.