To provide a method and a device for accurately measuring distance between a head and a recording medium in a relatively simple structure.
The method for measuring distance includes: applying two inverse AC voltages in inverse proportion to the area of an air-bearing surface 133 of a magnetic head, to two electrodes of a read element 132, the magnetic head being structured so that first and second shields 134 and 135 sandwiching the read element 132 are connected to the two electrodes of the read element 132; calculating, for complex impedance between the two electrodes of the read element 132, values of parallel capacitance of a parallel circuit composed of a resistor and a capacity by use of a calculation circuit, when the magnetic head 13 is separated from a reference surface and when the magnetic head 13 approaches the reference surface; and calculating the distance between the air-bearing surface 133 of the magnetic head and the reference surface based on the values of the two parallel capacitances calculated by the calculation circuit.
ABE TAKAYUKI
WAKANA SHINICHI
