Abstract: Systems and methods of monitoring logical block address (LBA) activity are disclosed. In an embodiment, a pattern of a data storage device may be monitored. An LBA may be detected that is accessed based on the pattern. The LBA may be added to a list of LBAs stored in a memory.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for actively protecting a device from damage due to an impact or other acceleration condition. An active protection system is provided with a sensor which outputs an acceleration signal in relation to an acceleration state of the device. A circuit processes the acceleration signal in relation to a configuration control input indicative of an operational environment in which the device is operated, and a protection mechanism configures the device in relation to the processed acceleration signal. A configuration control module preferably supplies the configuration control input as a user selectable or host input. Preferably, protection mechanism places the device in a protective state to protect against damage due to an imminent impact, such as from a free fall condition. The processing preferably comprises adaptive filtering of the acceleration signal and the application of one or more thresholds to detect said imminent impact.

Abstract: A method and system for managing the transfer of data into and out of a buffer in a disc drive is disclosed. The operation of the vectored buffer management (VBM) system is administered by a software-based control module. The control module creates and maintains a buffer table by dividing the buffer table into buffer sectors. The buffer sectors are further arranged into buffer segments, or circularly linked lists upon which the buffer table is partitioned. The control module effectuates the transfer by implementing an application module across the buffer table. Once the application module is arbitrarily positioned at an index sector by the control module, data transfer is accomplished when the application module walks through a particular buffer segment identified by the index sector. Specific control of the application module across a buffer segment is administered through host and disc address pointers, which are coupled to host and disc next pointers, respectively.

Abstract: Herein is disclosed a method and apparatus for optimizing a disc drive for audio-visual data storage and retrieval by responding to a certain read-time error in a manner that preserves data flow. In response to a read-time error in which a synchronization field associated with a given sector on a disc is undetected, the disc drive responds by transferring a fill pattern of bits or a return status to the host microprocessor so as to indicate the error, and allow the disc drive to continue attempting to seek subsequent synchronization fields. The fill pattern of bits may be chosen so as to minimize the negative impact of processing the unread data by down-stream audio-visual equipment. The aforementioned behavior is a departure from the traditional sequential paradigm of a conventional disc drive. The new behavior preserves data flow, a quality important to audio-visual drives.

Abstract: A host-transparent, performance-unaffecting, self-contained write authentication test (SWAT) is implemented in a disc drive to utilize periods of disc drive inactivity to self-verify data written to a disc in a disc drive and further record in the Self Monitoring Analysis & Reporting Technology (SMART) feature of the disc drive, various resultant metrics characterizing the operation of the disc drive during the data authentication. The disc drive maintains a list of recently received write commands, and after a period of inactivity from the host, optionally sorts and parses the list of recent write commands, executes reads from the disc of the data recently written, and records operational parameters characterizing failed data verification during the reads in the SMART feature.

Abstract: A method, disc drive, and data handling system for optimizing the data writing/transmitting process are disclosed. The disc drive implemented method involves detecting at a current burst whether data written to a previous wedge is recoverable and making the disc drive's buffer space holding that data available for holding other data when the written data is recoverable. The disc drive implemented method also involves detecting at the current burst whether data to be written to a following wedge will encroach upon data written in adjacent tracks and allowing the data to be written in the following wedge when the encroachment is not too severe.

Abstract: A method and system for managing the transfer of data into and out of a buffer in a disc drive is disclosed. The operation of the vectored buffer management (VBM) system is administered by a software-based control module. The control module creates and maintains a buffer table by dividing the buffer table into buffer sectors. The buffer sectors are further arranged into buffer segments, or circularly linked lists upon which the buffer table is partitioned. The control module effectuates the transfer by implementing an application module across the buffer table. Once the application module is arbitrarily positioned at an index sector by the control module, data transfer is accomplished when the application module walks through a particular buffer segment identified by the index sector. Specific control of the application module across a buffer segment is administered through host and disc address pointers, which are coupled to host and disc next pointers, respectively.

Abstract: An apparatus, modules, means, and computer readable media for and a method of logging critical events to a critical event log storage area on a disc in a disc drive are disclosed. The disc drive having a data storage disc is operably connected to a host computer. The data communication between the host computer and the disc drive is established via a disc drive interface. The disc drive interface may be an ATA disc drive interface. A power-on operational status of the disc drive with the host computer is determined. Then a critical event is determined without a host computer intervention. A set of critical events are predefined and stored in the firmware of the disc drive. The critical event can be monitored and logged either during an on-line data collection mode or an off-line data collection mode. During the off-line data collection mode, the firmware performs off-line scan of the disc drive in the background.

Abstract: Herein is disclosed a method and apparatus for optimizing a disc drive for audio-visual data storage and retrieval by responding to a certain read-time error in a manner that preserves data flow. In response to a read-time error in which a data sector is misread, the disc drive responds by transferring the errant data to the host nonetheless, and then by informing the host of the error. The data may be partially corrected by an error correction function. The aforementioned behavior is a departure from the traditional sequential paradigm of a conventional disc drive. The new behavior preserves data flow, a quality important to audio-visual drives.

Abstract: A system and method for characterizing performance of a data handling system, such as a disc drive or computer network, is disclosed. The system includes a host computer for issuing commands for data blocks that are large enough to neutralize caching schemes that may otherwise mask the worst-case performance of the data handling system. Block service times for the commands are recorded and are compared to a maximum allowable service time threshold. This comparison is then used to generate a performance score for the data handling system. Other parameters may also be factored into the performance score such as the frequency and size of data quality errors.

Abstract: A method, disc drive, and data handling system for optimizing the data writing/transmitting process are disclosed. The disc drive implemented method involves detecting at a current burst whether data written to a previous wedge is recoverable and making the disc drive's buffer space holding that data available for holding other data when the written data is recoverable. The disc drive implemented method also involves detecting at the current burst whether data to be written to a following wedge will encroach upon data written in adjacent tracks and allowing the data to be written in the following wedge when the encroachment is not too severe.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for minimizing audible noise in disc drives during idle periods uses a low-noise velocity profile and/or low noise position profile to govern the movement of a seeking actuator assembly. The low-noise velocity profile is selected to govern all actuator movement and seeking during idle periods, i.e., during internal drive housekeeping operations. The noise level associated with each actuator position in the drive is preferably determined through actual tests and/or modeling and is utilized to determine the low noise profiles. The relative amount of time the actuator assembly spends in the relatively noisier actuator assembly positions may also be optimally reduced thus reducing the overall amount of noise generated by an idle disc drive.

Abstract: An apparatus, modules, means, and computer readable media for and a method of logging critical events to a critical event log storage area on a disc in a disc drive are disclosed. The disc drive having a data storage disc is operably connected to a host computer. The data communication between the host computer and the disc drive is established via a disc drive interface. The disc drive interface may be an ATA disc drive interface. A power-on operational status of the disc drive with the host computer is determined. Then a critical event is determined without a host computer intervention. A set of critical events predefined and stored in the firmware of the disc drive. The critical event can be monitored and logged either during an on-line data collection mode or an off-line data collection mode. During the off-line data collection mode, the firmware performs off-line scan of the disc drive in the background.

Abstract: Herein is disclosed a method and apparatus for optimizing a disc drive for audio-visual data storage and retrieval by responding to a certain write-time error in a manner that preserves data flow. In response to a write-time error in which information obtained from a servo burst indicates that the disc drive's head was either off course or anticipated to go off course, the disc drive responds by ceasing to write to the disc in synchronization with the end of writing a sector, so that a sector is not left half-written. The disc drive then transfers the sector numbers of the sectors which were improperly written or unwritten to the host. The disc drive attempts to continue writing to the disc in subsequent sectors, as soon as servo sectors once again indicate that the head is sufficiently re-centered on the track.

Abstract: A disc drive apparatus that communicates with and provides data storage for a host computer wherein the disc drive is adapted to provide improved audio and visual data transfer operations. The disc drive determines whether the data transfer operation is related to audio/visual data and, if so, limits the number of retry attempts available during the data read or write command. Since audio visual data is more time critical than reliability critical, limiting retry attempts does not significantly impact presentation to the user. The disc drive also enables the transfer of relatively large blocks of data that can be transferred during a single command. Limiting the retry attempts and transferring more data during a single command significantly increases audio/visual data transfer throughput between the host computer and the disc drive.

Abstract: An apparatus, modules, means, and computer readable media for and a method of diagnosing a failed disc drive are disclosed. A disc drive is operably connectable to a host computer and has a data storage disc. A portion of the disc is a Critical Event Log storage area for storing a Critical Event Log and another portion of the disc is an ATA Error Log storage area for storing an ATA Error Log. A disc drive interface provides a data communication path between the disc drive and a host computer. Firmware in the disc drive stores the Enhanced Short DST module and performs Enhanced Short DST upon receiving a run diagnostics command from the host computer. The firmware is operably connected to the data storage disc and the disc drive interface. The Enhanced Short DST determines a disc drive failure by examining data stored in at least the Critical Event Log and the ATA Error Log.

Abstract: A host-transparent, performance-unaffecting, self-contained write authentication test (SWAT) is implemented in a disc drive to utilize periods of disc drive inactivity to self-verify data written to a disc in a disc drive and further record in the Self Monitoring Analysis & Reporting Technology (SMART) feature of the disc drive, various resultant metrics characterizing the operation of the disc drive during the data authentication. The disc drive maintains a list of recently received write commands, and after a period of inactivity from the host, optionally sorts and parses the list of recent write commands, executes reads from the disc of the data recently written, and records operational parameters characterizing failed data verification during the reads in the SMART feature.

Abstract: A method and system for managing the transfer of data into and out of a buffer in a disc drive is disclosed. The operation of the vectored buffer management (VBM) system is administered by a software-based control module. The control module creates and maintains a buffer table by dividing the buffer table into buffer sectors. The buffer sectors are further arranged into buffer segments, or circularly linked lists upon which the buffer table is partitioned. The control module effectuates the transfer by implementing an application module across the buffer table. Once the application module is arbitrarily positioned at an index sector by the control module, data transfer is accomplished when the application module walks through a particular buffer segment identified by the index sector. Specific control of the application module across a buffer segment is administered through host and disc address pointers, which are coupled to host and disc next pointers, respectively.