Abstract: A storage medium format is provided having a first band of a plurality of consecutive data storage tracks having user data stored thereto, a second band of a plurality of consecutive data storage tracks having other user data stored thereto, and a guard track medially disposed therebetween the first band and the second band and having system data stored thereto.

Abstract: A storage medium format is provided having a first band of a plurality of consecutive data storage tracks having user data stored thereto, a second band of a plurality of consecutive data storage tracks having other user data stored thereto, and a guard track medially disposed therebetween the first band and the second band and having system data stored thereto.

Abstract: A data storage medium and data storage system with improved efficiency of formatting are provided. One illustrative embodiment of the present invention pertains to a data storage medium. The data storage medium includes a first zone having servo information written with a first frequency, a second zone having servo information written with a second frequency, and a guard band disposed between the first zone and the second zone. The use of different frequencies in different zones contributes to optimizing the properties of the data storage medium, and the guard band contributes to optimizing the usage of the different zones.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include a method and an apparatus for generating an optimal MRO for a zone having a plurality of tracks. A disc drive controller determines the optimum MRO of a zone of tracks by analyzing multiple tracks in the zone with the actuator arm located at a series of offsets relative to the track center. Selected tracks in the zone are written to once. Then the selected tracks in the zone are sequentially read at a first offset, and the corresponding errors recorded. This reading is repeated for each of the offsets until all offsets have been analyzed. Based on the offset, or band of offsets, with the least errors over the selected tracks, the optimum MRO can be selected for the zone. The process can be repeated for each zone and the optimum MRO values stored in an MRO table in the disc drive for use during subsequent read and write operations.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method of tuning a Power-On-Reset (POR) register in a data storage device comprises determining a tuned value for the POR register using feedback from the data storage device obtained during a certification process of the data storage device and storing a list in one or more system sectors of the data storage device, the list comprising an address of the POR register to be patched and the tuned value. According to another embodiment of the present invention, a disc drive comprises a rotatable disc, a microprocessor, and a memory. The memory has a start-up routine that, when executed by the microprocessor, causes the microprocessor to patch a Power-On-Reset (POR) register using a tuned values stored in one or more system sectors of the rotatable disc.

Abstract: A reader-to-writer offset for a head positioned over a track on a disc in a disc drive having a plurality of tracks is generated by using two iterations. A first iteration is used to determine a fine-tuning range that is used for a second iteration. The first iteration uses coarse steps of the reader across the track pitch to roughly determine OTC boundaries (which are used as the fine-tuning range). The fine-tuning range is determined by locating the point before the first valid reading (e.g., a VGA reading or BER reading with a rate that is less than the BER threshold) and by locating the point after the last valid reading. The second iteration uses fine steps of the reader across the track pitch to determine the actual OTC boundaries. The OTC boundaries are the first valid reading and the last valid reading that are made using the fine steps.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method of tuning a Power-On-Reset (POR) register in a data storage device comprises determining a tuned value for the POR register using feedback from the data storage device obtained during a certification process of the data storage device and storing a list in one or more system sectors of the data storage device, the list comprising an address of the POR register to be patched and the tuned value. According to another embodiment of the present invention, a disc drive comprises a rotatable disc, a microprocessor, and a memory. The memory has a start-up routine that, when executed by the microprocessor, causes the microprocessor to patch a Power-On-Reset (POR) register using a tuned values stored in one or more system sectors of the rotatable disc.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include a method and an apparatus for generating an optimal MRO for a zone having a plurality of tracks. A disc drive controller determines the optimum MRO of a zone of tracks by analyzing multiple tracks in the zone with the actuator arm located at a series of offsets relative to the track center. Selected tracks in the zone are written to once. Then the selected tracks in the zone are sequentially read at a first offset, and the corresponding errors recorded. This reading is repeated for each of the offsets until all offsets have been analyzed. Based on the offset, or band of offsets, with the least errors over the selected tracks, the optimum MRO can be selected for the zone. The process can be repeated for each zone and the optimum MRO values stored in an MRO table in the disc drive for use during subsequent read and write operations.

Abstract: A reader-to-writer offset for a head positioned over a track on a disc in a disc drive having a plurality of tracks is generated by using two iterations. A first iteration is used to determine a fine-tuning range that is used for a second iteration. The first iteration uses coarse steps of the reader across the track pitch to roughly determine OTC boundaries (which are used as the fine-tuning range). The fine-tuning range is determined by locating the point before the first valid reading (e.g., a VGA reading or BER reading with a rate that is less than the BER threshold) and by locating the point after the last valid reading. The second iteration uses fine steps of the reader across the track pitch to determine the actual OTC boundaries. The OTC boundaries are the first valid reading and the last valid reading that are made using the fine steps.