Abstract: A sampled amplitude read channel is disclosed for disk storage systems comprising a encoder/decoder for implementing a high rate channel code that codes out specific minimum distance error events of a trellis sequence detector by enforcing a particular code constraint. The trellis sequence detector comprises a state machine matched to the code constraint which effectively removes the corresponding minimum distance errors from the detected output sequence. Additionally, the channel code encodes redundancy bits into the write data for implementing an error detection code. The redundancy bits are processed during a read operation to generate an error syndrome used to detect and correct other dominant error events, such as the NRZ (+) and (+−+) error events. In this manner, the most likely error events of the trellis sequence detector are either coded out by the channel code constraint, or detected and corrected using the error syndrome.

Abstract: A sampled amplitude read channel for optical disk storage systems is disclosed comprising an all digital timing recovery circuit. The RF read signal from the read head is sampled asynchronous to the baud rate and the asynchronous sample values are interpolated to generate sample values that are substantially synchronous to the baud rate. A data detector, such as a Viterbi sequence detector, processes the synchronous sample values to generate an estimated binary sequence representing the recorded binary sequence. The timing recovery circuit comprises a baud rate estimator for estimating the baud rate relative to the sampling rate, wherein the estimated baud rate is used to initialize a timing recovery loop filter at the end of seek operations. The all digital timing recovery circuit and baud rate estimator enable the storage device to begin reading the user data immediately after a seek operation, rather than wait for the CLV servo loop to acquire the target spindle speed.

Abstract: A discrete time servo demodulation technique incorporated within a sampled amplitude read channel to demodulate embedded servo field information stored on a magnetic medium. The servo field information is transduced by a read head into an analog signal, and converted to a sequence of sample values in the read channel. The demodulation technique is responsive to the sample values and includes a discrete time peak detector for detecting servo data, and a discrete time servo burst amplitude detector for measuring the amplitude of servo bursts. Peaks are detected in the analog read signal by sensing a change of slope from the sequence of sample values. The peaks are qualified by polarity in that a peak is detected only if its polarity is opposite in sign from the previous peak. The servo burst amplitudes are measured by interpolating, rectifying, and accumulating the sequence of sample values corresponding to the servo bursts.

Abstract: A system and method for an amplifier control circuit is provided which does not require the use of a large off-chip or on-chip capacitor for achieving a low frequency coupling corner, while still effectively allowing AC coupling the data detection circuit. In addition, the input offset voltage to the amplifier may be compensated and the inherent random low frequency input voltages provided to the amplifier may be controlled or canceled. Further, the amplifier control circuitry includes a freeze capability which allows the control circuitry to halt all updates to the input offset/low frequency control circuit when the voltage input signal is interrupted. In addition low frequency control and offset compensation updates may be performed without causing large output signal glitches so that the integrity of the received signal will not be compromised. In a preferred embodiment the system and method may be utilized for data detection circuits utilized in conjunction with optical disks.

Abstract: A partial response class-IV (PR4) sampled amplitude read channel is disclosed for detecting user data and embedded servo data. The detected servo data is encoded using a novel servo code capable of accurately decoding detected codewords representing servo track address during seek operations, even when the recording head flies between two adjacent tracks, and capable of correcting errors in the detected codedwords caused by noise in the read signal, such as inter-symbol interference. In one embodiment, the servo code corrects certain minimum distance error events, such as a bit shift error event, associated with a trellis type sequence detector. To achieve the equivalent effect of a conventional Gray code, the codewords are arranged such that adjacent track addresses differ by a number of bits relative to the minimum distance error events corrected.

Abstract: A sampled amplitude read channel is disclosed for reading data recorded on a disk storage medium by asynchronously sampling an analog read signal, equalizing the asynchronous sample values according to a desired partial response, and interpolating the equalized sample values to generate synchronous sample values substantially synchronized to a baud rate of the recorded data. The read channel further comprises a gain control circuit which generates a gain error for adjusting the amplitude of the analog read signal to a nominal value through a variable gain amplifier (VGA). During acquisition, the gain error is computed from the asynchronous sample values at the output of the sampling device in order to avoid the delay associated with the discrete equalizer filter and the timing recovery interpolation filter. This decreases the acquisition time and the corresponding length of the acquisition preamble, thereby reserving more area on the disk to record user data.

Abstract: A sampled amplitude read channel is disclosed for reading data recorded on a disk storage medium by detecting an estimated binary sequence from a sequence of discrete time sample values generated by sampling pulses in an analog read signal from a read head positioned over the disk storage medium. The read channel comprises a sampling device, such as an analog-to-digital converter (A/D), for sampling the analog read signal to generate the discrete time sample values and for sampling at least one other auxillary analog input signal, such as a servo control signal. In this manner, performance characteristics of the read channel can be measured, such as the driving current applied to the servo control voice coil motor (VCM), without requiring additional hardware.

Abstract: A sampled amplitude read channel is disclosed for disk storage systems employing a run-length limited (RLL) d=1 channel code which compensates for partial erasure, and a parity channel code for enhancing the operation of a remod/demod sequence detector. During a write operation, after encoding the user data into codewords comprising the RLL d=1 constraint, the parity over one interleave of a block of NRZI bits is computed and two parity bits appended to form a parity codeword. For an even number of "1" bits in the block, the parity bits are set to "00". For an odd number of "1" bits in the block, the parity bits are set to "10" if the codeword ends with a "0" bit and to "01" if the codeword ends with a "1" bit, thereby maintaining the RLL d=1 constraint. Thus, a parity codeword will always comprise an even number of "1" bits (even parity).

Abstract: A thermal asperity-tolerant read channel is provided for a magnetic disk drive. Thermal asperities are detected by a digital detector which includes a pre-filter, a first threshold comparator and, optionally, a second threshold comparator. The pre-filter reduces noise and signal variation in the analog-to-digital converter output to enable better detection of a DC shift caused by a thermal asperity. The first threshold comparator compares the pre-filter output to a predetermined level; if the predetermined level is exceeded, the comparator output is set to one state, providing an initial indication of the presence of a thermal asperity. The optional second threshold comparator determines whether, out of a predetermined number of comparator outputs, the number in the one state exceeds programmed value; if so, the second threshold comparator outputs a final indication of the presence of a thermal asperity.

Abstract: In a magnetic disk storage system, a sampled amplitude read channel is disclosed that employs a fault tolerant sync mark detector for detecting a sync mark from the channel samples in order to synchronize a time varying sequence detector. The read channel preferably employs PR4 equalization for timing recovery and gain control, and EEPR4 equalization for sequence detection. The EEPR4 sequence detector operates according to a time varying state machine matched to a predetermined trellis code constraint. Because the state machine is time varying, the data stream must be synchronized at the input of the sequence detector rather than at the output as in the prior art. The present invention provides a fault tolerant sync mark detector that detects a sync mark from the EEPR4 channel samples before being input into the sequence detector.

Abstract: A disk storage system is disclosed wherein user data received from a host system is first encoded according to a first channel code having a high code rate, and then encoded according to an ECC code, such as a Reed-Solomon code, wherein the ECC redundancy symbols are encoded according to a second channel code having low error propagation. In the preferred embodiment, the first channel code is a RLL (d,k) code having a long k constraint which allows for longer block lengths (and higher code rates). During read back, a synchronous read channel samples the analog read signal a synchronously and interpolates the asynchronous sample values to generate sample values substantially synchronized to the baud rate. In contrast to conventional synchronous-sampling timing recovery, interpolated timing recovery can tolerate a longer RLL k constraint because it is less sensitive to noise in the read signal and not affected by process variations in fabrication.

Abstract: A sampled amplitude read channel for magnetic disk recording which asynchronously samples the analog read signal, adaptively equalizes the resulting discrete time sample values according to a target partial response, extracts synchronous sample values through interpolated timing recovery, and detects digital data from the synchronous sample values using a Viterbi sequence detector is disclosed. To minimize interference from the timing and gain control loops, the phase and magnitude response of the adaptive equalizer filter are constrained at a predetermined frequency using an optimal orthogonal projection operation as a modification to a least mean square (LMS) adaptation algorithm. Further, with interpolated timing recovery, the equalizer filter and its associated latency are removed from the timing recovery loop, thereby allowing a higher order discrete time filter and a lower order analog filter.

Abstract: A channel quality circuit, incorporated within a sampled amplitude read channel utilized in a magnetic storage system, for processing and accumulating performance data from the individual read channel components, wherein the performance data is used to calibrate the read channel to operate in a particular environment, to estimate the bit error rate of the storage system, and to detect defects in the magnetic medium. The channel quality circuit generates a test pattern of digital data which is written to the storage system. Then, as the test pattern is read from the storage system, the channel quality circuit accumulates performance data from the read channel components. The test pattern is used to generate expected samples and expected sample errors relative to the samples read by the read channel. Gating logic is programmed to accumulate only the particular performance data of interest. The channel quality circuit computes auto and cross-correlations, squared errors, and threshold comparisons.

Abstract: A sampled amplitude read channel for disk storage systems is disclosed which asynchronously sub-samples an analog read signal significantly below the Nyquist rate (the baud rate) in order to increase the effective data rate without increasing the frequency of the sampling device. Interpolated timing recovery up-samples the asynchronous samples to generate sample values synchronized to the baud rate, and a Viterbi sequence detector detects the recorded digital data from the synchronous sample values. To compensate for the time-varying characteristics of the recording device, a discrete-time equalizer adaptively equalizes the asynchronous sample values using a least mean square (LMS) adaptive algorithm,W.sub.k+1 =W.sub.k -.mu..multidot.e.sub.k .multidot.X.sub.k,where W.sub.k is a vector of FIR filter coefficients, .mu. is a programmable gain, e.sub.k is a sample error between the FIR filter's actual output and a desired output, and X.sub.k is a vector of samples values from the FIR filter input.

Abstract: A sampled amplitude read channel is disclosed for reading data recorded on a disk storage medium by detecting an estimated binary sequence from a sequence of discrete-time sample values generated by sampling pulses in an analog read signal from a read head positioned over the disk storage medium. The read channel comprises a variable gain amplifier for adjusting the magnitude of the analog read signal before sampling, and a discrete-time gain control loop for generating a gain control signal applied to the VGA in response to the discrete-time sample values. The discrete-time sample values may, or may not be, synchronized to a baud rate of the recorded data. For example, when reading the user data the discrete-time sample values are synchronous, and when reading a servo address mark (SAM) the sample values are asynchronous. As such, the discrete-time gain control loop of the present invention is programmable to operate in a synchronous or asynchronous mode.

Abstract: A sampled amplitude read channel is disclosed for disk storage systems that employs an EPR4 remod/demod sequence detector. To reduce the complexity of timing recovery, gain control and adaptive equalization, the channel samples are initially equalized into a PR4 partial response so that a simple slicer circuit can generate estimated sample values. The PR4 equalized channel samples are then passed through a 1+D filter to generate EPR4 equalized channel samples which are processed by an EPR4 Viterbi sequence detector to generate a preliminary binary sequence. The preliminary binary sequence is remodulated into an estimated or ideal PR4 sample sequence which is subtracted from the PR4 equalized channel samples to generate an error sample sequence. An error pattern detector processes the error sample sequence to detect the dominant error events associated with the EPR4 Viterbi sequence detector.

Abstract: A sampled amplitude read channel is disclosed for disk storage systems that employs a remod/demod sequence detector guided by an error syndrome of an error detection code (EDC). The remod/demod sequence detector comprises: a conventional trellis type maximum likelihood sequence detector, such as a Viterbi detector, for detecting a preliminary binary sequence from the channel sample values; a syndrome generator for generating an error syndrome in response to the preliminary binary sequence; a remodulator for remodulating the detected binary sequence into a sequence of estimated ideal sample values; a sample error generator for subtracting the channel samples from the estimated samples to generate a sample error sequence; an error pattern detector for detecting potential error events in the sample error sequence; and an error corrector for correcting the preliminary binary sequence when the error syndrome indicates that an error occurred.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for calibrating an analog equalizer in a sampled amplitude read channel is disclosed wherein the filter's frequency response is measured and calibrated directly. This is accomplished by injecting a known periodic signal into the analog filter and measuring a spectrum value at a predetermined frequency. The filter parameters are adjusted accordingly until the spectrum reaches a predetermined target value. In the preferred embodiment, the analog filter comprises at least one second order low pass filter (referred to as a biquad filter), and the filter's spectrum is adjusted relative to the well known parameters f.sub.o and Q. Specifically, the parameters f.sub.o and Q are optimized relative to a power measurement at predetermined harmonics of the input signal. In this manner, the present invention enables auto-calibration of the analog equalizer without reading any data from the disc.

Abstract: A discrete time servo demodulation technique incorporated within a sampled amplitude read channel to demodulate embedded servo field information stored on a magnetic medium. The servo field information is transduced by a read head into an analog signal, and converted to a sequence of sample values in the read channel. The demodulation technique is responsive to the sample values and includes a discrete time peak detector for detecting servo data, and a discrete time servo burst amplitude detector for measuring the amplitude of servo bursts. Peaks are detected in the analog read signal by sensing a change of slope from the sequence of sample values. The peaks are qualified by polarity in that a peak is detected only if its polarity is opposite in sign from the previous peak. The servo burst amplitudes are measured by interpolating, rectifying, and accumulating the sequence of sample values corresponding to the servo bursts.

Abstract: A sampled amplitude read channel reads user data and embedded servo data stored on a magnetic medium by detecting digital data from a sequence of discrete time interpolated sample values. A write frequency synthesizer generates a write clock for writing digital data to the magnetic medium at a predetermined baud rate for a selected zone, and upon read back, a read frequency synthesizer generates a fixed sampling clock at a frequency slightly higher than the write frequency at the outer zone. A sampling device samples the analog read signal at this fixed sampling rate across the data zones and servo wedges to generate a sequence of discrete time channel samples that are not synchronized to the baud rate. Before sampling, an analog receive filter processes the read signal to attenuate aliasing noise without having to adjust its spectrum across data zones or servo wedges. A discrete time equalizing filter equalizes the channel samples according to a predetermined partial response (PR4, EPR4, EEPR4, etc.).