Abstract: A system includes a servo writing module, a position measuring module, and a compensation module. The servo writing module writes a first set of servo wedges on a magnetic medium of a hard disk drive (HDD) using a head of the HDD. The position measuring module measures a position of the head when the head writes the first set of servo wedges and generates a first measured head position. The compensation module generates first compensation data based on the first measured head position to compensate a repeatable error component of the first measured head position. The servo writing module writes the first compensation data on the magnetic medium when writing the first set of servo wedges and writes second compensation data generated based on the first set and the first compensation data read from the magnetic medium when writing a second set of servo wedges on the magnetic medium.

Abstract: A head position control method controls the position of a head by correcting components synchronizing rotation of a disk based on the head control amount. A correction signal for components synchronizing rotation is generated by using a filter function. The filter function that integrates the sine and cosine terms of DFT and inverse DFT and forms multiply of the complex values a(m) and b(m) and sine and cosine for frequency conversion, is measured in advance. The complex values are the m degree of RRO frequencies having frequency characteristics to be multiplied (1+C(z)P(z)) or ?(1+C(z)P(z)/P(z)).

Abstract: An embodiment of a data misalignment correction method for a mass storage controller system that couples drives having large internal block sizes to a computer operating system having input/output data block requests, including automatically determining an amount of misalignment between a request of the input/output data block to the storage controller and the controller's current data alignment configuration and using the amount of misalignment to realign the mass storage controller system configuration to match the operating system's input/output requests for optimizing input/output performance with the attached drives.

Abstract: A magnetic disk device includes a head that reads position information, a position-information correction value for correcting the position information, and an error correcting code for the position-information correction value from a storage medium; an MCU and an ECC circuit for correcting an error in the position-information correction value based on the error correcting code; and an SVC that performs position control based on either one of the position-information correction value read by the head and the position-information correction value with the error corrected by the MCU and the ECC circuit, and the position information read by the head so that the head is located at a target position on the storage medium.

Abstract: A magnetic hard disk drive includes a method for eliminating that portion of track following error by a read/write transducer that is caused by repeatable runout of the disk tracks. The repeatable runout is eliminated by application of an iterative algorithm that calculates feed-forward correction terms based on gain coefficients iteratively calculated from the amplitude and phase portions of a Bode plot characterizing the system. The corrective coefficients can be inserted into the hard disk drive at a summing junction that redefines the centerline of the track, or at a summing junction that causes the actuator to follow the repeatable runout and make non-repeatable runout corrections relative thereto.

Abstract: A control system includes a write head and a control module configured to signal the write head to write a servo test track on a rotating medium at a position relative to a reference servo track on the rotating medium. The servo test track is written on the rotating medium subsequent to an interrupt event. The reference servo track having been written to the rotating medium prior to the interrupt event, detects the position of the servo test track relative to the reference servo track and signals the write head to write a new servo track on the rotating medium based on the detected position of the servo test track relative to the reference servo track.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for compensating for repeatable runout using wide embedded runout correction fields is provided. In one embodiment, a disk surface is provided with a write head associated therewith. The disk surface has a data track having a width. An embedded runout correction (ERC) field is written onto the disk surface, wherein the ERC field has a width that is greater than the width of the data track.

Abstract: A magnetic hard disk drive includes a method for eliminating that portion of track following error by a read/write transducer that is caused by repeatable runout of the disk tracks. The repeatable runout is eliminated by application of an iterative algorithm that calculates feed-forward correction terms based on gain coefficients iteratively calculated from the amplitude and phase portions of a Bode plot characterizing the system. The corrective coefficients can be inserted into the hard disk drive at a summing junction that redefines the centerline of the track, or at a summing junction that causes the actuator to follow the repeatable runout and make non-repeatable runout corrections relative thereto.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for compensating for positional indicia misplacements in the positioning of a control object, such as with servo seam misplacements on a data storage device storage medium. An actual position for the control object is determined in relation to a corrected commanded position of the control object and a corrected position error of the control object. The corrected commanded position is determined in relation to a gain error and an actual commanded position, and the corrected position error determined in relation to the gain error and an actual position error. Preferably, an actual position error of the control object is next determined in relation to the actual position, and the control object is moved to reduce the actual position error. The positional indicia preferably comprise AB and CD seams of ABCD servo dibit patterns on a recording surface.

Abstract: A disturbance compensation determination apparatus, a related method, a computer readable medium storing a computer program related to the method, and a disk drive comprising the apparatus are provided. The disturbance compensation determination apparatus includes a disturbance observer (DOB) receiving a control input signal and a servo output signal of a plant, wherein the DOB calculates and outputs a current estimated disturbance value. The apparatus also includes a disturbance evaluation unit selectively changing a current disturbance compensation (DC) mode, wherein selectively changing the current DC mode comprises evaluating an accumulated estimated disturbance value in accordance with a condition corresponding to the current DC mode. In addition, the apparatus includes a switching unit selectively providing the current estimated disturbance value to a control loop of the plant in accordance with the current DC mode as selectively changed by the disturbance evaluation unit.

Abstract: A hard disk control system comprises a phase adjust module, an offset adjust module, and a read/write timing module. The phase adjust module generates a phase adjust signal based on a phase difference between a first repeatable run out (RRO) field and a servo wedge field. The offset adjust module outputs a position calibration pattern to a storage medium based on the phase adjust signal; receives at least a portion of the position calibration pattern from the storage medium; and determines an offset based on a comparison between the output position calibration pattern and the received portion of the position calibration pattern. The read/write timing module determines a position to write a second RRO field on the storage medium based on the offset.

Abstract: A hard disk drive optimization method, medium, and apparatus, particularly, a method, medium, and apparatus optimizing the number and gains of RRO compensators for the hard disk drive apparatus. The PRO compensation method can includes measuring the magnitude of a position error signal (PES) at each zone on a disk while gradually increasing the number of RRO compensators applied to a corresponding zone, and determining the number of RRO compensators, with which the PES with a minimum magnitude was measured, as an optimal number of RRO compensators for the corresponding zone, based on the PES measurement results.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include: a hard disk drive using a read track to position for writing to a write track and generating a position error signal (PES) based upon all four servo offset bursts used to disable writing when the PES exceeds a position error threshold; a preamplifier generating the PES from four bursts from a slider reading the read track to position when the write track is to be written, and methods of writing the write track using PES from four bursts of the read track that disables writing when the PES is above the position error threshold.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a disk drive is disclosed which has an offset measuring function for measuring a dynamic offset value necessary to a dynamic offset control using a DTM (discrete track media) type disk. A CPU (microprocessor) included in the disk drive writes offset measuring position information to an optimum position of lands on the disk and calculates a dynamic offset value based on the offset measuring position information.

Abstract: A disk formatter includes an address module for creating disk block address data corresponding to a disk sector of a disk drive. A sector write module initiates a physical mode write operation to the disk sector that incorporates the corresponding disk block address data.

Abstract: A data-storage device with a security function for user data stored in a data-storage medium. The data-storage device includes: the data-storage medium for storing data; an authentication processing section for performing an authentication process with a key obtained from a host; an error correction circuit for performing error correction in reading data at an address designated by a read command from a host which has been recognized as an authorized user for analysis access by the authentication processing section; and an analysis processing section for generating data indicating the positions of the error correction and transferring the data to the host.

Abstract: A magnetic recording disk drive has a position-error-signal (PES) servo pattern divided into at least two circumferentially adjacent fields that extend radially across the data tracks and include PES blocks that are DC magnetized in one direction, with each PES block having a magnetization opposite to the magnetization of its radially adjacent neighboring PES blocks. Each PES field is contiguous with and shifted radially relative to its circumferentially adjacent neighbor PES fields. Each PES block has a single DC magnetization, and the length of the magnetization is substantially longer than the length of the magnetizations in the other fields of the servo pattern.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information storage device includes a recording/reproducing head, a positioning controller, a position detector, a storage module, and a position error detector. The position detector detects the position of the recording/reproducing head. The storage module stores servo control filters. The position error detector generates a new position error signal from a target position and the position of the recording/reproducing head when the positioning controller performs positioning control with control current obtained from a position error signal having passed through each servo control filter. Upon occurrence of a recording/reproducing error, learning to calculate a vibration amount from the position of the recording/reproducing head is sequentially performed for the servo control filters for a predetermined time.

Abstract: A self servo writing disk controller detects a plurality of spiral sync marks and a plurality of spiral bursts corresponding to one of a plurality of servo spirals from a read signal from the read/write head. A timing reference signal is generated based on timing of at least one of the plurality of the spiral sync marks. A position error signal is generated based on timing of at least one of the plurality of spiral sync marks and a magnitude of at least one of a plurality of spiral bursts. The timing reference signal and the position error signal are used by the disk drive for timing and positioning in self writing initial servo wedges to the disk.

Abstract: A measurement recording unit causes the head to move across a predetermined amount, at least more than one track during one lap of track, with a predetermined radial position and a track position of the magnetic disk being taken as recording start points, thereby writing measurement data while drawing a spiral path. A measurement reading unit causes the measurement data recorded in a spiral manner to be read while gradually shifting a read-beginning point within a predetermined scanning range from an inner perimeter side including the recording start points to an outer perimeter side. A position-displacement detecting unit finds a distribution of amplitudes of a read-back signal within a read scanning range and detects, in a distribution of evaluation values, an amount of position displacement of a read head and a write head on the storage medium in a radial direction for storage.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a system for compensating for a position error of a step motor. A method for compensating for a position error of a step motor includes: sequentially inputting a predetermined number of a pulse as a rotator position command to a step motor driver; driving a step motor in a micro step method based on the rotator position command and a predetermined current command table; detecting an actual position of a rotator of the step motor while the step motor is being driven; calculating a position error by comparing the rotator position command and the detected actual position of the rotator; and compensating for the predetermined current command table based on the calculated position error. According to the present invention, a position error which may occur when the step motor is driven by a micro step method can be removed.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for the cancellation of repeatable runout signals. A signal processing module receives a position error signal and outputs a position compensated signal. A feed forward module receives the position error signal and outputs one or more cancellation signals to cancel one or more repeatable runout components from the position error signal when combined with the position compensated signal. A combining module combines the position compensated signal and the cancellation signals into a position command signal. A feedback module receives the position command signal and outputs the position error signal.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a magnetic disk device and a method for production thereof, the magnetic disk device being characterized in that the magnetic disk therein permits a plurality of tracks thereon to record correction data when necessary without decreasing its storage capacity. According to one embodiment, the magnetic disk device is characterized in that the magnetic disk has the first tracks and the second tracks formed thereon, the first tracks having servo data regions arranged cyclically, with a portion of a region between them being the correction data region and the remaining regions being the user data region, and the second tracks having the servo data regions arranged cyclically, with the region between them being the user data regions, and the multiprocessing unit (MPU) switches the servo extraction timing of the position information sampler depending on whether the track for servo reproduction by the magnetic head is the first track or the second track.

Abstract: A hard disk drive with a controller that determines a position error signal gain. The position error signal gain is determined from a total servo loop gain and a function that is defined by a slope of a line of A and B servo bits measured at N off-track positions. The function determines an actual plant gain and thus provides a more accurate position error signal gain.

Abstract: A method for operating a head testing apparatus or, more generally, a host hard disk drive using a mounted hard disk that has had its servo track information pre-written in an external servo-writing apparatus rather than in the head testing or host apparatus itself. The method eliminates repeatable errors and repeatable runout by effectively replacing the pre-written servo tracks, which are eccentric, with new track profiles that are tracked like circular tracks. The problem of repeatable errors is caused by repeatable runout superimposed upon written-in position errors when a disk written in one machine is transferred to another. This problem is eliminated by forming IRON (Iterative Repeatable Runout Nulling) profile tracks from the initially pre-written servo tracks, where the IRON profile tracks are effectively tracked as concentric circular tracks and generate no PES.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for exactly compensating for a track zero position when copying a reference servo pattern in a disc drive adopting a reference servo track copying method. The method of compensating for a track zero position in a reference servo track copy system for copying a reference servo pattern in a head disc assembly into which a reference disc, on which the reference servo pattern is recorded, produced offline and at least one blank disc are assembled, includes: searching for a collision position of an actuator arm against a stopper for limiting the displacement of the actuator arm on the reference servo pattern; calculating an optimal track zero position based on the searched collision position; and copying the reference servo pattern on all disc surfaces from the calculated optimal track zero position.

Abstract: A system and method for efficiently identifying track squeeze errors (TSEs) of a disk of a disk drive during a testing process for the disk drive is disclosed. The method includes reading servo bursts from a track of the disk, utilizing a modeled scan variable, and determining a gain comprising a ratio of a first matrix A and a second matrix B. TSEs associated with the SWEs of the servo bursts are determined for the track. The TSEs are determined as a product of the gain and a measured scan variable wherein the measured scan variable is calculated as being the difference between a measured scan value and an estimated nominal scan value.

Abstract: A control system that includes repeatable run-out (RRO) compensation comprises a control module that determines an error of the control system. An RRO compensation module receives the error, determines a repeatable component of an output response of the control system based on the error and a plant model of the control system, and updates a target response of the control system based on the repeatable component of the output response.

Abstract: A control system includes a write head that writes servo data on a rotating medium. A control module signals the write head to write a servo test track on the rotating medium and subsequent to a reference servo track. The reference servo track is written prior to an interrupt event. The control module detects a position of the servo test track relative to the reference servo track and signals the write head to write a new servo track based on the position after the interrupt event.

Abstract: There is provided with a positioning control system including: a head moving unit; a position detecting unit detecting a head position at predetermined time intervals; an error detecting unit detecting a position error of the head for a target position; a disturbance detecting unit detecting a non-periodic disturbance; a modifying unit modifying a first position error signal corresponding to a first head position detected in a first rotation period based on a second position error signal corresponding to a second head position detected one period length before; and a feedback controller, wherein the modifying unit modifies the first signal after reducing an amplitude of the second position error signal when a detected timing of the second head position is included in a predetermined time range with respect to a detected timing of the non-periodic disturbance detected in a second rotation period which is one period before the first rotation period.

Abstract: Provided are a method of calculating repeatable runout (RRO) of a hard disk drive (HDD) in a frequency domain, a method of calculating a compensation value using the RRO calculating method, and recording media used therefore. The method of calculating RRO in a disk with a plurality of tracks includes: calculating first set of frequency coefficients for representing the RRO by analyzing a position error signal (PES), which is sampled in a target track, in a frequency domain while a head follows the target track; and calculating the RRO using the first set of frequency coefficients.

Abstract: A disk drive that compensates for written-in track squeeze errors (TSEs) during track following is disclosed. The disk drive may be used to compensate for TSEs when determining the position error signal (PES) by implementing operations that include: determining a track squeeze value for a servo sector based upon read servo bursts; determining a PES value for the servo sector based upon read servo bursts; estimating a Squeeze Correction Coefficient (SCC) to account for track squeeze induced PES sensing gain variation associated with the servo sector based upon the PES value and the track squeeze value; calculating a squeeze corrected PES value based upon the SCC and the PES value; and utilizing the squeeze corrected PES value in servo control.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a disk drive includes a detection signal producing module configured to produce a detection signal by reading each of the spiral servo patterns, the spiral servo patterns being read by a head while the head scans a circumferential direction region on the disk media. A position error computation module is configured to produce servo burst signals A, B, C, and D using a plurality of frames obtained by dividing the detection signal at even time intervals, at least one burst signal of the servo burst signals being produced using at least two frames in the frames, and to compute a position error of the head based on amplitude values of the produced burst signals.

Abstract: In a dual-stage actuator magnetic drive having a coarse actuator and a fine actuator, an amplitude level of a command signal for the fine actuator during a decoupling-path control depends on a gain of an applied fine actuator model. The fine actuator model gain depends on the amplitude level of the fine actuator command signal and needs to be calibrated to avoid performance degradation. The gain is calibrated by determining a deviation of the fine actuator model gain from the fine actuator gain during decoupling-path control. This deviation is obtained by comparing gain values of the open-loop transfer functions measured for the decoupling-path control case and the single coarse actuator control case with respect to the feedback loop of the coarse actuator at an excitation signal frequency, when the excitation signal is added to the coarse actuator.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a disk drive has a disk, a CPU and a memory. The CPU measures servo intervals between the servo areas provided on the disk, and calculates changes of the servo intervals, which have resulted from a temperature change. The CPU detects a disk shift from the changes of the servo intervals. The CPU updates the disk-runout information stored in the memory, in accordance with the disk shift detected.

Abstract: A magnetic storage apparatus has a reproducing head to reproduce information from a perpendicular magnetic recording medium that is recorded with servo information, eccentricity correction data and read/write data. The apparatus further has a filter part to filter a reproduced output of the reproducing head by filtering the servo information which has a differentiated waveform by a non-differentiating characteristic and by filtering the eccentricity correction data and the read/write data which have rectangular waveforms by a differentiating characteristic, a demodulating part to demodulate the servo information, the eccentricity correction data and the read/write data that are filtered by the filter part, and a servo system to carry out a control process including an eccentricity control based on the servo information and the eccentricity correction data that are demodulated.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for the cancellation of repeatable runout signals. A signal processing module receives a position error signal and outputs a position compensated signal. A feed forward module receives the position error signal and outputs one or more cancellation signals to cancel one or more repeatable runout components from the position error signal when combined with the position compensated signal. A combining module combines the position compensated signal and the cancellation signals into a position command signal. A feedback module receives the position command signal and outputs the position error signal.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a data recording device capable of achieving desired performance while increasing the convergence rate. According to one embodiment, in a data recording device, an update-width determination unit included in a setting updating unit determines an update-width of a set frequency f in a digital filter according to the size of a position error signal PES, and an update-width adjuster included in the setting updating unit changes the update-width of the set frequency f determined by the update-width determination unit according to the size of the set frequency f. Thus, while the convergence rate being kept properly, the set frequency f can precisely be converged on a frequency of a disturbance component.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed operable to seek a head from a first radial location over a disk to a second radial location over the disk. A reference signal is initialized, a feed-forward control signal is initialized, and a seek is initiated. During the seek operation, a position error signal (PES) is generated and saved, wherein the PES represents a position error of the head relative to the reference signal. The PES is filtered with a compensation filter to generate a feed-back control signal. The feed-back control signal is combined with the feed-forward control signal to generate a VCM control signal. When the seek is done, the saved PES is processed using an iterative learning control (ILC) algorithm to adjust at least one of the reference signal and the feed-forward control signal.

Abstract: A hard disk drive system includes a control module that generates a phase offset signal for a repeatable run out (RRO) field of a servo wedge based on an RRO phase of the RRO field and a data phase of data in at least one other servo wedge field of a previously written wedge. A read/write channel module adjusts a clock phase based on the phase offset signal.

Abstract: N groups of servo patterns, each corresponding to the predetermined number of servo sectors, are recorded in a magnetic disk. The magnetic head positioning control apparatus of the present invention produces an RRO current correction table corresponding to each group of servo patters and selects the group of servo patterns that is the best in transferred quality of the sevro pattern as SPopt. For servo sectors (target servo sectors) corresponding to other groups of servo patterns and existing between two adjacent servo sectors corresponding to the SPopt, the magnetic head positioning control apparatus calculates an RRO current correction amount corresponding to the target servo sector by a linear interpolation calculation using the RRO current correction amount corresponding to each of the adjacent servo sectors in the RRO current correction table corresponding to the SPopt to perform the magnetic head positioning control based on the calculated RRO current correction amount.

Abstract: A magnetic recording disk drive has compensation for both mechanical disturbances and electrical disturbances. The disk drive's servo control system includes mechanical disturbance (MD) feedforward compensation and electrical disturbance (ED) feedforward compensation, of which either or both can be selectively enabled and disabled. In the operation of the disk drive, it is first determined that there is some disturbance that is causing track misregistration (TMR). The system is then tested to determine if the ED is greater than an ED threshold by measuring an averaged ED sensor signal. If ED is greater than the ED threshold, the system is then tested for a reduction in TMR by selectively turning MD compensation and ED compensation on and off, and determining changes in the position error signal (PES). Depending on the test results from the PES measurements, one or both of MD compensation and ED compensation is left on, and maintained on until the TMR falls below the predetermined threshold.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of estimating repeatable runout (RRO) for a disk drive. The method includes: determining a plurality of position error signal (PES) values for a plurality of servo wedges of a track of a disk; and estimating repeatable runout (RRO) in the PES values for the servo wedges of the track by averaging determined PES values over a pre-determined number of revolutions of the disk of the disk drive and scaling the averaged PES values by a pre-determined ratio of the variance of non-repeatable runout (NRRO) to the variance of an optimal estimation of the RRO for the disk drive.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention help to achieve a read error recovery, and suppress decreases in the capacity of the disk drive device and degradation in performance. In one embodiment, a hard disk drive (HDD) performs following control without use of repeatable run-out (RRO) compensation information on a magnetic disk in a normal reading process. When an error occurs in a normal reading process, the HDD moves a read element to a position different from a target position of the normal reading process. At the position where the read element has been moved, the read element reads out the RRO compensation information. In a recovery procedure for the reading process where the error has occurred, the HDD performs following control with compensation by the servo compensation information read out by the read element.

Abstract: A lead-lag input filter is connected ahead of a positioner feedback loop having one or more valve accessories, such as a volume booster or a QEV, to overcome slow dynamics experienced by the accessories when receiving low amplitude change control or set point signals. A user interface is connected to the lead-lag input filter and enables an operator or other control personnel to view and change the operating characteristics of the lead-lag input filter to thereby provide the control loop with any of a number of desired response characteristics.

Abstract: A hard disc drive (HDD) data read control apparatus, medium, and method reading data from a disc having non-uniform track-to-track spacing. The data read control method of the HDD, in which data is read from a disc including non-uniform track-to-track spacing, includes seeking a target track by adopting an off track amount applied to a previously followed track, and reading the data while following the sought target track. Accordingly, production yield can be increased by making failure processing unnecessary even if a track-to-track spacing of a HDD is non-uniform.

Abstract: Compensation for repeated runout (RRO) error, such as in a data storage device servo circuit, is preferably carried out by obtaining a population distribution of RRO error values from at least selected ones of a subset of tracks. An RRO error compensation value is determined for each one of the subset of tracks when a variance characteristic of said population distribution meets a selected criterion. Preferably, a first track of a storage medium has a servo field at a first angular position on the medium, a repeated runout (RRO) error compensation field at a second angular position on the medium, and a user data field at a third angular position on the medium. An immediately adjacent second track preferably has a servo field at the first angular position and a user data field at the second angular position in lieu of an RRO error compensation field.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed including a disk having a plurality of tracks, wherein each track comprises a plurality of servo sectors. The disk drive further comprises a head having a read element offset from a write element by a reader/writer offset. The read element is positioned over a first track and the write element is positioned over a second track. A first servo control signal is generated for servoing the head in response to the servo sectors in the first track, and first wedge repeatable runout (RRO) data is written to the second track along a substantially sinusoidal path corresponding to the reader/writer offset, wherein the first wedge RRO data are for writing data to a third track.

Abstract: A write error detection mechanism for a computer data disk drive or storage controller writes and then verifies data to detect disk write errors. It allows the heads to be moved to other tracks to do other jobs in the time it takes the disk to rotate from the point the data was written and to return there again so it can be read to verify the write. The data written is temporarily stored in feature table memory outside the disk, so it can be used as in the comparison later when the written data can be read for the verify. In the interim, other write-and-verify and read operations can be pipelined, or multitasked using the same head, even on different tracks.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for storing position offset information not used for aligning the read element of an MR head with the centerline of written data, during a read operation. The skew or offset between the read and the write elements on a read head is first calibrated. The offset information then stored on one or more dedicated tracks of the disk. To accomplish this, the write element is aligned with the centerline of the dedicated track. The position offset information is then written in the data field of the dedicated track. During the power-on process, the read element is aligned with the centerline of the dedicated track and the position offset information may be retrieved by simply reading the information previously stored on the dedicated track.