Abstract: A method includes writing first data to a first track of a magnetic recording medium of a storage device. First parity sectors corresponding to the first data are written. The first parity sectors have a first size. Second parity sectors corresponding to the first data are written. The second parity sectors have a second size. Second data is written to a second track of the magnetic recording medium. The second track is adjacent to the first track. It is determined whether an unrecoverable data error has occurred on the second track. After writing to the second track and determining that no unrecoverable data error has occurred, the first and second parity sectors corresponding to the first data are released.

Abstract: A method operable with the storage device includes determining a workload to the storage device based on host Input/Output (I/O) requests to the storage device. When the workload is above a threshold, a first portion of the storage device is selected for garbage collection based on the I/O requests. Otherwise, when the workload is below the threshold, a second different portion of the storage device is selected for garbage collection based on a storage ability of the second portion of the storage device.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for error recovery in a digital data channel. In an error recovery approach when the hardware fails to recover a sector, the sample for that sector can be saved along with a metric measure that indicates the quality of the sample. This process can begin from a first on-the-fly receiving and decoding of data. During each step of error recovery, a retry attempt may either use samples obtained during a new decoding attempt or may use a sample, or a combination of samples, having the best metric from an earlier attempt, or a combination of earlier attempts, to perform the recovery during a current retry recovery attempt.

Abstract: A recording head includes a waveguide core layer that delivers light from a light source to a region proximate a magnetic write pole. A near-field transducer that is formed of a thin metal film is deposited over the waveguide core layer. The near-field transducer includes an enlarged part with two straight edges facing a media-facing surface and at obtuse angles relative to the media-facing surface. A peg extends from the enlarged part towards the media-facing surface. The near-field transducer includes a metal aperture plate at the media-facing surface. The metal aperture plate surrounds at least three sides of the end of the peg.

Abstract: An apparatus can include a circuit configured to process an input signal using a set of channel parameters. The circuit can produce, using a first adaptation algorithm, a first set of channel parameters for use by the circuit as the set of channel parameters in processing the input signal. The circuit can further approximate a second set of channel parameters of a second adaptation algorithm for use by the circuit as the set of channel parameters in processing the input signal based on the first set of channel parameters and a relationship between a third set of channel parameters generated using the first adaptation algorithm and a fourth set of channel parameters generated using the second adaptation algorithm. In addition, the circuit can perform the processing of the input signal using the second set of channel parameters as the set of channel parameters.

Abstract: It has been discovered that the cavity of data storage devices may be temporarily sealed to inhibit loss of gasses from the cavity by use of a sealing solution comprising a sealing component that is in contact with the gasket of the device, so that the gasket and sealing solution, together with the structural cover and base deck of the device, temporarily seals the cavity. The sealing solution comprises a sealing component having molecular weight of from about 1000 to about 30,000 Daltons.

Abstract: A first time period is determined during which a first head driven by a first actuator will be performing a track-following operation. A second time period is also determined during which a second head driven by a second actuator will be performing a low-priority disk access operation that includes a seek. The first and second actuators are independently movable such that the first and second disk access operations are capable of being performed in parallel. If it is determined that the seek of the second head will impact servo control of the track-following operation of the first head, a start time of the seek of the second head is changed to correspond to a time that mitigates impacts to the track-following operation of the first head.

Abstract: A method includes processing, via an integrated circuit, data read from a first servo wedge; processing, via the integrated circuit, data from a second servo wedge; and skipping processing data from a third servo wedge positioned between the first servo wedge and the second servo wedge.

Abstract: An apparatus may include a circuit configured to determine a first encoded address is in a bitwise range of addresses, determine a first physical address in a storage memory from the first encoded address using bitwise mapping and retrieve first data from the first physical address in the storage memory. The circuit may further be configured to determine a second encoded address is in an offset linear range of addresses, determine a second physical address in the storage memory from the second encoded address using offset linear mapping and write second data to the second physical address in the storage memory.

Abstract: An apparatus may include a controller configured search a hash database storing entries corresponding to hash values of previously stored data to find a hash page of the hash database corresponding to a range of hash values including the first hash value. When the hash page is found, the controller may be configured to determine whether the hash page does not include an entry for the first hash value, the first hash page further including a base hash value for the range of hash values. When the hash page does not include an entry for the first hash value, the controller may be configured to generate a first entry of the first hash page for the first hash value, the first entry including an offset value from the base hash value corresponding to the first hash value and a data location at which the received data is to be stored.

Abstract: A magnetic recording head is provided including a body with a trailing surface, a plurality of bond pads in a row, each of which is spaced by a gap from an adjacent bond pad along a width of the trailing surface. Each bond pad includes a base layer having a top surface, a coating layer covering at least a portion of the top surface of the base layer, two side edges spaced from each other across a width of the bond pad, wherein a width of the gap between adjacent bond pads is defined by one side edge of each of two adjacent bond pads, a top edge extending between the two side edges, and at least one solder dam comprising a nonwettable, electrically conductive material positioned adjacent to the top edge of at least one of the bond pads.

Abstract: Devices that include a write pole; a near field transducer (NFT) that includes a peg and a disk, wherein the peg is at the ABS of the device; and a diffusion barrier layer positioned between the write pole and the peg of the NFT, the diffusion barrier layer including metals, nitrides, oxides, carbides, silicides, or amorphous material.

Abstract: A device including a near field transducer, the near field transducer including gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), or aluminum (Al), and at least two other secondary atoms, the at least two other secondary atoms selected from: boron (B), bismuth (Bi), indium (In), sulfur (S), silicon (Si), tin (Sn), manganese (Mn), tellurium (Te), holmium (Ho), lutetium (Lu), praseodymium (Pr), scandium (Sc), uranium (U), barium (Ba), chlorine (Cl), cesium (Cs), dysprosium (Dy), europium (Eu), fluorine (F), germanium (Ge), hydrogen (H), iodine (I), rubidium (Rb), selenium (Se), terbium (Tb), nitrogen (N), oxygen (O), carbon (C), antimony (Sb), gadolinium (Gd), samarium (Sm), thallium (Tl), cadmium (Cd), neodymium (Nd), phosphorus (P), lead (Pb), hafnium (Hf), niobium (Nb), erbium (Er), zinc (Zn), magnesium (Mg), palladium (Pd), vanadium (V), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), lithium (Li), nickel (Ni), platinum (Pt), sodium (Na), strontium (Sr), calcium (Ca), yttrium (Y), thorium (Th), beryllium (Be), thulium (Tm), erbium

Abstract: Two or more video signals are received at respective two or more peer-level storage nodes. Discrete wavelet transformations are performed on the two or more video signals via the two or more peer-level storage nodes. Temporally stationary background data is determined from the discrete wavelet transformations at each of the two or more peer-level storage nodes. Redundancies are determined using the temporally stationary background data, the redundancies indicating an overlap between the two or more video signals. A storage size of two or more video signals is reduced by not storing the redundancies on at least one of the peer-level storage nodes.

Abstract: Systems and methods presented herein provide for testing degradation in a storage device. In one embodiment, a storage controller is operable to test individual portions of a first of the plurality of storage areas of the storage device by: analyzing individual portions of the first storage area; determining that one or more of the individual portions of the first storage area have failed; and retire the failed one or more portions of the first storage area. The storage controller is further operable to write to the first storage area using an error correction code (ECC), and to test the remaining portions of the first storage area to determine whether the first storage area should be retired in response to writing to the first storage area.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods disclosed herein relate to detecting a signal generated by a spin torque oscillator (STO). The signal is outputted, wherein the signal includes a direct current (DC) component, a wide bandwidth noise component, and an STO oscillating radio frequency (RF) component. The signal is filtered, wherein the filtering removes the DC component and the STO oscillating RF component, leaving the wide bandwidth noise component. A value of the wide bandwidth noise component is converted into a binary value, and a bit from the binary value is selected and combined with another bit to form a random number.

Abstract: An enclosure may be secured to an enclosure frame by a fastener that continuously extends through a first aperture of the enclosure and a second aperture of an isolator. The isolator may contact the first aperture, enclosure frame, and fastener. The second aperture can be shaped to dampen vibration frequencies between the enclosure frame and the enclosure.

Abstract: A disk drive enclosure includes a cover having a peripheral shape conforming to that of a base of the disk drive enclosure. A formed-in-place gasket is on an inner surface of the cover and corresponds to a shape of a mating edge of the base. The formed-in-place gasket forms a seal between the cover and the mating edge of the base. A stop member is located along an inner periphery of the formed-place-gasket and in immediate proximity to the formed-in-place gasket.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods of making a planar optical waveguide, the method including depositing an uncured waveguide material on a substrate, the uncured waveguide material having a first temperature when deposited and the uncured waveguide material having a density dependent on the temperature thereof; changing the temperature of at least a portion of the uncured waveguide material to a second temperature before curing, after curing, during curing or any combination thereof; and curing the uncured waveguide material to form the planar optical waveguide.

Abstract: A method for testing and grading electronic devices includes receiving a set of testing data associated with an electronic device that is following a testing routine. Based on the set of testing data, the method includes computing a first performance metric of the electronic device by using a first artificial neural network and computing a second performance metric of the electronic device by using a second artificial neural network. Based on at least the first predicted performance metric and the second predicted performance metric, the method includes computing a grade for the electronic device.