Abstract: The invention is a servo compensation method and system for use in a disk storage system. The disk storage system experiences error that causes a head to become mis-aligned with the disk. The error comprises run-out error and other servo position errors. During follow mode, a digital filter processes a position error signal to generate a compensation signal. The position error signal is comprised of components representative of the run-out error and the other servo position errors. The compensation signal is comprised of components that cause the servo positioning system to compensate for the run-out error and the other servo position errors. The digital filter also operates as an oscillator that provides an oscillating signal the spin frequency of the disk during seek mode.

Abstract: The invention comprises a magnetic disk storage system and comprises method for configuring the magnetic disk storage system. The magnetic disk storage system facilitates write and read operations that compensate for variances that are experienced with magnetic disk storage systems. When writing data to a data sector, the magnetic disk storage system utilizes a phase lock oscillator field that has a length that is specified for that data sector. When reading from a data sector, the magnetic disk storage system utilizes an incremental read delay that has a duration that is specified for that data sector. Data sectors with shorter data sector delay periods can have shorter phase lock oscillator fields than data sectors with larger data sector delay periods. This frees-up memory space and increases the capacity and performance of the magnetic disk storage system.

Abstract: A burst error limiting symbol detector system includes a symbol detector circuit responsive to a truncated sample signal for detecting binary symbols encoded in a truncated sample signal with reference to at least one preselected reference level; a feedback equalizer circuit for providing a feedback equalizer signal for cancelling undesired samples in an input signal; a summing circuit, responsive to the input signal and the feedback equalizer signal for providing the truncated sample signal to the symbol detector circuit; and a feedback suppressor circuit responsive to the truncated sample being within a predetermined range of the preselected reference level for suppressing the feedback equalizer signal to prevent marginal detected binary symbols from contributing to the cancellation of undesired samples in the input signal.

Abstract: A system for halting operation of a hard disk controller when a write operation occurs during a servo positioning error condition including a memory cell for retaining an indication of whether a write operation occurred during the previous servo sector. A memory cell, such as a flip flop, is set on any occurrence of a write operation. With the reading of a next servo field, the output of the first flip flop is latched to a second flip flop. During a present servo sector, a servo positioning error signal is logically AND'ed with a write gate active signal where the write gate active signal is enabled if write gate is active in the present servo sector or write gate was active in the previous servo sector (as indicated by the output from the second flip flop.

Abstract: Disclosed is a compact disc apparatus having automatic start capabilities. The compact disc apparatus includes a digital signal processor for reading sectors that have a plurality of EFM frames, and the EFM frames contain at least a data component and a subcode component. Also included is a Q-subcode extractor for retrieving a Q-bit from each of the plurality of EFM frames being read by the digital signal processor. An auto-start unit is further included to analyze and process the retrieved Q-bits from each of the plurality of EFM frames, such that a determination is made as to whether a minute/second/frame derived from the retrieved Q-bits matches a desired start minute/second/frame location. Wherein the data being read from sectors by the digital signal processor starts transferring data to a memory beginning with the desired start minute/second/frame when the match is found by the auto-start unit.

Abstract: Disclosed is a tracking control integrated circuit (IC) system implementation and method for controlling the gain of a digital-to-analog converter in a disk drive system. The tracking control IC system includes components defined in integrated circuit chips and components defined on a printed circuit board. The tracking control IC system is configured to be implemented in a disk drive system that includes a disk media. The tracking control IC system includes a servo controller chip that includes a compensator/processor, the digital-to-analog converter, and a switch. The switch is configured to receive a high gain signal (being Low or High) for setting the switch in an open state or a closed state. The tracking control IC system further includes a power amplifier chip having amplifying elements. The power amplifier chip has a first input and a second input, both of which connect to selected ones of the amplifying elements.

Abstract: A constrained fixed delay tree search receiver for an MTR=2 encoded communication channel includes a filter circuit responsive to a received signal for producing a channel impulse response including a plurality of filtered samples with at least one of the post cursor filter samples forced to zero; a feedback equalizer circuit responsive to the channel symbol identified at the output of the receiver and the filtered samples for producing corresponding truncated samples comprised of linear combinations of coefficients characterizing the channel and channel symbols constrained by the MTR=2 code; and a detector including a discrete time filter responsive to the truncated samples for generating a set of signals defining a multi-segment boundary which divides the combination of the set of signals into two groups; a comparator circuit responsive to the discrete time filter for determining to which of the groups the combination of the set of signals belongs, and a logic circuit, responsive to the comparator circuit,

Abstract: A disk resident system for managing defective data sector information in a defective data sector map in a headerless format magnetic disk device. The defective data sector map is stored in gaps between fields in the headerless disk format itself or in existing disk administration fields. The defective data sector map includes a plurality of binary digits that individually correspond to a defective or non-defective status of an individual data sector on at least one section of at least one track proximate to the defective data sector map. The defective data sector map can be minimized by compressing repetitive 0's or 1's in the map. ECC coding and/or other redundancy checks can be included to ensure validity of the defective data sector map.

Abstract: A disk resident system for managing split data sector information in a headerless format magnetic disk device. The split data sector information is stored in a split data sector information field that is recorded in available areas within a headerless disk format such as the gaps within the headerless disk format or in available space within disk administration fields. Preferred areas within a headerless disk format include the gap immediate preceding a servo burst, the gap immediately following a servo burst, or within the servo burst itself, so that the split data sector information is readily available at the time the servo burst is read and interpreted.