Abstract: A probe storage device includes a scanner chip having at least a suspension layer and a table layer an array chip, and at least one coil mounted to the scanner chip. The probe storage device further includes a top plate mounted proximate to the table layer. The top plate includes at least one magnet positioned adjacent the at least one coil. A base plate is mounted proximate to the suspension layer and includes at least one magnet positioned adjacent to the at least one coil. An electronic component mounting cavity is formed in one of the table layer, suspension layer, at least one top plate and base plate. An electronic component is mounted within the electronic component mounting cavity. The electronic component is wired directly to the scanner chip to provide a direct wired connection to that eliminates the need for a printed circuit board.

Abstract: A method includes: writing data to a bit-patterned media at times determined by a clock having a period that is offset from a bit island period by a fixed offset to create one insertion or one deletion approximately within a predetermined number of bit islands, reading the data, and correcting the read data using error correction. An apparatus that implements the method is also provided.

Abstract: In general, circuit scale in a DAE is large. The proposed DAE includes First multipliers, Unit processing circuits and Combined circuits. First multipliers use temporary estimated values to respectively compute signals. Unit processing circuits use the signals, which are multiplication results of the first multipliers, to respectively compute signals. Combined circuits use the signals, outputted from the unit processing circuits, to compute respective logarithm likelihood ratios ?4 and ?5. Here, in the unit processing circuits, by sharing part of circuits related to computing continuous ?s, the circuit scale of the DAE is reduced. For example, with regard to computation of ?4 and ?5, part of four unit processing circuits is shared.

Abstract: Apparatuses, circuitry, architectures, systems, methods, algorithms and software for performing automatic gain calibration on an input signal. The apparatuses and/or circuits generally include an amplifier, a filter, a comparator, and a controller. The amplifier is configured to receive a gain level signal and to amplify the input signal in accordance with the gain level signal to produce an amplified signal. The filter is configured to filter the amplified signal to produce a filtered signal. The comparator is configured to compare the filtered output to a threshold value and to produce a comparison signal in response thereto. The controller is configured to iteratively reset the filter and adjust the gain level signal in response to the comparison signal to select a gain level.

Abstract: A method includes estimating a phase difference between components of a position signal in a servo position estimation system, and correcting the phase difference of the components of the position signal to provide a phase-compensated position signal.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for temperature compensation for hard disk drive writer overshoot current are disclosed. A disclosed system comprises creating a first delay based on the temperature of the hard disk drive, creating a second delay based on the temperature of the hard disk drive, and creating a pulse based on the first and second delay.

Abstract: Provided is an optical disk apparatus which has high read retry ability and high compatibility by performing a proper verify for other apparatuses. The optical disk apparatus includes a playback system capable of arbitrarily changing playback performance, and means which detects and determines a factor causing a read error. Moreover, a read retry is performed by use of playback parameters corresponding to the factor causing the read error. Furthermore, a verify is performed with the playback performance of the playback system lowered.

Abstract: A head IC adjusts an amplitude level of head read signals with regard to scattering in head output characteristics, so as to conform to the input dynamic range of the read channel AGC. An AGC amplifier is provided in a head IC connected to a read channel, and the feedback response speed of the AGC circuit of the head IC is set to be substantially slower than the feedback response speed of the AGC circuit of the read channel. Within the head IC, the amplitude of signals from the head is automatically adjusted, enabling adjustment of the input signal level to the input dynamic range of the AGC amplifier of the read channel. The AGC circuit of the head IC has no effect on the faster AGC operation of the AGC circuit of the read channel.

Abstract: A disk drive that approximates spiral slope in spiral patterns is disclosed. The disk drive includes a disk having at least one spiral pattern that extends radially across the disk, a head to read a portion of the at least one spiral pattern, and a processor to approximate a spiral slope of the portion of the at least one spiral pattern. The processor approximates the spiral slope of the portion of the at least one spiral pattern by implementing operations including: reading amplitude values for the portion of the at least one spiral pattern; determining an amplitude value distribution based on the amplitude values; determining a curve-fitted function for the amplitude value distribution; and determining an approximate spiral slope based on the curve-fitted function.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method and a device for scanning data stored on a recording medium. The device comprises a reading head and further comprises: means to calculate an error rate of the data read by said reading head, said data being arranged as groups of data, means to align the reading head in respect with the next data to be read according to said error rate of the data read, the reading head reads at least twice some of said groups, changing position in respect with the group of data from one reading to the other, means to compare the calculated error rate corresponding to each position of the said reading head, means to align the reading head with the relative position in respect with the groups of data giving the lowest error rate in order to read the following groups of data, and the means to align the reading head adjust the frequency of the groups of data read at least twice.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention allow for a precise altitude to be calculated from read-out signals of a head slider. In one embodiment, a hard disk controller/multiprocessing unit (HDC/MPU) determines a head element portion in which the instability has occurred in accordance with the resolution change. The HDC/MPU adjusts the clearance accordingly. The head element portion reads signals of different frequencies under a condition of the signal strengths coinciding with a reference value, and the HDC/MPU calculates the resolution. The HDC/MPU determines that the instability has occurred if the difference is outside the criterion. The HDC/MPU uses the read-out signal of a head slider in which the instability has not occurred to calculate the altitude.

Abstract: A method for testing operation of a preamplifier circuit includes generating a first symbol, converting the first symbol into a write signal, transmitting the write signal to a write signal input of the preamplifier circuit, and looping the write signal back to a read signal output of the preamplifier circuit.

Abstract: Circuits, systems, and methods for generating bias for a magneto-resistive (MR) sensor in a magnetic storage device. The circuits generally include an amplifier having an input coupled to a magneto-resistive (MR) sensor, a feedback resistive element having an output coupled to the MR sensor, and a feedback control circuit having a first input coupled to an output of the amplifier, an output coupled to an input of the feedback resistive element, and a second input coupled the output of the feedback resistive element, wherein the feedback control circuit is configured to provide a bias current to the MR sensor through the feedback resistive element. The methods generally include amplifying a signal from the MR sensor to produce an amplified signal, producing a feedback signal from the amplified signal, the feedback signal having a predetermined bias characteristic, and applying the feedback signal to the MR sensor.

Abstract: A method for testing a hard disk drive is described. The method includes determining a number of defects associated with a portion of recordable media associated with a hard disk drive. The method further includes comparing the number of determined defects to a threshold number of defects and provided the number of determined defects is greater than the threshold number of defects, determining that the portion of the disk comprises disk defects.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk having a plurality of data tracks, wherein each data track comprises a plurality of data sectors. A head is actuated radially over the disk in order to read one of the data sectors from a target data track on the disk. The data sector is stored in a buffer and decoded with an error correction code (ECC) decoder. When the decode fails, an erasure window is adjusted based on a number of non-read data sectors recorded in the target data track, wherein the erasure window comprises a length spanning at least one ECC symbol in the data sector. The data sector is read from the buffer and decoded with the ECC decoder using the erasure window.

Abstract: A magnetic recording and reproducing device is a hard disk device which writes information onto a magnetic disk (not shown), or reads information therefrom, and includes: a reproducing head; a recording head; and a magnetic head driving circuit. The magnetic head driving circuit is a circuit, by which driving of the reproducing head and the recording head is controlled, and onto which the reproducing head, a recording head driving circuit, a control unit, and a variable impedance element are integrated. This magnetic head driving circuit is switched on a time division base to a read mode during reproducing operation, and to a write mode during recording operation. The control unit reduces the impedance of the variable impedance element during the write mode.

Abstract: A biasing device for a magneto-resistive element, including a first bias supply circuit coupled to the magneto-resistive element; and a first bias control circuit coupled to the first bias supply circuit, the first bias control circuit capable of controlling the first bias supply circuit to provide a first calibration mode bias signal during a calibration mode and a first operating mode bias signal during an operating mode, the first operating mode bias signal having a lower noise level than the first calibration mode bias signal.

Abstract: A method of selecting a dynamic fly height (DFH) control setting for a head in a disk drive is disclosed. The head is servoed over a disk, and a fly height measurement is generated for the head. A frequency component is extracted from the fly height measurement, and the DFH control setting for the head is adjusted in response to the extracted frequency component.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention includes a disk-drive write head fault detection system. The system includes an output stage configured to generate a monitored current through the disk-drive write head. The system also includes an open-circuit fault detector configured to compare a magnitude of a first reference current with a magnitude of the monitored current to detect an open-circuit fault condition associated with the disk-drive write head. The system further includes a short-to-ground fault detector configured to compare a magnitude of a second reference current with the magnitude of the monitored current to detect a short-to-ground fault condition associated with the disk-drive write head.

Abstract: A controller for a self-servo writer includes a wedge writer that writes a first set of wedges of servo data and a second set of wedges of servo data between wedges of the first set. A wedge entender writes first extensions to the first set of wedges using at least one of a position reference and a timing reference from a corresponding wedge of the second set.