Abstract: A light delivery system in a slider includes a channel waveguide, a mode-index refractive surface, a solid immersion mirror, and a near field transducer. The mode-index refractive surface shapes the angular spectrum of the light on its path to the solid immersion mirror in a manner so as to change the distribution of light energy focused on to the near field transducer.

Abstract: A hard disk drive uses a second, reference burst field in a preamble to estimate burst phase and burst magnitude. Such estimations are used for position error signal integration and repeatable runout correction. Gain error is also derived from such estimations. Information contained in a preamble field is used in conjunction with the reference burst phase estimation to synchronize servo address marks.

Abstract: An optical disc device uses an optical disc (6) capable of super-resolution reproduction, and includes a semiconductor laser (1), a laser driving circuit (21) that supplies a driving current to the semiconductor laser, a light receiving element (8) that detects return light from the optical disc (6) and obtains reproduction signal of recording data of the optical disc (6), and a light emission amount control means (22) that controls a light emission amount of the semiconductor laser (1) by the laser driving circuit (21) so as to keep a peak intensity of a focused light spot formed on an information recording layer of the optical disc 6 to be greater than or equal to a peak intensity at which a super-resolution effect is obtained.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a disk storage apparatus includes a disk, a slider, and a controller. The slider includes a head having a write element, a read element, and a head disk interference (HDI) sensor. The controller detects at least abnormality in vibration of the head based on an alternating current component of interference detected by the HDI sensor and an HDI sensor threshold. The controller further measures a characteristic of the HDI sensor and a flying height of the head and adjusts the HDI sensor threshold based on results of the measurements.

Abstract: A magnetic disk device according to an embodiment includes a head and a disk with a recording surface, the head including a reader configured to perform data reading, and a writer configured to write data. A method of correcting a read/write offset, according to the embodiment, is applied to the above magnetic disk device. This method includes reconstructing position data read by the reader, using a spline function, and correcting a read/write offset due to the distance between the writer and the reader, using the reconstructed position data.

Abstract: A tape drive receives multiple write requests for data pieces and a synchronization request corresponding to the write requests from a device, performs a synchronization process, and returns a completion status of the synchronization request. The tape drive includes a write controller that stores data pieces transferred from the device in the buffer, according to a first write request, receives a first synchronization request and then a subsequent write request for at least one data piece, and returns the completion status when processing for the first synchronization request is completed and the subsequent write request is received with a command queuing function.

Abstract: A storage device which includes a plurality of magnetic disk drives has a storage unit that stores, for each of the plurality of magnetic disk drives, information of whether or not the magnetic disk drive is incorporated in a redundant structure, a specifying unit that specifies, among the plurality of magnetic disk drives, a plurality of magnetic disk drives which have a redundant structure on the basis of the information stored in the storage unit, and a control unit that controls, for the plurality of magnetic disk drives specified by the specifying unit, an execution timing of sweep operation in which a head smoothes a lubricant material such that the sweep operation is executed for a single magnetic disk drive at a time.

Abstract: Light is guided from a light source into a waveguide coupler embedded in a slider. The light source is capable of being positioned in a cross-track, a down-track, and a vertical direction with regards to the waveguide coupler. The light emanating from an air-bearing surface of the slider is imaged using a device that generates an optical image of the air-bearing surface. A cross-track alignment position is identified as a location at which the image shows substantially the same number of photons on each side of the cross-track alignment position and has a minimum spread. A down-track alignment position is identified at which the light emanating from the air-bearing surface has maximal intensity in a down-track direction.

Abstract: A data storage device with improved data storage densities, coupled with lower hard error and write-inhibit events is described. A feed-forward write inhibit (FFWI) method enables data tracks to be written more densely. Alternatively, the FFWI method may reduce the hard error and write inhibit events to improve data storage performance. A concept of virtual tracks enables the FFWI method to be applied to the writing of circular data tracks with non-circular servo tracks, or to the writing of non-circular data tracks with PES data from circular servo tracks—in both cases, improvements to performance and/or storage densities are enabled. The FFWI method may also be applied to the case of both non-circular servo and data tracks.

Abstract: New and useful methods and systems for detecting sync signals/patterns in streams of data are disclosed. For example, in an embodiment system for processing data includes a first module having dedicated processing circuitry configured to detect a sync signal embedded in a received stream of data and to produce an output stream of data, and second module that includes a firmware-controlled processor configured to correct sufficient errors within the received stream of data so as to allow the first module to detect the sync signal on a condition when the first module by itself is incapable of resolving the sync signal caused by the errors in the received stream of data.

Abstract: A data storage system having a read channel configured to function in a normal operation mode and a test mode. In the normal operation mode, the read channel is configured to decode a readback signal to obtain data bits. In the test mode, the read channel is configured to extract gain control loop data and/or timing control loop data from the readback signal.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for data processing. For example, a data processing system is disclosed that includes a combination data decoder circuit. The combination data decoder circuit includes: a non-binary data decoder circuit and a binary data decoder circuit.

Abstract: Provided is an optical disc device capable of correcting a value of a control parameter during an operation of reading information from an optical disc medium. The optical disc device for reading the information recorded on the optical disc medium under an operation condition corresponding to a value set with respect to a predetermined control parameter corrects the value of the predetermined control parameter by repeatedly executing, while an operation of reading the information from the optical disc medium is being performed, processing of: acquiring, with respect to two values of the predetermined control parameter, evaluation values indicating accuracy of the reading of the information from the optical disc medium, respectively; and updating the value of the predetermined control parameter based on the two acquired evaluation values.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for data processing. For example, a data processing system is discussed that includes: an equalizer circuit, a signal to noise ratio calculation circuit, and a parameter adjustment circuit. The equalizer circuit is operable to equalize a data input to yield an equalized output. The signal to noise ratio calculation circuit is operable to calculate a signal to noise ratio of the equalized output based at least in part on a noise power derived from the equalized output. The parameter adjustment circuit is operable to adjust a parameter based at least in part on the signal to noise ratio.

Abstract: A data detecting device includes a multi-input adaptive equalizer, a binarizing unit, and an equalization error calculating unit. The multi-input adaptive equalizer includes a plurality of adaptive equalizers and outputs a reproduction information signal from a target track and a reproduction information signal from a close track close to the target track as equalization signals by calculating outputs of the adaptive equalizers, the reproduction information signals being input to the adaptive equalizers, respectively as reproduction information signals. The binarizing unit obtains binarized data by performing a binarization process on the equalization signals.

Abstract: A data capture device including a signal processing unit, a frequency locked circuit and a match circuit is provided. The signal processing unit converts a radio frequency signal to a return-to-zero signal. The frequency locked circuit estimates a minimum interval length by the return-to-zero signal in a plurality of detecting periods, and generates an enable signal according to the minimum interval length and the return-to-zero signal. The frequency locked circuit determines whether to calibrate the enable signal according to a distribution of a plurality of enable pulses in the enable signal to generate a sampling signal. The match circuit samples the return-to-zero signal by the sampling signal and generates a synchronization signal according to a sampling result. The match circuit generates a composite synchronization signal by a virtual signal and the synchronization signal, and captures a plurality of row data from the return-to-zero signal according to the composite synchronization signal.

Abstract: In reproduction of a two-dimensional page data from an optical information recording medium utilizing holography, a reproduced two-dimensional page data is divided into a plurality of areas each of which has a predetermined size, the divided two-dimensional areas are individually subjected to adaptive equalizing, and then are coupled to restore the condition of the original two-dimensional page data.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk comprising servo information. A position error signal is generated while executing a first plurality of seek operations to seek the head over a seek length, and first feed-forward compensation values are adapted for a first segment of the seek length using an iterative learning control algorithm based on the position error signal. During a second plurality of seeks, second feed-forward compensation values are adapted for a second segment of the seek length using the iterative learning control algorithm based on the position error signal. The servo control system is operable to execute the second plurality of seek operations using the first feed-forward compensation generated for the first segment of the seek length.

Abstract: A fixing structure of an optical component is composed of a device chassis; a holder holding an optical component; first and second plate parts for joint to the device chassis and a connecting part of both the plate parts are formed in the holder; a plurality of joint holes are formed in the second plate part; a U-groove into which the connecting part of the holder is fitted and a plurality of through-holes are formed in the device chassis; and an adhesive that is extended in a circular columnar shape and is made by inserting the holder into the U-groove of the device chassis, and applying a UV-curing adhesive in such a manner that the UV-curing adhesive is bonded to the first plate part of the holder and is continuous to the inside of the joint hole via the inside of the through-hole, and radiating UV light along the through-hole.

Abstract: A data storage and retrieval system includes a head carriage unit adapted for rotational motion and having multiple heads disposed at a working surface. The system also includes a tape drive unit configured to move a tape media past the working surface of the head carriage unit, the tape media having a width approximately equal to a width of the working surface. As the head carriage unit rotates and the tape moves past the working surface, a first head is configured to write a data track to the tape and a second head is configured to thereafter read the data track, where data read by the second head is for use in verifying data integrity and performing error correction.