Abstract: The present techniques present methods and systems for increasing a data reading rate on optical data disks using a single reading head. The methods take advantage of the difference between a mean focal distance (MFD), or minimum spacing that the detector can distinguish between bits, and the minimum separation of bits in a single track to increase the reading speed. As the bits may be more closely spaced across adjacent tracks or layers, these techniques may be used to increase the reading speed of the disk. Specifically, the data symbols that make up a single bit-stream may be stored in a pattern horizontally across adjacent tracks, or vertically across adjacent layers. Accordingly, the focal point of the detector is scanned across the disk in the same pattern to read the individual data symbols.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk comprising a plurality of tracks, and a head actuated over the disk. One of the tracks is read to generate a read signal, and a noise signal is injected into the read signal to generate a noisy read signal. An off-track read capability (OTRC) is measured based on the noisy read signal, and a parameter of the disk drive is adjusted based on the OTRC.

Abstract: Described embodiments provide a method of cancelling inter-track interference (ITI) from one or more sectors read from a desired track of a storage medium. A road channel reads sectors in a desired track of the storage medium. A decoder of the read channel decodes the read sectors, and if the read sectors are incorrectly recovered from the storage medium, selected sectors of a first adjacent track and a second adjacent track are read. An ITI canceller of the read channel estimates ITI in the read sectors of the desired track corresponding to the selected sectors of each adjacent track and subtracts the estimated ITI of each adjacent track from the data for the sectors of the desired track, providing updated sector data. The ITI cancelled data is replayed to the decoder, which decodes the ITI cancelled data and provides the decoded ITI cancelled data as output of the read channel.

Abstract: Storing data in a hard disk drive may include determining a percentage of storage usage (SU %) of the data tracks. If the SU % is less than a first threshold percentage (TP1), the method may include storing data to Nth data tracks. If the SU % is greater than or equal to TP1, but less than a second threshold percentage (TP2), the method may include storing data to about N/2 data tracks between said Nth data tracks. If the SU % is greater than or equal to TP2, the method may include storing data to data tracks between said N/2 data tracks and said Nth data tracks.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk comprising a plurality of servo tracks defined by servo sectors, wherein each servo sector comprises a plurality of servo bursts. The servo bursts in a servo sector are read to generate a read signal, and a position error signal (PES) is generated in response to the read signal, wherein the PES represents a position of the head over the disk. A fly height measurement (FHM) is generated in response to the read signal, and the FHM is adjusted based on an adjustment value generated in response to the PES.

Abstract: A tape drive device for storing data in a tape cartridge includes a comparison unit that compares a transfer speed of the data transmitted from a host machine to the tape drive device with a speed threshold, a speed determination unit that determines a writing speed to a tape cartridge using the speed threshold, and a data write unit that writes data to the tape cartridge, the data write unit writing data to the magnetic tape provided for the tape cartridge when the determined writing speed is higher than the speed threshold, and the data write unit writing subsequent data following data written to the magnetic tape to the non-volatile semiconductor memory provided for the tape cartridge when the determined writing speed is lower than the speed threshold.

Abstract: The present invention optimizes recording power based on correct ? value. Whether an average of modulation values between the 2-4th AUNs is equal to or less than 65% of an average of modulation values between the 5-7th AUNs or not is judged. Otherwise, the gradual emission is performed, the ? value is measured, and then the following requirement is judged: (average of ? values between 5-7th AUNs)?(average of ? values between 2-4th AUNs)?0.18 If each requirement is satisfied, track shift is judged to occur. The recording area of high output is compared with the recording area of lower output to judge whether or not magnitude relation matches the correct magnitude relation. Also, whether the difference between the ? value of high output and the ? value of lower output is equal to or more than the predetermined value (0.18) or not is judged.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a signal processing circuit. The signal processing circuit includes a processing path and a zero-start module. The processing path is configured to process an electrical signal that is generated in response to reading data on a storage medium. The data includes at least a first field and a second field. The electrical signal has a first profile corresponding to the first field and has a second profile corresponding to the second field. The zero-start module is configured to detect a field change from the first field to the second field, and control the processing path to add a compensation as a function of a profile change from the first profile to the second profile to keep the processed electrical signal to have a predetermined profile in response to the detected field change.

Abstract: Disclosed is an archive system for a double sided optical disc, in which optical disc drives for recording or reading data on second surfaces of double sided optical discs are mounted in at least one of first and second drive bays respectively mounted at left and right sides of a disc picker robot, so that data recording or reading operations on first and second surfaces of double sided optical discs can be automatically performed.

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: Techniques are described for constructing maximum transition run (MTR) modulation code based upon a multi-level (ML) run-length limited (RLL) finite state machine (FSM) that implements different sets of penalties. A processor is configured to receive information from a hard disk drive (HDD) via a read channel and recover data from the HDD using MTR modulation code. A memory has computer executable instructions configured for execution by the processor to model a magnetic recording channel as a partial response channel, model a source of information to the magnetic recording channel to provide an optimized Markov source, and construct an MTR modulation code to mimic the optimized Markov source based upon an FSM having a limited transition run length and a multi-level periodic structure. The FSM provides at least two different sets of penalties in a period.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk device includes a reference head select module selects any one of magnetic heads as a reference head; a follow-up controller executes a follow-up control of a trajectory of the reference head based on a signal read by the reference head; and an eccentric controller executes an eccentric control of a trajectory of a magnetic head other than the reference head in order that an eccentric error between the trajectory of the reference head and the trajectory of the corresponding magnetic head is close to zero.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a write pole, a waveguide adjacent to the write pole, the waveguide having a truncated end, and a blocking layer positioned adjacent the truncated end and extending from one side of the waveguide across a portion of an aperture at the truncated end. The waveguide can be a solid immersion mirror or a channel waveguide.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for data processing. As an example, a data processing system is disclosed that includes Various embodiments of the present invention provide data processing systems that include an analog to digital converter circuit and a phase and gain computation circuit. The analog to digital converter circuit is operable to convert an analog input into a series of digital samples. At least a portion of the series of digitals samples represent a periodic signal from a servo data region. The phase and gain computation circuit is operable to: determine an approximate amplitude of the periodic signal based at least in part upon the digital samples representing the periodic signal from the servo data region; determine a gain based at least in part on the approximate amplitude; and determine a phase based at least in part on the approximate amplitude.

Abstract: A copy-protected optical recording medium, a method for driving thereof and a method for manufacturing thereof, wherein the optical recording medium includes at least one region whose address is designated to be said same with that of other region of the medium.

Abstract: A data storage device is disclosed comprising a non-volatile memory and control circuitry comprising an interface operable to receive a supply voltage, and a capacitor. An operating voltage regulator converts the supply voltage into an operating voltage used to operate the non-volatile memory. The supply voltage is used to charge the capacitor to a capacitor voltage higher than the supply voltage, and during a power failure, a backup voltage regulator converts the capacitor voltage into a backup voltage substantially equal to the supply voltage. The operating voltage regulator converts the backup voltage into the operating voltage used to operate the non-volatile memory.

Abstract: An objective lens element that can suppress occurrence of an aberration is disclosed. Sawtooth-like diffraction structures having different height and cycles (pitches) are provided on an inner part R21 and an outer part R22, respectively. A curved surface M211 extending at an intermediate level of recesses and projections of the sawtooth-like diffraction structure provided on the inner part R21, and a curved surface M212 extending at an intermediate level of recesses and projections of the sawtooth-like diffraction structure provided on the outer part R22 are smoothly connected to each other. Even when wavelength of the light source and/or the environmental temperature change, a phase shift does not occur between the inner part R21 and the outer part R22, and a decrease in diffraction efficiency and occurrence of an aberration can be suppressed.

Abstract: A hard disk drive (HDD) has a high track misregistration (TMR) mode of writing data. If the position error signal (PES) from the servo positioning information exceeds a first write inhibit threshold (WI-1), writing is not inhibited but a high TMR mode of operation is enabled. In high TMR mode, prior to writing data to the target track, the data on the adjacent tracks is read and stored in a buffer. The data to be written to the target track is also stored in the buffer, and is flagged to indicate that the data needs to be written. The data is then written to the target track. However, if during writing the PES exceeds a second threshold (WI-2), then the data from the adjacent encroached track in the buffer is flagged for writing and the process repeated with the encroached track set as the target track.

Abstract: An optical pickup device corresponding to a plurality of media is provided. The optical pickup device includes a light emitting system and a light receiving system including a plurality of light sources and a light transmission system shared by the light emitting system and the light receiving system, configured to irradiate light on a medium, and receive light reflected from the medium. The light transmission system irradiates light from the light emitting system to be appropriately focused on the medium, receives light reflected from the medium, and transports light to the light receiving system. The light transmission system includes one beam splitter corresponding to the light emitting system and the light receiving system and a position-changing collimating lens shared to correspond to a plurality of media. The position-changing collimating lens is disposed between the beam splitter and the medium, the position being controlled according to optical characteristics of the media.

Abstract: An optical disc drive and a method of reading an optical disc are disclosed. The drive includes an I/O port, an optical pickup module and a format conversion unit. The I/O port couples a host to receive a read command of a host terminal file system format. The optical pickup module accesses the optical disc which contains data of a first file system format. The format conversion unit coupled between the I/O port and the optical pickup module includes a mapping information generation module, a memory module and a read-command processing module. The mapping information generation module controls the optical pickup module to access data and thereby to generate mapping information. The memory module stores the mapping information. The read-command processing module controls the optical pickup module to access the optical disc according to the read command by referring to the mapping information.