Abstract: An intelligent hard disk drive subsystem including control circuitry and disk drive storage media along with drive mechanics in a combination including a standardized interface between the intelligent subsystem and a host computer wherein the data is buffered, serialized, deserialized, conditioned, precompensated, and located within the media, all under the control of a microprocessor within the subsystem. A method of formatting the media is provided which eliminates the need for a track 0 sensing switch, and which provides for formatted guard bands on the disk. The formatting process locates the head through a sequence of writing, indexing, and reading, until a stop is located by the fact that the head reads what it has just written.

Abstract: A method of formatting a drive system for a magnetic data storage disk which eliminates the need for track-zero sensors. According to the method, formatting is begun at a first crash stop and proceeds across the disk to the opposite crash stop, in incremental steps from track to track.