Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for adaptive channel bit density estimation. For example, various embodiments of the present invention provide methods for adaptively estimating channel bit density. Such methods include providing a storage medium (178) that includes information corresponding to a process data set, and accessing the process data set from the storage medium (505). A first channel bit density estimate (535) is computed based at least in part on a first portion of the process data set (520-530), and a second channel bit density estimate (535) is calculated based at least in part on the first portion of the process data set, a second portion of the process data set (520-530) and the first channel bit density estimate (535).

Abstract: In one embodiment, a storage-device-implemented method for estimating one or more channel parameters of a storage device including a read channel and a storage medium with a bit sequence stored on the storage medium. The method includes: (a) the storage device reading at least a portion of the bit sequence from the storage medium to generate a bit response; (b) the storage device convolving the bit response to compute an impulse response of the read channel; and (c) the storage device estimating one or more channel parameters based on the computed impulse response.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for data processing. For example, a data processing circuit is discussed that includes an analog to digital converter circuit, a digital filter circuit, a data detector circuit, a mimic filter circuit, and a sample clock generation circuit. The analog to digital converter circuit is operable to receive a data input and to provide corresponding digital samples. The digital filter circuit is operable to receive the digital samples and to provide a filtered output. The data detector circuit is operable to perform a data detection process on the filtered output to yield a detected output. The mimic filter circuit is operable to receive the digital samples and to provide a mimicked output. The sample clock generation circuit is operable to provide a sample clock based at least in part on the detected output and the mimicked output.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for data processing. For example, a data processing circuit is discussed that includes a data detector circuit, a detector mimicking circuit, and an error calculation circuit. The data detector circuit is operable to perform a data detection process on a first signal derived from a data input to yield a detected output. The data mimicking circuit is operable to process a second signal derived from the data input to yield a mimicked output. The error calculation circuit is operable to calculate a difference between the second signal and a third signal derived from the mimicked output to yield a feedback signal. The feedback signal is operable to modify the data input during a subsequent period.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for calibrating a data processing circuit. For example, a method for calibrating a data processing circuit is discussed that includes providing a digital filter, providing a detector circuit, and providing an analog filter. Operation of the digital filter is at least in part governed by filter taps that correspond to a filter tap constraint value. Operation of the detector circuit is at least in part governed by a target parameter. Operation of the analog filter is at least in part governed by an analog parameter that is one of a plurality of analog parameters. The methods further include selecting a target parameter, and calculating the filter tap constraint value based on the target parameter. Combinations of the target parameter, the calculated filter tap constraint value, and each of the plurality of analog parameters are applied to identify the analog parameter.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for acquiring timing and/or gain information. For example, various embodiments of the present invention provide data processing circuits that include a sample splitting circuit, a first averaging circuit, a second averaging circuit and a parameter calculation circuit. The sample splitting circuit receives a data input that includes a series of samples that repeat periodically over at least a first phase and a second phase. The sample splitting circuit divides the series of samples into at least a first sub-stream corresponding to the first phase and a second sub-stream corresponding to the second phase. The first averaging circuit averages values from the first sub-stream to yield a first average, and the second averaging circuit averages values from the second sub-stream to yield a second average. The parameter calculation circuit calculates a parameter value based at least in part on the first average and the second average.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for phase compensated harmonic sensing. For example, a circuit for harmonics calculation is disclosed that includes a phase difference estimation circuit and a phase offset compensation circuit. The harmonic calculation circuit is operable to calculate a first harmonic based on a periodic data pattern and a second harmonic based on the periodic data pattern. The phase difference estimation circuit operable to calculate a phase difference between the first harmonic and the second harmonic. The phase offset compensation circuit operable to align the second harmonic with the first harmonic to yield an aligned harmonic.

Abstract: A QC-LDPC decoding system employing a trapping set look-up table is provided. The QC-LDPC decoding system includes an iterative decoder that utilizes a message-passing algorithm to decode a received codeword. If the iterative decoder fails to produce a valid codeword, additional processing is performed to decode the received codeword. The additional processing includes the steps of computing the syndrome pattern of the received codeword, searching the look-up table for a trapping set class that is responsible for the iterative decoder's failure, retrieving from the look-up table a syndrome pattern and an error pattern of a member of the responsible trapping set class, and calculating the error pattern of the received codeword based on its syndrome pattern and the information retrieved from the look-up table. The received codeword is then corrected based on its error pattern.

Abstract: Various approaches to recover data are described. An one example, an encoded data stream is processed in a first channel decoder producing a channel decoder output. The channel decoder output and the encoded data stream are processed in an error compensation unit to compensate the channel decoder output for low frequency noise and produce an error compensated data stream. The error compensated data stream is processed in a second channel decoder to produce a recovered data stream, wherein the recovered data stream has a reduction in the number of errors as compared to the encoded data stream. Systems to iteratively recover data from an encoded data stream are also described.

Abstract: A system and method of media defect compensation incorporate an architecture capable of modifying a signal representative of data reproduced from a recording medium to compensate for defects in the medium. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a media defect compensator may incorporate one or two data detectors cooperating with a defect detector to compensate for signal loss due to media defects.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for phase offset based spectral aliasing compensation. For example, a circuit for spectral aliasing reduction is disclosed that includes a phase shift circuit operable to phase shift an analog input signal and to provide a phase shifted analog signal; a first analog to digital converter circuit operable to provide a first series of digital samples corresponding to the analog input signal at a sampling frequency; a second analog to digital converter circuit operable to provide a second series of digital samples corresponding to the phase shifted analog signal at the sampling frequency; and an averaging circuit operable to average the first series of digital samples with the second series of digital samples to yield an average output.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for servo data based harmonics calculation. For example, a circuit for determining harmonics is disclosed that includes an analog to digital conversion circuit that provides a series of digital samples corresponding to a pattern within a servo data region of a storage medium, and a harmonic calculation circuit. The harmonic calculation circuit is operable to calculate a first harmonic value for the series of digital samples, calculate a second harmonic value for the series of digital samples, and calculate a ratio of the first harmonic value to the second harmonic value.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for servo data based harmonics calculation. For example, a method for calculating harmonics is disclosed that includes: providing a data processing circuit; receiving a first data set derived from a data source during a servo data processing period; performing a first harmonics calculation using the first data set to yield a first harmonics ratio; receiving a second data set derived from a source other than the previously mentioned data source during a user data processing period; performing a second harmonics calculation using the second data set to yield a second harmonics ratio; and calculating a ratio of the first harmonics ratio to the second harmonics ratio.

Abstract: A system for removing low frequency offset distortion from a digital signal, the system comprising an analog-to-digital converter to convert an analog frequency signal associated with an optical storage medium to a digital frequency signal; an equalizer to equalize the digital frequency signal; an estimator to estimate a low frequency offset distortion of the digital frequency signal; a compensator to substantially cancel the low frequency offset distortion of the digital frequency signal from the equalized digital frequency signal using the estimate; and a decoder to decode the equalized digital frequency signal having the low frequency offset distortion substantially cancelled therefrom.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a storage-device-implemented method for estimating one or more channel parameters of a storage device including a read channel and a storage medium with a bit sequence stored on the storage medium. The method includes: (a) the storage device reading at least a portion of the bit sequence from the storage medium to generate a bit response; (b) the storage device convolving the bit response to compute an impulse response of the read channel; and (c) the storage device estimating one or more channel parameters based on the computed impulse response.

Abstract: A detector includes Viterbi detectors. A first Viterbi detector generates a preliminary decision signal. A second Viterbi detector generates a final decision signal based on an input data signal and the preliminary decision signal. The second Viterbi detector is arranged in series with the first Viterbi detector.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a hard-disk drive system performs fly-height control using a read-back mode and a loop-back mode. The read-back mode measures first and second harmonics pre-recorded on the medium and divides the first measurement by the second to obtain a read-back mode harmonic ratio. The loop-back mode measures the same first and second harmonics; however, the harmonics are provided by a write precompensation circuit rather than the medium. Further, the loop-back mode measurements are performed using asynchronous sampling to address aliasing and quantization errors. The first measurement is divided by the second to generate a loop-back harmonic ratio. In logarithm domain, the loop-back ratio is subtracted from the read-back mode ratio to remove environment-induced variations in the read path electronic circuits. The resulting harmonic ratio is subtracted from an initial harmonic ratio determined, for example, during manufacturing, to determine how much the harmonic ratio has changed.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for data processing. For example, some embodiments of the present invention provide data processing circuits that include a variable gain amplifier, a gain circuit, and hybrid gain feedback combination circuit. The variable gain amplifier is operable to apply a gain to a data input corresponding to a gain feedback value and providing an amplified output. The gain circuit is operable to calculate a first algorithm error component and a second algorithm error component based at least in part on the amplified output. The hybrid gain feedback combination circuit is operable combine the first algorithm error component and the second algorithm error component to yield the gain feedback value when the data input includes a synchronization pattern.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for determining fly-height adjustments. For example, various embodiments of the present invention provide storage devices that include a storage medium, a read/write head assembly disposed in relation to the storage medium (278), and a SAM based fly-height adjustment circuit (214). The storage medium (278) includes a plurality of servo data regions (110) that each include a servo address mark (154). The SAM based fly-height adjustment circuit (214) receives the servo address mark (154) from the plurality of servo data regions (110) via the read/write head assembly (276), and calculates a first harmonics ratio (445) based on the received data. The first harmonics ratio (445) is compared with a second harmonics ratio (450) to determine an error (365) in the distance (295) between the read/write head assembly (276) and the storage medium (278).

Abstract: A system and method are provided to detect defects in a data storage medium by sampling data read from the data storage medium. Time referenced samples of data read from the data storage medium are equalized to mediate the effects of channel noise and the equalized samples are decoded by a decoder, such as a Viterbi decoder. The decoded signal is then reconstructed through a reconstruction filter to approximate the equalized signal. The equalized data signal and the reconstructed data signal are then combined and compared in a bit-by-bit deconstruction scheme to determine, based on a variation between the signal elements, that a defect exists on the data storage medium. Additional action is then taken to mediate the effects of attempting to process corrupted data based on the defect by isolating the defective bit.