Abstract: A data storage device is disclosed comprising a non-volatile storage medium (NVSM). Problematic patterns in a block of input data are identified, and the problematic patterns are relocated from an initial location to an erasure region of the block to generate a modified block. The modified block is erasure encoded into an erasure codeword, at least part of the erasure codeword is stored in the NVSM.

Abstract: A data storage device is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a magnetic media, wherein the head comprises a write element and a first read element. A preamp circuit comprising an interface includes at least a write line associated with the write element of the head and a first read line associated with the first read element of the head. A first read signal is received from the preamp circuit over the first read line during a read operation, and configuration data is transmitted to the preamp circuit over the first read line during a write operation.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed having a disk, and a head actuated over the disk, the head comprising a magnetoresistive (MR) element. Control circuitry within the disk drive sets an operating bias current for the MR element by computing a target voltage for the MR element, applying a bias current to the MR element, measuring a voltage across the MR element corresponding to the bias current, and adjusting the bias current applied to the MR element until the measured voltage substantially equals the target voltage.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for setting an operating bias current for a magnetoresistive (MR) element. A bias current is applied to the MR element, and a voltage across the MR element is measured corresponding to the bias current. The bias current is then adjusted in response to the bias current multiplied by a ratio of a target voltage and the measured voltage. The adjusted bias current is then applied to the MR element. In one embodiment, the bias current is adjusted until the measured voltage substantially equals the target voltage.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk having top and bottom surfaces, and top and bottom heads actuated over the top and bottom surfaces, respectively. Control circuitry detects a warping of the disk by writing a first test pattern to the top surface, reading the first test pattern to generate a first read signal, monitoring a first read signal value proportional to an amplitude of the first read signal, writing a second test pattern to the bottom surface, reading the second test pattern to generate a second read signal, monitoring a second read signal value proportional to an amplitude of the second read signal, and processing the first and second read signal values to detect a negative correlation between the amplitudes of the first and second read signals.