Abstract: In a digital multiplier for multiplying two multi-bit binary operands to produce a binary result by means of a lookup table containing all possible products of said operands, reduction of the total amount of memory required to store the table is obtained by segmenting one operand into a plurality of non-overlapping bit groups and constructing lookup tables for the bit groups, in which each lookup table contains products of its associated bit group and the other, non-partitioned operand. Multiplication is accomplished by generating partial products from the lookup tables, shifting the partial products to account for the relative significance of their associated bit groups, and adding the partial products to provide the resultant product.

Abstract: A bit-serial division method for computing the value v/u, where v and u are each n-bit vectors that are elements in a finite Galois field GF(2.sup.n) consisting of 2.sup.n elements. The n-bit components of each element in the field are coordinates of the element in a canonical basis of the field. Vector u is converted from canonical basis to a dual basis. Vector u in dual basis also comprises n bits in the finite field ordered according to an index i that takes on values from 0 to (n-1). All bits n of the converted vector u are loaded into a shift register in parallel, then converted from dual basis back to canonical basis to produce a single bit output w.sub.0 from a lookup table which generates bitwise the inverse of the n-bit vector u. The bits in the shift register are shifted (n-1) times to generate successive additional single bit outputs w.sub.i with said lookup table. Then each bit w.sub.i is multiplied by the vector v and a corresponding element c.sub.

Abstract: A method and means for setting the free-running frequency of a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) without requiring laser trimming or the like is described. The VCO forms part of an interconnected phase-locked loop (PLL) and frequency-locked loop (FLL). At system power on, the PLL is automatically disabled and a digital-to-analog (DAC) in the PLL is set to a value corresponding substantially to the center of a preselected lock range. The FLL, which includes a second DAC, then operates to generate a bias voltage for incrementing or decrementing the VCO output frequency until the VCO pulse count stored in a register equals an expected count; whereupon the VCO will be set at its free-running frequency. When the PLL is enabled, a phase error generator generates a digital phase error signal from the input data. A digital integrator converts the phase error signal to a digital frequency error signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed that is selectively conditionable, during read processing, to operate in normal or diagnostic on-the-fly mode or in normal or diagnostic deferred mode to correct errors in encoded uncorrected data in a disk storage device. During deferred mode operation, hardware in the disk storage device receives uncorrected data in real time and generates syndrome bytes which are decoded at the device into error pattern and error location information that is transmitted to a storage director. Circuitry is provided for retaining, if desired, error pattern and location information to facilitate identification of surface defects in the storage disk whether read processing was done on-the-fly or in deferred mode.