Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk having a plurality of data tracks defined by servo sectors, where each data track comprises a plurality of data sectors, and each servo sector comprises a servo preamble and servo data. The disk drive further comprises a head comprising a read element and a write element, and a servo read channel comprising an analog front end and a timing recovery circuit. During an access operation, data preceding the servo preamble of a first servo sector in the first data track is read in order to initialize the analog front end of the servo read channel. At least part of the servo preamble is read to initialize the timing recovery circuit of the servo read channel, and at least part of the servo data of the servo sector is read using the timing recovery circuit.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk comprising a plurality of servo tracks defined by full sectors and intervening short servo sectors, where each full servo sector comprises a preamble, a sync mark, and servo bursts, and each short servo sector comprises a reference pattern and servo bursts. A first phase error is generated based on the sync mark in a first full servo sector, and a disk locked clock is adjusted in response to the first phase error. A second phase error is generated based on the reference pattern in a first short servo sector, and the second phase error is processed to determine whether the disk locked clock slipped a cycle before the head reaching the first short servo sector.

Abstract: A data storage device is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk comprising a plurality of servo sectors defining a plurality of servo tracks. The servo tracks form a plurality of servo zones, and at least one servo sector of a servo track comprises a partial track address. A read signal generated by the head is processed to detect a current servo zone for the head, and the read signal is processed to detect the partial track address in one of the servo sectors of the current servo zone. A full track address is generated based on the detected servo zone and the detected partial track address.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk. A position y of the head is measured based on servo sectors, and the measured position y of the head is adjusted based on: z1=y+c1(y) where z1 represents a first adjusted position and c1(y) represents first correction values. The first adjusted position z1 is adjusted based on: z2=z1+c2(z1) where z2 represents a second adjusted position and c2(z1) represents second correction values. The first and second correction values are combined based on: c3(y)=c1(y)+c2(y+c1(y)). The measured position y of the head is adjusted based on: z3=y+c3(y) where z3 represents a third adjusted position comprising the adjustment based on c1(y) and the adjustment based on c2(y), and c3(y) represents third correction values.

Abstract: Disclosed is a disk drive having a plant with a moveable transducer and a servo controller that more precisely controls the transducer during short to medium seeks by producing a multi-rate feed-forward command effort signal.

Abstract: A method in a magnetic storage disk drive for independently learning and thereafter canceling repeatable runout that is written to the servo fields of each servo track during the servo writing process. The method does not require a servo writer because the disk drive may independently detect the runout without spinning out of control in response to such runout by operating its servo control loop in a low bandwidth mode so that it is less responsive to the higher frequency components of the runout, and by removing the effect of the DC component of the runout or selected harmonics on each revolution.

Abstract: A method in a magnetic storage disk drive for independently learning and thereafter canceling repeatable runout that is written to the servo fields of each servo track during the servo writing process. The method does not require a servo writer because the disk drive may independently detect the runout without spinning out of control in response to such runout by operating its servo control loop in a low bandwidth mode so that it is less responsive to the higher frequency components of the runout, and by removing the effect of the DC component of the runout or selected harmonics on each revolution.The method takes several revolutions to "learn" the servo wedges of a current track by initializing a wedge runout value for each servo wedge and an average uncorrected runout value and then successively developing an interim wedge runout estimate for each servo wedge by adding a fractional portion .lambda. of a raw position error signal to a fractional portion (1-.lambda.

Abstract: In the disk controller in a hard disk system, the microcontroller is an integral part of the servo positioning system. The servo positioning system is the system responsible for positioning the read/write heads. This involves moving the read/write heads from track to track and holding the head in place as data is read or written. A time and calculation intensive portion of the control algorithm is the calculation of the position error signal, which represents the degree to which the actual position of the head varies from the desired position. A hardware position error signal circuit is provided to calculate this signal, thus freeing microprocessor bandwidth for other tasks and facilitating a more stable controller. Furthermore, a circuit for adjusting erroneous cylinder numbers is provided.

Abstract: A method used to implement a sampled servo control system in a magnetic disk drive for generating a fractional track portion of a position error signal to correctably maintain the alignment of a read transducer (or associated write transducer) relative to a centerline of one of a plurality of a concentric data tracks upon a rotating data storage disk. The system uses a hybrid approach of determining a fractional track position by using a two-burst algorithm when possible and using a multi-burst algorithm only when necessary. The system is particularly suited to determining fraction track position when jogging a relatively narrow magnetoresistive read transducer with a servo pattern normally useful only for wider transducers, namely a pattern of four angularly sequential servo bursts A, B, C, D that are 100% of a track pitch in width and are arranged in quadrature.

Abstract: The invention is a method of calibrating a position error signal (PES) to overcome the problem of a measured displacement or PES that varies as a non-linear function of real displacement when the read transducer is positioned to either side of a null position where the PES equals zero. The PES is notably nonlinear while reading servo burst information with a Magneto-Resistive (MR) head which has nonlinear magnetic characteristics. The method uniquely calibrates the measured PES to provide a corrected PES without requiring any knowledge of the actual displacement from the position where the measured PES equals 0. The calibration according to this method, therefore, may be performed at anytime without need for real displacement information from a servowriter or any sort of special calibration track.