Abstract: A controller and a method for interfacing between a host and storage medium. A storage medium interface includes CH0 circuitry for performing a CH0 process to access a buffer memory on behalf of the storage medium. A host interface includes CH1 circuitry for performing a CH1 process to access the buffer memory on behalf of the host. Access to the buffer memory is arbitrated in sequential tenures to each channel of the multi-channel bus within a maximum arbitration round trip time defined by the time taken by the storage medium to move a distance corresponding to N sectors in which N is greater than one. In the CH0 tenure, the CH0 process transfers data corresponding to N sectors of the storage medium in a multi-sector burst. The length of the tenure of the CH0 channel is pre-designated so that the multi-sector burst is completed within the CH0 tenure.

Abstract: A control module for a rotating storage medium. The control module includes: a memory, a buffer control module, and a disk formatter module. The memory is configured to store a data wedge format table including a plurality of entries. The buffer control module is configured to maintain a queue, wherein each of a plurality of entries of the queue is based on a corresponding one of the plurality of entries of the data wedge format table, and wherein each of the plurality of entries of the queue includes a servo number. The disk formatter module is configured to compare the servo numbers of the plurality of entries of the queue to present servo information, wherein the present servo information is based on a present position of a read/write device in relation to the rotating storage medium.

Abstract: A disk formatter (DF) for a rotating storage medium includes a target sector identification module that determines a block of target sectors of the rotating storage medium based on a read/write command signal. A current sector identification module determines a current sector of a read/write head. A DF control module begins a read/write operation at a command start sector that is different than a first sector of the block of target sectors. The command start sector is located within the block of target sectors.

Abstract: A control module for a rotating storage medium includes a data wedge format table (DWFT). The control module also includes a buffer control module that has a DWFT queue that includes X entries from the DWFT and one of X first servo information for each of the X entries. X is a positive integer. A disk formatter module that compares the one of X first servo information with second servo information that is based on a current position of a read/write device in relation to the rotating storage medium.

Abstract: In a disk drive, a disk drive controller circuit and method keep track of defective and/or undesired sectors on a disk and skip such defective or undesired sectors during a read or write operation requested by a host system. A microprocessor is programmed to respond to a read or write command from the host system by converting a list of sectors to be skipped to an address and range format suitable for loading a set of registers within the controller circuit. The microprocessor loads the set of registers, and the controller circuit compares each sector identified by the read or write command with the contents of the set of registers. If a sector identified by the read or write command matches one of the sectors to be skipped, the controller circuit skips that sector during the read or write operation.