Abstract: An apparatus for providing data dependent detection in a data read channel is disclosed. Parameters in a read channel are dynamically adjusted according to data dependent noise. For example, a comparison in an add-compare-select (ACS) unit of a Viterbi decoder may be adjusted or offset terms in error event filters may be biased to choose a Viterbi sequence with more transitions or to compensate for polarity dependent noise.

Abstract: An apparatus that uses a lengthened equalization target filter with a matched filter metric in a Viterbi detector is disclosed. The equalization target includes a base partial response component, i.e., (1?D2), a fractional coefficient polynomial component to whiten the noise, i.e., (1+p1D+p2D2), and a time-reversed replica of the noise-whitening component. Thus, the time-reversed replica of the noise-whitening component comes from what was formerly a matched filter component.