Abstract: An apparatus according to one embodiment includes an array of transducers, where the array of transducers includes at least one contiguous group of transducers in a number specified in a format and at least two servo readers, where the servo readers are symmetrically positioned about the contiguous group of transducers and the servo readers are asymmetrically positioned relative to a centerline of the array of transducers.

Abstract: An apparatus according to one embodiment includes an array of 2N+1 transducers, and a controller electrically coupled only to transducers in odd positions in the array. An apparatus according to another embodiment includes an array of 2N+1 transducers, where at least one of the transducers within the array is configured as a servo reader, a controller electrically coupled only to transducers in odd positions in the array, and a drive mechanism for passing a magnetic medium over the array.

Abstract: Magnetic field sensors and sensing methods are provided. A magnetic sensor configured to measure a magnetic field whose magnitude oscillates between a first extrema and a second extrema. The magnetic sensor includes a plurality of magnetic field sensor elements, each configured to generate a sensor signal in response to the magnetic field impinging thereon. The plurality of sensor elements are grouped into a first group from which a first measurement signal is derived and a second group from which a second measurement signal is derived, and the first measurement signal and the second measurement signal having phase difference of 90°. The magnetic sensor further includes a sensor circuit configured to receive the first measurement signal and the second measurement signal, and apply a signal conversion algorithm thereto to generate a converted measurement signal having an increased frequency with respect to the first measurement signal and the second measurement signal.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer programs encoded on computer storage medium, for identifying a data storage environment including a plurality of disk drives; exposing for each of the disk drives of the data storage environment, a management interface of the disk drive to create a zero-capacity device for the disk drive; identifying a management command for a particular disk drive of the plurality of disk drives; identifying a particular zero-capacity device that corresponds to the particular disk drive; providing the management command to the particular zero-capacity device; and in response to providing the management command, receiving a response from the particular disk drive, the response including a processing result that is responsive to the management command.

Abstract: A tape drive-implemented method, according to one embodiment, includes: detecting a read error, and sending one or more instructions to perform a first re-read attempt on a portion of a magnetic tape corresponding to the read error. In response to determining that the first re-read attempt was unsuccessful, a range of tension settings is selected. A range of lateral offsets is also selected. Moreover, one or more instructions are sent to apply each unique combination of a tension setting from the range of tension settings and a lateral offset from the range of lateral offsets. For each of the unique combinations applied, one or more instructions are sent to perform a second phase re-read attempt on the portion of the magnetic tape corresponding to the read error. Furthermore, a determination is made as to whether the second phase re-read attempt was performed successfully for any of the unique combinations.

Abstract: The invention relates to a tape drive, and to a method and a computer program product for operating a tape drive. The tape drive may include a transport mechanism which may include a tape head. The tape drive may be adapted to receive a magnetic tape with the transport mechanism, and to transport the magnetic tape by the transport mechanism. The tape head may be adapted to perform read-write operations on an oxide side of the magnetic tape. The tape drive may include a burnishing unit, which may include a burnishing roller and a burnish controller having an abrasive shell. The burnishing roller may be installed in the tape drive upstream of the tape head such that the abrasive shell supports the received magnetic tape on the oxide side. The burnish controller may be adapted to control the movement of the burnishing roller.

Abstract: A method for execution by a computing device of a dispersed storage network. The method begins by determining whether frequency of access to a set of encoded data slices exceeds a frequently accessed threshold. The method continues, when the frequency of access exceeds the frequently accessed threshold, by determining an access amount indicative of a degree that the frequency of access exceeds the frequently accessed threshold. The method continues by generating a number of additional encoded data slices and storing the number of additional encoded data slices in a number of additional storage units, wherein the set of storage units and the number of additional storage units produce an expanded set of storage units. The method continues by sending a plurality of data access requests to subsets of the expanded set of storage units in a distributed manner to improve processing efficiency of the plurality of data access requests.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk device includes a disk, a head configured to write data to the disk and read data from the disk, and a controller configured to control the head to write a first track based on a first error rate read immediately after writing a second track adjacent in a radial direction of the disk to the first track.

Abstract: A magnetic recording slider test system includes a host to collect test results and initiate concurrent testing of a plurality of magnetic recording sliders. Each of a plurality of first processing units is configured to test at least one element of a respective magnetic recording slider. In one aspect, the plurality of first processing units concurrently tests at least one element of respective magnetic recording sliders. In another aspect, a plurality of first signals is analyzed at respective first processing units, with each of the first signals representing a Direct Current (DC) output from one or more elements of a magnetic recording slider. Results determined from analyzing the first signals are sent to the host. In another aspect, a plurality of second processing units is configured to analyze second signals that each represent an Alternating Current (AC) output from one or more elements of the plurality of magnetic recording sliders.

Abstract: Stability or instability zones are determined for ambient temperatures and one or more operational parameters applied to a heat-assisted magnetic recording head. Operations within the stability or instability zones resulting in respective stable or unstable operation of a laser of the recording head. During operation of the recording head, it is determining that a current ambient temperature and currently applied values of the one or more operational parameters are at or near one of the instability zones, and a write operation of the recording head is modified in response.

Abstract: The invention introduces a method for reducing data errors in transceiving of a flash storage interface, performed by a processing unit of a first side, comprising: continuously monitoring data frames and/or control frames from a second side; and triggering a de-emphasis adjustment when information of the data frame and/or the control frame indicates that the lowest layer of the second side detects errors from received data.

Abstract: An optical disc drive device includes a spindle motor that rotates an optical disc, an OPU, a first controller that causes the spindle motor and the OPU to read recorded data from the rotating optical disc, and an transmitter that transmits the read recorded data to a signal processing device disposed external to the optical disc drive device. The recorded data transmitted by transmitter is stored in a buffer provided in the signal processing device. The first controller decreases the rotational speed of the optical disc based on free space information indicating the free space of the buffer.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, curve fitting, which uses power supplied to the thermal actuator when a magnetic head is brought into contact with a magnetic disk by the thermal actuator and a quadratic or higher curve, is performed at at least five radial positions in a radial direction of the magnetic disk in a case of setting a control value of the thermal actuator, and it is determined as abnormal contact detection when a Z value of an RMS of a fitting residual from the quadratic or higher curve of each power exceeds a predetermined value.

Abstract: A recording control device reads tape quality information recorded on an RFID tag included in a recording tape cartridge, acquires drive quality information indicating quality of each of a plurality of tape drives that are loading targets of the recording tape cartridge, and prohibits reading or writing of data from or to the recording tape using the tape drive in a combination of which the quality is lower than predetermined quality among combinations of quality of the recording tape cartridge indicated by the read tape quality information and quality of each of the plurality of tape drives indicated by the acquired drive quality information.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk device includes heads and a controller. The heads write data in a recording region of the magnetic disk. The controller divides in order, by a track group with a constant size, an entire region of the recording region where management regions indicating physical positions corresponding to the heads, respectively, creates the track groups so as to straddle the management regions at boundaries of the management regions, and controls writing of the data for each of the track groups. The controller assigns unique and logically consecutive numbers to the track groups and manages information on the management regions to which the track groups belong.

Abstract: The card reader includes a peak detector that detects a peak point of a reproduced signal according to a threshold. The peak detector applies, to a first peak value to be determined, a second peak value immediately before the first peak value, a third peak value, which is the second preceding peak value with respect to the first peak value, and a next peak value. When a difference between a first intermediate value, which is a value between the third peak value and the second peak value, and a second intermediate value, which is a value between the second peak value and the first peak value, is greater than or equal to a first difference value, the peak detector ignores a first threshold, and decides the first peak value after confirming that a digital value corresponding to the next peak value has exceeded a second threshold.

Abstract: A data storage device is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk, wherein the head comprises a spin torque oscillator (STO) element. The data storage device further comprises a differential amplifier comprising a first input coupled to a first end of the STO element and a second input coupled to a second end of the STO element. A bias current is applied to the STO element, and the bias current is adjusted. A resistance delta of the STO element is detected based on an output of the differential amplifier, wherein the resistance delta corresponds to a bias current level when the STO begins to oscillate.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for identifying and selecting a subgroup of memory cells for use during a programming or erasing operation, in order to execute the programming or erasing operation in less time, while avoiding over and under programming errors. Memory devices disclosed herein may include a state change/programming circuit, a counting circuit, a determination circuit, an identification circuit, and/or a subgroup selection circuit, where each of these circuits are configured to perform operations related to the overall process of identifying and selecting the subgroup of memory cells for utilization during a programming operation.

Abstract: An HVAC controller may be programmed to identify one or more faults with respect to the operation of a connected HVAC system. In some cases, the HVAC controller may record a fault to a fault log and/or display an alert on the display of the HVAC controller only after a predetermined number of faults of the same fault type have been identified by the HVAC controller, sometime within a predetermined number of cycles of the HVAC system or within a predetermined amount of time.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk device includes a disk, a head including a write head and a first and a second read head, and a controller configured to generate a correction value based on placement information on the write head and the first and the second read head, a first distance between the first read head and the second read head in a case where the first read head is placed at a first position of the disk, and a second distance between the first read head and the second read head in a case where the first read head is placed at the first position, and to correct positions of the heads based on the correction value in a case where first data written with the first read head placed at the first position is read.

Abstract: There is provided a signal processing apparatus and a signal processing method capable of allowing data recorded at a high density to be robustly reproduced. A frame sync (FS) is restored by performing maximum likelihood decoding of the FS according to a time-varying trellis with a state and a state transition being limited according to a time, in maximum likelihood decoding of a reproduction signal reproduced from a disk-shaped recording medium, the FS representing a head of a frame, the FS of the frame being arranged at the head of the frame, the FS being recorded at the same positions in a track direction in two adjacent tracks.

Abstract: A storage device includes a non-volatile storage, and a controller configured to carry out, in parallel, operations in response to a plurality of commands received from a host and queued in a command queue. When the controller detects an error in a first operation that is being carried out in response to a first command while the controller is in parallel carrying out a second operation in response to a second command, the controller continues to carry out the second operation until a predetermined condition is met while carrying out the second operation and, at that time when the predetermined condition is met, transmits an error event notification to the host.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for determining a damaged area of a magnetic tape loaded in a tape drive, according to one embodiment, includes: determining a first error location on a magnetic tape where a first error occurred in response to experiencing the first error. Moreover, the method includes determining one or more areas on the magnetic tape to be examined. The one or more areas are determined using a predetermined algorithm which incorporates the first error location. Independent of a read and/or write operation, relative motion is induced between a tape head and the magnetic tape such that the tape head is positioned adjacent to each of the respective one or more areas in turn. Furthermore, each of the one or more areas having a respective number of measured servo errors which exceeds a threshold value is identified as a damaged area of the magnetic tape.

Abstract: The magnetic tape includes a magnetic layer having ferromagnetic powder and a binder on a non-magnetic support, in which the magnetic layer includes a timing-based servo pattern, the ferromagnetic powder is ferromagnetic hexagonal ferrite powder having an activation volume equal to or smaller than 1,600 nm3, and an edge shape of the timing-based servo pattern specified by a magnetic force microscope observation is a shape in which a difference (l99.9?l0.1) between a value l99.9 of a cumulative frequency function of 99.9% of a position deviation width from an ideal shape in a longitudinal direction of the magnetic tape and a value l0.1 of the cumulative frequency function of 0.1% thereof is equal to or smaller than 180 nm.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk device includes a disk, a head that writes data to the disk and reads data from the disk, and a controller. The controller is configured to read first data written on the disk, measure a first read error rate of the first data, determine a difference in the first read error rate from a previously determined read error rate of the first data, determine a current read error rate for second data written on the disk based on the difference in the first read error rate from the previously determined read error rate, and determine whether a refresh process is performed on the second data based on the current error rate.

Abstract: A memory controller according to an embodiment includes a first decoder which calculates first extrinsic value based on a decoding success rate specified using a first table showing a correspondence between first distance information indicating a square Euclidean distance between a first decode word and a first soft input value and a first decoding success rate indicating a probability of a decoding result that the first decode word is correct, and a second decoder which calculates second extrinsic value based on a decoding success rate specified using the second table showing a correspondence second distance information indicating a square Euclidean distance between a second decode word and a second soft input value and a second decoding success rate indicating a probability of a decoding result that the second decode word is correct.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a defect registration method includes measuring, performing first extracting, and registering. The measuring is measuring, on a unit-area basis, performance of a storage area of a magnetic disk including a plurality of unit areas. The storage area includes a redundant area of a set capacity. The first extracting includes second extracting one or more unit areas in order of increasing the performance. The registering is registering the extracted unit areas of the set capacity as defect locations.

Abstract: A method (700) includes receiving (701) a receive signal (x[n]) comprising a periodic data signal component (r[n]) and a periodic interference signal component (s[n]); determining (702) an average value by averaging over sub-samples of the receive signal (x[n]), wherein the average value is independent of at least one sub-sample of the receive signal (x[n]) having a same phase as a particular sample ([n]) of the receive signal (x[n]); and determining (703) for the particular sample ([n]) of the receive signal (x[n]) an estimate (?[n]) of the interference signal component (s[n]) based on the average value.

Abstract: An apparatus according to an embodiment includes an array of transducers including an inner transducer and subarrays of the transducers positioned on opposite sides of the inner transducer, and a controller coupled to the transducers. The controller is configured to process data using only the transducers in the subarrays in a first mode of operation. Moreover, the controller is configured to process data using only a portion of the transducers in each of the subarrays in a second mode of operation, where the inner transducer is inactive in the second mode of operation.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a drive-implemented method includes determining, by a tape drive, that a magnetic recording tape is compatible with a first format, the tape drive having an array of transducers including subarrays of the transducers positioned on opposite sides of an inner transducer, reading from or writing to the magnetic recording tape using the array in a first mode of operation corresponding to the first format, processing data using only transducers in the subarrays in the first mode of operation, and processing data using only a portion of transducers in each subarray in a second mode of operation corresponding to the second format. The first format specifies locations of data and a contiguous spare area on the tape and compatibility with a second format. The second format specifies a set of second active channels different than a set of first active channels specified by the first format.

Abstract: An apparatus according to one embodiment includes an array of 2N+1 transducers and a controller directly electrically coupled to each of the transducers, where the controller is configured to use transducers on only one side of a centerline of the array in a first mode of operation.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic memory device includes a first magnetic portion, a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode, a second magnetic portion, a first nonmagnetic portion, and a controller. The first magnetic portion includes an extension portion and a third portion. The extension portion includes a first portion and a second portion. The third portion is connected to the second portion. The first electrode is electrically connected to the first portion. At least a portion of the third portion is positioned between the second electrode and the third electrode. The second magnetic portion is provided between the second electrode and the at least a portion of the third portion. The first nonmagnetic portion is provided between the second magnetic portion and the at least a portion of the third portion. The controller is electrically connected to the first, second electrode, and third electrodes.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are water-soluble polymers comprising hydrolyzable cross-linked monomer units, and methods for recovering hydrocarbon fluids from a subterranean formation using the water-soluble polymers.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, an information handling system may include a processor and a storage resource communicatively coupled to the processor. The storage resource may be configured to monitor one or more operating parameters of the storage resource indicative of vibration external to the storage resource affecting performance of the storage resource, determine whether the one or more operating parameters exceed respective threshold values, and in response to determining that the one or more operating parameters exceed a respective threshold value, communicate an indication from the storage resource to a subsystem of the information handling system that the storage resource is experiencing excessive vibration from sources external to the storage resource.

Abstract: An automatic transmission includes an input shaft; an output shaft; a first planetary gear set including rotation elements; a second planetary gear set connected to the input shaft, and including a rotation element which is connected with the first planetary gear set; a third planetary gear set including a rotation element which is connected with the first planetary gear set, and connected with the output shaft; a fourth planetary gear set including rotation elements which are connected with the second planetary gear set and the third planetary gear set, respectively; a rotation shaft unit connected to the first to the fourth planetary gear sets, and transferring power; three clutches selectively connecting predetermined elements of the rotation shaft unit or selectively connecting predetermined elements of the rotation shaft unit and the input shaft; and four brakes selectively connecting predetermined elements of the rotation shaft unit and a transmission housing.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and systems for detecting defective sectors on a recording medium. A defective sector detector apparatus comprises an error-corrected ECC symbol number calculator and a defective sector determination unit. The error-corrected ECC symbol number calculator is configured to count a total number of error correcting code (“ECC”) symbols that are error-corrected in data read from data sectors on a track of a recording medium of the storage device. The defective sector determination unit is configured to receive the total number of ECC symbols that are error-corrected for a data sector from the error-corrected ECC symbol number calculator and determine whether the total number of ECC symbols that are error-corrected exceeds a threshold value. If it is determined that the total number of ECC symbols that are error-corrected exceeds the threshold value, the defective sector determination unit outputs information indicating the data sector to be a defective sector.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes, by one or more processors in electronic communication with a tunneling magnetoresistive sensor, wherein the tunneling magnetoresistive sensor is a component of a magnetic storage drive configured to read magnetic data from a magnetic storage medium, detecting a short across the tunneling magnetoresistive sensor, measuring a change in resistance of the tunneling magnetoresistive sensor, measuring a change in voltage amplitude for the tunneling magnetoresistive sensor, and dividing said change in voltage amplitude by said change in resistance to yield a ratio. The computer-implemented method further includes, responsive to the ratio being greater than a predetermined ratio threshold, determining that the short is caused by a magnetic shunt. A corresponding computer program product and computer system are also disclosed.

Abstract: A disc drive includes a data storage surface having a system data zone and a user data zone, and a head that communicates with the data storage surface. The disc drive also includes a control circuit communicatively coupled to the head. The control circuit is configured to, during power up initialization of the disc drive, apply a fly height control value to direct the head to fly at a first target fly height for reading system data from the system data zone. The first target fly height is substantially higher than a second target fly height for reading user data from the user data zone. The control circuit determines whether an actual fly height of the head is substantially equal to the first target fly height. The control circuit performs fly height correction when the actual fly height is not substantially equal to the first target fly height.

Abstract: An RFID data management device includes an RFID data acquisition unit acquiring RFID management data including identification information of an RFID, a relevant data acquisition unit acquiring RFID relevant data including a use start date of the RFID, and a remaining time calculation unit calculating a remaining data guarantee time of the RFID using a data guarantee period dependent on the identification information and the environmental temperature of the RFID, and the environmental temperature. The remaining time calculation unit calculates the remaining time using an environmental temperature in a first period from a manufacturing date of the RFID to a use start timing, a data guarantee period according to the environmental temperature in the first period, an environmental temperature in a second period from the use start timing to a timing of confirmation, and a data guarantee period according to the environmental temperature in the second period.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk device conforming to perpendicular magnetic recording includes a magnetic disk, a recording head, and a controller. The head includes a main magnetic pole, a return magnetic pole, a recording coil, and a conductive member in which end surfaces are connected to opposed surfaces of a write gap which is opposed to a distal portion of the main magnetic pole and a distal portion of the return magnetic pole, and a resistance value varies. The controller applies a current to the recording coil to excite the magnetic flux in the recording operation, and applies a current at a constant voltage to the magnetic circuit via the comductive member.

Abstract: A data storage device is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk comprising a plurality of tracks. A first degradation metric is maintained for a first segment of a first track, wherein the first degradation metric indicates a degree of degradation for data recorded in the first segment. The first degradation metric is processed to select an access command from a plurality of access commands including a read command to read the first segment. The selected access command is executed to access the disk.

Abstract: A device may receive information associated with a software program executing on a device, and may generate event records based on the information associated with the software program. The device may identify pattern information associated with the event records, and may perform data analytics on the event records and the pattern information to identify one or more defects associated with the software program and to determine an expected behavior of the software program. The device may generate one or more reports based on the one or more defects associated with the software program and the expected behavior of the software program, and may provide the one or more reports.

Abstract: A write command is received to write data in a Conventional Magnetic Recording (CMR) realm of a disk to be formatted for writing data in non-overlapping tracks. The disk includes a plurality of areas of the disk that can be formatted as a CMR realm or as a Shingled Magnetic Recording (SMR) realm formatted for writing data in overlapping tracks. It is determined whether performance of the write command would require writing to begin in a portion of the CMR realm that has not been written with non-overlapping tracks. In response to determining that the performance of the write command would require writing to begin in a portion of the CMR realm that has not been written with non-overlapping tracks, a predefined data pattern is written using non-overlapping tracks in the portion of the CMR realm that has not been written with non-overlapping tracks.

Abstract: A semiconductor device may be provided. The semiconductor device may be configured to shift storage positions of data and error information on the data to store the data into shifted storage positions based on the address signals having a certain combination being inputted a predetermined number of times.

Abstract: A method for restoring multiple objects from tape (1) generates a list of objects to be restored from tape; (2) identifies a starting location of a first object on the tape; and reads, into a buffer from the tape, an entire buffer of data from the starting location. The method then (4) determines a length of the first object; (5) restores the first object; and (6) finds a start of a next object in the buffer using a length of the previous object. The method (7) determines a length of the next object by analyzing metadata of the next object and (8) restores the next object if the next object is in the list. The method (9) repeats steps (6), (7), and (8) until the end of the buffer is reached or all objects in the list have been restored. A corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed.

Abstract: A data logging apparatus stores communications data transmitted/received between a first apparatus and a second apparatus as log data, determines whether an event occurs based on the communications data, and stores log data within predetermined time periods before and after the time point at which the event has occurred, i.e., between a log start time and a log end time as event data. The data logging apparatus can efficiently store data that is used for analyzing the cause of the event occurring in the first apparatus.

Abstract: The present embodiments provide methods and apparatuses for use in navigating through content. Some embodiments provide methods for use in navigating through content that receive an initial first directional control command, activate a seek mode upon receipt of the initial first directional control command comprising advancing over a first amount of content in a first direction from a first point in the content to a second point in the content, receive an initial second directional control command following the receipt of the initial first directional command, and activate a search mode upon receipt of the initial second directional control command, comprising advancing back over a second amount of the first amount of the content where the second amount is less than the first amount of the content.

Abstract: An apparatus according to one embodiment includes an array of transducers, where the array of transducers includes at least one contiguous group of transducers in a number specified in a format and at least two servo readers, where the servo readers are symmetrically positioned about the contiguous group of transducers and the servo readers are asymmetrically positioned relative to a centerline of the array of transducers. Moreover, a number of transducers in the contiguous group of transducers is less than a number of transducers in the array of transducers.

Abstract: A magnetic disk device according to an embodiment includes: a head slider; a magnetic head provided in the head slider; a heater provided in the head slider; and a controller that determines, in seek operation of the magnetic head, a preheat start scheduled position from a remaining seek distance at which a time required for preheating of the head slider can be secured, the controller starting the preheating from the preheat start scheduled position in a case where no bump exists in an area from the preheat start scheduled position to a seek target position, the controller changing a preheat start position to an arbitrary position in an area from the bump to the seek target position in a case where the bump exists in the area from the preheat start scheduled position to the seek target position.

Abstract: A semiconductor device may include an operation control circuit configured to generate a detection signal based on an internal temperature of the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device may include an error correction circuit configured to output read data as output data with or without performing an error correction operation and with or without performing a scrub operation based on the detection signal.