Abstract: Data format that allows for format-efficient data storage, particularly on bit-patterned media. The data format allows for variations in the data storage device, such as reader-to-writer gap variations. A medium can also have at least a pair of a synchronization field and a quiet field with a length greater than a length of the synchronization field. These can be implemented in a bit patterned media system.

Abstract: A two part process is used for modifying records to be written and retrieved from tape devices. A record is appended with a cyclic redundancy check and a string of zeros. Submitting the entire record to tape drives which are logical block protection enabled will result in no change. For drives that are not LBP enabled, the string of zeros at the end of the record is removed. In addition to determining whether a drive is LBP compliant, a determination may be made as to whether a drive is a linear tape open drive from a particular manufacturer. Linear tape open drives may behave similarly as drives which may not be enabled with logical block protection.

Abstract: The present invention provides a search method used to search for the reading order of a plurality of recording groups when the plurality of recording groups written on tape are continuously read by a tape drive which manages data on tape in recording units having a fixed data length for each recording. This search method includes the steps of: receiving information on a plurality of tape groups to be read; and sorting the plurality of recording groups to be read so the reading time is shortened. In the sorting step, the time required to sort the plurality of reading groups is reduced by combining two or more recording groups into a single object to be sorted in the sorting step when at least two or more contiguous recording groups have been assigned to the same region or are assigned across adjacent regions among the plurality of regions.

Abstract: A servo system includes multiple interpolators operable to interpolate equalized data for multiple signal paths in a two dimensional magnetic recording system to yield interpolated signals at different phases, scaling circuits operable to scale the interpolated signals by adaptive scaling factors, a signal combining circuit operable to combine the scaled signals, a phase tracking circuit operable to select one of the phases of the combined signal, and an error gradient circuit operable to adapt the adaptive scaling factors.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises an alternating current coupling stage comprising a first filter configured to filter an analog signal to remove relatively low-frequency energy and read channel circuitry coupled to the alternating current coupling stage. The read channel circuitry comprises an analog-to-digital converter configured to convert the filtered analog signal to a digital signal, a detector configured to obtain a recovered signal using the digital signal, and a baseline correction module comprising a second filter and being configured to estimate a parameter of the first filter using a least mean squares algorithm based at least in part on the analog signal and an output of the second filter, adjust a parameter of the second filter based on the estimated parameter and add at least a portion of the removed relatively low-frequency energy to the digital signal by combining the output of the second filter and the digital signal.

Abstract: In a shingled magnetic recording system, LBA can be dynamically allocated to an un-shingled media partition (UMP) based on a usage metric. In one implementation, the usage metric depends upon the frequency of writes to storage region and/or upon how recently the storage location has been written to. Data corresponding to one or more LBA ranges within a shingled data region may be rewritten to a storage region within a UMP on the disk.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention can be manifested as methods for converting analog waveforms into digital sampled signals. In at least one such embodiment, the method includes (i) sampling, based on a sampling-clock signal, an analog waveform received from a transmission channel to generate a digital sampled signal, (ii) generating a digital target signal by applying a specified reference data pattern to a model of the transmission channel, and (iii) adjusting the sampling-clock signal by comparing the digital sampled signal to the digital target signal. Embodiments of the invention can also be manifested as apparatuses that convert analog waveforms into digital sampled signals.

Abstract: Records or filemarks read from data segments are aggregated into at least one single data segment. The records and the filemarks are reorganized and restructured in the single data segment such that buffer utilization is improved.

Abstract: A servo control field on a recordable medium includes a bit patterned media (BPM) pattern including a plurality of dots arranged in a down-track orientation and in a cross-track orientation, wherein the dots comprise a plurality of dot composites. Each of the dot composites includes a plurality of dots. A first spacing between adjacent ones of the plurality of dots in a dot composite in the down-track direction on the recordable medium is less than a second spacing between adjacent ones of the plurality of dot composites in the down-track direction. A readback signal generated in response to the BPM patterned may be filtered to attenuate harmonic frequencies in the readback signal.

Abstract: Provided is a method for recording data to a tape medium in such a manner as to achieve the easy management of mutually related multiple data pieces. First data and second data continuously received as a file from a higher level apparatus are accumulated in multiple buffer segments in the form of multiple successive data sets. A data structure is determined for each of the accumulated data sets. Management information indicating a result of the determination is added to the data sets, and the data sets and the management information thereof are stored into the tape medium.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure pertain to a system and method for providing zero gain start (ZGS) and gain acquisition based on an adaptive analog-to-digital converter (ADC) target. The adaptive ADC target is used to collect channel characteristics and based on the adaptive ADC target, an adjusted 2T amplitude target value is generated.

Abstract: A data storage device can include a recording medium; a controller unit to generate control signals in response to write information and write commands; and a transducer section coupled to receive the controls signals, and in response, write the write information into the recording medium and form a data protection pattern in the recording medium adjacent to the write information.

Abstract: Selection of disk drive data tracks for the location of reserved area include providing a media disk with data tracks comprising a user data region. A location is assessed on the media disk with a highest frequency of adjacent track interference and far track interference-refresh potential. The location is then configured to be a reserved area where no user data is written. The reserved area has parameters that are read out first before the disk drive enters an operation enabled state for user interface.

Abstract: Methods for formatting and using a linear magnetic recording medium. The medium in one embodiment has a servo band having a width b that is less than or equal to about 1.2 B/N, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and B corresponds to a distance between data read/write transducers of a magnetic head usable with the medium in a direction transverse to a longitudinal length of the medium.

Abstract: Magnetic storage tape and techniques for erasing and writing to magnetic storage tape having a perpendicular squareness greater than 50 percent and a longitudinal squareness less than 50 percent are described. In general, the magnetic tape may be biased with a remanence magnetization, or magnetic orientation, in any direction. One or two head systems may use various magnetic field patterns to create the desired remanence magnetization. Servo marks may have a remanence magnetization in an opposite magnetic orientation than that of the remaining bias on the servo track, e.g., substantially perpendicular to the magnetic tape. In some examples, a write head may alternate the direction of the magnetic field to continuously bias and write servo patterns to the magnetic tape. In addition, a symmetrical servo mark may be created in the magnetic tape with a write head having a gap width approximately equal to the length of the servo mark.

Abstract: A method for reducing skew angle variation range in a shingled magnetic recording system, the method including the following steps: 1) determining whether a starting magnetic track is in an inner recording zone, if yes, the process proceeds to step (2), otherwise the process proceeds to step (4); 2) using an inner writing corner to start shingled magnetic recording at a starting track; 3) using a shingled magnetic method to write rest magnetic tracks sequentially by the inner writing corner, keeping a writing pole moving in a direction from an inner recording zone to an outer recording zone; 4) determining whether the starting magnetic track is in the outer recording zone; 5) using an outer writing corner to start shingled magnetic recording at the starting track; and 6) using the shingled magnetic method to write the rest magnetic tracks sequentially by the outer writing corner.

Abstract: Magnetic storage tape and techniques for erasing and writing to magnetic storage tape having a perpendicular squareness greater than 50 percent and a longitudinal squareness less than 50 percent are described. In general, the magnetic tape may be biased with a remanence magnetization, or magnetic orientation, in any direction. One or two head systems may use various magnetic field patterns to create the desired remanence magnetization. Servo marks may have a remanence magnetization in an opposite magnetic orientation than that of the remaining bias on the servo track, e.g., substantially perpendicular to the magnetic tape. In some examples, a write head may alternate the direction of the magnetic field to continuously bias and write servo patterns to the magnetic tape. In addition, a symmetrical servo mark may be created in the magnetic tape with a write head having a gap width approximately equal to the length of the servo mark.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for media defect detection.

Abstract: A shingled magnetic recording hard disk drive that uses writeable cache tracks in the inter-band gaps between the annular data bands minimizes the effect of far track erasure (FTE) in the boundary regions of annular data bands caused by writing to the cache tracks. Based on the relative FTE effect for all the tracks in a range of tracks of the cache track being written, a count increment (CI) table or a cumulative count increment (CCI) table is maintained. For every writing to a cache track, a count for each track in an adjacent boundary region, or a cumulative count for each adjacent boundary region, is increased. When the count value for a track, or the cumulative count for a boundary region, reaches a predetermined threshold the data is read from that band and rewritten to the same band.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a magnetic recording apparatus including a head slider including read and write elements, and a magnetic recording medium including magnetically recordable recording tracks with a width L1, a wide land track with a width L2 larger than the width L1 of the recording track, and non-recording sections with a width G1 each provided between adjacent recording tracks. The width L1 of the recording track is smaller than a bottom read width BRW of the read and write elements, and the width L2 of the wide land track is larger than the bottom read width BRW of the read and write elements.

Abstract: In one general embodiment, an apparatus includes at least one first module configured for writing and/or reading data to and from a magnetic medium in a first format and/or first generation and writing data to the magnetic medium in a second format and/or second generation that is different than the first format and first generation. The apparatus also includes a supplemental module coupled to the first module, the supplemental module being configured for reading a magnetic medium having data written in the second format and/or the second generation.

Abstract: A processor is configured to determine, if a beginning or an end of a target storage area into which write data is to be written is included in a first storage area in a first storage unit, whether the beginning or the end of the target storage area coincides with a beginning or an end of the first storage area. The processor is configured to extract, if it is determined that the beginning or the end of the target storage area does not coincide with the beginning or the end of the first storage area, data identical to data stored in a sub-storage area in the first storage area from a second storage unit. The sub-storage area is not overlapped with the target storage area. The processor is configured to generate data to be written into the first storage unit by using the extracted data and the write data.

Abstract: Records and filemarks read from data segments are aggregated into at least one single data segment. The records and the filemarks are reorganized and restructured in the single data segment such that buffer utilization is improved.

Abstract: In a controller of a tape drive, a CM input-output unit recognizes a tape format; a tape variable acquisition unit acquires tape variables; a setting variable acquisition unit acquires setting variables; and a minimum number calculator calculates a minimum number m of sub datasets, which are to be written to a tape to secure resistance to burst error, by using the tape variables and setting variables. When a command processor receives a synchronization command, the buffer manager generates n sub datasets for storing data in the buffer. If n is smaller than m, m sub datasets are padded out and set as write data. If n is m or more, the n sub datasets are set as write data. Then, the channel input-output unit writes the write data to the tape.

Abstract: A memory system includes a storage medium having tracks arranged on the storage medium. The tracks include data track portions configured to store data. The tracks have a data track width and offset correction portions having a width that is greater than the data track width of the associated data track. Each offset correction portion stores one or both of positional offset correction values and timing offset correction values. The positional offset correction values are configured to correct for errors that occur in cross track positioning relative to the medium and the timing offset correction values are configured to correct for errors that occur in down track timing relative to the medium.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a magnetic head having an array of transducers. The apparatus is configured to read and/or write to a magnetic recording tape according to a format. The format specifies a number of active channels, locations of data tracks on the magnetic recording tape, and a contiguous spare area on the magnetic recording tape. The format also specifies backward compatibility with a second format. The second format specifies a smaller number of active channels than the number of active channels specified by the format. A product includes a magnetic recording tape and a cartridge memory. The cartridge memory has data stored therein specifying the aforementioned format.

Abstract: Magnetic storage tape and techniques for erasing and writing to magnetic storage tape having a perpendicular squareness greater than 50 percent and a longitudinal squareness less than 50 percent are described. In general, the magnetic tape may be biased with a remanence magnetization, or magnetic orientation, in any direction. One or two head systems may use various magnetic field patterns to create the desired remanence magnetization. Servo marks may have a remanence magnetization in an opposite magnetic orientation than that of the remaining bias on the servo track, e.g., substantially perpendicular to the magnetic tape. In some examples, a write head may alternate the direction of the magnetic field to continuously bias and write servo patterns to the magnetic tape. In addition, a symmetrical servo mark may be created in the magnetic tape with a write head having a gap width approximately equal to the length of the servo mark.

Abstract: Systems, methods, devices, circuits for data processing, and more particularly to data processing including operational marginalization capability.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a disk storage apparatus includes a storage device, a writing controller, and a controller. The storage device includes a nonvolatile cache area in which a part of consecutive data is temporarily stored. The writing controller is configured to write the consecutive data in a recording area on a disk by an SMR method, the recording area being different from the cache area. The controller is configured to write the part of the data to the cache area, to invalidate data corresponding to logical addresses of the part of the data and recorded in the recording area on the disk, and to set a recording area with the invalidated data recorded therein to be an update recording area in which new data is recordable.

Abstract: Disclosed is a magnetic recording/reproduction device 2 including: a recording/reproduction head 7; and a recording/reproduction head 7 for detecting a leakage magnetic field of each of the plurality of magnetic recording cells 1 so as to reproduce information, the recording/reproduction head 7 carrying out the recording on the magnetic recording medium 4 so that the magnetic recording medium 4 includes continuous recording regions that (i) satisfy Nmin?2 and that (ii) include a continuous recording region that satisfies N?n×Nmin, where N represents a number of magnetic recording cells 1 in a continuous recording region; Nmin represents a minimum value for N; and n represents a positive integer, the continuous recording regions each being a region on a reproduction track in which region magnetic recording cells 1 sharing an identical magnetization direction are sequentially arranged in a circumferential direction of the magnetic recording medium 4.

Abstract: The present inventions are related to systems and methods for data processing, and more particularly to systems and methods for detecting patterns in a data stream.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for data processing. As an example, a data processing circuit is disclosed that includes an equalizer circuit and a data detection circuit. The equalizer circuit is operable to filter a series of samples based at least in part on a filter coefficient and to provide a corresponding series of filtered samples. The data detection circuit includes: a core data detector circuit and a coefficient determination circuit. The core data detector circuit is operable to perform a data detection process on the series of filtered samples and to provide a most likely path and a next most likely path. The coefficient determination circuit operable to update the filter coefficient based at least in part on the most likely path and the next most likely path.

Abstract: A disk drive is described with a single servo master timer that is used to control timing critical signals such as servo gate, SAM windows, channel power save, PREAMP power save and so on. The master timer is adjusted to compensate for SAM detection errors (early, late or missed) and provides improved servo timing quality. In an embodiment the adjustable master timer can be selectably clocked by either the DLC/DSW clock or the system clock.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a disk storage apparatus includes an interrupt controller and a servo controller. The interrupt controller determines whether or not to carry out servo interrupt processing and holds a number of negative results of the determination. The servo controller includes an internal model configured to calculate an estimated current position of the head. The servo controller corrects a state of the internal model based on the number of negative results of the determination and performs head positioning control based on a result of a calculation of the internal model, if the result of the determination by the interrupt controller is affirmative.

Abstract: Systems and method relating generally to detecting information, and more particularly without limitation to systems and methods for synchronizing to a data stream.

Abstract: A magnetic storage medium comprises a plurality of discrete magnetic elements and first and second adjoining servo sectors. Each of the servo sectors comprises first and second rows of the discrete magnetic elements extending in a track direction. The second row of the discrete magnetic elements are stacked relative to the discrete magnetic elements of the first row in a cross-track direction that is perpendicular to the track direction. The discrete magnetic elements of the first servo sector are staggered in the cross-track direction relative to the discrete magnetic elements of the second servo sector.

Abstract: Approaches are provided for a hard-disk drive (HDD) and techniques for using multiple LUNs per HDD where each LUN is mapped to a head/disk interface. In one example, a HDD generates multiple LUNs and assigns each to a single head, such that data written by a first head is only associated to a first LUN, and so forth.

Abstract: A magnetic recording disk has nondata regions that contain a group of first nondata islands with one area and a magnetization in one perpendicular direction, and a group of second nondata islands with a smaller area and a magnetization in the opposite direction. To magnetize the nondata islands with the proper magnetization directions, a DC magnetic field much greater than the coercive field of the magnetic recording layer is applied in one direction to the entire disk to magnetize all of the nondata islands in the same direction. Then the disk is heated to a predetermined temperature, and while the disk is at this temperature, a second DC magnetic field less than the first DC magnetic field is applied for a predetermined time in the opposite direction to the entire disk. This reverses the magnetization direction of the smaller islands without switching the magnetization of the larger islands.

Abstract: A servo information recording method continuously records servo information in a radial direction of a magnetic disk on a plurality of concentric tracks or on a single spiral track of a first recording layer that forms a magnetic layer of the magnetic disk together with a second recording layer to which data are recorded and from which data are reproduced, wherein the first recording layer has a coercivity higher than that of the second recording layer, and partially overlaps two mutually adjacent tracks when continuously recording the servo information on an entire surface of the first recording layer.

Abstract: A magnetic device according to one embodiment includes a source of flux; a magnetic pole having two or more gaps; and a low reluctance path positioned towards at least one of the gaps and riot positioned towards at least one other of the gaps for affecting a magnetic field formed at the at least one of the gaps when the source of flux is generating flux. Other disclosed embodiments include devices having coil turns with a non-uniform placement in the magnetic yoke for altering a magnetic field formed at the at least one of the gaps during writing. In further embodiments, a geometry of the magnetic pole near or at one of the gaps is different than a geometry of the magnetic pole near or at another of the gaps to help equalize fields formed at the gaps when the source of flux is generating flux.

Abstract: A method of protecting information written to a recording medium includes magnetizing the recording medium to form a first magnetic pattern corresponding to information to be stored, and magnetizing the recording medium to form a protective magnetic pattern having a phase difference of 180° from the first magnetic pattern at a position adjacent to where the first magnetic pattern is formed, with adjacent bits of the first magnetic pattern opposite and the protective magnetic pattern opposite to each other.

Abstract: In a disk storage system, the disk may include a full null servo position error signal (“PES”) wedge, followed by a data wedge, and then a short null servo PES wedge. To improve the accuracy with which information read from the short null servo PES wedge can be used to help keep the read head centered over the information track being read, the short null servo PES wedge may include a calibration field. Information read from the calibration field can be used to compensate the subsequently read PES information in the short wedge for possible sampling phase error that may have accumulated since the full null servo PES wedge was read. This type of short null servo PES wedge also has other possible uses.

Abstract: A cluster size measurement method includes writing a first pattern of a first size of a first number of magnetic clusters. A second pattern of a second size of a second number of magnetic clusters is written, wherein the second plurality of clusters includes clusters of the first number of clusters and a switched cluster. A cluster size of the switched cluster is automatically determined by contrasting the first size and the second size.

Abstract: A shingled magnetic recording disk drive with sector error correction code (ECC) has the disk recording surface divided into multiple zones. Each zone is assigned a sector-ECC strength, i.e., a unique number of ECC sectors associated with a block of data sectors. The zone in which data is to be written is determined from the time average of the position-error signal (PES), which is an indication of the track misregistration (TMR) and thus the current environmental condition to which the HDD is subjected.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for data processing. As an example, a data processing circuit is disclosed that includes a read circuit and a combining circuit. The read circuit is operable to provide a first instance of a user data set, a second instance of the user data set, and a third instance of the user data set. The combining circuit is operable to: combine at least a first segment of the first instance of the user data set with a first segment of the second instance of the user data set to yield a first combined data segment; provide a second combined data set that includes a combination of one or more second segments from the second instance of the user data set and the third instance of the user data set; and provide an aggregate data set including at least the first combined data set and the second combined data set. The second combined data set does not incorporate a second segment of the first instance of the user data set.

Abstract: A system includes a self-servo-write (SSW) module, a read module, and a write module. The SSW module writes servo spirals on a magnetic medium of a hard disk drive (HDD) via a write head of the HDD. The read module reads the servo spirals via a read head of the HDD and generates read signals. The write module writes non-servo data on the magnetic medium via the write head based on the read signals before the SSW module writes servo wedges on the magnetic medium.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk comprising a plurality of tracks defined by a plurality of servo sectors. An estimated track ID is generated representing an estimated radial location of the head. A high order Gray code in a first servo sector is detected, and errors in the high order Gray code are corrected using the estimated track ID to generate a corrected Gray code. The corrected Gray code is decoded into a first part of a detected track ID. A low order track code is detected in the first servo sector, and the low order track code is decoded into a second part of the detected track ID. The first part of the detected track ID is combined with the second part of the detected track ID.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a vehicular navigation control are disclosed herein. Some embodiments include a navigation system and a vehicle with a vehicle control module (VCM), a navigation control module (NCM), and a navigation control interface, where the VCM receives a manual command from an operator to implement a manual control function. In some embodiments the NCM receives an automatic command from the navigation system to implement an automatic control function via the VCM and the navigation control interface directly connects the VCM and the NCM to facilitate communication between the VCM and NCM for implementing automatic mode and for reporting implementation of a manual mode.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk, a head actuated over the disk, and a controller. The disk comprises a plurality of data tracks and a plurality of servo wedges, wherein each servo wedge comprises a plurality of wedge repeatable runout (WRRO) fields in a circumferential direction, each of the plurality of WRRO fields including an WRRO compensation value for a different one of the data tracks and having a width that is wider than a width of the respective data track in a radial direction. The controller is configured to read the WRRO compensation value in at least one of the WRRO fields from the disk using the head, and to adjust a position of the head based on the read WRRO compensation value.

Abstract: In transmitting stream data to a recording unit through a network, there is a method to detect that a synchronous recording has been designated from an input unit to transmit mute data to a recording unit through the network for a first predetermined time period during which the streaming data is held in a data holding unit for the first predetermined time value. In the case where it is determined that the data that the data holding unit holds is held for a second predetermined time value, the inputted stream data is transmitted to the recording unit through the network. The recording unit is permitted to record, in the state where sound is not interrupted, and it is permitted to execute data recording, in which operating time of mechanical parts is required so that the operating state of the recording unit shifts to the recording state, and/or responses relating to the control of the recording unit are taken into consideration.