Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information recording device includes: a recording controller configured to control recording of information on a magnetic recording medium having tracks by a recording method; a managing module configured to manage two or more counters corresponding to each of plural track groups that are adjacent to each other; an updating module configured to update a count of one of the two or more counters corresponding to a second track group that is adjacent to a first track group of the plural track groups when information has been recorded on the first track group; a determining module configured to determine an attribute of the second track group based on the updated count of the one counter; and a rewriting module configured to rewrite information recorded in the second track group based on the determined attribute.

Abstract: A hard disk drive includes a magnetic head, at least one disk and a controller. A location signal is recorded on the at least one disk for determining a location of the magnetic head in relation to the at least one disk. The controller controls the location of the magnetic head based on the location signal decoded through the magnetic head. At least one of frequency and amplitude of the location signal is variable.

Abstract: The invention provides a driving circuit for a voice coil motor. In one embodiment, the driving circuit includes a logic circuit, a digital-to-analog converter, and an output circuit. The logic circuit generates a series of samples of a digital output signal according to a digital input signal, wherein the samples of the digital output signal sequentially alter from a first input value of the digital input value to a second input value of the digital input signal according to an alteration pattern determined by a mode selection signal. The digital-to-analog converter converts the digital output signal to an analog output signal. The output circuit generates a driving current signal according to the analog output signal for driving the voice coil motor.

Abstract: A signal processing device includes a sound pickup unit configured to pick up sound and convert the sound into a sound signal; a signal recording unit including an actuator that is driven by a current supplied from a power source and that has a possibility of generating audible noise caused by the driving, the signal recording unit being configured to record the sound signal therein; a current detecting unit configured to detect the magnitude of the current and a temporal change in the current; and a signal processing unit configured to determine, on the basis of at least one of the magnitude of the current and the temporal change in the current, whether the audible noise has been generated and perform, when it is determined that the audible noise has been generated, noise removal processing for removing the audible noise from the sound signal, which contains the audible noise.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and systems implementing analog techniques to decode signals extracted from servo wedges of computer-readable storage media. A digital signal representing a repeatable runout (RRO) signal included in an analog signal of a computer-readable storage medium is obtained. The RRO signal includes a preamble that represents a magnitude of the RRO signal, and data. The digital signal includes a digital representation of the preamble. An estimate of the magnitude of the RRO signal is determined based on the digital representation. The estimate is compared with a specified level to generate an error signal based on a difference between the two. The provision of the error signal, for application to a subsequent RRO signal of the computer-readable storage medium, is delayed. The RRO signal is amplified prior to being represented as the digital signal to match a value established to decode the RRO signal.

Abstract: Examples of the present invention relate to reduction in acoustic noise by tuning seek characteristics of a servo controller, depending on a radial position of a head relative to a disk. The servo controller can provide compensation for acoustic resonance modes.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to further improve a recording density in a magnetic disk apparatus using a shingle write system. In a magnetic disk apparatus including a magnetic disk, a recording head that writes information on the magnetic disk, and a controller that controls a writing operation of the recording head to the magnetic disk, the controller controls the writing operation such that the recording head writes information on a region including a target track and a portion of track adjacent thereto in an overlapping manner while position-shifting in a radial direction of the magnetic disk and a first writing frequency to a track on which information is last written is higher than a second writing frequency to another track.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed having a plurality of disk surfaces, wherein each disk surface comprises a plurality of data tracks, and each data track comprises a plurality of data sectors. When a read command is received from a host, data is read from first and second data sectors on first and second disk surfaces, respectively, in response to the read command, wherein the first data sector stores data at a first data rate, and the second data sector stores data at a second data rate substantially less than the first data rate. The data is transferred to the host at a substantially constant average transfer rate. In this manner, the disk drive does not appear abnormal to a benchmark program that reads a plurality of data sectors across multiple disk surfaces.

Abstract: A disk drive. The disk drive includes a head, a motion mechanism, and a controller. The head is configured to access a disk configured to store data. The motion mechanism is configured to move the head. The controller is configured to determine a seek direction when an error occurred; and, the controller is configured to repeat a seek as a repeat seek to a target radial position from a direction opposite to the seek direction in an error-recovery process for the error which occurred in the seek in which the head moved to the target radial position.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a first and second disk surfaces. A defect list is generated comprising a plurality of entries, wherein each entry comprises a track number comprising a defect. A first cluster across the first and second disk surfaces is identified, wherein a maximum data track number X1 in the first cluster on the first disk surface is less than a maximum data track number Y1 in the first cluster on the second disk surface. A second cluster across the first and second disk surfaces is identified, wherein a maximum data track number X2 in the second cluster on the first disk surface is less than a maximum data track number Y2 in the second cluster on the second disk surface. An entry from the defect list is selected in response to X1, and the entry of the defect list is mapped into the second cluster.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk having a plurality of tracks, wherein each track comprises a plurality of data sectors. A head is actuated radially over the disk for generating a read signal. A first read of a data sector is performed while adjusting an amplitude of the read signal in response to a gain control setting. When an error occurs while attempting to first read the data sector, a first jog value is generated in response to the gain control setting. The head is served over the data sector in response to the first jog value, and a second read of the data sector is performed.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes systems and techniques relating to control of recording devices, such as disk drives. Systems and techniques can include controlling a motor to actuate a head about a surface of a rotating recording medium, switching from a first mode to a second mode to control the motor based on a condition of operation with respect to the rotating recording medium, and synchronizing the switch from the first mode to the second mode based on a state of electric current associated with the motor.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a magnetic recording medium having a data region in which a plurality of recording tracks, each including magnetic dots arrayed in a down-track direction with a pitch p, are formed in a cross-track direction, and a servo region including a preamble in which a plurality of lines of magnetic dots, which are arrayed in a cross-track direction with a pitch p, are formed at equal intervals in the down-track direction.

Abstract: Track pitch in a hard disk drive is selected to satisfy the requirements of both off-track capacity (OTC) and adjacent track interference (ATI). The invention separately measures the track pitch requirements for OTC and ATI. The track pitch for the drive is set with the larger of the OTC and ATI track pitches. The OTC track pitch is measured with a 747 curve, and the ATI track pitch is measured by the positions of adjacent tracks at which the on-track error rate is not worse than a given value after the targeted number of adjacent track writes in the ATI requirement.

Abstract: A hard-disk drive (HDD) with a current adjustment component is provided. The current adjustment component changes an amount of current to a magnetic-recording head of the HDD to cause a change in the strength of a magnetic write field produced by the magnetic-recording head in response to a determination that a present position of the magnetic-head head is not in a desired position. To illustrate, in response to a determination that the present position of the magnetic-recording head is further away from an edge of a current track being written than a desired position of the magnetic-recording head, the current adjustment component increases the current to the magnetic-recording head to cause an increase in the strength of the magnetic write field. The change in the strength of the magnetic write field causes data, written by the magnetic-recording head, to be located at a desired location on the magnetic-recording disk.

Abstract: A hard-disk drive. The hard-disk drive includes a magnetic-recording disk in which tracks adjacent to each other are magnetically separated, a spindle motor which drives the magnetic-recording disk, a magnetic-recording head equipped with write element and read element, an actuator for positioning the magnetic-recording head on a predetermined track on the magnetic-recording disk, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to store information about an over-write-only track that is provided for a plurality of tracks including n consecutive tracks in at least a partial radial area of the magnetic-recording disk and an offset amount. In a radial area of the magnetic disk where the over-write-only track is located, the control unit is configured to record with an offset by an offset amount from a center of a track toward the over-write-only track with respect to n?1 tracks of the plurality of n tracks, excluding the over-write-only track.

Abstract: A system and method are described for aligning a data axis of one or more circular data-bearing tracks on an annular surface region of a magnetic media-bearing disk, with a spin axis of a spindle of a spinstand or a disk drive. The data axis is perpendicular to the surface region of the disk and the data tracks are concentric with respect to a data axis.

Abstract: A computer implemented method is disclosed, for energy-saving operation of a storage device with a read/write head. The method includes monitoring workload of the storage device, calculating current mean workload and adjusting seek speed of the read/write head of the storage device to one of a plurality seek speeds depending on the calculated current mean workload. The step of adjusting the seek speed of the read/write head includes adjusting the seek speed of the read/write head to be a first seek speed if the calculated current mean workload is below a first threshold, adjusting the seek speed of the read/write head to be a second seek speed if the calculated current mean workload is between the first threshold and a second threshold, and adjusting the seek speed of the read/write head to be the first seek speed if the calculated current mean workload is greater than the second threshold. A computer program product and a data processing system are also disclosed.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk, a head coupled to a distal end of an actuator arm, a voice coil motor (VCM) operable to rotate the actuator arm about a pivot in order to actuate the head radially over the disk, and a ramp located near an outer edge of the disk for parking the head. A first back electromotive force (BEMF) voltage of the VCM is measured, and a current is applied to the VCM for a first interval in order to move the actuator arm in a first radial direction. After the first interval, a second BEMF voltage of the VCM is measured, and whether the head is parked is detected in response to the first and second BEMF voltages.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed for decoding data stored on a data storage medium. A disclosed decoding method and decoder include a radial incoherence (RI) detector that increases the probability of detecting RI and improves the decoding performance in terms of the bit error rate of the decoded signal. RI is detected by comparing an input signal to the decoder against a RI threshold value and generating a RI-type signal. The RI detector may include a filter for filtering out noise and error in the RI-type signal, an adaptive threshold unit that adjusts the RI threshold value based upon the RI-type signal, a transition-based threshold unit that adjusts the RI threshold value based upon each transition in the input signal, or a path-based threshold unit that adjusts the RI threshold value based upon a best surviving path corresponding to the input signal, in combination or alone.

Abstract: A hard disk drive is provided. The hard disk drive comprises a plant configured to drive the hard disk drive, a main controller configured to control the plant, and an additional controller connected in parallel with the main controller. A response function in consideration of the plant and the main controller is referred to as a main response function, and a response function in consideration of the plant and the additional controller is referred to as a first response function. The first response function cancels a function value corresponding to a section of the main response function that is associated with disturbance. The response function of the additional controller may be designed using the first response function. The hard disk drive removes a portion of the main response function to minimize the influence of the disturbance.

Abstract: A method of self servo-writing servo information to a plurality of disk surfaces in a disk drive that includes writing servo information to a plurality of disk surfaces in a first direction, writing servo information to a plurality of disk surfaces in a second direction, and determining an amount of overlap to be written on a reference surface with the reference head that will produce an overlap of servo information on each of the surfaces in the disk drive to which servo information is to be written. The method also includes switching to different tables when seeking across the overlap or border areas.

Abstract: The application relates to an adaptive vibration damping scheme that provides for detection of, and adjustment for, vibration-related disturbances in devices. The vibration damping scheme utilizes a common filter function to implement vibration detection and vibration compensation.

Abstract: A method for writing servo sector sets that include a plurality of separate servo sectors on a disk so that servo sectors are present at same circumferential positions but different radial positions. The method includes reading a first servo sector set in a track with a read element such that the track includes first, second and third servo sector sets. The method also includes writing the third servo sector set with a write element at a different radial position from the read element with positional control and timing control using the first servo sector set while skipping the second servo sector set if all servo sectors of the first servo sector set are non-defective. Moreover, the method includes using positional control and timing control using the second servo sector set in the writing of the third servo sector set if the first servo sector set includes a defective servo sector.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a position control apparatus includes: a digital control module that performs position control including disturbance adaptive control with a predetermined sampling period using a control constant, in accordance with a position error; and a table that stores the control constant corresponding to one of values sin(?T), cos(?T), and sin(?T/2), wherein the digital control module determines a control value of the actuator in accordance with the position error, calculates a value of one of estimated errors of sin(?T), cos(?T), and sin(?T/2) according to an adaptive law from a signal based on the position error, multiplies the calculated estimated error by an adaptive gain in accordance with a value of the angular frequency ?, updates one of the values, reads the corresponding control constant from the table based on the updated value, and updates the control constant.

Abstract: A hard disk drive with a circuit that can perform a seek routine by providing a seek current to a voice coil motor. The voice coil motor is coupled to a head that is coupled to a disk. The seek current provides a predetermined number of harmonics. The number of harmonics is a function of a seek length of the seek routine. By way of example, the seek current may include only a first harmonic for seek lengths less than 20,000 tracks, or only the first and second harmonics for seeks less than 40,000 tracks. The harmonics can be determined by plotting PES settle versus seek length for a hard disk drive.

Abstract: A system includes a control module configured to generate a first signal to control a speed of an actuator arm of a rotating storage device. An estimating module includes a first filter configured to generate a first filtered output based on the first signal. A second filter is configured to generate a second filtered output based on the speed of the actuator arm. The estimating module is configured to estimate a force to move the actuator arm based on (i) the first filtered output and (ii) the second filtered output. The first filter and the second filter include infinite impulse response (IIR) filters of Pth order, where P is an integer greater than 1.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a disk controller includes a receiver, a read-modify-write controller, and a wait controller. The receiver receives data in units of predetermined data length. The read-modify-write controller performs a read-modify-write operation when the receiver receives the data to write the data to a sector on a disk medium the rotation of which is controlled. The sector is longer than the predetermined data length. The wait controller delays the start of the read-modify-write operation by the read-modify-write controller for within the time which the disk medium takes to rotate once and which is substantially the same as the time required to control the read-modify-write operation.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention recite a method and system for fabricating a data storage medium. In one embodiment, a detectable pattern is created at the surface of a substrate. An electron beam lithography process is then initiated upon the substrate. The detectable pattern is used to control the positioning of an electron beam relative to the surface of the substrate during the electron beam lithography process.

Abstract: A magnetic disk apparatus includes: a driving section for moving a magnetic head recoding and reproducing information in a magnetic disk; and a controller for controlling the driving section. The controller includes: a position-error feedback control system having an integrator and a phase lead compensator and obtaining a position command based on difference between target position and detection position of the magnetic head to perform feedback control of the driving section; and a two-freedom-degree control system inputting a target move distance of the magnetic head and outputting a current command to the driving section by using a mathematic model of the driving section. The controller providing the driving section with an output of the integrator and therewith updating the mathematical model by using an output of the phase lead compensator, in each of the times of positioning control and seek of the magnetic head.

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: A method for writing servo sector sets that include a plurality of separate servo sectors on a disk so that servo sectors are present at same circumferential positions but different radial positions. The method includes reading a first servo sector set in a track with a read element such that the track includes first, second and third servo sector sets. The method also includes writing the third servo sector set with a write element at a different radial position from the read element with positional control and timing control using the first servo sector set while skipping the second servo sector set if all servo sectors of the first servo sector set are non-defective. Moreover, the method includes using positional control and timing control using the second servo sector set in the writing of the third servo sector set if the first servo sector set includes a defective servo sector.

Abstract: A recording processing unit sets a track pitch narrower than a writing width of a recording element so that part of the recorded track overlapped with the unused track is overwritten, and continuously records information on a disk medium toward one direction in accordance with the track pitch. A first offset correcting unit reads a write/read offset from a storage table, in which the write/read offset is measured and saved in advance, and corrects the write/read offset in the state that a reading element is positioned at a target track. A second offset correcting unit corrects a write-once center offset, which is a positional deviation between a read center position of the reading element, which has undergone correction of the write/read offset by the first offset correcting unit, and a center position of an effective track width caused by write-once recording.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a magnetic recording medium having a data region in which a plurality of recording tracks, each including magnetic dots arrayed in a down-track direction with a pitch p, are formed in a cross-track direction, and a servo region including a preamble in which a plurality of lines of magnetic dots, which are arrayed in a cross-track direction with a pitch p, are formed at equal intervals in the down-track direction.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to using a transducer to transfer data during a transducer displacement operation at a time during such operation when the transducer is substantially stationary.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a servo pattern writing method includes: moving a head from a first one of innermost and outermost circumferences of a medium to the remainder other than the first one while controlling a position of the head in accordance with a temporary pattern preliminarily written on the medium; calculating a junction between a servo pattern to be written from the innermost circumference and a servo pattern to be written from the outermost circumference based on a movement distance of the head; first writing the servo pattern from a second one of the innermost and outermost circumferences to the junction, while controlling the position of the head in accordance with the temporary pattern; and second writing the servo pattern from the remainder other than the second one to the junction, while controlling the position of the head in accordance with the temporary pattern.

Abstract: In a method for implementing track shape control during a self servo-write process, an error in a targeted path for writing servo data onto a first track of a disk is detected. The error is correlated with a second error for a targeted path in a previously written track of the disk. A correction is generated for a feed-forward signal used to position a writing element which is used to write servo data for a subsequent track of the disk.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for fast-adjustment of the position of a plant in a servo system in which a servo output indicative of the plant position is provided to a positioning system for positioning the plant in dependence on the servo output. The apparatus includes an adjustment signal generator, operable in a fast-correction mode and a shock-compensation mode, for generating an adjustment signal for supply to the positioning system to effect fast positional adjustment of the plant. The apparatus also has an adjustment controller for receiving the servo output. The adjustment controller is adapted to detect from the servo output occurrence of a disturbance affecting positioning of the plant and, in response, to initiate the shock-compensation mode of the adjustment signal generator. The adjustment controller is further adapted to initiate the fast-correction mode of the adjustment signal generator in response to indication of an error in positioning of the plant.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk and a head actuated over the disk by a voice coil motor (VCM) comprising a voice coil, wherein the VCM is controlled by a VCM control loop comprising an IR voltage detector. The IR voltage detector is updated by measuring a first back EMF voltage of the voice coil, and after measuring the first back EMF voltage, applying a first control current to the voice coil for a first interval and applying a second control current to the voice coil for a second interval. After the second interval, a second back EMF voltage is measured, and a delta voltage is computed relative to a difference between the first back EMF voltage and the second back EMF voltage. The IR voltage detector is adjusted in response to the delta voltage and at least one of the first and second control currents.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a disk drive that can perform dynamic offset control (DOC). The disk drive has a magnetic head, a disk, and offset calculating modules. The magnetic head has read head. Offset-measuring position data is written in a non-servo area provided in the disk. The read head reads the offset-measuring position data from the disk. Based on the offset-measuring position data thus read, the offset calculating modules calculate an offset value that changes during a one-rotation period of the disk.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to protecting a device from damage due to an impact event at the conclusion of a free fall condition through the use of a biasing signal that maintains a retention force until the impact event is completed.

Abstract: A system includes a control module and an estimating module. The control module controls a speed of an actuator arm when the actuator arm moves from a parked position to an edge of a rotating storage medium and generates an arm control signal. The estimating module estimates a force to move the actuator arm based on the arm control signal and the speed, and generates an estimated force signal that adjusts the arm control signal.

Abstract: A hard-disk drive (HDD). The HDD includes a main control circuit. The main control circuit includes a frequency-hunting peak filter. The frequency-hunting peak filter includes a peak filter wherein a gain at a center frequency becomes finite and a reciprocal of the transfer function is represented by z/FD in z-transform space. The denominator of the transfer function of the peak filter that is represented by FD, has a real part that becomes zero at the center frequency and an imaginary part that becomes a positive number at the center frequency. In addition, the frequency-hunting peak filter includes a frequency updating unit that updates the center frequency to converge onto a frequency of disturbance by obtaining a comparative relation between the center frequency and the frequency of disturbance acting on the control system in accordance with a phase difference between an input and output of the transfer function represented by z/FD.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk, a head, a voice coil motor (VCM) for actuating the head over the disk, and control circuitry comprising a notch filter for generating a VCM control signal, wherein a notch of the notch filter comprises a frequency, a width, and a depth. The notch filter is calibrated by initializing at least one of the width and the depth of the notch, measuring a quality metric of the notch filter, and increasing at least one of the width and the depth of the notch until the quality metric indicates good performance.

Abstract: In a method of improving read hits to pre-fetch data stored in a memory associated with a hard disk drive (HDD). The method includes; receiving a read command indicating a target sector on a disk in the HDD, obtaining a latency time in relation to a movement time and a search time, and during the latency time, reading pre-fetch data from the disk at a current position of a magnetic head and storing the pre-fetch data in the memory before executing the received read command.

Abstract: A magnetic recording disk drive uses a disk having pre-patterned servo sectors extending generally radially across the data tracks. The servo sectors include at least two position error signal (PES) bursts or fields. The phases of the PES fields in the servo readback signal are demodulated to generate a PES to control the disk drive actuator for positioning the read/write heads. Each field contains generally radially directed magnetized stripes, with each stripe comprising a plurality of islands forming a zigzag pattern. The stripes have alternating polarity of magnetizations in the along-the-track direction.

Abstract: A magnetic recording disk drive has a disk with pre-patterned nondata servo sectors extending generally radially across the data tracks for use in positioning the read/write heads on the data tracks. The servo sectors include a synchronization pattern of generally radially directed magnetized marks, a first field of generally radially directed magnetized stripes, and a second field of generally radially directed magnetized stripes. Each stripe in each of the two fields comprises a plurality of radially spaced discrete islands, each island having a radial height of approximately Tp, where Tp is the spacing of the track centerlines in the radial direction. In the first field, the islands are centered at a track centerline, and in the second field the islands are centered at the midline between two adjacent track centerlines. The marks and islands are discrete magnetized regions separated by nonmagnetic spaces.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a magnetic disk apparatus having a magnetic disk having magnetic dot lines each including magnetic dots arrayed at equal intervals in a down track direction, and a read/write head which uses a plurality of adjacent magnetic dot lines as one track and sequentially performs read and write on the magnetic dots included in the magnetic dot lines constituting the track, in which the magnetic dots included in each of the magnetic dot lines in each track of the magnetic disk are displaced in the down track direction from the magnetic dots included in the adjacent dot line in the track depending on a possible skew angle between the read/write head and the track so that the magnetic dots are sequentially accessed by the read/write head.

Abstract: A method of tuning a seek operation of a disk drive is disclosed, the disk drive comprising a disk, an actuator arm, a head coupled to a distal end of the actuator arm, a voice coil motor (VCM) for rotating the actuator arm about a pivot, and a closed loop servo system for generating a VCM control signal applied to the VCM. A function h is applied to the closed loop servo system and a corresponding output g of the closed loop servo system is measured. A reference signal is generated in response to a summation of a plurality of the function h, wherein each of the plurality of the function h is shifted by an offset and scaled by a coefficient, and the coefficients are generated in response to the measured output g.

Abstract: A method for controlling the effects of seek-induced vibration of a component part in a hard-disk drive. The method includes determining a resonant frequency of seek-induced vibration of the component part and a reference amplitude of a frequency-component in a first voice-coil-motor signal (VCMS) at the resonant frequency. The method also includes synthesizing a second VCMS with an amplitude of a frequency-component attenuated below the reference amplitude of the frequency-component in the first VCMS at a frequency in a resonance-band bracketing the resonant frequency. The method also includes driving a voice-coil of a voice-coil motor with the second VCMS to reduce an amplitude of a frequency-component at the resonant frequency in a second PES of the seek of the data track associated with the second VCMS below a reference amplitude of a frequency-component at the resonant frequency in the first PES associated with the first VCMS.