Patent · US Active

Methods, circuits, apparatus, and systems for read channel synchronization and/or fly height measurement

US7715135B1 · kind B1 · utility

40Cited by
4References
37Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 13, 2006
Grant dateMay 11, 2010
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 19, 2028

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11B2020/1287
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Methods, circuits, and systems for processing a preamble field in a read channel (e.g., in a magnetic storage device such as a hard disk drive). The methods generally include the steps of (a) reading the preamble field, wherein the preamble field comprises a repetitive bit pattern having a logical transition every x bit periods, where x is an integer of at least 3 when d is 0 or 1, or where x is an integer of at least d+2 when d is greater than 1, and (b) processing the repetitive bit pattern. The methods may further relate to processing the preamble for synchronization with the read channel and/or for measuring the fly height of a read/write head. The invention also relates to methods of enabling read channel synchronization and/or fly height measurement. The circuitry for fly height measurement generally includes (a) reading logic configured to read a preamble field from a read channel, wherein the preamble field comprises a repetitive bit pattern, (b) determination logic configured to determine a characteristic of the repetitive bit pattern, and (c) correlation logic configured to correlate the characteristic to the fly height. The systems generally comprise those that include a…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.