Device and method for extending error correction beyond one sector time

A method for extending error correction time on a data sector beyond the time to receive a next data sector, wherein a plurality of data sectors are sequentially received from a data storage medium for storage in a buffer, the method comprising:

• sequentially receiving and storing a first data sector and detecting a first set of errors in the first data sector;
• sequentially receiving and storing a second data sector and detecting a second set of errors in the second data sector;
• while receiving the second data sector, determining a first set of error locations and patterns associated with the detected first set of errors in the first data sector;
• sequentially receiving and storing a third data sector and detecting a third set of errors in the third data sector;
• and
• while receiving the second data sector,
• correcting the detected first set of errors in the first data sector;
• when correcting the detected first set of errors requires more time than the time to receive the second data sector, extending the time to correct the detected first set of errors in the first data sector beyond the time to receive the second data sector, wherein a second set of error locations and patterns associated with the detected second set of errors in the second data sector is determined while receiving the third data sector.

A system for extending error correction time on a data sector of an error correction coded data stream beyond the time to receive a next data sector, wherein the error correction coded data stream is read from a data storage medium and comprises a plurality of data sectors, the system comprising:

• disk manager circuitry configured to receive the data stream for sequentially identifying the plurality of data sectors in the data stream;
• a buffer coupled to the disk manager circuitry for sequentially receiving and storing the plurality of data sectors from the data storage medium;
• and
• error detection and correction circuitry configured to sequentially receive the data sectors from the disk manager circuitry for sequentially detecting and correcting errors in each of the received data sectors, wherein the error detection and correction circuitry is configured to extend the time to correct the detected errors in the associated sector that is stored in the buffer beyond the time to receive a next data sector in sequence when correcting the detected errors requires more time than the time to receive the next data sector.

An error detection and correction device for extending error correction time on a data sector beyond the time to receive a next data sector, the error detection and correction device being coupled to sequentially receive a plurality data sectors from a data storage medium, the device comprising:

• a buffer for sequentially receiving and storing the plurality of data sectors from the data storage medium;
• error detection and correction circuitry configured to sequentially receive the data sectors for sequentially detecting and correcting errors in each of the received data sectors, wherein the error detection and correction circuitry includes ECC extend circuitry to sequentially receive the detected errors for extending error correction time for the associated data sector beyond the time to receive the next data sector in sequence when correcting the detected errors requires more time than the time to receive the next data sector;
• and
• a buffer access unit coupled to the ECC extend circuitry for accessing the buffer for correcting the detected errors in the associated data sector that is stored in the buffer, wherein the buffer access unit generates an end-of-sector (EOS) address for each of the data sectors that are received and stored in the buffer.