Method and system for encoding data for high performance error control

An apparatus for encoding to a magnetic recording channel, a plurality of successive of m-bit binary data words to produce a plurality of successive n-bit binary code words, where n and m are preselected positive integers such that n is greater than m, said apparatus comprising:

• a first device adapted for partitioning each of said plurality of successive of m-bit binary data words into a plurality of blocks of bits;
• a second device for encoding at least one of said plurality of blocks of bits in accordance with a finite-state coding scheme to produce said plurality of successive n-bit binary code words;
• and
• a third device for transforming said plurality of successive n-bit binary code words by at least one stage of violation correction, wherein said at least one stage of violation correction includes means for detecting the occurrence of any of a plurality of prohibited bit patterns at one or more predetermined locations in said n-bit binary code word and replacing any prohibited bit pattern so detected by a corresponding substitute bit pattern;
• wherein said finite-state coding scheme, said prohibited bit patterns, and said substitute bit patterns are predetermined such that in said plurality of successive said n-bit code words, the maximum number of consecutive bits of a first value is limited to a first predetermined number j, where j is greater or equal to 2, and the maximum number of consecutive bits of a second value is limited to a second predetermined number k.

A data storage system comprising:

• encoder apparatus for encoding to a magnetic recording channel, a plurality of successive m-bit data words to produce a plurality of successive n-bit code words, where n and m are preselected positive integers such that n is greater than m, wherein said encoder apparatus includes a first device, a second device and a third device;
• wherein said first device includes means for partitioning each of said plurality of successive of m-bit binary data words into a plurality of blocks of bits;
• wherein said second device includes means for encoding at least one of said plurality of blocks of bits in accordance with a finite-state coding scheme to produce said plurality of successive n-bit binary code words;
• and
• wherein said third device includes means for transforming said plurality of successive n-bit binary code words by at least one stage of violation correction, wherein said at least one stage of violation correction includes detecting the occurrence of any of a plurality of prohibited bit patterns at one or more predetermined locations in said n-bit binary code word and replacing any prohibited bit pattern so detected by a corresponding substitute bit pattern;
• wherein said finite-state coding scheme, said prohibited bit patterns, and said substitute bit patterns are predetermined such that in said plurality of successive n-bit code words, the maximum number of consecutive bits of a first value is limited to a first predetermined number j, where j is greater or equal to 2, and the maximum number of consecutive bits of a second value is limited to a second predetermined number k;
• a recording channel adapted to record said plurality of successive n-bit binary code words on a magnetic recording medium;
• and
• a decoder apparatus adapted to decode a sequence of said plurality of successive n-bit code words reproduced from said magnetic recording medium to recover said sequence of plurality of successive m-bit binary data words.