Method and apparatus for generating the optimum read timing for read and write offset of a magneto resistive head

A hard disk drive, comprising:

• a disk that has a sync address mark, a data sector, a preamble to said data sector, and a sync byte located between said preamble and said data sector;
• a spindle motor coupled to said disk;
• a head coupled to said disk, said head having a read element that is separated from a write element by an offset;
• a pre-amplifier circuit connected to said head, said pre-amplifier circuit having a read gate coupled to said read element;
• a read/write channel circuit connected to said pre-amplifier circuit;
• and,
• a controller connected to read/write channel circuit and said pre-amplifier circuit, said controller provides a read gate signal to said read gate to enable said read element, a timing of said read gate signal being a function of the offset.

A hard disk drive, comprising:

• a disk;
• a spindle motor coupled to said disk;
• a head coupled to said disk, said head having a read element that is separated from a write element by an offset;
• and,
• circuit means for enabling said read element as a function of the offset.

A hard disk drive, comprising:

• a disk that has a sync address mark, a data sector, a preamble to said data sector, and a sync byte located between said preamble and said data sector;
• a spindle motor coupled to said disk;
• a head coupled to said disk, said head having a read element that is separated from a write element by an offset;
• a pre-amplifier circuit connected to said head, said pre-amplifier circuit having a read gate coupled to said read element;
• a read/write channel circuit connected to said pre-amplifier circuit;
• and,
• controller means for providing a read gate signal to said read gate to enable said read element, a timing of said read gate signal being a function of the offset.

A method for enabling a read gate of a hard disk drive, comprising:

• reading a sync address mark of a disk with a head that has a read element offset from a write element;
• generating a sector signal;
• and,
• enabling a read gate signal at a time that is a function of the offset.

A method to determine an offset between a read element and a write element of a hard disk drive, comprising:

• determining a desired sync byte location on a disk;
• reading a disk with a head that has a read element;
• determining an actual sync byte location of the disk;
• and,
• generating offset information as a difference between the desired and actual sync byte locations.

A method of compensating for a physical offset between a read element and a write element of a data storage device, comprising:

• writing a data pattern onto a storage medium, the data pattern including a preamble portion that has a start point;
• determining a time duration between the start point of the preamble and a periodic timing reference signal;
• and,
• offsetting at least one of a read gate signal and a write gate signal from said periodic timing reference signal by said determined time duration, said read gate signal indicating a start of a read operation, said write gate signal indicating a start of a write operation.