Disk drive implementing data path protection by encoding large host blocks into sub blocks

A method of operating a disk drive, the disk drive comprising a disk comprising a plurality of data tracks, wherein each data track comprises a plurality of data sectors, and a head actuated over the disk operable to access the data sectors, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a write command from a host, wherein the write command comprises a host block and corresponding host block address;
• partitioning the host block into a plurality of sub blocks;
• generating a plurality of sub block addresses in response to the host block address, wherein each sub block address corresponds to one of the sub blocks;
• generating error detection code (EDC) data for each sub block in response to the sub block and corresponding sub block address;
• combining each sub block and corresponding EDC data to generate a plurality of partial codewords;
• and
• writing the partial codewords to the data sectors corresponding to the sub block addresses.