Systems and methods for using an on-the-fly CBD estimate to adjust fly-height

A continuous fly-height adjustable storage system, the system comprising:

• a storage medium, wherein the storage medium includes information corresponding to a process data set;
• a read/write head assembly disposed a variable distance from the storage medium;
• an adaptive CBD estimation circuit, wherein the adaptive CBD estimation circuit is operable to compute a series of channel bit density estimates based at least in part on preceding channel bit density estimates and the process data set;
• and
• a fly-height adjustment circuit, wherein the fly-height adjustment circuit is operable to modify the variable distance based on one or more of the series of channel bit density estimates.

A hard disk drive system, the system comprising:

• a storage platter, wherein the storage platter includes information corresponding to a process data set, and wherein the process data set is usable for both a user application and a fly-height adjustment calculation;
• a read/write head assembly, wherein the read/write head assembly is disposed a variable distance from the storage platter;
• a read channel circuit, wherein the read channel circuit includes an analog to digital converter and a data detector, wherein the analog to digital converter receives an analog signal corresponding to the process data set maintained on the storage medium and provides a series of digital samples corresponding to the analog signal, and wherein the data detector receives the series of digital samples and provides a series of detected samples based on the series of data samples;
• a channel model calculation circuit, wherein the channel model calculation circuit receives the series of detected samples and a first channel bit density estimate, and wherein the channel model calculation circuit provides a channel model output based at least in part on the series of detected samples and the first channel bit density estimate;
• a summation circuit, and wherein the summation circuit is operable to subtract an output derived from the channel model calculation circuit from the series of digital samples to yield an error signal;
• an adaptive CBD calculation circuit, wherein the adaptive CBD calculation circuit calculates a second channel bit density estimate based at least in part on an output derived from the channel model output, the error signal, the series of digital samples, and the series of detected samples;
• and
• a fly-height adjustment circuit, wherein the fly-height adjustment circuit is operable to modify the variable distance based on the second channel bit density estimate.