US 8,543,894 B1 · Channel quality monitoring and method for qualifying a storage channel using an iterative decoder

Abstract

Monitors, architectures, systems and methods for determining one or more quality characteristics of a storage channel. The monitor generally includes an iterative decoder configured to decode data from the storage channel and generate information relating to a quality metric of the storage channel and/or the iterative decoder, a memory configured to store a threshold value for the quality metric, and a comparator configured to compare the threshold value with a measured value of the quality metric. The monitor enables accurate determination of storage channel quality without use of conventional Reed-Solomon metrics.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for evaluating a data storage device, the method comprising:

selecting a base sector-error-rate (SER) related to a quality of a data storage device;
determining a base signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) that corresponds to the base SER;
determining a SNR margin based at least in part on a predetermined range of SER;
calculating a SNR threshold by adding the SNR margin to the base SNR;
storing the SNR threshold in a memory device;
measuring a SNR of the data storage device being evaluated;
qualifying the data storage device being evaluated if the measured SNR exceeds the SNR threshold stored in the memory device;
and
rejecting the data storage device being evaluated if the measured SNR does not exceed the SNR threshold stored in the memory device.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

13/650,446Filed 12 Oct 2012 · continuation

Priority

22 Sep 2008

Granted

24 Sep 2013

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

G11B 27/36
Editing; Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Monitoring; Measuring tape travel: monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording…
G06F 11/076
By exceeding limits: by exceeding a count or rate limit, e.g. word- or bit count limit
G06F 11/3466
Recording or statistical evaluation of computer activity, e.g. of down time, of input/output operation ; Recording or statistical evaluation of…:…
H03M 13/1102
Using multiple parity bits: codes on graphs and decoding on graphs, e.g. low-density parity check [LDPC] codes

Channel quality monitoring and method for qualifying a storage channel using an iterative decoder

Life of this patent

Channel quality monitoring and method for qualifying a storage channel using an iterative decoder

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20