Patent ID: 6055118
Filing Date: 2000-04-25
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
In a disc drive in which user data are stored in a data block disposed on a track of a rotating disc, the disc drive including a read channel for recovering the user data from the data block, the read channel utilizing a gain determined by an automatic gain control stage of the read channel in response to input signal levels provided to the read channel, a method for recovering the user data from the data block comprising steps of:(a) reading a previous block disposed on the track, the previous block sequentially preceding the data block on the track;(b) using the automatic gain control stage to obtain a fixed value of the gain in response to at least a portion of the input signal levels provided to the read channel as the previous block is read; and(c) reading the data block while holding the gain at the fixed value of the gain to recover the user data from the data block.