Patent ID: 6067198
Filing Date: 2000-05-23
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
A device to process read signals from a magnetic-media read head during reading of data stored on a magnetic support, said device comprising:a variable-gain input amplifier;a low-pass analog filter coupled to said amplifier to equalize the read signals;a transversal continuous-time analog filter coupled to said low-pass analog filters, the transversal continuous-time analog filter structured to receive an output from the low-pass analog filter and structured to directly output a continuous analog signal;an analog-to-digital converter circuit coupled to an output of the transversal continuous-time analog filter;a gain control unit to control the gain of the input amplifier;a reconstructing circuit including a timing control loop to reconstruct a timing signal for said analog-to-digital converter circuit from said read signals;a Viterbi detector circuit coupled to said analog-to-digital converter circuit; anda decoder coupled to said Viterbi detector circuit, wherein said transversal continuous-time analog filter comprises an analog filter arranged at the output of said low-pass analog filter, and said analog-to-digital converter circuit and said Viterbi detector circuit respectively comprise two analog-to-digital converters and two Viterbi detectors arranged in succession one after the other in two parallel processing channels that are interposed between said transversal continuous-time analog filter and said decoder, wherein the timing control loop is coupled to the analog-to-digital converters, said converters and detectors operating according to sampling sequences that alternate with one another.