Patent ID: 8743499
Filing Date: 2014-06-03
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
1. A data storage system, comprising: a tape channel configured to read data from a magnetic tape medium to produce a signal; a bank of noise whitening filters positioned subsequent to the tape channel configured to receive the signal, wherein the bank of noise whitening filters are configured to minimize variance of noise affecting the signal at an output of the bank of noise whitening filters, and wherein each noise whitening filter in the bank of noise whitening filters is dependent on a different possible data pattern; a soft Dual-Max (DMAX) detector configured to receive the signal from the bank of noise whitening filters, the soft DMAX detector configured to calculate first soft information about each bit of the signal from the bank of noise whitening filters, the calculating being dependent on the different possible data patterns, and send the first soft information to a soft decoder, wherein the soft DMAX algorithm comprises: wherein y the soft decoder positioned subsequent to the soft detector, the soft decoder being configured to calculate second soft information about each bit of the signal and send the second soft information to the soft DMAX detector.