METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HIGH DENSITY DIGITAL MAGNETIC RECORDING

Abstract: Apparatus for performing high density digital magnetic recording of a binary code string using isotropic/­ perpendicular media comprises a generator for generating a current, and a magnetic head (405) including a winding (404) coupled to the generator for generating a magnetic field having a polarity corresponding to the polarity of the current coupled to the winding (404). The magnetic head (405) and the media are inductively coupled as the head and the media move longitudinally with respect to one another. Control circuitry switches the current off in the winding in response to detecting a one in the binary code string thereby to cause the whole write field of the head to be imprinted on the media leaving a horseshoe type magnetic remanent thereon.

Description: This invention relates to methods of and apparatus for performing digital magnetic recording and readback. More particularly, for example, the invention relates to methods of and apparatus for performing high density isotropic/perpendicular recording of digital information on magnetic media where the distribution of magnetisation on the media correlates well with the fringing field of the readback apparatus. Techniques for the storage of digital information in a magnetisable medium are well known. These techniques are generally based on interaction between a magnetic storage medium and a magnetic head (transducer), in relative motion with respect to one another. The magnetic head is typically comprised of a magnetic core wound with a coil, where the core includes a head gap. The gap field, with its surrounding leakage flux ("fringing field") extends into the magnetic recording surface and leaves a magnetic remanent on the storage media in write mode. The head provides an induced voltage on readback, reflecting the rate of change of magnetisation recorded on the magnetic "track". Thus, the quality of the readback output of a magnetic recording is directly related to and the correlation between the fringing field of the readback head and the derivative of the remanent media magnetisation. Known digital magnetic recording systems which attempt to maximise their data storage capacity typically suffer a degradation in readback performance. A factor in achieving maximum data storage capacity is the information density per unit area of storage surface. The storage density per unit surface area is the product of the storage density per unit track length times the track density per unit distance normal to the direction of relative motion. These two components of storage density are interrelated; an increase in track density will cause a reduction in available readback flux. This has an adverse affect on readback performance, particularly where the distribution of magnetisation on the media does not correlate well with the fringing field of the readback apparatus. By way of background, it should be understood that conventional digital magnetic recording systems use one or more of three primary modes of recording. These can be defined in terms of the direction of surface magnetisation relative to the direction of track motion. These modes are: (1) longitudinal or horizontal recording, (2) prependicular or vertical recording, and (3) transverse recording. In longitudinal recording, the principal direction of magnetisation is in the plane of the surface and parallel to the direction of surface motion. In vertical recording, the principal orientation of the magnetisation is normal to the plane of the surface. In transverse recording, the storage medium is magnetised in the plane of its surface but normal to the direction of motion between the head and surface. These recording modes are well known. In addition to the recording modes and by way of further background, it should be understood that conventional systems create the remanent media magnetisation itself by one of two methods. The first method requires switching the polarity of the continuous current in the winding of the write head. The second method requires the application of short current pulses in the head winding. According to the first, more frequently used method, the value of 0's of encoded bits is represented by the constant state of media magnetisation, while the value of 1's of encoded bits is represented by the change of the state of media magnetisation. This change is accomplished by the change in the polarity of the continuous write current in the head winding. As moving media passes the head it is magnetised by the field created by the constant current in the winding to the one definite state. At the moments of the changes in current polarity, corresponding changes in the polarity of remanent media magnetisation occur at the trailing edge of the head. These changes are formed in the area where the intensity of the head field decreases to the value of the media coercivity. The "recording zone" for this method is outside of the area of the most intensive gap field, i.e. where the field is much greater than media coercivity. According to the second conventional recording method, which may be used to record on media that is previously demagnetised, short current pulses of different polarity in the head winding create corresponding intervals of saturated magnetisation, of different polarity, on the previously demagnetised media. One polarity corresponds to 1's; the other polarity corresponds to the 0's of the encoded bits. In this case, changes in the media magnetisation occurs at both the trailing and leading edges of the head, outside of the gap. Therefore, the "recording zones" again do not coincide with the area of most intensive head field in the gap. In practical situations, "imprints" of each current pulse are much wider than the gap size. According to a variant of this second method, where previously saturated media is used, current pulses are always of the same polarity. The pulses create media intervals where magnetisation polarity is reversed relative to the prerecorded state. These revisions represent the 1's of the encoded bits; 0's being represented by the absence of the changes in the media magnetisation. Otherwise, the method is similar to the aforesaid second conventional recording method. A common disadvantage of both of the methods described hereinabove, is the under utilisation of the write field of the head during recording. Due to highly assymmetrical and skewed nature of the magnetic field outside the gap, changes in the media magnetisation written "by the edges of the head" on different layers of media are out of correct phase in relation to each other. Additionally, due to the insufficient gradient of the head field outside of the gap, written changes in magnetisation are blurred. As a result, written patterns of the recorded bits, recorded via the prior art methods, are blurred and do not correlate well with the whole fringing field of the readback transducer. Therefore, the resolution and signal to noise ratio in the readback signal suffer. US-A-3,564,558, dealing with surface recording on extremely thin magnetic media using a combination of transverse and longitudinal magnetic write fields, typifies the prior art approach to recording. US-A-3,564,558 utilises the trailing edge of the write field for recording, in other words, recording occurs in the area where the write field reduces itself to the value of media coercivity. Hence, once again, the distribution of magnetisation on the media will not be well correlated with the fringing field of the readback transducer. According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided apparatus for performing high density digital magnetic recording of a binary code string using media, in which the principal direction of surface magnetisation is perpendicular to the media surface, comprising: generating means for generating a current; a magnetic head, including a head winding coupled to said generating means and having a recording gap that is inductively coupled to said media, for leaving a magnetic remanent on said media which corresponds to said binary code as said media moves longitudinally with respect to said gap; means for detecting the ones in said binary code as they are to be recorded; and characterised by means, responsive to the detection of each one in said binary code, for switching said current off in said winding thereby to cause part of the fringing field of said head to be imprinted on said media leaving a horseshoe type magnetic remanent thereon. As described below, in the present invention, the 1's of a binary code are deeply imprinted on an isotropic or perpendicular magnetic recording medium by switching off the current in the winding of a magnetic ring head. The 1's so imprinted on the medium are represented by copies of the portions of the fringing field of the ring head. Each imprinted field has the appearance of a "horseshoe" pattern of magnetisation. During readback these imprinted part of the patterns correlate extremely well with the sensitivity function (the fringing field) of the ring head/readback transducer. The invention utilises this inherently present correlation, together with a combination of longitudinal and vertical recording techniques, to provide a method and apparatus well suited to initially record, subsequently locate signals buried in noise and yield improved overall readback performance (e.g. achieve improved resolution) in a high density environment. Additionally, following the imprint of each horseshoe, one embodiment of the present invention provides for the resumption of current flow, with opposite polarity, as the imprinted pattern(s) moves downstream. This technique continues the perpendicular magnetisation at the trailing edge of a previously formed horseshoe pattern and fills voids in magnetisation on the medium. The present invention improves the readback performance of magnetic recording systems utilising isotropic/perpendicular media for high density storage. In particular, the present invention seeks to improve the signal to noise ratio and resolution of such systems and to achieve a distribution of magnetisation on such media that correlates well with the fringing field of the readback transducer. Advantageously, voids in magnetisation on said media are also filled to provide means to prevent undesirable (unrelated to the intentional writing of bits) changes of remanent media magnetisation. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for performing high density digital magnetic recording of a binary code string using media, in which the principal direction of surface magnetisation is perpendicular to the media surface, comprising the steps of: generating a current; generating a magnetic field, utilising a magnetic head having a winding energised by said current and a recording gap, wherein the polarity of said field corresponds to the polarity of said current; imprinting said media with a magnetic remanent by passing said media longitudinally through said field; and characterised by switching said current off in said winding whenever a one in said binary code string is to be imprinted on said media thereby to leave a horseshoe type magnetic remanent thereon. The invention is illustrated, merely by way of example, in the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 depicts resultant remanent media magnetisation when encoding is performed using a prior art method of switching polarity of a continuous current in the winding of a magnetic head; Figure 2 depicts the resultant remanent media magnetisation when recording on previously demagnetised media is performed using a prior art method of applying short current pulses in the head winding; Figure 3 depicts the resultant remanent media magnetisation when recording on previously saturated media is performed using a prior art method of applying short current pulses in the head winding; Figure 4 depicts the predominantly perpendicular remanent magnetisation that occurs in layers close to the surface of isotropic or perpendicular media when using a method according to the present invention, the media being shown moving through the area of a strong head field created by the current in a head winding; Figure 5 depicts, according to the present invention, the forming of a part of the fringing field (of a magnetic head) on a depicted media at the moment current is switched off in a head winding; Figure 6 and Figure 7 taken together depict the movement of the magnetic media from the position shown in Figure 5, until the reenabling of current in the head winding with polarity reversed with respect to the current direction shown in Figure 4; Figure 8 depicts an embodiment of the present invention where the spacing between encoded 1's on the media is at the minimal distance allowable by the code used; Figure 9 and Figure 10 taken together depict an embodiment of the present invention where the spacing between encoded 1's on the media is at a non-minimal distance; and Figure 11 graphically illustrates the shape of the current in the winding of a write head and the corresponding distribution of perpendicular remanent magnetisation on the medium surface. Figures 1, 2 and 3 illustrate prior art methods, described hereinbefore, for forming remanent media magnetisation in conventional digital magnetic recording systems. The resultant remanent media magnetisation, when encoding is performed using the prior art method of switching polarity of a continuous current in the winding of a magnetic head, is shown in Figure 1. More particularly, Figure 1 depicts the value of 0's of encoded bits represented by the constant state of media magnetisation, while the value of 1's of encoded bits is shown represented by the change of state of media magnetisation along the recording track. Figure 2 depicts the resultant media magnetisation using the previously described method of applying short current pulses in the head winding to previously demagnetised media. It can be seen with reference to Figure 2 that the short current pulses, of different polarity, in the head winding create corresponding intervals of saturated magnetisation, of different polarity, on the previously demagnetised media. One polarity corresponds to the 0's of the binary code; the other corresponds to the 1's of the code. Figure 3 depicts the resultant media magnetisation using the previously described variant of the short current pulse method, i.e., the variant where previously saturated media is utilised together with current pulses always having the same polarity. As indicated hereinbefore, the recording method illustrated in Figure 1 negatively impacts readback performance in that the depicted changes in remanent media magnetisation occur at the trailing edge of the head, i.e., outside the area of the most intensive gap field. Also, as indicated hereinbefore, the recording methods illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 are problematic with respect to readback performance in that media magnetisation occurs at both the trailing and leading edges of the head. Here too, the "recording zones" do not coincide with the area of the most intensive head field in the gap. Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the fact that the "imprint" of each of the current pulses is much wider than the gap size. The present invention assumes the use of media which can support perpendicular magnetisation (isotropic or perpendicular media). In addition, it is assumed that the actual binary code being recorded does not have adjacent ones. Such codes are well known and a most suitable example for recording purposes, without limiting the scope of the invention, is the well known run length limited (2,7) coding scheme. Figure 4 depicts the predominantly perpendicular remanent magnetisation 401 that occurs in layers close to the surface of isotropic or perpendicular media when using the recording techniques taught herein. These are the key layers of the medium contributing to the readback signals in systems of high density recording. In its initial state of recording, the media, shown in Figure 4 to include track 402, moves through the area of a strong head field, 403, created by the current in a head winding 404 of a head 405. The current is indicated as having a first polarity by the arrow located adjacent to the winding 404. The moving media acquires a constant state of magnetisation as it passes the head. During readback with inductive heads (which react on the derivative of the magnetic flux in the winding) such intervals of constant magnetisation will not produce any output. The direction of the remanent media magnetisation at different media layers will be principally determined by the field at the trailing edge of the head. This is where the value of the field is equal to the media coercivity as is the case for the prior art recording techniques described hereinbefore. According to the present invention, the 1's of a code stream (e.g. a (2,7) code), are each recorded by switching off the current in the winding 404. According to one embodiment of the present invention the current switching is performed monotonically. At the moment current is switched off, an imprint of a part of the fringing field of the head is formed on the media. As indicated hereinbefore this imprint has the appearance of a "horseshoe" like pattern of magnetisation and correlates extremely well with the sensitivity function of the same readback head. Means for switching the winding 404 current off in response to detecting a 1 in a code stream and for switching it back on with reversed polarity after a time delay, are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art. These control means, which for example can be realised by a microprocessor controlled switch coupled to a current source, are not shown in Figures 4 to 10. However, the way in which these means are iteratively utilised in combination with isotropic/perpendicular media to imprint the aforementioned part of the fringing field of the head on the media in response to detecting the presence of 1's in the code stream, in accordance with the teachings herein, is novel. It can be seen with reference to Figure 5 and Figure 6 that while current is switched off, the track 402 continues to move downstream with the imprint on it. It should be noted that the imprint relaxes to some extent due to demagnetisation. When the imprint reaches a "safe distance" (to be defined hereinafter) from the gap into a region where the intensity of the fringing field is less than the media coercivity, the current in the winding 404 is, according with an embodiment of the present invention, reenabled, but with reversed polarity . This is illustrated in Figure 7 where the arrow indicating current polarity is shown pointing opposite the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 4. This continues the perpendicular magnetisation at the trailing edge of previously formed "horseshoe" pattern and fills voids in magnetisation. One embodiment of the present invention requires that the newly created magnetisation at the trailing edge of the head must be linked together with the magnetisation which was previously formed at the trailing edge of the previous imprint so that no changes in the media magnetisation will be created between intentionally imprinted ones. This linkage is illustrated in Figure 7 at the point labelled "X" where the two "horseshoes" abut one another. It should be noted that this linkage process together with the filling of the voids between imprints with perpendicular magnetisation, while a desirable feature, is not to be construed as a requirement for practising the present invention. The readback characteristics of the imprints of the 1's left on the media, as taught hereinbefore, will be significantly improved over the prior art recording and readback approaches whether or not the linkage and void filling feature is a part of the system. Again, the basic purpose of the current reenabling is to prevent the undesirable (unrelated to the intentional writing of bits) changes in the media magnetisation. The "safe distance" referred to hereinbefore is defined as the product of the speed at which the media moves relative to the head times T off , which in turn is defined hereinafter as the optimal amount of time without current in the winding. T off is an arbitrary value that may be preselected as a compromise between the time required not to damage the previously imprinted bits and the desired maximum density of the recording system. Depending on the desirable distance between particular encoded 1's, typically determined by the code pattern used, current can be either switched off very shortly after it was enabled, as illustrated by the remanent left on the track shown in Figure 8, or it can stay on some necessary (or desired) time before switching off as indicated by Figures 9 and 10 taken together. In the first case two 1's bits at minimum distance allowable by the code used will be written (Figure 8). In the second case, two 1's bits at non-minimal distance allowable by the code will be written (Figure 10). The distances referred to are the distances on the media between adjacent horseshoe imprints. Finally, reference should be made to Figure 11 which illustrates schematically the shape of the current in the winding of a write head and the corresponding distribution of perpendicular magnetisation at the medium surface. The time intervals T off , correspond to the aforementioned optimal time periods with no current in the winding. By iteratively using the techniques described hereinabove with reference to the preferred embodiment, only wanted imprints of encoded 1's will remain as a remanent magnetisation on the media. Each horseshoe imprint in succession will be of opposite polarity. Voids in between imprints will be linked by constant (predominantly perpendicular) magnetisation. Recorded imprints of a part of the fringing field of the write head will naturally correlate very well with the fringing field of the same transducer during readback. This will drastically improve the quality of readback signal in comparison to the prior art techniques.

Claims: Apparatus for performing high density digital magnetic recording of a binary code string using media, in which the principal direction of surface magnetisation is perpendicular to the media surface, comprising: generating means for generating a current; a magnetic head (405), including a head winding (404) coupled to said generating means and having a recording gap that is inductively coupled to said media, for leaving a magnetic remanent on said media which corresponds to said binary code as said media moves longitudinally with respect to said gap; means for detecting the ones in said binary code as they are to be recorded; and characterised by means, responsive to the detection of each one in said binary code, for switching said current off in said winding thereby to cause part of the fringing field of said head to be imprinted on said media leaving a horseshoe type magnetic remanent thereon. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 characterised by means for switching said current on, with opposite polarity, after a preselective time interval T off , wherein T off is at a minimum the time required to insure that the imprint of previously recorded bits are not damaged as said media moves relative to said gap. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2 characterised by means for causing a predominantly perpendicular magnetic remanent, corresponding to the polarity of the current applied to said winding (404), to fill voids on said media between adjacent horseshoe imprints. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 characterised in that said perpendicular magnet remanent is arranged to be linked to the trailing edge of a horseshoe imprint on said media. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4 characterised in that said magnetic head is operative in a readback mode to identify the magnetic horseshoes imprinted on said media. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that the sensitivity function of said magnetic head, operating in said readback mode, is matched to the magnetic remanent previously recorded on said media. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6 characterised in that said binary code is a run length limited (2,7) code. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7 characterised in that said magnetic head is a ring type head having a recording/readback head gap. A method for performing high density digital magnetic recording of a binary code string using media, in which the principal direction of surface magnetisation is perpendicular to the media surface, comprising the steps of: generating a current; generating a magnetic field, utilising a magnetic head having a winding energised by said current and a recording gap, wherein the polarity of said field corresponds to the polarity of said current; imprinting said media with a magnetic remanent by passing said media longitudinally through said field; and characterised by switching said current off in said winding whenever a one in said binary code string is to be imprinted on said media thereby to leave a horseshoe type magnetic remanent thereon. A method as claimed in claim 9 characterised by the step of reenabling said switched off current, in the opposite polarity, after a time delay T off . A method as claimed in claim 10 characterised in that said steps of switching and reenabling are performed in succession for each one to be recorded thereby to cause horseshoe type magnetic remanent imprints of opposite polarity to be successively left on said media with a spacing representative of the ones of said code. A method as claimed in claim 11 characterised by the step of filling voids on said media between adjacent horseshoe imprints with a predominantly perpendicular magnetic remanent, the polarity of which corresponds to the polarity of the current applied to said winding. A method as claimed in claim 12 characterised by the step of linking said perpendicular magnet remanent to the trailing edge of a horseshoe imprint on said media. A method as claimed in claim 13 characterised in that current switching is performed monotonically. A method as claimed in any of claims 9 to 14 characterised by the step of identifying the magnetic horseshoes imprinted on said media whenever said magnetic head is operative in a readback mode. A method as claimed in claim 15 characterised by the step of matching the sensitivity function of said magnetic head, operating in said readback mode, to the magnetic remanent previously recorded on said media.

Inventors: MINUHIN, VADIM BORIS
Applicants: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
Application year: 1987
Main classification: G11B5
IPC codes: G11B5