A precision servo-demodulator

Abstract: A servo-demodulator for a pair of alternating signals generated by a magnetic disc read head and indicative of the position of the read head in relation to the centre of a recorded track, comprising a peak detector (5) for successively and individually sampling the amplitude of each of a plurality of peaks of the said pair of alternating signals, and a capacitor (9) periodically connected to the output of the peak detector (5) by a control logic (7) for deriving a weighted average of the various successively sampled amplitudes, obtaining an averaged measure of amplitude with high immunity to noise.

Description: The present invention relates to a precision servo-demodulator for providing the actuator which positions a read head of a rigid magnetic disc with the data necessary to maintain the correct alignment of the read/write head over the centre of a track. It is known that magnetic discs are recorded with concentric circular tracks each divided into sectors, with each sector being provided with a read/write field called a header containing information defining which of the various tracks the sector belongs to and which sector among the various track sectors, and other information. In order to be able to obtain a high track density and therefore a high disc capacity and to ensure that data is correctly written to and read from a track it is necessary to control the position of the head on the track, correcting it if the head is not exactly aligned on the track centre. To this end, in the header field of each sector two short successions of sinusoidal signals, called "servo bursts" of equal amplitude are recorded, one on either side of the track centre, over separate arcs of the header field. If, during the course of subsequent reading, the read head is correctly positioned over the track centre the previously effected recording induces two identical signals in the read head, when the two separate arcs of the header field are read. Otherwise the two signals differ in amplitude and provide an indication of the displacement of the head from the centre of the track. This indication is utilised by a control system to correct the position of the head, aligning it on the centre of the track. The known techniques for measuring the displacement of the head from the track centre to compare between the two signals read from the servo recording are essentially of two types. 1) Peak detection: the peak, that is to say the maximum value of the signals provided by the head upon reading each of the two servo bursts is memorised and compared with the other. This recognition method has the value of requiring relatively simple sampling and memory circuits and of being independent of the timing signals which activate the sampling operation (which must be activated only for reading the two servo bursts, and not when the other data is read). A serious disadvantage of this method is the low immunity to noise and therefore low precision.In fact, a disturbance which causes an increase, even of a single signal peak contributes its amplitude integrally to the detection of an erroneous amplitude value of the peak.It is to be noted that in the case of signals provided by a read head (generally through a preamplifier) with asymmetrical characteristics, as is the case when the read head is of magnetoresistive type, two identical sampling circuits are necessary, respectively for the recognition of the maximum positive peak and the maximum negative peak, which is converted into a positive peak with a simple inversion of the connection of the input terminals.The sum of the two measurements provides the peak-to-peak amplitude of the signal. 2) Area detection: This technique is based on the measurement of the area of the rectified signal. Although conceptually very simple this technique, which involves an integration of the signal over a predetermined time interval, requires complex and expensive circuits. Moreover the measurement precision depends on the precision with which the integration time interval is defined. The advantages of this technique, which has a high immunity to noise, is that it does not require circuit duplication in the case of asymmetric signals, but this only partly compensates for the above-mentioned disadvantages. The disadvantages of the two techniques are overcome by the servo-demodulator which is the subject of the present invention which, whilst being constructionally simple, has a high immunity to noise without being influenced by imprecisions in the timing signal. US-A-5 483 393 discloses a serves demodulator as defined in the preamble of claim 1. The servo-demodulator according to the invention is constituted as specified in the attached independent claim 1. The characteristics and advantages of the invention will become more clearly apparent from the following description, by way of non-limitative example, with reference to the attached drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic view from above of the relative arrangement of a read head on a read/write track portion of a magnetic disc, showing the "servo bursts" which are read by the head and utilised to identify the position of the head in relation to the track centre; Figure 2 is a cartesian diagram schematically representing the amplitude of the pair of signals resulting from reading,two "servo bursts" as a function of the offset of the head from the track centre and the difference between the two signals; Figure 3 is a partial block circuit diagram of a preferred embodiment of servo-demodulator in accordance with the present invention; Figure 4 is a circuit diagram of a preferred embodiment of logic control for the servo-demodulator of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a timing diagram showing the functioning of the servo-demodulator of Figure 3 and represents the level of the signals present at different circuit points; Figure 6 is a block diagram of a preferred servo-demodulator in accordance with the present invention, for use in particular with read heads of magnetoresistive type and for the demodulation of asymmetrical signals; and Figure 7 is a constructional variant of the servo-demodulator of Figure 6. For a better understanding of the invention Figure 1 is a view from above schematically showing the relative disposition of a read head 1 on a read/write track 2 of a magnetic disc. For repetitive and reliable reading and writing of data it is necessary that the head be aligned on the track centre 43. To identify the position of the head on the track two short sequences of sinusoidal signals or "servo bursts" 3, 4 are pre-recorded on the disc, in the various header blocks of the track sectors, over separate arcs respectively on one side and the other of the track centre 43 at equal distances therefrom. The recording of the two servo bursts 3, 4 involves the formation on the disc of two series of magnetic dipoles which for simplicity are also called BURST A and BURST B. When, during its movement relative to the magnetic support, the head 1 passes first over the servo burst 3 and then over servo burst 4 two successive alternating variable electrical signals of sinusoidal form are induced in the head if the head is of inductive type, being of only approximately sinusoidal form and asymmetrical if the head is of magnetoresistive type. The amplitude of the two signals depends on the position of the head with respect to the track centre. It is evident that if the head 1 is centred on BURST A and therefore offset to the right with reference to the drawing, the amplitude of the read signal AA of BURST A is a maximum whilst the amplitude of signal AB read from BURST B is a minimum, practically nil. Correspondingly, if the head 1 is centred on BURST B the amplitude of the signal AA read from BURST A is a minimum whilst the amplitude of the signal AB read from BURST B is a maximum. The diagrams AA and AB of Figure 2 qualitatively represent the amplitude of the signals as a function of the offset (off-track) of the head on one side and the other of the track centre 43. If the amplitude of the two signals, which are successive in time, is sampled the difference between the two sampled amplitudes represented by diagram A-B of Figure 2, provides an unequivocal indication of the offset of the head from the track centre and can be used, preferably converted into a digital signal either before or after the subtraction operation, to control a servo actuator which correctly repositions the head on the track centre. Figure 3-is a partly block circuit diagram of a preferred embodiment of the servo-demodulator in accordance with the invention, which measures the amplitude of the two signals with multiple peak sampling and weighted average of the samples, consequently obtaining a high immunity to noise and high measurement precision. The servo-demodulator comprises a peak detector 5, a differential comparator 6 with hysteresis, control logic 7, an electronic switch 8 and a capacitor 9. The servo-demodulator, supplied by a positive voltage +V (for example 5V normally used in data processing systems, but which could be 3.6 or 3.3 V according to current trends) has two inputs IN+, IN-, to receive the signal generated by a read head 1, conveniently preamplified by a preamplifier 10 and available between two outputs OUT+, OUT-. Typically the output signal from the preamplifier 10 resulting from reading the servo bursts is a short sequence of sinusoidal waves with positive peaks alternating with negative peaks, of relatively high frequency of the order of 10-30 MHZ and peak-to-peak amplitude of the order of 10/400 mV. The distinction between positive and negative peaks is purely conventional and depends on which of the terminals OUT+ and OUT- is considered as the reference. In the case of read heads of inductive type the read signal is symmetrical and perfectly sinusoidal. On the other hand, in the case of read heads of magnetoresistive type the alternating read signal is asymmetrical and only approximately sinusoidal: the amplitude of the conventionally positive peaks available as positive voltages measured between the terminal OUT-, assumed as reference, and the terminal OUT+ is, in absolute value, greater than the amplitude of the negative peaks, available as negative voltages between the terminal OUT- and the terminal OUT+ and obviously available as a positive voltage between the terminal OUT+ taken as reference, and the terminal OUT-. The motives for this explanation will be understood below. The input terminals IN+, IN- are respectively connected to the output terminals OUT+ and OUT-. The signal present between the input terminals IN+, IN- is applied to the input of the differential comparator 6 with hysteresis as well as to the peak detector 5. The term differential comparator with hysteresis is intended to mean a differential comparator which asserts a signal CP on a first output when the voltage supplied to the inputs exceeds a first predetermined value and which asserts a signal CN on a second output when the voltage applied to the inputs is less than a second predetermined value, possibly also negative. A differential comparator with hysteresis can be considered as constituted, and can be replaced by, a pair of differential comparators to which the same signal is supplied at input, the first to assert an output signal (CP) when the input signal exceeds a first predetermined value, the second to assert an output signal (CN) when the input signal is less than a predetermined value. In Figure 3 the asserted signal (CP) at the output from the comparator 6 defines a first time window during which the signal applied to the input of the comparator exceeds a first predetermined value, and in which there is, therefore contained a positive signal peak, and the asserted signal CN defines a second time window, separate from the first, and with no temporal superimposition therewith, during which the signal applied to the input of the comparator is less than a second predetermined value, in turn lower than the first, and in which there is therefore contained a negative signal peak. The peak detector 5 is constituted, in a known way, by a differential amplifier 11, a capacitor 12 and a capacitor discharge circuit comprising a discharge current limiter resistor 13 in series with a switch 14. The output 15 from the amplifier is connected to one terminal of the capacitor 12 the other terminal of which is connected to a ground reference. Advantageously the differential amplifier 11 includes an output stage with a transistor in open emitter configuration, the emitter of which is directly connected to the capacitor 12 and the collector of which is supplied (possibly through a current limiting resistor) from the supply voltage +V. In this way the base-emitter junction of the output stage itself performs the function of the blocking diode normally provided in conventional peak detectors, which prevents discharge of the peak sampling capacitor 12 when the voltage of the input signal decreases from the peak value. The output 15 of the differential amplifier 11 is also connected, through the switch 8, to one terminal of the capacitor 9, the other terminal of which is connected to the ground reference. The closure of the switch 8 connects the capacitor 9 in parallel with the capacitor 12 between the output 15 of the amplifier 11 and the common ground. The electronic switches 8 and 14, which are normally open and preferably constituted by MOS transistors, made with CMOS technology, as is the control logic 7, are closed respectively by the assertion of two commands AVE and DISC generated by the control logic 7. The control logic 7 is essentially a state machine activated by an asserted SAMPLE signal, generated externally of the servo-demodulator by a control unit, which, when asserted, indicates the transit of the "servo bursts" under the read head. The state machine, if enabled by assertion of the SAMPLE signal, evolves as a function of the signals CP and CN applied to its input, generating the reset pulse DISC whilst the signal CP is asserted and asserting the signal AVE a first time with a first assertion of the signal CP and subsequently with the assertions of the signal CN after two preceding assertions of the signal CP. Figure 4 represents by way of example a preferred embodiment of the control logic 7 which, however, can be widely varied. The control logic comprises a first D-type flip-flop 16 activated by a positive edge applied to the clock input, a second flip-flop 17 of the same type but activated by a negative edge applied to the clock input, logic AND gates 18, 19, 20, a logic OR gate 21 and an inverting delay element 121. The flip-flops 16 and 17 are put in their reset state by the deasserted SAMPLE signal applied to the reset input and receive the signals CP and CN respectively at their clock inputs. The flip-flop 16 has its D input connected to the positive voltage source +V representative of logic level 1. The D input of flip-flop 17 is connected to the Q output of the flip-flop 16, its own Q output being connected to one input of the AND gate 1 and its inverting output Q being connected to one input of the AND gate 20. The AND gate 18 also receives the signal CN at one input. The AND gate 20 also receives the SAMPLE and CP signal at one input. The outputs of the AND gates 18 and 20 are connected to the inputs of the OR gate 21 at the output of which the signal AVE is available. The AND gate 19 receives at its input the signals SAMPLE, CP and the output signal from the inverting delay element 121. The signal DISC is available at the output of the AND gate 19. The inverting delay element 21 can be constituted by a simple NOT element 21, an odd number of NOT elements 22, 23, 24 connected in cascade to increase the delay time, or even, as shown in the drawing, by an odd number of delay elements, connected in cascade, with an interposed RC network to introduce a further delay. The operation of the demodulator of Figure 3 and its control logic 7, shown in Figure 4, is very simple and immediately understandable from an examination of the timing diagrams shown in Figure 5. The diagram IN+, IN- represents the input voltage applied to the demodulator consequent upon reading a servo burst. The diagram SAMPLE represents the logic level of the SAMPLE signal, which can be asserted at any time upon recognition of a "servo burst" field and which is deasserted at the end of the reading of the servo burst field. The diagrams CP, CN, AVE, DISC respectively represent the logic level of the signals CP, CN, AVE, DISC. Finally, the diagrams CA, CB represent the charge voltage on the capacitors 12 and 9 respectively. At instant t0, in a manner which can be entirely asynchronous with respect to the waveform of the input signal IN+, IN-, the signal SAMPLE is asserted, and at the instant t1, with the first rising edge of the signal CP, the flip-flop 16 is set. Starting from the same instant, since the flip-flop 17 is still in reset, the signal AVE is asserted, which closes the switch 8. Starting from the same instant, a short pulse DISC is also generated, which controls the closure of the switch 14 and causes at least partial discharge of the capacitors 12 and 9. At the end of the pulse DISC both the capacitors 12 and 9 charge to a voltage level substantially corresponding to the peak value of the positive half-wave applied to the input of the demodulator (multiplied by the gain of the differential amplifier 11, which may be equal to 1). At the instant t2, with the deassertion of the signal CP the signal AVE is deasserted and the switch 8 is opened. The capacitors 9 and 12, however, maintain the previously assumed charged state. The subsequent assertion of the signal CN, which defines a time window in which a negative peak of the input signal to the decoder is contained, does not affect the state of the control logic, but at instant t3, when the voltage of the input signal at the decoder exceeds the predetermined lower threshold value of the differential comparator 6, the signal CN is again deasserted and causes the flip-flop 17 to set, the AND gate 20 to be disabled and the gate 18 to be enabled. At instant t4, when the voltage of the input signal to the decoder exceeds the predetermined upper threshold value of the differential comparator 6, the signal CP is again asserted and defines the beginning of a new time window which contains a positive peak of the input signal. At the instant t4 a new DISC pulse is generated, which closes the switch 14 and causes the at least partial discharge of the capacitor 12. The capacitor 9 on the other hand retains the previously imposed charge state. At the end of the pulse DISC the capacitor 12 charges again to a voltage level corresponding to the voltage of the second positive peak of the input signal, and maintains this level until instant t5. At instant t5, with a new assertion of the signal CN due to the decrease of the voltage of the input signal beyond the lower threshold of the differential comparator, the signal AVE is also asserted for the whole of the time that CN is asserted. The assertion of AVE causes closure of the switch 8 and obliges the two capacitors 12 and 9 to assume an equal charge voltage. Clearly, if V1A is the initial charge voltage of the capacitor 12, V1B is the initial voltage of the charge of capacitor 9 and CA, CB are respectively the capacities of the two capacitors 12 and 9, the capacitors assume a charge voltage V2A = V2B = = (CA.V1A + CB.V1B)/(CA + CB) which represents a weighted average of the two initial charge voltages. In particular, if CA = CB the voltage V2A = V2B = (V1A + V1B)/2 represents the arithmetic mean of the two voltages. For this reason the signal AVE can be defined as an averaging operation activation signal or mean control signal. At instant t6, with deassertion of CN, the switch 8 is opened and with the assertion of CP at a subsequent instant t7 the capacitor 12 is discharged and then charged to the voltage corresponding to the voltage of a third voltage peak. The subsequent closure of the switch 8 causes the two capacitors to assume a charge voltage which is the weighted average (as a function of CA and CB) of the last detected voltage peak and the weighted average of the voltage of the two preceding peaks. The process repeats indefinitely until the signal SAMPLE is deasserted. At this point the voltage to which the capacitor 9 is charged represents a weighted average of the amplitude of a plurality of positive peaks obtained with successive averaging operations. If x is the number of peaks on which the averaging operation is performed and Va n with n=1 ... x the detected amplitude of the various peaks, Vb n the charge voltage accumulated in the capacitor 9 after n charging operations, the resultant weighted average is given by With a decoder of the type described if n>2 it is not possible to attribute different peak measurements the same weight. In particular, if CA = CB the last peak measurement has a weight equal to the cumulative weight of all the preceding measurements. Notwithstanding this it is evident that the possible imprecision in measurement of one of the peaks due to disturbances, even if it is the last peak, influences the cumulative measurement with a lower weight than that which it would have done with a single measurement. In other words, immunity to noise is significantly improved. With a convenient choice of the ratio between CB and CA greater than 1, for example equal to 2, 3 or more, and in relation to the number of peaks which contribute to the weighted averaging operation, it is possible to equalise to a large extent the weight of the various peaks in the averaging operation. Once the weighted averaging process has been completed the charge voltage of the capacitor 9, relating to the positive peaks of one of the servo burst signals, can be converted by an A/D convertor with input buffer (reference 25, Figure 3), stored, and compared with the charge voltage of the capacitor 9 resulting from the subsequent execution of a weighted averaging process on the positive peaks of the other of the two servo burst signals, the difference between the two weighted averages being indicative of the offset of the head from the track centre. These operations can be performed in a conventional manner without time limitations imposed by the frequency of the servo burst signals, which would make the analogue-to-digital conversion of the amplitude of the different sample peaks, their memorisation and subsequent arithmetic averaging in real time, critical and excessively complex and onerous. The decoder of Figure 3 performs a weighted average of only positive peaks. A further increase in the precision, particularly advantageous if the signal read from the "servo bursts" is asymmetric (as occurs in the case of magnetostrictive read heads) can be achieved as shown in Figure 6 with a duplication of the decoder, one of the decoders being dedicated to the measurement and weighted averaging of the amplitude of positive peaks, the other decoder being dedicated to the measurement and weighted averaging of the amplitude of negative peaks. In Figure 6 a first decoder 26, identical to that illustrated in Figure 3, has its inputs IN+, IN- connected respectively to the outputs OUT+, OUT- of a read head. A second decoder 27, again identical to that illustrated in Figure 3, has its inputs IN+, IN- connected respectively to the outputs OUT- and OUT+ of the read head, that is with an inversion of the input signal. It is therefore evident, the identification of the positive and negative peaks being conventional and subordinated to whichever of the terminals OUT+, OUT- is assumed as reference, that the peaks, seen as negative by the decoder 26, are seen and treated by the decoder 27 as positive peaks while the peaks seen as positive by the decoder 26 are seen and treated by the decoder 27 as negative peaks. To perform the averaging, which can be arithmetic, of the weighted averages of the positive and negative peaks respectively, it is sufficient to provide an electronic switch -28 which connects in parallel the output capacitors 29, 30 of the two decoders corresponding to the capacitor 9 of Figure 3. The switch can be controlled, at the end of the process of forming the weighted average, by a pulse SM obtained for example from the SAMPLE signal, when this is deasserted, with a simple logic comprising an inverting element 31, a delay element 32 and an AND gate 33, the SAMPLE signal being input to the inputs of the elements 31, 32 and the outputs of the elements, 31, 32 being connected to the inputs of the AND gate 33 at the output of which the signal SM is available for control of the switch 28. As shown in Figure 7 this embodiment can be simplified by forming the two decoders 34, 35 in such a way that the differential comparator 36 with hysteresis is common to both the decoders. The signals CP and CN at the output from the differential comparator are applied to the inputs of the control logic 37 of the first decoder, exactly as in the case of Figure 3, and to the inputs of the control logic 38 of the second decoder with signal reversal. In the same way the + and - inputs of the peak detector 39 of the first decoder 34 are connected to the IN+, IN- inputs respectively of the decoder, whilst the + and - inputs of the peak detector 40 of the second decoder 35 are connected respectively to the IN- and IN+ inputs with signal reversal. It is therefore evident that the signal CN applied to the control logic 38 is seen as a signal which defines a time window containing a positive peak whilst correspondingly a peak contained in this time window is seen and sampled by the peak detector 40 as a positive peak. The preceding description relates only to a preferred embodiment and it is clear that many variants can be introduced. For example the differential comparator with hysteresis, in particular in the case when it is necessary to recognise peaks of a single type (positive or negative) can be a simple differential comparator with a single output, for the generation of only one of the signals CP and CN, the other signal being obtained from the first with a simple inversion, or with logic which ensures a time separation between the assertion intervals of the two signals. The control logic, in relation to the possibility of using logic components in which an electrical state can be representative of a logic state, or its inverse, also lends itself to a multiple variety of modifications.

Claims: A servo-demodulator for a pair of successive alternating variable signals, generated by a magnetic disc read head and indicative of the position of the read head on a recorded track on the said disc, the signals of the said pair having a plurality of positive peaks and a plurality of negative peaks, comprising: a pair of input terminals (IN+, IN-) for receiving the said alternating variable signals, a detector (5) for detecting the positive peaks of the signals of the said pair, connected to the said pair of input terminals, having a first sample and hold capacitor (12) and a first, normally open reset switch (14), closed by a reset pulse (DISC), and avareging means (6, 7, 8, 9) for avareging the detected peak values characterised in that the averaging means comprise : means (6) connected to the said pair of input terminals (IN+, IN-) for generating a first signal (CP) the assertion of which defines a periodic time window for sampling each of the said positive peaks, and a second signal (CN) the assertion of which defines a second periodic time window separate from the said sampling window, containing one of the said negative peaks, a second sample and hold capacitor (9), a second normally open switch (8) for connecting, when closed by an averaging command signal (AVE), the said second capacitor (9) in parallel with the said first capacitor (12), and logic control means (7) connected to the said means (6) for generating the said first signal (CP) for receiving the said first signal (CP) and activated by an asserted external signal (SAMPLE) indicative of the generation by the said head of one of the said pair of alternate variable signals, to produce the said reset pulse (DISC) at its output upon assertion of the said first signal and the said averaging command signal (AVE) coasserted with a first assertion of the said first signal (CP) and with the assertions of the said second signal (CN) subsequent to two preceding assertions of the said first signal (CP). A servo-demodulator as in Claim 1, in which the said positive peak detector (5) comprises an amplifier (11) with open emitter output stage, the said first capacitor (12) being connected between the open emitter of the said output stage and ground. A servo-demodulator as in Claim 1, in which the said means (6) for generating the said first and second signal comprise a differential comparator with hysteresis. A servo-demodulator as in Claim 1, in which the said logic control means (7) comprise: first and second D type flip-flops (16, 17) in cascade set in a first state by the said deasserted external signal (SAMPLE), the said first flip-flop (16) being put in a second state upon assertion of the said first signal (CP), the said second flip-flop (17) being put in a second state upon assertion of the said second signal (CN) if the said first flip-flop is in the said second state, a first combinatorial logic (18, 20, 21) for asserting the said average command signal (AVE) if the said external signal (SAMPLE) is asserted and the following conditions are true: A: the said first signal (CP) is asserted and the said second flip-flop (17) is in the said first state, B: the said second signal (CN) is asserted and the said second flip-flop (17) is in the said second state and the said first flip-flop is in the said first state, inversion and delay means (121) for the said first signal and a logic gate (19) receiving at its input the said external signal, the said first signal and the said first signal delayed and inverted by the said delay means, for generating the said reset pulse (DISC) upon assertion of the said first signal if the said external signal is asserted. A servo-demodulator as in Claim 1, in which the said second capacitor (9) has a greater capacity than the said first capacitor (12). A servo-demodulator comprising a first and a second servo-demodulator as defined in claim 1 and being for a pair of asymmetrical successive alternating variable signals generated by said read head wherein the said variable signals are applied to said second servo-demodulator (27) through the said pair of input terminals with a signal inversion relative to the application of the said signals to the input terminals of the said first servo-demodulator, a third, normally open, switch (28) closed by a control pulse (SM) for averaging the averages, for connecting the said second capacitor (29, 30) of the said first and second servo-demodulators respectively in parallel with one another, and means (31, 32, 33) for generating the said command pulse when the said external signal is deasserted. A servo-demodulator as in Claim 6, in which the said first and second demodulators have the said means for generating the said first and second signal (CP, CN) as common components, the said first and second signals being respectively applied to the input of the logic control means of the said first and second demodulator respectively, with inversion of the said first and second signal, the said pair of alternating variable signals being applied to the inputs of the peak detector of the said second demodulator with the signal inverted relative to the application of the said pair of signals to the inputs of the said first demodulator.

Inventors: BRUCCOLERI MELCHIORRE, DEMICHELI DAVIDE, DEMICHELI MARCO, PATTI GIUSEPPE, BRUCCOLERI, MELCHIORRE, DEMICHELI, DAVIDE, DEMICHELI, MARCO, PATTI, GIUSEPPE
Applicants: ST MICROELECTRONICS SRL, STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
Application year: 1996
Main classification: G11B5
IPC codes: G11B21, G11B5