A method to encode linear position (LPOS) information bits in a sequential data storage medium, comprising the steps of: encoding sequential servo patterns along a portion of said sequential data storage medium, wherein is greater than 1; wherein each of said plurality of servo patterns encodes a first bit (U i) and a second bit (C i), and wherein said servo patterns in combination encode a total of bits; wherein the encoding step for each of said servo patterns comprises: a first burst comprising a first plurality of pulses; a second burst comprising a second plurality of pulses; a third burst comprising a third plurality of pulses; a fourth burst comprising a fourth plurality of pulses; wherein the spacings (202, 204) between said first plurality of pulses comprising said first burst, in combination with the spacings between said second plurality of pulses comprising said second burst, encode said first bit; and wherein the spacings between said third plurality of pulses comprising said third burst, in combination with the spacings between said fourth plurality of pulses comprising said fourth burst, encode said second bit; characterized in that: for each of said servo patterns, said first bit comprises an LPOS information bit and said second bit comprises a parity bit; wherein an LPOS word comprises 24 sequential servo patterns, and wherein the method comprises encoding the 24 LPOS information bits in said LPOS word by two interleaved Reed-Solomon codewords each comprising eight pairs of 3 bit symbols each consisting of an LPOS information symbol and a parity symbol. encoding sequential servo patterns along a portion of said sequential data storage medium, wherein is greater than 1; wherein each of said plurality of servo patterns encodes a first bit (U i) and a second bit (C i), and wherein said servo patterns in combination encode a total of bits; wherein the encoding step for each of said servo patterns comprises: a first burst comprising a first plurality of pulses; a second burst comprising a second plurality of pulses; a third burst comprising a third plurality of pulses; a fourth burst comprising a fourth plurality of pulses; a first burst comprising a first plurality of pulses; a second burst comprising a second plurality of pulses; a third burst comprising a third plurality of pulses; a fourth burst comprising a fourth plurality of pulses; wherein the spacings (202, 204) between said first plurality of pulses comprising said first burst, in combination with the spacings between said second plurality of pulses comprising said second burst, encode said first bit; and wherein the spacings between said third plurality of pulses comprising said third burst, in combination with the spacings between said fourth plurality of pulses comprising said fourth burst, encode said second bit; characterized in that: for each of said servo patterns, said first bit comprises an LPOS information bit and said second bit comprises a parity bit; wherein an LPOS word comprises 24 sequential servo patterns, and wherein the method comprises encoding the 24 LPOS information bits in said LPOS word by two interleaved Reed-Solomon codewords each comprising eight pairs of 3 bit symbols each consisting of an LPOS information symbol and a parity symbol. for each of said servo patterns, said first bit comprises an LPOS information bit and said second bit comprises a parity bit; wherein an LPOS word comprises 24 sequential servo patterns, and wherein the method comprises encoding the 24 LPOS information bits in said LPOS word by two interleaved Reed-Solomon codewords each comprising eight pairs of 3 bit symbols each consisting of an LPOS information symbol and a parity symbol.