Patent ID: 7095575

Claim:
A method for determining a data track pitch for a magnetic disk apparatus comprising: a magnetic disk; and a magnetic head for recording/reproducing information on/from the magnetic disk, wherein a self-servo reference signal is transferred on at least one recording surface of the magnetic disk by magnetic printing, the self-servo reference signal comprising a timing pattern formed in a predetermined direction and an oblique phase pattern formed in an oblique direction relative to the predetermined direction, and wherein the method comprises the steps of: (1) recording, at a predetermined position of the magnetic disk, a burst signal by the magnetic head while controlling the positioning of the magnetic head using the self-servo reference signal; (2) reproducing the burst signal by the magnetic head while minutely changing the position of the magnetic head from a position at which the burst signal is recorded, and detecting the position of the magnetic head in a radial direction of the magnetic disk by reproducing the self-servo reference signal, thus determining a relationship between the position of the magnetic head and the reproduction signal output of the burst signal; and (3) determining a data track pitch based on the relationship.