Patent ID: 6978414

Claim:
A data storage device configured to operate in accordance with a predefined tape format, said device comprising: a transport mechanism for transporting a data storage medium across a write head; a logical formatter component configurable for receiving said data from a host computer; an error correction code generation component for generating error correction coding for said received data; a buffer memory for storing received data processed by said logical formatter; an encoded data checking component for determining if said encoded data is corrupted; and write head drive and amplifier circuitry for driving said write head and amplifying received non-corrupted data, said device being arranged so that: (a) following receipt of said data by said logical formatter component and prior to said encoded data being stored in said buffer memory, said error correction code generation component generates said error correction coding for said data; (b) following encoding of said data, said encoded data is stored in said buffer; and (c) following storage of said encoded data in said buffer and prior to writing said encoded data to said data storage medium, said encoded data error correction coding is checked for soft errors by said encoded data checking component.