Patent ID: 8174784

Claim:
A system for data access, the system comprising: a magnetic storage medium, wherein the magnetic storage medium includes at least a first servo data sector and a second servo data sector; a mark detection module operable to identify a mark located in one of the second servo data sector, or a user data region between the first servo data sector and the second servo data sector; a location counter, wherein the location counter is operable to provide a count value indicating a location between a portion of the first servo data sector and a portion of the second servo data sector; and an enable window circuit, wherein the enable window circuit is operable to assert an enable window output based on the count value, wherein the enable window output enables operation of the mark detection module before the mark is expected, and wherein the enable window circuit includes a comparator operable to compare the count value against an upper threshold and a lower threshold, and wherein the enable window output is asserted whenever the count value is greater than the lower threshold and less than the upper threshold.