Patent ID: 7511909

Claim:
A data readback system including: a channel unit for obtaining a readback signal by reading a digital signal, the digital signal being recorded on a data storage medium and including a first known data pattern and a second known pattern, spaced apart by encoded user data; a predetermined signal generating unit arranged to generate a predetermined signal by convolving an intermediate signal comprising the first known pattern and the second known data pattern spaced apart by zeros with a target; and a timing recovery unit for converting an asynchronous discrete-time one-dimensional signal obtained from the readback signal into a synchronous discrete-time signal, the timing recovery unit comprising a processor arranged to apply sector based timing recovery to said asynchronous discrete-time one-dimensional signal by: (i) aligning a first portion of the asynchronous discrete-time one-dimensional signal to a first portion of the predetermined signal, and (ii) aligning another portion of the asynchronous discrete-time one-dimensional signal to a second portion of the predetermined signal.