Sectored servo position demodulator system

Claim 2

A demodulating system for demodulating position information signals provided by a transducer in response to position information read from position error fields on a disk in a data storage system, comprising: sign retention rectifier means, coupled to the transducer, for rectifying the position information signals to provide rectified position signals; an integrating capacitor, coupled to the sign retention rectifier means, for integrating the rectified position signals to produce position error signals, the integrating capacitor being used to integrate the rectified position signals corresponding to position information read from the position error fields; converter means, comprising an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter coupled to the integrating capacitor, for converting the position error signals into logical output signals representative of the position error signals; and nulling means, selectively coupled to the integrating capacitor, for providing the integrating capacitor with a reference signal to initialize the integrating capacitor, the A/D converter of the converter means being time mulitplexed between use in the nulling means and the converter means.

Claim 3

The system of claim 1 wherein the integrating capacitor is selectively coupled to the sign retention rectifier means.

Claim 4

The system of claim 2 wherein the position error fields comprise: a normal field; and a quadrature field.

Claim 5

The system of claim 1 and further comprising: amplifier means, coupled to the transducer and the sign retention rectifier means, for amplifying the position information signals.

Claim 6

A demodulating system for demodulating position information signals provided by a transducer in response to position information read from a disk in a data storage system, comprising: amplifier means, coupled to the transducer, for amplifying the position information signals to provide amplified position signals; sign retention rectifier means, coupled to the amplifier means, for rectifying the amplified position signals to provide rectified position signals; first integrating means, selectively coupled to the sign retention rectifier means, for integrating the rectified position signals to produce position error signals; converter means, comprising an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter coupled to the first integrating means, for converting the position error signals into logic output signals representative of the position error signals; and nulling means, selectively coupled to the first integrating means, for providing the first integrating means with a reference signal to initialize the first integrating means, the A/D converter of the converter means being time multiplexed between use in the nulling means and the converter means.

Claim 7

A demodulating system for demodulating position information signals provided by a transducer in response to position information read from a disk in a data storage system, comprising: amplifier means, coupled to the transducer, for amplifying the position information signals to provide amplified position signals; sign retention rectifier means, coupled to the amplifier means, for rectifying the amplified position signals to provide rectified position signals; first integrating means, selectively coupled to the sign retention rectifier means, for integrating the rectified position signals to produce position error signals; converter means, comprising an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter coupled to the first integrating means, for converting the position error signals into logic output signals representative of the position error signals; and nulling means, selectively coupled to the first integrating means, for providing the first integrating means with a reference signal to initialize the first integrating means, the A/D converter of the converter means being time multiplexed between use in the nulling means and the converter means.

Claim 8

The demodulating system of claim 5 wherein the nulling means further comprises: null storage means, coupled to a bit of the A/D converter, for storing the logic level of the bit; second integrating means, coupled to the null storage means and selectively coupled to the first integrating means, for selectively providing the reference signal to the first integrating means, the reference signal being determined based on the logic level stored in the null storage means; and feedback means, coupled to the first integrating means and the A/D converter, for feeding the voltage across the first integrating means back to the A/D converter for comparison with a reference signal representing zero position error, the comparison determining the logic level of the bit the A/D converter stored in the null storage means.

Claim 9

The demodulating system of claim 5 wherein the converter means further comprises: storing means, coupled to the A/D converter, for storing logic information representative of the logic output signals; and composite generator means, coupled to the storing means, for combining the logic information to form a composite position error signal representative of the position information read from the disk.

Claim 10

A demodulating system for demodulating position information signals provided by a transducer in response to position information read from a quadrature field and a normal field on a disk in a data storage system, comprising: sign retention rectifier means, coupled to the transducer, for rectifying the position information signals to provide rectified position signals; integrating means, coupled to the sign retention rectifier means, for integrating the rectified position signals to produce position error signals; converter means, comprising an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter and coupled to the integrating means, for converting the position error signals to digital logic signals representative of the position information read from both the quadrature field and the normal field; nulling means, coupled to the integrating means, for selectively providing the integrating means with a reference signal to initialize the integrating means where the A/D converter is time multiplexed between the converter means and use in the nulling means; and composite generator means, coupled to the converter means, for combining the digital logic signals to form a composite position error signal representative of the position information read from both the quadrature field and the normal field where the composite generator means combines the digital logic signals after they have been converted by the converter means.

Claim 11

A demodulating system for demodulating position information signals provided by a transducer in response to position information read from a quadrature field and a normal field on a disk in a data storage system, comprising: sign retention rectifier means, coupled to the transducer, for rectifying the position information signals to provide rectified position signals; integrating means, coupled to the sign retention rectifier means, for integrating the rectified position signals to produce position error signals; converter means, comprising an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter and coupled to the integrating means, for converting the position error signals to digital logic signals representative of the position information read from both the quadrature field and the normal field; nulling means, coupled to the integrating means, for selectively providing the integrating means with a reference signal to initialize the integrating means where the A/D converter is time multiplexed between the converter means and use in the nulling means; and composite generator means, coupled to the converter means, for combining the digital logic signals to form a composite position error signal representative of the position information read from both the quadrature field and the normal field where the composite generator means combines the digital logic signals after they have been converted by the converter means.

Claim 12

A positioning system for demodulating position information signals provided by a transducer in response to position information read from position error fields on a disk in a data storage system and for positioning the transducer over the disk in response to the demodulated position information, comprising: amplifier means, coupled to the transducer, for amplifying the position information signals to provide amplified position signals; sign retention rectifier means, coupled to the amplifier means, for rectifying the amplified position signals to provide rectified position signals; an integrating capacitor, selectively coupled to the rectifier means, for integrating the rectified position signals to produce position error signals, the integrating capacitor being used to integrate the rectified position signals corresponding to position information read from the position error fields; converter means, comprising an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter and coupled to the integrating capacitor, for converting the position error signals to digital logic signals representative of the position error signals; nulling means, coupled to the integrating capacitor, for selectively providing the integrating capacitor with a reference signal to initialize the integrating capacitor where the A/D converter is time multiplexed between use in the converter means and the nulling means; and controller means, coupled to the convertor means, for controlling transducer position based on the digital logic signals.

Claim 13

A positioning system for demodulating position information signals provided by a transducer in response to position information read from position error fields on a disk in a data storage system and for positioning the transducer over the disk in response to the demodulated position information, comprising: amplifier means, coupled to the transducer, for amplifying the position information signals to provide amplified position signals; sign retention rectifier means, coupled to the amplifier means, for rectifying the amplified position signals to provide rectified position signals; an integrating capacitor, selectively coupled to the rectifier means, for integrating the rectified position signals to produce position error signals, the integrating capacitor being used to integrate the rectified position signals corresponding to position information read from the position error fields; converter means, comprising an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter and coupled to the integrating capacitor, for converting the position error signals to digital logic signals representative of the position error signals; nulling means, coupled to the integrating capacitor, for selectively providing the integrating capacitor with a reference signal to initialize the integrating capacitor where the A/D converter is time multiplexed between use in the converter means and the nulling means; and controller means, coupled to the convertor means, for controlling transducer position based on the digital logic signals.

Claim 14

The positioning system of claim 9 wherein the position error fields further comprise: a quadrature field; and a normal field.

Claim 15

The positioning system of claim 10 wherein the (A/D) converter converts the position error signals into logic output signals representative of the position information read from both the quadrature field and the normal field and wherein the converter means further comprises: storing means, coupled to the A/D converter, for storing logic information representative of the logic output signals; and composite generator means, coupled to the storing means, for combining the logic information to form a composite position error signal representative of the position information read from both the quadrature field and the normal field.

Claim 16

The positioning system of claim 11 wherein the nulling means further comprises: null storage means, coupled to a bit of the A/D converter, for storing the logic level of the bit; integrator means, coupled to the null storage means and selectively coupled to the integrating capacitor, for selectively providing the reference signal to the integrating capacitor, the reference signal being determined based on the logic level stored in the null storage means; and feedback means coupled to the integrating capacitor and the A/D converter, for feeding the voltage across the integrating capacitor back to the A/D converter for comparison with a reference signal representing zero position error, the comparison determining the logic level of the bit of the A/D converter.

Claim 17

The positioning system of claim 9 wherein the amplifier means further comprises: filter means, coupled to the transducer, for filtering the position information signals to provide filtered signals; and automatic gain control means, coupled to the filter means, the controller means and the rectifier means, for varying amplification of the filtered signals.

Claim 18

The positioning system of claim 9 wherein the sign retention rectifier means further comprises: digital oscillator means, selectively coupled to the amplifier means, for providing a digital oscillator signal which oscillates 90 degrees out of phase with the amplified position signals; and multiplier means, selectively coupled to the amplifier means, for multiplying the amplified position signals by the digital oscillator signal to provide the rectified position signals.

Claim 19

The positioning system of claim 14 wherein the digital oscillator means further comprises: a phase locked oscillator loop for locking onto a signal 90 degrees out of phase with the amplified position signals.