Equalization in hard disk drive read channels

Abstract

This paper presents a comprehensive non-exhaustive comparative study of hard disk drive read-channel equalization techniques used in the readback process of magnetically stored information. The main read channel architectures: partial-response maximum likelihood (PRML) and decision feedback equalization (DFE) based systems, are compared in power consumption, layout area, data signalling rate and data density. This work focuses on the key component of the read channel, presenting a continuous-time analog solution for the pulse-slimming equalizer capable of reducing power consumption and die area by a factor of ten, whilst showing equivalent response to a FIR filter implementation.