Optimal reader-to-writer offset measurement of a head in a disc drive for reduced track misregistration

摘要

A method of and apparatus for generating a reader-to-writer offset for a head positioned over a track on a disc in a disc drive having a plurality of tracks is disclosed. A reader and a writer are mounted on the head in a non-overlapping manner with a gap between the reader and the writer, which is known as the reader-to-writer offset. A disc drive controller is operably connected to the reader and the writer. The disc drive controller determines the reader-to-writer offset of the head for each track by computing the difference between a first head position x1 and a second head position x2. The first head position x1 is an optimal head position for writing information on the track and the second head position x2 is a midpoint of an off-track capability (OTC) of the head. The OTC is a portion of a track pitch over which the reader is expected to read information that is free of an incorrigible bit error such that the writer-to-reader track misregistration (TMR) is minimized as the head is radially displaced the reader-to-writer offset to read information written on the track or to write information on the track.