AUTOMATED MULTI-TRACK TRANSFERS

摘要

The present invention is a method to minimize the firmware overhead for multi-track transfers. To this end, the present invention provides a transfer control table. The table is used to manage sector defects or other transfer adjustments. Each entry of the table contains an affected PSA and a corresponding control instruction. The control instruction includes an action such as an interrupt/branch, take no action, skip the sector or skip the following indicated sectors. The interrupt/branch bit causes preferably when the last sector of a track has been read or written. The table is either entirely generated at the same time or is generated to provide for a track transfer. In the latter case, the remaining table entries are generated during the platter revolution or the track seek. The method provides for minimum microprocessor intervention. To that end, the microprocessor is interrupted only at the end of the multi-track transfer.