Bit errors due to channel modulation of media jitter

Recording media written-in transition jitter noise can limit magnetic recording systems. Read channel intersymbol interference (ISI) modulates media jitter in a head/disk/channel, attenuating jitter at low linear density due to classical ISI but amplifying at high density. This paper assesses whether jitter modulation is significant in typical disk drive peak detect (PD) and partial response (PR) channel design, where maximum linear bit density is sought at a specified bit error rate (BER). Experimental isolated pulse data, transition noise, and electronic noise measurements from a 65 mm head/disk recording design are used as inputs to a Matlab simulation of PD and PR Lorentzian channel low pass and boost filters, PD differentiator filter, PR digital filter, and PD/PR bit detectors. The goal of such models is optimizing the designable PD and PR channel parameters for realistic maximum linear density prediction. However their complexity obscures the jitter modulation contribution, which is demonstrated here by the shift in the EER versus density curves, when the jitter modulation is mathematically turned off. Jitter modulation is thereby shown to be significant but not dominant in (1,7) PD density limits. About an order of magnitude BER loss due to jitter modulation can occur at typical PD linear channel bit densities P/sub 50//T/spl ap/2. Jitter amplification in PD channels can occur at channel density 3.8 (above usable PD limits). PR channels only amplify media jitter, degrading EER by about an order of magnitude at typical (0, k) PR4 densities, and degrading timing channel accuracy twice as fast as channel density increases. Lorentzian isolated pulse (ISOP) modeling is compared to recording physics mathematical pulses, and simulation statistical validity checks are made.