The development of new algorithms is presented which, combined with arithmetic and circuit techniques, yield substantial performance improvement in partial response magnetic disk drive read channels. Advanced disk drive read channels involve complex signal processing algorithms that require very high speed operation with limited power consumption. The add-compare-select recursion of the Viterbi algorithm is the principal channel speed bottleneck with highest power dissipation. Other parts of the read channel also involve intensive numeric calculations, which are significantly influenced by their implementation. The algorithmic, arithmetic and circuit techniques are applied to design of reduced complexity Viterbi detector for the trellis coded EEPR4 channel. The algorithmic solutions proposed here involve the development of the new trellis code that eliminates most common error events in EEPR4 trellis. Another improvement is based on elimination of unlikely taken zranches in the Viterbi algorithm. Two specific arithmetic implementations of the add-compare-select recursion are resulting in further performance improvement. The arithmetic solutions are mapped into CMOS technology, targeting highest speed performance, while keeping area and power limited. The circuit level solutions involve new pass-transistor circuit techniques in the critical path. The optimal design trade-off between the arithmetic and the circuit implementation is achieved. Pipeline is further enhanced by utilization of advanced clocking schemes and optimized flip-flops.

Biography

Borivoje Nikolic received Dipl. Ing. and M. Sc. E. E. degrees from University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia in 1992 and 1994, respectively. Curently, while finishing his Ph. D. degree studies at University of California at Davis, he is with Texas Instruments Storage Products Group, San Jose, CA. His research interests include VLSI implemenation of communications and signal processing systems, high-speed digital integrated circutits as well as analog integrated circuit design.