JPH02170066A - Medium defect inspection device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten an inspection time by using an optional sector signal as a dummy index signal for a test. CONSTITUTION:When a inspection data is written, software ends out a test gate setting command F and a dummy index generating circuit 5 generates the dummy index signal J with an index signal A or sector signal B which is obtained right after the command. A write control circuit 6 writes a test data G as a write signal E in the device for the period of one cycle of the signal J. Defect inspection is started immediately after the end of writing without waiting for normal rotation and a medium defect detecting circuit 7 decides an error according to a read signal D. When the error is detected, the position of the error occurrence and the length of the error is storaged in an error position memory circuit 8 from the error position counter 4 which counts a clock signal C for one round of the periphery of a track according to the signal A as a start point, and informed to the software of error information H. Thus, a command F is generated ad a next test is conducted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a medium defect inspection apparatus, and more particularly to a medium defect inspection apparatus having a circuit for generating a pseudo index at an arbitrary position.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, media defect inspection for rotating storage devices has been conducted using an analog test method, which determines defects by comparing the drop or loss of the reproduced signal of test data written at a uniform frequency with an inspection reference value, and a method using specific test data. There is a digital test that determines defects by comparing a digital signal pattern read out through a discrimination circuit of a writing and storage device with a written digital signal pattern, and both of these methods are usually used in combination.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In the conventional method described above, writing and reading of test data is started by an index signal from the storage device under test (hereinafter referred to as the device), and ends immediately before the next index signal, so there is no time for the next operation. requires waiting for rotation. In particular, for storage devices, which play an important role in computer systems, it is necessary to detect as many latent defects as possible, so one track is tested multiple times with both analog and digital tests. The disadvantage is that it takes a considerable amount of time to inspect all the tracks.

An object of the present invention is to provide a medium defect inspection device that solves the above problems.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an inspection device for inspecting defects existing on a track of a recording medium of a rotary storage device having a recording medium, at positions that divide one round of the track obtained by the device into n equal parts. a pseudo index generation circuit that creates a test gate signal by using the m-th of the generated sector signal as a pseudo index signal for testing; and an error position counter and medium defect detection circuit that counts the clock signal obtained from the device from the true index signal. It has the following.

〔Example〕

Next, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, the embodiment of the present invention includes an epicyclic storage device 1 and a medium defect inspection device 2, and the medium defect inspection device 2 has a sector position counter 3. It has an error position counter 4, a pseudo index generation circuit 5, a write control circuit 6, a medium defect detection circuit 7, and an error position memory circuit.

When starting a medium defect inspection, a device is first selected, and from that point on the sector position counter 3 uses the sector signal B sent from the device with the index signal A as the starting point.
The repeat count starts. When writing test data, a test gate setting command F is issued by software, and the pseudo index generation circuit 5 creates a pseudo index signal J from the index No. 46 A or sector signal B obtained immediately after that. The write control circuit 6 writes the test data G into the device as the write signal E for one cycle of the pseudo index signal J. Defect inspection usually starts immediately after writing is completed without waiting for rotation, and the medium defect detection circuit 7 determines whether it is an analog error or a digital error based on the read signal. If an error is detected here, the machine position counter 4, which repeatedly counts the clock signal C of the device for one track revolution using the index signal A as a starting point, collects information on the position of the error and the length of the error. It is stored in the position memory circuit 8 and reported to the software as error information H.

The next test can be executed by issuing the test gate setting command F immediately after the software processing is completed.
It is started without waiting for the next index signal.

This operation is repeated multiple times for one track, and the defect position and length of that track are determined from the error information obtained for each test.

The above sequence is executed for all tracks,
The device's media defect information is compiled and written to a specific location on the media in a predetermined format.

To explain the second operation in chronological order, as shown in FIG. 2, if the first test gate is at the position of the true index signal a, then the write gate signal C1 and then the read gate signal d are at the index signal timing. becomes valid.

According to the present invention, the next test can be executed immediately after software processing, and if the SCT of the sector signal indicating the position where the index signal is divided into n equal parts is used as a pseudo index, the error processing and waiting time e is equal to the index period. 1 /
n will suffice.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the conventional system, the write gate signal C' and the read signal d' are controlled only by the index signal a', so the waiting time e' is equal to the index period.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention uses an arbitrary sector signal as a pseudo index signal for testing in a recording medium defect inspection of a rotating storage device, so that it can be used during the test like when only the true index signal is used. It is possible to significantly reduce the rotation waiting time that occurs without having to wait for one rotation, which has the effect of greatly improving productivity.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a timing diagram, and FIG. 3 is a timing diagram of a conventional system. 3... Sector position counter 4 - Error position counter 5... Pseudo index generation circuit 7 Medium defect detection circuit 8... Error position memory circuit e, e... Error processing and waiting time

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In an inspection device that inspects defects existing on a track of a recording medium of a rotary storage device having a recording medium, the m-th sector signal generated at positions that equally divide one round of the track obtained by the device by n. The present invention is characterized by having a pseudo index generation circuit that generates a test gate signal using the th as a pseudo index signal for testing, and an error position counter and medium defect detection circuit that counts the clock signal obtained from the device from the true index signal. Media defect inspection equipment.