2-DIMENSIONAL CODING FOR A MULTI-TRACK RECORDING-SYSTEM TO COMBAT INTER-TRACK INTERFERENCE

Increasing track density, through a narrowing of the read head, leads to a reduced signal-to-noise ratio and increased inter-track-interfere nce (ITI). Two-dimensional codes for multi-track recording systems hav e demonstrated increased capacity over conventional single track run l ength limited (RLL) codes. This paper describes a two-dimensional code for a multi-track recording system to control ITI by preventing adjac ent track transitions. Results show that such a code, when applied to a PRML channel, can significantly improve immunity to crosstalk whilst maintaining a high linear density.