Condensing a defect scan log for a disk of a disk drive

1. A method for condensing a defect scan log for a disk of a disk drive, the disk including a plurality of tracks having a plurality of wedges, the method comprising:

determining a plurality of defect zones, each defect zone comprising a plurality of physical locations on the disk;

detecting defects on the disk;

recording the defects into the defect scan log as log entries, wherein the log entries comprise a location parameter related to the defect location on the disk;

determining that the number of defects detected in a first defect zone exceed a first threshold;

determining that the number of log entries exceed a second threshold prior to determining that the number of defects detected in the first defect zone exceed the first threshold and combining the log entries of the first defect zone into a coalesced log entry; and

combining the log entries of the first defect zone into a coalesced log entry.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coalesced log entry comprises defects detected on the disk that are in proximity to one another along a first axis corresponding to a circumferential direction for the plurality of wedges and a second axis corresponding to a radial direction for the plurality of tracks.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the defect scan log is condensed during a manufacturing process for the disk drive.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising determining if a number of sectors identified in the defect scan log exceeds a threshold value.

5. A method for condensing a defect scan log for a disk of a disk drive, the disk including a plurality of tracks having a plurality of wedges, the method comprising:

determining a plurality of defect zones, each defect zone comprising a plurality of physical locations on the disk;

detecting defects on the disk;

recording the defects into the defect scan log as log entries, wherein the log entries comprise a location parameter related to the defect location on the disk;

determining that the number of defects detected in a first defect zone exceed a first threshold;

combining the log entries of the first defect zone into a first coalesced log entry;

determining that the number of defects detected in a second defect zone exceed the first threshold;

combining the log entries of the second defect zone into a second coalesced log entry;

determining that the first and second defect zones are adjacent to one another; and

combining the first and second coalesced log entries into a third coalesced log entry.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising determining that the number of log entries exceed a second threshold prior to determining that the number of defects detected in the first and second defect zones exceed the first threshold and combining the log entries of the first and second defect zones into first and second coalesced log entries.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the sizes of the first and second defect zones are approximately equal.

8. A disk drive comprising:

a disk including a plurality of tracks having a plurality of wedges;

a head to perform read operations from the disk including reading defects on the disk; and

a processor for controlling operations in the disk drive to condense a defect scan log for the disk, the operations comprising:

determining a plurality of defect zones, each defect zone comprising a plurality of physical locations on the disk;

detecting defects on the disk;

recording the defects into the defect scan log as log entries, wherein the log entries comprise a location parameter related to the defect location on the disk;

determining that the number of defects detected in a first defect zone exceed a first threshold;

determining that the number of log entries exceed a second threshold prior to determining that the number of defects detected in the first defect zone exceed the first threshold and combining the log entries of the first defect zone into a coalesced log entry; and

combining the log entries of the first defect zone into a coalesced log entry.

9. The disk drive of claim 8 , wherein the coalesced log entry comprises defects detected on the disk that are in proximity to one another along a first axis corresponding to a circumferential direction for the plurality of wedges and a second axis corresponding to a radial direction for the plurality of tracks.

10. The disk drive of claim 8 , wherein the defect scan log is condensed during a manufacturing process for the disk drive.

11. The disk drive of claim 10 , wherein the processor performs operations further comprising determining if a number of sectors identified in the defect scan log exceeds a threshold value.

12. A disk drive comprising:

a disk including a plurality of tracks having a plurality of wedges;

a head to perform read operations from the disk including reading defects on the disk; and

a processor for controlling operations in the disk drive to condense a defect scan log for the disk, the operations comprising:

determining a plurality of defect zones, each defect zone comprising a plurality of physical locations on the disk;

detecting defects on the disk;

recording the defects into the defect scan log as log entries, wherein the log entries comprise a location parameter related to the defect location on the disk;

determining that the number of defects detected in a first defect zone exceed a first threshold;

combining the log entries of the first defect zone into a first coalesced log entry;

determining that the number of defects detected in a second defect zone exceed the first threshold;

combining the log entries of the second defect zone into a second coalesced log entry;

determining that the first and second defect zones are adjacent to one another; and

combining the first and second coalesced log entries into a third coalesced log entry.

13. The disk drive of claim 12 , wherein the processor performs operations further comprising determining that the number of log entries exceed a second threshold prior to determining that the number of defects detected in the first and second defect zones exceed the first threshold and combining the log entries of the first and second defect zones into first and second coalesced log entries.

14. The disk drive of claim 12 , wherein the sizes of the first and second defect zones are approximately equal.