Systems and methods for fast measurement of channel performance metrics such as error margin and off-track recording capability in shingled magnetic recording

1. A system for performing fast measurement of a channel performance metric and off-track recording capability in shingled magnetic recording, the system comprising:

a test platform configured to receive, support, and rotate a disk configured for magnetic information storage;

a magnetic transducer configured to write to, and read from, the disk;

a memory;

a processor coupled to the memory, the magnetic transducer, and the test platform, the processor configured to:

write a plurality of shingled tracks on the disk;

measure an off track read capability (OTRC) of each of the plurality of shingled tracks;

determine radial endpoints of the measured OTRC for each of the plurality of shingled tracks;

determine an approximate radial center for each of the plurality of shingled tracks based on the respective OTRC radial endpoints; and

measure a channel performance metric at a range centered around each of the approximate radial center for each of the plurality of shingled tracks.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the range consists of a single point such that the processor is configured to measure the channel performance metric at the approximate radial center for each of the plurality of shingled tracks.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the radial endpoints of the OTRC each represent a point at which a measurement of the channel performance metric exceeds a preselected level.

4. The system of claim 3 :

wherein the channel performance metric is an error margin; and

wherein the preselected level is a preselected noise boost level and is about 0.4 decibels.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine a maximum value of the measured channel performance metric within the range for each of the plurality of shingled tracks.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the approximate radial centers for each of the plurality of shingled tracks based on the respective OTRC radial endpoints by determining a radial midpoint between the radial endpoints for each of the plurality of shingled tracks.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the measurements of the channel performance metric are used to modify a process for manufacturing a component for shingled magnetic recording, wherein the component is selected from the group consisting of a disk and a head.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the measurements of the channel performance metric are used to modify a process for operating a hard disk drive configured for shingled magnetic recording.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to calculate a representative value of the channel performance metric for all of the plurality of shingled tracks, wherein the representative value is selected from the group consisting of a mean, a median, and a standard deviation.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the channel performance metric comprises a metric selected from the group consisting of an error margin, an error rate, a Viterbi metric margin, a channel quality metric, and combinations thereof.

11. A method for performing fast measurement of a channel performance metric and off-track recording capability in shingled magnetic recording, the method comprising:

writing a plurality of shingled tracks on the disk;

measuring an off track read capability (OTRC) of each of the plurality of shingled tracks;

determining radial endpoints of the measured OTRC for each of the plurality of shingled tracks;

determining an approximate radial center for each of the plurality of shingled tracks based on the respective OTRC radial endpoints; and

measuring a channel performance metric at a range centered around the approximate radial center for each of the plurality of shingled tracks.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the range consists of a single point such that the measuring the channel performance metric at the range centered around the approximate radial center for each of the plurality of shingled tracks comprises measuring the channel performance metric at the approximate radial center for each of the plurality of shingled tracks.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the radial endpoints of the OTRC each represent a point at which a measurement of the channel performance metric exceeds a preselected level.

14. The method of claim 13 ,

wherein the channel performance metric is an error margin; and

wherein the preselected level is a preselected noise boost level and is about 0.4 decibels.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining a maximum value of the measured channel performance metric within the range for each of the plurality of shingled tracks.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the determining the approximate radial center for each of the plurality of shingled tracks based on the respective OTRC radial endpoints comprises determining a radial midpoint between the radial endpoints for each of the plurality of shingled tracks.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising using the measurements of the channel performance metric to modify a process for manufacturing disks for shingled magnetic recording.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising using the measurements of the channel performance metric to modify a process for operating a hard disk drive configured for shingled magnetic recording.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising calculating a representative value of the channel performance metric for all of the plurality of shingled tracks, wherein the representative value is selected from the group consisting of a mean, a median, and a standard deviation.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the channel performance metric comprises a metric selected from the group consisting of an error margin, an error rate, a Viterbi metric margin, a channel quality metric, and combinations thereof.