Dual FDTS/DF: a unified approach to dual-detection and modification for MTR codes

Dual-detector decision-feedback schemes have recently gained considerable interest in magnetic recording. Schemes such as dual decision feedback equalization (DDFE), M2DFE, and dual FDTS/DF are dual-detector versions of DFE, multilevel DFE (MDFE), and fixed delay tree search with decision feedback fixed-delay tree search with decision feedback (FDTS/DF) detectors, respectively. At high recording densities, the dual-detector versions significantly improve bit-error-rate (BER) performance and reduce error propagation. In this paper, we first give a unified approach to the bit-error-rate analysis of dual-detector decision feedback schemes in an attempt to highlight their relationship, and then we show that the performance of dual FDTS/DF reduces to that of DDFE for τ=0 and reduces to that of M2DFE for τ=1 with d=1 code constraint. Further, we extend the dual FDTS/DF detection scheme to maximum transition run-length (MTR) coded channels. On the basis of both BER and error event analysis, we propose a modified dual FDTS/DF detection scheme for MTR-coded channels that improves BER performance. The new scheme modifies certain bits in the detection profess for preventing the dominant error event. Simulation results on 6/7 MTR-coded Lorentzian channel show that the modified detector gives around 1 dB SNR improvement over the advanced (trellis-coded extended partial response) TC-E²PR detector