Multitrack run-length-limited (d, k) modulation codes were recently introduced as a method to increase storage densities in magnetic and optical recording systems. These codes are a generalization of the usual run-length-limited (d, k) codes and provide for increased storage density by relaxing the k-constraint and encoding multiple tracks in parallel. This paper introduces a method to construct multitrack (d, k) block codes which are implemented via an enumeration scheme based on the trellis description of the (d, k) constraints. This implementation results in memory requirements which increase only linearly with block length as opposed to the exponential increases arising from look-up table implementations of block codes.>

Multitrack run-length-limited (d, k) modulation codes were recently introduced as a method to increase storage densities in magnetic and optical recording systems. These codes are a generalization of the usual run-length-limited (d, K) codes and provide for increased storage density by relaxing the k-constraint and encoding multiple tracks in parallel. Previously, n-track (d, K) codes used all n tracks to satisfy the K constraint causing synchronization to be completely intolerant of faulty tracks. The authors present multitrack (d, k) codes which allow for r faulty tracks by mandating that all subsets of n-r tracks satisfy the K constraint.>