Adaptive and selective level conditioning of a read channel in storage technologies

A method, circuit and system for selectively and adaptively effecting level conditioning of selected samples of a read signal in storage technologies. A circuit embodying the present invention includes sample logic, arithmetic logic and conditioning logic. The sample logic receives samples and provides a main sample and one or more selected neighbor samples. The arithmetic logic compares the main sample to the neighbor samples toward determining satisfaction of selected conditioning criteria. If the selected conditioning criteria are satisfied, the conditioning logic selectively and adaptively effects level conditioning as to the main sample. A method embodying the present invention comprises obtaining level conditioning parameters in association with a reference field of the read signal; sampling the read signal at channel bit locations to provide a plurality of samples; selecting a main sample from the plurality of samples; selecting one or more neighbor samples from the plurality of samples, the neighbor samples being disposed at predetermined distances, in channel bits, from the main sample; comparing the main sample to each of the neighbor samples to determine satisfaction of selected conditioning criteria; applying, where the selected conditioning criteria are determined to be satisfied, level conditioning to the main sample, such level conditioning being responsive to the level conditioning parameters.