minimal transition probability mtp rll coding scheme in which the coded portion 106 is selected to have the fewest possible transitions in the form u2014 typically the nrz form u2014 in which it will be stored this increases the snr of the read signal and thus improves the initial reading accuracy and thus the effective read speed of a read channel that reads a sequence of code words 102 specifically it has been found that contrary to the prior art teachings a combination of single bit and tri bit errors compose approximately 99 of all initial read errors with single bit errors composing approximately 80 of all initial read errors and with tri bit errors composing merely 19 of all initial read errors therefore to provide the greatest overall reduction in total initial read errors it is clear that a code should be designed to cause as few single bit errors as possible it has also been found that a major cause of single bit errors is bit transitions in the sequence of code words being read that is the more transitions the more single bit errors and the fewer transitions the fewer single bit errors therefore it follows that all else being equal sequences of code words having the fewest code bit transitions cause the fewest read errors on average in accordance with these findings the inventors developed the mtp rll coding scheme for example purposes the development process for a.