INTRODUCTION

TO COMPUTER
STORAGE DEVICES (ONLINE LECTURE 1)
 How computer memory is
measured?
• Bit
All computers work on a binary numbering system, i.e. they
process data in one's or zero's. This 1 or 0 level of storage is
called a bit.
• Byte: Eight bits.
• Kilobyte: 1024 bytes.
• Megabyte: 1024 kilobytes.
• Gigabyte: 1024 megabytes
STORAGE
DEVICES
 Registers
CLASSIFICATION- BIG PICTURE 2ns
Cache (I, II, III)
Volatile SRAM
DRAM
Primary SDRAM
(Semiconductor – RAM EDRAM
chip). Main Memory
EDO
FLASH RAM
Memory Types &
PROM
Storage Devices Non-volatile EPROM
ROM EEPROM
Tape
Magnetic memory HD, Zip Disk
Secondary FDD
(Devices) CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW
Optical DVD-ROM, DVD-R
5ms
Memory DVD- RW
 PRIMARY MEMORY: RAM AND ROM
•RAM (Random Access Memory) is volatile (temporary).
Programs and data can be written to and erased from RAM
as needed. This means that RAM does not retain its bit
configuration when the power is turned off, but ROM does

•ROM ( Read Only Memory) is nonvolatile (permanent). The

contents in locations in ROM cannot be changed

•It holds instructions that run the computer when it is

first turned on (BIOS)

•The CPU accesses each location in memory by using a

unique number, called a memory address.
Random Access Memory
Computers(RAM)
store temporary data in the RAM (Random
Access Memory). These could be operating instructions,
loose bits of data or content from programs that are running.
The contents of RAM are constantly rewritten as the data
is processed.
When the computer is
switched off, all the data is
cleared from the RAM.
This type of memory is called
volatile because it only
stores the data whilst the
computer is switched on.
RAM sticks are found on the motherboard.
 Memory types- RAM
• RAM: random access memory
• SRAM: static RAM
• No need to be refreshed
• DRAM: dynamic RAM
• Need to be refreshed periodically
• Main memory
• SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM)
• EDRAM (Enhanced DRAM)
• EDO (Extended Data Out)
• FLASH RAM
• Ferroelectric RAM
Read Only Memory (ROM)
When a computer is first switched on, it needs to load
up the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) and basic
instructions for the hardware.
These are stored in ROM (Read Only Memory).
This type of memory is
called non-volatile because
it retains the data.
Data stored in ROM remains
there even when the
computer is switched off.
ROM can be found on the
motherboard.
 Memory types– ROM

• ROM: read-only memory (Pre-programmed)

• PROM: programmable ROM
• Only written once
• EPROM: erasable PROM
• Use ultraviolet light to erase data
• EEPROM: electronically EPROM
• Can be erased using electronic impulses (higher voltages)
 Secondary Storage Devices
• Storage devices hold data, even when the
computer is turned off.

• The physical material that actually holds data is

called a storage medium. The surface of a floppy
disk is a storage medium.

• The hardware that writes data to or reads data

from a storage medium is called a storage
device. A floppy disk drive is a storage device.

• The two primary storage technologies are

magnetic and optical.
Magnetic Storage Devices
• Diskettes (floppy disks) (FDD)

• Hard disks (HD)

• High-capacity floppy disks (ZIP Disk)

• USB flash drive

• Magnetic tape
 Optical Storage Devices
• Compact Disk Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM)

• Digital Video Disk Read-Only Memory

(DVD-ROM)

• CD-Recordable (CD-R)

• CD-Rewritable (CD-RW)

• PhotoCD
Magnetic Storage Devices - Diskettes
• Diskette drives, also known as floppy disk drives,
read and write to diskettes (called floppy disks or
floppies).

• In disks the areas to save data are organized as a

set of concentric circles called Tracks. Floppy disks
have 80 tracks. The disks are further divided into
pie-slice Sectors.

• 300 rpm

• Diskettes size: 3.5-inch.

 3.5 inch
floppy
and drive
 Hard Disk Drive
• Purpose:
• Long-term, nonvolatile storage
• Large, inexpensive, slow level in the storage hierarchy
• Disk composition
• A magnetic disk consist of a collection of platters (1to 20 per disk) that
rotate on a spindle.
• Disk surface divided into tracks (1000 to 4800 per platter).
• Tracks are divided into sectors (64 per track), which are the smallest unit
that can be read or written.
• Up to 10,000 rpm
 Magnetic Disks
• A read/write head travels across a spinning magnetic
disk, retrieving or recording data

The organization
of a magnetic disk
 Optical storage devices
• CD-ROM: compact disc ROM (Read Only Memory)
• Capacity: 650MB
• CD-R: compact disc recordable
• CD-RW: compact disc rewritable
• DVD: digital versatile disc
• Capacity: 4.7GB – 17GB
• DVD-R
• DVD-RW (2 versions: + (plus) and
– (dash)
 DVD (Digital Versatile Disk)
• Allows up to 17 gigabytes of storage (from 4.7 GB to 17 GB).
• Compatible with older CD-ROM technology.
• The four versions of the DVD:
Types of backing storage
Computers need backing storage outside the CPU to
store data and programs not currently in use.
There are three main types of storage device:
Those that store data by magnetizing a special
material that coats the surface of a disk.

Those that store data using optical

technology to etch the data onto a plastic-
coated metal disk. Laser beams are then
passed over the surface to read the data.

Flash drives use solid state technology and

store data in a similar way to the BIOS chip.
 Types of backing storage
The medium is what the data is actually stored on.
Examples of media include floppy disks, CD-ROMs
and zip disks.

CDs hold around 700

MB of data.

Floppy disks hold about

1.44 MB of data.

Zip disks store up to

750 MB of data.
Backing storage – hard
drives
The hard disk of the computer stores the
system information, programs and data
that the computer uses every day.

Computer servers will use RAID systems

with many hard drives to provide huge
capacity and safer storage. The drives
can be mirrored so that data written to
one of them is also written to others, so if
one drive fails, the others just take over.

Removable hard drives plug into the

USB port and can be used for backup or
transfer of data to another computer.
Backing storage – floppy disk drives
Floppy disks used to be used a lot, but they are
unreliable and don’t hold very much data, so they are
rarely used now.
They hold 1.44 MB of data, so are only really useful for
backing up or moving small files that don’t contain
graphics.
They are easily damaged, which means that files stored
on them won’t always load.
As flash memory has become cheaper, many new
computers don’t even have a floppy disk drive.
Backing storage – optical
There are two main types of optical storage: CD and DVD.
They look exactly the same, but DVDs hold much more
data than CDs and need different drives to read them.
CD-ROMs are read only – you can read data
from them but can’t write more data to them.
CD-Rs allow you to write data once, but you
can’t write over it.
CD-RWs allow you to write data and then
record new data over it.
DVD-Rs and RWs follow the same pattern.
You need special software to write to CDs
and DVDs – you cannot simply copy files to
them.
Backing storage – flash memory
In recent years, flash memory has become much more popular.
It holds a lot of data in a very small space.
It doesn’t need special software to use it.
Most computers will recognize the device
as soon as you plug it in.
Flash memory sticks connect through
USB or FireWire ports.
Many other devices, like digital cameras
and MP3 players, also use flash memory.
Flash memory cards can hold different
types of data so your MP3 player could
hold a data file with your homework on it,
for example.