Storage devices

Main Memory

- Main memory (sometimes known as internal memory or primary storage) is

another name for RAM (and ROM).
- Main memory is usually used to store data temporarily. In the case of RAM, it
is volatile (this means that when power is switched off all of the data in the memory
disappears).
- Main memory is used to store data whilst it is being processed by the CPU. Data can
be put into memory, and read back from it, very quickly.
Memory is fast to access, but only holds data temporarily...

What is a Backup?

- A backup simply means making one or more copies of your data.

- For example, if you have a folder of photos stored on the hard-drive of your laptop,
you might back them up by copying them to a CD-R.

Note: If you move the photos from the hard-drive to a CD-R, you do not have a back-up –
you still only have one copy of the photos, but now they are on a CD instead of the hard-
drive.

You only have a backup if you have a second copy of your data.

Why Backup Your Data?

- If you delete a file by accident, your computer breaks, your laptop is stolen, or your
business burns to the ground, having a backup copy means that you have not lost your
precious data. You can recover your lost files and continue working.
- Most businesses use computers to store very important data (customer records,
financial information, designs for products, etc.) If this data is lost, the business could
possibly have to close. Backing-up business data is essential.

Backing Storage

- Backing storage (sometimes known as secondary storage) is the name for all
other data storage devices in a computer: hard-drive, etc.
 - Backing storage is usually non-volatile, so it is generally used to store data for a
long time.
- We refer to a collection of data stored in a computer system as a ‘file’. Files are often
organised into ‘folders’.
- Whenever you click ‘Save’ in an application, burn files to a CD-R, copy music onto
your MP3 player, or drag and drop a file onto memory stick, you are using storage
devices - devices that can store and retrieve data.
* Note: Modern back-up tapes have very fast access speeds, but only to save/read data
sequentially (they are serial access devices). Tapes are very slow if you want to read files out
of order, since the tape has to be rewound and fast-forwarded.

Magnetic storage media

Why Magnetic?

- Magnetic storage media and devices store data in the form of tiny magnetised dots.
These dots are created, read and erased using magnetic fields created by very
tiny electromagnets.
- In the case of magnetic tape the dots are arranged along the length of a long plastic
strip which has been coated with a magnetisable layer (audio and video tapes use a
similar technology).
- In the case of magnetic discs (e.g. floppy disc or hard-drive), the dots are arranged
in circles on the surface of a plastic, metal or glass disc that has a magnetisable
coating.

Hard Drives

- Hard-drives have a very large storage capacity (up to 1TB). They can be used to
store vast amounts of data. Hard-drives are random access devices and can be used to
store all types of films, including huge files such as movies. Data access
speeds are very fast.

Fixed Hard Drive(internal)

- A hard-drive built into the case of a computer is known as ‘fixed’. Almost every
computer has a fixed hard-drive.
- Fixed hard-drives act as the main backing storage device for almost all computers
since they provide almost instant access to files (random access and high access
speeds).

Portable Hard Drive

- A portable hard-drive is one that is placed into a small case along with some
electronics that allow the hard-drive to be accessed using a USB or similar
connection.
- Portable hard-drives allow very large amounts of data to be transported from
computer to computer.

Magnetic Tape
 - Magnetic tape is a large capacity, serial access medium. Because it is a serial access
medium, accessing individual files on a tape is slow.
- Tapes are used where large amounts of data need to be stored, but where quick
access to individual files is not required. A typical use is for data back-up (lots of
data, but rarely only accessed in an emergency).
- Tapes are also used and in some batch-processing applications (e.g. to hold the list of
data that will be processed).
Research on Memory cards

Optical storage media

Why 'Optical'?

- Optical storage devices save data as patterns of dots that can be read using light.
A laser beam is the usual light source.
- The data on the storage medium is read by bouncing the laser beam off the surface of
the medium. If the beam hits a dot it is reflected back differently to how it would be
if there were no dot. This difference can be detected, so the data can be read.
- Dots can be created using the laser beam (for media that is writable such as CD-Rs).
The beam is used in a high-power mode to actually mark the surface of the medium,
making a dot. This process is known as ‘burning’ data onto a disc.

Read-Only Optical Discs

- Read-only optical discs have data written onto them when they are manufactured.
This data cannot be changed.
i. CD-ROM
- Compact Disc - Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM) discs can hold around 800MB of
data. The data cannot be altered (non-volatile), so cannot be accidently deleted. CD-
ROMs are random-access devices.
- CD-ROMs are used to distribute all sorts of data: software (e.g. office applications
or games), music, electronic books (e.g. an encyclopaedia with sound and video.)
ii. DVD-ROM
- Digital Versatile Disc - Read-Only Memory (DVD-ROM) discs can hold
around 4.7GB of data (a dual-layer DVD can hold twice that). DVD-ROMs
are random-access devices.
- DVD-ROMs are used in the same way as CD-ROMs (see above) but, since they can
hold more data, they are also used to store high-quality video.

High Capacity Optical Discs

i. Blu-Ray
 - Blu-Ray disks are a recent replacement for DVDs. A Blu-Ray disc can hold 25 -
50GB of data (a dual-layer Blu-Ray disc can hold twice that). Blu-Ray discs
are random-access devices.
- Blu-Ray discs are used in the same way as DVD-ROMs (see above) but, since they
can hold more data, they are also used to store very high-quality, high-definition
(HD) video.

The 'Blu' part of Blu-Ray refers to the fact that the laser used to read the disc
uses blue light instead of red light. Blue light has a shorter wave-length than red light
(used with CDs and DVDs).

- Using a blue laser allows more data to be placed closer together on a Blu-Ray disc,
than on a DVD or CD, so Blu-Ray has a much higher storage capacity than these
older discs.
ii. HD DVD
- High-density DVD (HD-DVD) discs can hold around 15GB of data (a dual-layer HD-
DVD can hold twice that). HD-DVDs are random-access devices.
- HD-DVD discs are used in the same way as DVD-ROMs (see above) but, since they
can hold more data, they are also used to store very high-quality, high-definition
(HD) video.
The HD-DVD format was launched at the same time as Blu-Ray. For about a year they
competed to be the 'next DVD'. For various reasons, Blu-Ray won the fight, and the HD-
DVD format has been abandoned.

Recordable Optical Discs

- Recordable optical discs can have data written onto them (‘burnt’) by a computer
user using a special disc drive (a disc ‘burner’).
i. CD-R and DVD-R
- CD-Recordable (CD-R) and DVD-recordable (DVD-R) discs can have data
burnt onto them, but not erased. You can keep adding data until the disc is full, but
you cannot remove any data or re-use a full disc.
ii. CD-RW and DVD-RW
- CD-ReWritable (CD-RW) and DVD-ReWritable (DVD-RW) discs, unlike CD-Rs
and DVD-Rs, can have data burnt onto them and also erased so that the discs can
be re-used.
When CD-Rs and DVD-Rs are burnt, the laser makes permanent marks on the silver-
coloured metal layer. This is why these discs cannot be erased. When CD-RWs and DVD-
RWs are burnt the laser makes marks on the metal layer, but in a way that can be undone.
So these discs can be erased.

iii. DVD-RAM
 - DVD-Random Access Memory (DVD-RAM) discs are a type of re-writable DVD.
They often come in a floppy-disc style case (to protect the disc).
- DVD-RAM discs have a similar capacity to a normal DVD, holding 4.7GB of data.
DVD-RAM discs are random-access devices.
- DVD-RAM discs are used in many camcorders (video recording cameras).
- The discs are much higher quality than normal DVD-RWs and can reliably store data
for up to 30 years. This means that they are often used for video and data back-
up and archiving.

- Solid-State Storage Devices

Why Solid-State'?

- The term ‘solid-state’ essentially means ‘no moving parts’.

- Solid-state storage devices are based on electronic circuits with no moving parts (no
reels of tape, no spinning discs, no laser beams, etc.)
- Solid-state storage devices store data using a special type of memory called flash
memory...
i. Flash Memory
- Flash memory is a type of Electronically-Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory
(EEPROM).
- Flash memory is non-volatile (like ROM) but the data stored in it can also
be erased or changed (like RAM).
- Flash memory can be found in many data storage devices...
- You might wonder why, since flash memory is non-volatile, normal computers
don’t use it instead of RAM. If they did we would have computers that you could
turn off, turn back on again and no data would be lost – it would be great!

The reason is speed – saving data to flash memory is very slow compared to saving
it to RAM. If a computer were to use flash memory as a replacement for RAM it
would run very slowly.
- - However some portable computers are starting to use flash memory (in the form
of solid-state ‘discs’ as a replacement for hard-drives. No moving parts mean less to
go wrong and longer battery life.
ii. USB Memory Sticks
- Memory sticks (or ‘thumb-drives’) have made many other forms of portable storage
almost obsolete (why burn a CD or DVD when you can more easily copy your files
onto a memory stick?).
- Memory sticks are non-volatile, random-access storage devices.
- Each of these small devices has some flash memory connected to a USB interface.
Plug it into your computer and it appears as a drive. You can then add files, erase
files, etc. You can use it to move any type of file between computers.
- Flash memory used to be very expensive, but in recent years it has become
much cheaper and you can now buy a 16GB memory stick for just a few dollars.
iii. Memory Cards
 - Many of our digital devices (cameras, mobile phones, MP3 players, etc.)
require compact, non-volatile data storage. Flash memory cards provide this and
come in a variety of shapes and sizes.
- One of the most common formats used by digital cameras is the SD Card. The cards
store the digital images taken by the camera.
- Mobile phones contain a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card that contains the
phone’s number, the phonebook numbers, text messages, etc.
- Many phones also have extra memory cards to store music, video, photos, etc. (e.g
Tiny Micro-SD cards).

iv. Smart Cards

- Many credit cards (e.g. ‘chip-and-pin’ cards), door entry cards, satellite TV cards,
etc. have replaced the very limited storage of the magnetic strip (the dark strip on the
back of older cards) with flash memory. This is more reliable and has a much larger
storage capacity.
- Cards with flash memory are called smart cards.
Please for the advantages and disadvantages of storage devices refer to the text and include it
as part of your notes