Program no.

8A

Storage Main Memory Secondary Memory Different Speeds Magnetic

Media Optical Media Access Modes.

 A Computer System As we already know a computer system is made up of different

components such as; 1. the CPU, 2. input devices, 3. output devices, 4. storage
devices and others.
 BIOS – Basic Input Output System In a PC, the ROM is found on the motherboard
The ROM stores the programs required to start up the computer, this program is
called the BIOS (basic input output system) The main task of the BIOS is to load and
start the operating system The BIOS identifies system devices such as the hard-disk,
CD, video card, mouse, keyboard and other hardware devices. BIOS can also be used
to modify some computer settings, for instance configuring hardware, setting the time,
select the boot devices, set passwords and others.
 Cache Memory/SRAM Although RAM is very fast, sometimes the CPU might require
data to be processed even faster. This is when the cache memory is used; this is just
another type of RAM which is also called SRAM – static RAM. This is not plugged
in the motherboard but it is found inside the CPU. This is faster than DRAM but it is
limited in size; CPUs have around 2MB, because it’s very expensive. CPU Control
Unit, Arithmetic Logic Unit, Cache Memory Main Memory RAM ROM Fast Access
Faster Access
 CD – Compact Disk the CD stores 700MB of data It became very popular due to its
portability and also its ability to store various media such as 1. videos, 2. text files 3.
images 4. and sound
 CD Structure A CD is made up of different layers; A. A polycarbonate plastic which
is one of the e thickest layers where the bumps are created, B. A sheet of aluminium
on top of the plastic which reflects light C. A lacquer layer to protect the aluminium
D. Art work E. A laser beam used to read the data
 Data Access Methods 1. Serial Access 2. Direct Access
 Diagram
 Diagram Since there is a land the laser is reflected and received by the laser picks- up
data Laser Pick Up In this case since there is a pit, the laser is not reflected back so no
data is picked up. Laser Pick Up
 Diagram The heads will never touch the platter, since if this happens the hard disk
will crash and data would be lost.
 Direct Access In case of direct access the required files can be accessed immediately
without having to go through the other files. This can be done because the device
stores the location of all the data stored Modern storage devices such as disks and
electronic media are all direct access
 Disadvantages 1. Too small – the floppy disk can only store 1.44MB which when
compared to other devices such as the CD (700MB) or the DVD (4.7GB) is very little.
 2. Relatively expensive – once again compared to much larger devices, the floppy
disk is more expensive. 3. Reliability – data stored on a floppy disk can be corrupted
easily due to temperature, condensation, magnetism, dust and scratches. 4. Slow –
data read and written to a floppy takes a long time to be accessed.
 DVD - DVD - Digital Video Disc the DVD is an improvement over the CD It allows
more data to be stored on it; on average 4.2GB. This is achieved by reducing the size
of the lands and pits.
 Example of why is RAM needed? Charlie buys a PC game from a shop; this game is
stored on a DVD. Before James is able to use it, he has to install the game on the
hard-disk. The first step is to insert the DVD into the DVD Drive and follow the on-
screen wizard to install the game. This process will copy the data from the DVD to
the hard-disk for permanent storage.
 Floppy Disk Structure A floppy disk stores data on a magnetic disc which is protected
by fabric, which is then enclosed in a plastic cover. It has a metal flap which protects
the magnetic disk from being scratched. Plastic Cover Fabric Magnetic Disk
 Floppy Disk When the floppy disk was first invented, it was considered to be large
and could store only a few kilobytes of data. With improvements, the floppy disk
evolved to store 1.44MB of data. At the time, the main advantage of the floppy disk
was its portability. The floppy disk was a very convenient device which could store a
number of files and can be transferred from one computer to another very easily
 Formatting the Floppy Disk Before it can be used for the first time, a floppy disk has
to be formatted. When formatting two things occur; 1. all data stored on the floppy is
erased 2. a filing system (FAT) is created. In the case of the floppy disk its surface is
divided into tracks and sectors Track Sector Track-Sector
 Formatting the Hard Disk When a hard disk is formatted (just like the floppy disk)
tracks and sectors are created. However, since the hard disk has more than one
surface, the tracks on top of each other form a track. Track Cylinder
 Hard Disk Characteristics Capacity240GB The capacity of the hard disk. The larger it
is, the more files it can store. Average Seek Time <9ms This is the time the hard disk
takes to rotate the platters to the correct location and move the heads at the correct
position. Rotational Speed7200RPMIn a minute the platters can rotate 7200 times.
Data Transfer Rate130MB/sin one second the hard-disk can read 130MB.
 Hard Disk Structure It’s made up of a number of platters stacked on top of each in a
metal case and all air is removed. Each platter has a read/write head attached to an
arm which moves in and out to reach data stored on these platters. The arms are then
attached to a motor which allows movement. When the hard-disk is switched on the
platters will start to rotate, the head moves to the required location Once switched on
the hard-disk platters will constantly rotate so that whenever the computer requires
data, it can be accessed very fast
 Hard Disk The hard disk was first invented by IBM in the late 1950s, at that time it
was big and very expensive and had limited storage Nowadays, the hard disk is an
essential part of the computer system It stores all the applications, operating system
and user’s files. A hard disk works on the same way a floppy disk works but it is more
reliable
 How is data Stored? Data is stored in pits and lands which are used to reflect ones and
zeros; If there is a pit the laser beam is not reflected back, whilst if there is a land the
laser beam is reflected. This change of light reflection allows data to be stored as
binary.
 How it works Although the CD is slower than the hard- disk it has a very good speed.
The CD starts to spin as soon as data is required from it. So, it will only spin when
data is being read from it (or written to it). Data is stored spirally on a CD starting
from the centre moving outward
 Magnetic Storage Magnetic storage uses magnetic charges to store data. The presence
of a magnetic spot represents a 1, whilst the absence represents a 0. 10
 Magnetic Tape A magnetic tape reel system stores its data on meters of magnetic
tape. The surface of the magnetic tape is split into 9 tracks; 8 of them to store the data
and an additional one for parity checking/error correction. A character can be written
on the tape by using magnetic spots to represent binary patterns (so 9 bits). A group of
9 bits is called a frame
 Optical Storage Optical devices use laser beams to store data. Data is stored on these
devices by using laser beams and their reflective properties.
 Other types of ROM 1. PROM (programmable read only memory) – a blank chip
which can be programmed only once using a special device called a programmer.
Once it’s programmed its contents cannot be modified or erased. 2. EPROM (erasable
programmable read only memory) –can be programmed multiple times. Its contents
can be erased by using UV (ultraviolet) light. Exposure to the UV light will erase all
contents. 3. EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory) –
similar to EPROM but its contents can be electrically erased and re-written without
having to remove it from the computer. 4. Flash Memory – a modern type of
EEPROM, it can be erased and re-written to electrically. It is much faster than
EEPROM. It is ideal for electronic devices such as mobile phones and digital
cameras.
 Primary/Main Memory
 RAM – Random Access Memory RAM (random access memory) is another type of
primary memory. Unlike ROM, it is a volatile computer chip; which means once the
computer is turned off all the data is lost RAM is a read and write memory hence data
stored on the RAM can be modified
 ROM – Read Only Memory ROM is a primary memory It is a non-volatile computer
chip; this means that the data saved in ROM is not lost once the computer is turned
off the programs stored on a ROM cannot be changed or deleted since it is read only
 Serial Access In serial data access the items are organized one after each other, In
order to access a particular item all, the previous items have to be accessed. In this
example in order to access Item 6 all the previous items (from 1 to 5) must be
processed. Item 1Item 2Item 3Item 4Item 5Item 6Item 7Item 8Item 9...
 Storage Main Memory Secondary Memory Different Speeds Magnetic Media Optical
Media Access Modes
 Storage Method Data on the tape is stored in data blocks. The blocks are then
separated by an inter- block gap. In order to access a particular block all, the previous
blocks have to be accessed (serial access)
 Tape Streamer A tape streamer is a smaller version of the magnetic tape reel. This can
be used with a normal PC; it’s also a serial device so it’s mostly ideal for backups.
 The different CD types There are different types of CDs, 1. CD-ROM: CD read only
memory which has data stored on it and it cannot be modified or deleted. 2. CD-R:
CD recordable which can be used to write data on it but then it cannot be deleted. If
the CD is not full more data can be added. 3. CD-RW: CD rewritable allows the user
to write data and erase it.
 The different DVD types There are different types of DVDs, 1. DVD-ROM: DVD
read only memory which has data stored on it and it cannot be modified or deleted. 2.
DVD-R: DVD recordable which can be used to write data on it but then it cannot be
deleted. If the DVD is not full more data can be added. 3. DVD-RW: DVD rewritable
allows the user to write data and erase it.
 The game cannot be run directly from the DVD for two reasons: 1. DVD is slower
than the hard-disk, therefore this will affect the performance of the game 2. Charlie
cannot save progress to DVD since it’s read only Once the game is copied on to the
hard-disk, Charlie opens the game by double-clicking on its icon. Now, when the
game is being executed, the files related to the game are copied to the RAM. This
happens because the RAM is much faster than the HD, so the game will benefit from
this performance!
 What is Storage? Storage devices are used to store data used by the computer. Two
main types of storage devices are; 1. Primary Storage/Memory: used to store essential
data or data that is currently being used by the computer 2. Secondary
Storage/Memory: are used to store data permanently
 Where is RAM found? In a PC, the RAM (also called DRAM – dynamic RAM) is
also plugged in the motherboard. The size of the RAM is measured in GB (gigabytes).
Modern PCs or Laptops have around 3GB of RAM. RAM in a computer system is
used for fast processing of data.
 Why Serial Access? Serial access is useful when all the items stored are required, so
they must be loaded. In other cases, it would be very slow since unwanted items must
still be accessed This type of access is mostly used for backing up storage
 Write Protect Tab The floppy disk has a write-protect tab, situated in the upper left
corner. When locked the contents of the floppy cannot be modified or deleted. The tab
must be moved in order to be able to write content to the disk. Write Protect Tab