Optical Storage

Computer Architecture & Organization

Abdullah Safwan
D_19_CSE_19
 Optical Storage

Optical Storage is a storage type which uses laser light

to read and write data. Data is recorded by making
marks in a pattern that can be read back with the aid of
light, usually a beam of laser light precisely focused on
a spinning optical disc. e.g CD, DVD
 Optical Storage, Sequential or Direct Access?

• Optical storage is direct access storage. Meaning that data can be accessed
randomly stored at any location. In sequential access we would have to
process 1,2 and 3 to reach 4, but in direct access we can directly access 4
without having to process the elements before it.
• Data is stored in spiral form.
• We have reflective areas on the
platters of the track.
• Laser beam is used to read and
write data in these tracks
• The land has all the 1s and the pits
has all the 0s. (The 0s and 1s do
not directly represent the binary
data. Instead non-return to zero,
inverted encoding is used. A
Change from pit to land or land to
pi indicates a 1, while no change
represents a series of 0.
• Laser light bounces back from the
Land and it goes through the pits.
• Tracking mechanism moves the laser
into the correct position over the CD
• CD is spun to ensure all data can be
read
• Laser is shone on to the disk
• Laser is reflected
• An opto-electric sensor detects
changes in reflectivity
 CD vs DVD

CD DVD
• Compact Disk • Digital Versatile Disk

• CD’s storage capacity is 700 MB • DVD’s storage capacity is approximately 4.7gb

(single layer) or 8.5gb (double layer)
• Introduced in 1988
• Introduced in 1997
• Usually used for audio recordings and program
files • Usually used for videos and program files
 Recording types: R vs RW

• There are basically 2 types of designations, R and RW.

• R stands for readable disk, meaning that it only be read once written.
• RW stands for rewritable disk, meaning that it can be rewritten and read