R.H.

KING ACADEMY INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TEE2O COURSE

COMPUTER MEMORY.
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY STORAGE DEVICES

LESSON NOTES

Lesson/Learning Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Meet the expectations of the Course Curriculum coded as: TFV.01E, TF2.01E, TF2.02E, TF2.03E,
TF2.04E, IC1.02E, SPV.01E;

2. Explain the function and interaction of the primary (RAM, ROM) and secondary storage devices
(magnetic and optical);

3. Describe secondary storage devices: FDD, HD, CD-ROM, DVD;

4. Use precise terminology in relation to all storage devices;

5. Explain how data is stored on the surface of magnetic and optical disks;

6. Uninstall and re-install main and secondary storage devices: RAM, FDD, HD, CD-ROM;

7. Use safe practices in the handling of computer hardware and electronic components.

Introduction
Computer memory can be divided into two broad categories:
Primary storage (also called main memory), and
Secondary storage.
Primary storage is closely connected to the CPU and is used for temporary storage of data and
instructions during processing.
Secondary storage is relatively permanent but ``further away'' from the CPU.
Primary storage is fast; secondary storage is slow (relatively).
Primary storage is volatile (i.e. contents are lost when power is removed); secondary storage is
non-volatile.
Primary storage is based on electronic technology; secondary storage is usually based on magnetic
(or optical) and mechanical technologies.

Types of Primary Storage

RAM (``Random Access Memory'').
Called ``RAM'' because any location in the memory can be directly accessed in the same amount of
time as any other location.
ROM (``Read Only Memory'').
Is what it says: contains programs and/or data ``burned in'' at the time of manufacture.
Commonly used to contain programs to ``boot up'' the computer when it is switched on.
PROM (``Programmable Read Only Memory'').
ROM which is ``blank'' and into which programs and/or data can be written, but only once.
EPROM (``Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory'').
PROM which can be erased, usually by exposure to UV light through a transparent window above
the chip.

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Secondary Storage
Secondary storage for computers is non-volatile (i.e. does not require electrical power to retain its
contents.
The basic types of secondary storage are:
- magnetic tape
- magnetic disk (``hard'' and ``floppy'')
- optical disk (CD-ROM, WORM, MO).

Magnetic Tape
This is oldest, and originally the only, form of secondary storage.
It is still used, mostly for backup or archival storage, and for batch processing.
Data is stored on tracks on the tape - most tapes have 9 tracks.
There are several varieties of magnetic tape:
- 14" reels of 1/2" wide tape (2400' long)
- Cartridges of 1/4" tape
- Cassettes (very similar to audio cassettes)
- Digital Audio Tape (DAT).

Bytes of data (i.e. 8 bits) are stored across the width of the tape.

The 9th bit is a parity bit. It helps to detect storage errors. Two types of parity can be used.

With even parity, the parity bit is set so that the group of 9 bits has an even number of `1' bits.

With odd parity, the parity bit is set so that the group of 9 bits has an odd number of `1' bits.

Data is stored at different densities (e.g. 1600 and 6250 bpi, where ``bpi'' means ``bytes per inch'').

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Magnetic tape has the following advantages:

It is very inexpensive

It can store large amounts of data

It is relatively robust

And the following disadvantages: 1. It only allows access to data sequentially and is therefore very
slow compared to other secondary storage technologies; 2. May need manual intervention to
mount/dismount.

Magnetic Disks
This is the most common form of secondary storage used today. Magnetic disks come in two forms:
hard disks
floppy disks
Hard disks are (usually but not always) permanently mounted inside the computer. All magnetic disks
have a magnetizable iron oxide coating and read/write heads that can move over the surface of the
disk, which is spinning underneath it . The disk head works in a similar way to the head in an audio tape
recorder. The read/write head in a floppy disk drive actually contacts the magnetic disk, but that in a
hard disk ``flies'' a few thousandths of an inch above it.

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Magnetic Hard Disks

Data on the disk surface is recorded on tracks (magnetic, not physical grooves!) which form
concentric circles on the disk.
Each disk has a set number of tracks. Depending on type of disk drive, there may be from 100 to
over 10,000 tracks on the disk.
Tracks with the same number on each disk (recording) surface form a cylinder.
The disks spin at a fixed speed, typically at 3600 rpm (IDE) or 7500 -15,000 rpm (SCSI).
Tracks on a disk are organized into sectors.
To get to a particular piece of data on the disk a track number and a sector number are needed.
Data is read/written when the required sector on the track rotates into position under the read/write
head (note that data can be accessed from any track of the cylinder).
The time taken to position the head over the correct track/cylinder is called the seek time.
The time needed for the sector to arrive (once the head is in position over the correct track/cylinder)
is called the latency time.
Creating the magnetic tracks on a previously blank disk is called formatting the disk.
Formatting destroys any data that might have been on the disk previously.
Typical data access times for modern hard disks (i.e. latency + seek) are about 10-15 milliseconds
Typical storage capacities today are:
o Microcomputer: 20 Mb - 240 Gb

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o Mainframe: 240 - 800 Gb

Magnetic hard disks are, in a mainframe environment, often referred to as DASD's - ``Direct Access
Storage Devices''.

Magnetic Floppy Disks

Current size is 3.5" diameter (older floppy disks were 5.25" and 8" in diameter).
Organized into tracks and sectors, like their hard disk cousins.

Typically rotate at about 400 rpm, and

only when access to them is needed
(unlike hard disks which rotate all the
time the computer is on).
Like magnetic hard disks, floppy disks
must also be formatted before they
can be used.
Typical storage capacity: 1.4 Mb
Typical data access time: 200-400
msec.

Optical Disks

Optical disks are becoming more common. They come in several varieties:

CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory)

CD-R (Compact Disk Recordable)

CD-RW (compact Disk Re-Writable)

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DVD (Digital Versatile/Video Disk)

DVD-R (Digital Versatile Disk Recodable)

DVD-RW (Digital Versatile Disk Re-Writable)

MO (magneto-optical).

CD-ROM

Stands for ``Compact Disk - Read Only Memory''.

Comes with data already stored on it - like a music compact disk.

Useful for distributing information that should not be changed (e.g. encyclopaedias) and programs
(e.g. new versions of software) and, inevitably, games.

Typical storage capacity: 650 Mb.

New technology, known as DVD, will store up to 4G per disk. DVD disk drives are required to read
these disks.

Typical data access time: 30-50 msec, although this is steadily improving and should shortly be
comparable with magnetic hard disks.

Easy to handle, and relatively robust..

WORM

Stands for ``Write Once, Read Many''.

Data can be written onto the initially blank optical disk.

Once written, the data cannot be erased.

Useful for storing data that needs to be permanently retained.

Similar in other respects to CD-ROM disks.

Magneto-Optical Disks (CD-Rewriteable)

These are the optical version of magnetic hard disks - that is, data can be written to them and
erased from them.

Similar in storage capacity and access time to the other types of optical disks.

Data is written by heating a spot on the disk with a laser beam, in the presence of a magnetic field,
the direction of which determines whether a `0' or `1' is written.

Data is read by shining a lower power laser beam onto the disk spot (without the magnetic field)
and detecting the polarization of the light that is reflected.

Lesson Review

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List four types of magnetic and four types of optical storage devices.

Identify three common uses for floppy disks.

Name the four areas created on a magnetic disk during formatting.

Explain how data is stored on the surface of magnetic and optical disks.

List three variations on optical disk technology.

Evaluation Short Test

1. Define the following acronyms:

RAM ___________________________ EPROM _____________________________

ROM ___________________________ EEPROM____________________________

SRAM ___________________________ CD-ROM ____________________________

DRAM ___________________________ FDD ________________________________

SDRAM ___________________________ HD _________________________________

EDRAM ___________________________ DVD ________________________________

PROM ___________________________ CD-RW _____________________________

2. Cache memory has the fastest speed: T F

3. A TB has 1024 MB? T F

4. EPROM is a volatile memory? T F

5. SRAM needs to be refreshed? T F

6. EEPROM use ultraviolet light to erase data? T F

7. A land reflects light back to its source, representing a bit value of 1 (on). T F

8. A pit, does not reflect the light back and this represents a bit value of 0 (off). T F

Sources:

http://pcwebopedia.com

http://www.dis.unimelb.edu.au/staff/tanya/hwtute/Peripheral_devices/storage.htm

http://courses.wccnet.org/computer/mod/g05c.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_memory

http://ioc.unesco.org/oceanteacher/resourcekit/Module2/Computers/Hardware/storage.html

http://www.ib-computing.com/primsecmem.htm