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Auxiliary Memory

Magnetic disks and tapes are common auxiliary memory devices. Magnetic disks provide faster random access to data compared to tapes, but tapes have lower cost per byte and are portable. Disks store data across circular tracks on spinning platters, allowing any track to be rapidly accessed, while tapes require sequential scanning. Both disks and tapes magnetize surfaces to store data permanently until overwritten.

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Ismail Musharaf
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1K views14 pages

Auxiliary Memory

Magnetic disks and tapes are common auxiliary memory devices. Magnetic disks provide faster random access to data compared to tapes, but tapes have lower cost per byte and are portable. Disks store data across circular tracks on spinning platters, allowing any track to be rapidly accessed, while tapes require sequential scanning. Both disks and tapes magnetize surfaces to store data permanently until overwritten.

Uploaded by

Ismail Musharaf
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Auxiliary Memory

Types of Auxiliary Memories


What is Auxiliary Memory ?
• Auxiliary memory is known as the lowest-cost, highest-capacity and slowest-
access storage in a computer system.
• It is where programs and data are kept for long-term storage or when not in
immediate use.
• The most common auxiliary memory devices used in computer systems are
magnetic disks and tapes.
The Important Characteristics of a
Storage Device
• Access mode
• Access time
• Transfer Rate
• Capacity
• Cost
What is Access Time?
The average time required to reach a storage location in memory and obtain its contents is called the
access time.
In Electromechanical devices such as disks and tapes, the access time consists of a seek time required
to position the read-write head to a location and a transfer time required to transfer data to or from the
device.
• The seek time is usually longer than transfer time.
• Auxiliary Storage is organized in records and blocks.
• record : A Specified number of character or words.
What is Transfer Rate?
The transfer rate is the number of characters or words that the device can transfer per second, after it
has been positioned at the beginning of the record.
Magnetic Disks
Eg: Hard Disk, Floppy Disk, etc.
Magnetic Disks
• A magnetic disk is a circular plate constructed of metal or plastic coated with magnetized
material.
• It has a read/write head which can write data by magnetizing or demagnetizing tiny areas of the
disk surface.
• It can read data back by sensing whether different areas are magnetized or not.
• The data on the disk is arranged in circular tracks on the platter.
• Tracks are commonly divided into sections called sectors.
• The arm is moved so that the read/write head is positioned over the required track, and then the
data is accessed as the platter rotates under the head.
• A 1 Terabyte disk will typically have hundreds of thousands of tracks, and each track will store
many millions of bits of data, so there would be billions of bits of data on the platter.
• several disks may be stacked on one spindle with read/write heads available on each surface.
• All disks rotate together at high speed and are not stopped or started for access purposes.
Read/ Write Head
Tracks
• Permanent timing tracks are used in disks to synchronize the bits and recognize the sectors.
• A disk system is addressed by address bits that specify the disk number, the disk surface, the sector number
and the track within the sector.
• Disks that are permanently attached to the unit assembly and cannot be removed by the occasional user are
called hard disks.
• A disk drive with removable disks is called a floppy disk. The disks used with a floppy disk drive are small
removable disks made of plastic coated with magnetic recording material.
• There are two sizes commonly used, with diameters of 5.25 and 3. 5 inches. The 3.5-inch disks are smaller and
can store more data than can the 5.25-inch disks.
• Floppy disks are extensively used in personal computers as a medium for distributing software to computer
users.
Magnetic Tapes
Eg: Compact Cassette, Video Cassette Record
Audio Cassette
• Magnetic tape contains thin plastic ribbon is used for storing data.
• Bits are recorded as magnetic spots on the tape along several tracks.
• It is a sequential access memory. So the data read/write speed is slower. It is mainly used for data backups.
• A tape drive mechanically can rewind a tape, sequentially search the tape, and stop the tape.
• information is recorded in blocks referred to as records.
• Gaps of unrecorded tape are inserted between records where the tape can be stopped.
• The tape starts moving while in a gap and attains its constant speed by the time it reaches the next record.
• Each record on tape has an identification bit pattern at the beginning and end.
• By reading the bit pattern at the beginning, the tape control identifies the record number.
• By reading the bit pattern at the end of the record, the control recognizes the beginning of a gap.
• A tape unit is addressed by specifying the record number and the number of characters in the record.
Records may be of fixed or variable length.
Comparison between Magnetic Tapes and
Magnetic Disks
Magnetic Tapes Magnetic Disks
• The cost of magnetic tape is less. • The cost of magnetic disk is high.
• Reliability of magnetic tape is less. • Reliability of magnetic disk is more.
• Access time for magnetic tape is more. • Access time for magnetic disk is less.
• Data transfer rate for magnetic tape is • Data transfer rate for magnetic disk is more.
comparatively less.
• Magnetic disk is used as a secondary
• Magnetic tape is used for backups. storage.
• In magnetic disk data accessing rate is high
• In magnetic tape data accessing rate is slow. or fast.
• In magnetic tape data can’t be updated after • In magnetic disk data can be updated.
fed-up of data.
• Magnetic disk is less portable.
• Magnetic tape is more portable.

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