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Lesson 1-8 HOW DATA IS REPRESENTED

Computers represent data using binary digits (bits) of 1s and 0s. A bit is the smallest unit of data, while a byte consists of 8 bits and is the standard unit of computer storage and memory. Data on storage devices like disks is organized into tracks and sectors to allow direct access by read/write heads. The total storage capacity of a disk can be calculated based on the number of surfaces, tracks, sectors per track, and bytes per sector. Access time depends on seek time to move read/write heads to the correct track and rotational delay until the desired sector is under the head. Buffers temporarily store data when transfer rates between components differ.

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70 views4 pages

Lesson 1-8 HOW DATA IS REPRESENTED

Computers represent data using binary digits (bits) of 1s and 0s. A bit is the smallest unit of data, while a byte consists of 8 bits and is the standard unit of computer storage and memory. Data on storage devices like disks is organized into tracks and sectors to allow direct access by read/write heads. The total storage capacity of a disk can be calculated based on the number of surfaces, tracks, sectors per track, and bytes per sector. Access time depends on seek time to move read/write heads to the correct track and rotational delay until the desired sector is under the head. Buffers temporarily store data when transfer rates between components differ.

Uploaded by

Liviesh Anderson
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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HOW DATA IS REPRESENTED

 
Everything a computer does results from the turning ‘on’ or ‘off’ of different combinations of
microelectronic switches called transistors or bistable devices.  The off and on states of the transistors
are used to represent zeros (0) and ones (1) that make up the binary number system.
 
A bit is the smallest unit of storage in a computer (either a 0 or 1)
 
A byte is the amount of data and instructions that can be stored in the memory of a computer or
secondary storage.
Computer memory and storage size is therefore given in bytes, kilobytes (Kb), megabytes (Mb),
gigabytes (Gb) or Terabytes (Tb).
 
8 bits = 1 byte
1024 bytes = 1 kilobyte (Kb)
1024 Kb = 1 megabyte (Mb)
1024 Mb = 1 gigabyte (Gb)
1024 Gb = 1 terabyte (Tb)
 
A word is the amount of data that the computer can directly access at one time.

Word size – ranges from 2 to 8 bytes of data


 
 
 
HOW DATA IS STORED
 
Read/Write Heads are used to record data on and retrieve data from the surface of magnetic storage
media. In magnetic tape and disk drives, the read/write heads remain stationary while the disk spins.
 
Tracks – data is recorded on a magnetic disk in concentric circles called tracks.  Each track has a
number.  On a diskette, there are 80 tracks on each surface (top and bottom).
 
 
 
 
 
Disk Sector – Each side of a disk is subdivided into wedge-shaped slices called sectors.  Each sector is
numbered.  There are usually 18 sectors on each side of a diskette.
 

 
 
Track Sector – A track sector is the area where a track and a sector intersect.  Data is recorded along a
track within a sector. Each track sector is identified by a unique address so that every recording location
can be identified
 

  
 
Cluster – A cluster is a set of track sectors, ranging from 2 to 32, depending on the formatting scheme
used.
 
Cylinder – A hard disk is actually a set of hard metal disks mounted on the same spindle.  A cylinder is a
set of matched tracks on all the disks.
 
 
 
 
 
 
CALCULATING DISK STORAGE
 
Diskette
Once a disk is formatted, the maximum amount of storage space can be calculated as follows:
Total storage space =     number of disk surfaces (2)
                                                x number of tracks on each disk surface (80)
                                                x number of sectors per track (18)
                                                x number of bytes per sector (1/2)
For a high-density 3.5” diskette, the total storage space is 2 x 80 x 18 x 1/2 = 1440 kb or 1.44 Mb
 
 
Hard Disk
Total storage space =     number of disk read/write heads
                                                x number of cylinders
                                                x number of sectors per track
                                                x number of bytes per sector
 
 
 
ACCESS TIME
After formatting the disk, the read/write heads need to access the stored data in as short a time as possible.
This access time depends on:
1. Seek Time – the time taken to move the heads to the particular track
2. Rotational Delay - the time it takes for the disk to rotate to the particular sector
 
Access time = Seek Time + Rotational Delay
 
Data Transfer Rate – The time taken for data to be transferred to memory.
 
 
Types of Access 
Sequential Access – Refers to reading or writing data records in sequential order, that is, one record after
the other. A tape drive is a sequential-access device because to get to point ‘Q’ on the tape, the drive
needs to pass through points ‘A’ through ‘P’ before ‘Q’ can be accessed.
 
Direct Access – Refers to locating and retrieving data immediately from a storage device without having
to start at the beginning and read all information until the requested data is found.
For example, a hard disk drive is capable of directly accessing data.
 
 
 
BUFFERS
Sometimes the speed at which the C.U. is processing data to be output to disk is not the same as the speed
at which the data is being output.  When this happens, the data that is waiting either to be processed or
output is stored in a temporary block of memory called a buffer.
 
The buffer then empties when the C.U. is ready to accept more data or the data has been output. 
Buffering is used to match different speeds of the various devices and peripherals.
 
 
 
 

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