Types of Storage Devices

This lesson includes the following sections:

• Categorizing Storage Devices

• Magnetic Storage Devices

• Optical Storage Devices

Storage devices hold data, even when the computer is turned off.

The physical material that actually holds data is called a storage medium.
The surface of a floppy disk is a storage medium.

The hardware that writes data to or reads data from a storage medium is
called a storage device. A floppy disk drive is a storage device.

The two primary storage technologies are magnetic and optical.

• Diskettes (floppy disks)

• Hard disks

• High-capacity floppy disks

• Disk cartridges

• Magnetic tape
The primary types of optical storage are:

• Compact Disk Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM)

• Digital Video Disk Read-Only Memory (DVD-ROM)

• CD-Recordable (CD-R)

• CD-Rewritable (CD-RW)

• PhotoCD
Magnetic Storage Devices

• How Magnetic Storage Works

• Formatting

• Disk Areas

• Diskettes

• Hard Disks

• Disk Capacities

• Other Magnetic Storage Devices

-How Magnetic Storage Works ?

A magnetic disk's medium contains iron particles,

which can be polarized—given a magnetic charge—in

one of two directions.

Each particle's direction represents a 1 (on) or 0 (off),

representing each bit of data that the CPU can

recognize.

A disk drive uses read/write heads containing

electromagnets to create magnetic charges on the

medium.
Write head

Random particles

(no data stored)

Medium

Current flow

(write operation)

Organized particles

(represent data)
As the medium

rotates, the head

writes the data.

Before a magnetic disk can be used, it must be

formatted—a process that maps the disk's surface and

determines how data will be stored.

During formatting, the drive creates circular tracks

around the disk's surface, then divides each track into

sectors.

The OS organizes sectors into groups, called clusters,

then tracks each file's location according to the clusters

it occupies.
Formatted Disk
Magnetic Storage Devices -Disk Areas

When a disk is formatted, the OS creates four

areas on its surface:

Boot sector – stores the master boot record, a small

program that runs when you first start (boot) the

computer

File allocation table (FAT) – a log that records each

file's location and each sector's status

Root folder – enables the user to store data on the disk

in a logical way

Data area – the portion of the disk that actually holds

data
Magnetic Storage Devices - Diskettes

Diskette drives, also known as floppy disk drives,

read and write to diskettes (called floppy disks or

floppies).

Diskettes are used to transfer files between

computers, as a means for distributing software, and

as a backup medium.

Diskettes come in two sizes: 5.25-inch and 3.5-inch.

floppy

and drive
Magnetic Storage Devices -Hard Disks

Hard disks use multiple platters, stacked on a

spindle. Each platter has two read/write heads, one

for each side.

Hard disks use higher-quality media and a faster

rotational speed than diskettes.

Removable hard disks combine high capacity with

the convenience of diskettes.

Diskettes are available in different capacities, but

the most common store 1.44 MB.

Hard disks store large amounts of data. New PCs

feature hard disks with capacities of 10 GB and

higher.
Magnetic Storage Devices Other

Magnetic Storage Devices

• High-capacity floppy disks offer capacities up to 250

MB and the portability of standard floppy disks.

Disk cartridges are like small removable hard disks,

and can store up to 2 GB.

Magnetic tape systems offer very slow data access,

but provide large capacities and low cost.

drives are used mainly for backups.

• How Optical Storage Works

• CD-ROM

• CD-ROM Speeds and Uses

• DVD-ROM

• Other Optical Storage Devices

How Optical Storage Works

• An optical disk is a high-capacity storage medium.

An optical drive uses reflected light to read data.

To store data, the disk's metal surface is covered with

tiny dents (pits) and flat spots (lands), which cause

light to be reflected differently.

When an optical drive shines light into a pit, the light

cannot be reflected back. This represents a bit value

of 0 (off). A land reflects light back to its source,

representing a bit value of 1 (on).

CD-ROM

In PCs, the most commonly used

optical storage technology is called

Compact Disk Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM).

• A standard CD-ROM disk can store up to 650

MB of data, or about 70 minutes of audio.

Once data is written to a standard CD-ROM

disk, the data cannot be altered or overwritten.

CD-ROM Speeds and Uses

Early CD-ROM drives were called single speed, and

read data at a rate of 150 KBps. (Hard disks transfer

data at rates of 5 – 15 MBps).

CD-ROM drives now can transfer data at speeds of

up to 7800 KBps. Data transfer speeds are getting

faster.

CD-ROM is typically used to store software

programs. CDs can store audio and video data, as

well as text and program instructions.

A variation of CD-ROM is called Digital Video Disk

Read-Only Memory (DVD-ROM), and is being used

in place of CD-ROM in many newer PCs.

Standard DVD disks store up to 9.4 GB of data—

enough to store an entire movie. Dual-layer DVD

disks can store up to 17 GB.

DVD disks can store so much data because both sides

of the disk are used, along with sophisticated data

compression technologies.
Optical Storage Devices Other

Optical Storage Devices

A CD-Recordable (CD-R) drive lets you record your

own CDs, but data cannot be overwritten once it is

recorded to the disk.

A CD-Rewritable (CD-RW) drive lets you record a

CD, then write new data over the already recorded

data.

PhotoCD technology is used to store digital

photographs.
lesson 9 Review

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.