Ict notes

Chapter 3 till 3.2

What is magnetic media and magnetic storage device?

What is storage device?

What is storage media ?

What is magnetic tape?

A magnetic tape is a very thin strip of plastic which is coated in a
magnetic layer (iron oxide).
How are they read ?
They are read from or written to by a read/write head in a magnetic
tape storage device. The data is stored as a magnetized area (which
represents a 1) or demagnetized area (which represents a 0). Data is
read from the tape using serial access (in other words, data can only be
read in the same order that it was written).
Uses of magnetic tape
» Use in applications where batch processing is used (for example,
clearing bank cheques, utility billing (gas, electricity, water), and
producing pay slips). In these applications there is no need for any
specific processing order and speed of data access is not essential).
» Used as a backup media where vast amounts of data need to be
stored. » Used in long-term archiving of data; magnetic tapes have
huge data storage capacities and are known to be very stable, which
makes them ideal for long-term storage.
Advantages of magnetic tapes

» They are generally less expensive (per byte) than the equivalent hard
disk drive. » It is a very robust technology (they do not deteriorate
much over time and remain stable)
. » They have a huge data storage capacity
. » The data transfer rate is actually fast (this should not be confused
with data access time which is very slow for magnetic tapes).
Disadvantages of magnetic tape
» Very slow data access times (they use serial access, which means all
the previous data needs to be read until the required data is found) -
whilst magnetic tape data access time is slow, the data transfer rate is
still high.
» When updating, another tape is needed to store the final updated
version; this requires the use of a master tape (the original tape) and a
transaction tape (which contains all the changes to be made) to
produce a new master tape. This is clearly a slow way of updating data,
and can also introduce errors, which is why magnetic tapes are no
longer a common method of storing data).
» They are affected by magnetic fields; a strong magnet (for example,
one found in a loudspeaker) can corrupt data stored on the tape
What is Data Transfer Rate ?
Data transfer rate is the rate at which data can be sent from a storage
device to a computer (or vice versa).
What is the Data access time ?
Data access time is the time it takes to locate specific data stored on
the storage media.
How can we update a magnetic tape?
What are Hard disk drives (HDD)?
Hard disk drives (HDD) are still one of the most common methods used
to store data on a computer.
how HDD works:
» Actuators are used to move the read/write heads (voice coils are used
as the actuators; these are similar to the electromagnets used in
speakers – hence their name).
» A read/write arm swings the read/write head back and forth across
the platter; the platter is rotating at up to 10000 rpm (revolutions per
minute).
» Each read/write head contains a tiny magnet which allows the data
on the platter to be read.
» Platters are made from glass, ceramic or aluminium- which are
coated in iron oxide
. » There are two read/write heads per platter (one for the top surface
and one for the bottom surface).
» Data is stored in concentric, circular tracks; each track is broken up
into sectors (see Figure 3.4)
. » A map of the sectors is stored on the HDD and is known as a file
allocation table (FAT); when the computer wants to store new data, it
looks at the FAT map to find out which sectors are free and then moves
the read/write heads to the correct location – this greatly speeds up
the writing process.
Uses of fixed hard disk drives
» To store the operating system, systems software and working
data/files
» Storing applications software. » Used in real-time systems (for
example, robots, control of a chemical plant) and in online systems (for
example, booking airline tickets, automatic stock control (using EPOS)).
» Used in file servers for computer networks. Advantages of fixed hard
disk drives
» They have a very fast data transfer rate and fast access times to data.
» They have very large memory capacities
. Disadvantages of fixed hard disk drives
» They can be fairly easily damaged (for example, if the correct shut-
down procedure on a computer has not been correctly carried out, it is
possible to sustain a head crash).
» They have many moving parts which can affect their overall reliability.
» Their read/write operation can be quite noisy when compared to
solid-state drive
What are portable hard disk drive?
Portable hard disk drives are essentially HDDs external to the computer
and can be connected to the computer using one of the USB ports.
Uses of portable hard disk drives
» They can be used as backup systems to prevent loss of data
. » They can be used to transfer data/files/software between
computers.
Advantages of portable hard disk drives
» The data access time and data transfer rate are very fast.
» They have a large memory capacity.
» They can be used as a method of transferring information between
computers.
Disadvantages of portable hard disk drives
» As with fixed disk drives, they can be easily damaged if the user
accidentally drops it or does not correctly shut down the drive after
use.
» Data transfer rate is not as fast as for fixed hard drives
CDs and DVDs can be designated as: ‘R’ (write once only), ‘RW’ (can be
written to or read from many times) or ‘ROM’ (read-only)
The data is stored in pits and lands on the spiral track (lands are the
gaps between pits). A red laser is used to read and write the data. The
depth of these pits is only about 20 per cent of the wavelength of the
laser light used to read the disc. This means the wavelength of the
reflected laser light is slightly different to the original laser light, causing
destructive interference. This allows the pits and lands to be read and
then be converted into binary data.

Uses of CD-R and DVD-R

» Home recordings of music (CD-R) and films (DVD-R).
» Used to store data to be kept for later use or to be transferred to
another computer.
Advantages of CD-R and DVD-R
» Cheaper medium than RW disks.
» Once burned (and finalised) they behave like a ROM.
Disadvantages of CD-R and DVD-R
» Can only be recorded once; if an error occurs then the disk has to be
thrown away.
» Not all CD/DVD players can read CD-R/DVD-R. Uses of CD-RW/DVD-
RW
» Used to record television programmes which can be recorded over,
time and time again (although increasingly replaced by HDD recording
systems)
. » Used in CCTV systems. » Can be used as a backup device for files and
data.
Advantages of CD-RW/DVD-RW
» Can be written over many times.
» Can use different file formats each time it is used.
» Not as wasteful as R format because the files/data can be added at a
later stage (with CD-R/DVD-R it is only possible to do a write operation
at the time and you cannot come back a few days later to add more
files).

Disadvantages of CD-RW/DVD-RW
» Can be relatively expensive media.
» Possible to accidentally overwrite data.
Uses of CD-ROM/DVD-ROM
» These optical disks are read-only memory (ROM) which means they
cannot be written over and can only be read. They are a permanent
method of data storage.
» CD-ROM is used to store music files and to store software, computer
games and reference software (such as an encyclopaedia).
» DVD-ROM has much larger storage and is used to store films; but now
it is increasingly used to store computer data and the evermore
sophisticated games.
» CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs are used in applications where there is a
real need to prevent the deletion or overwriting of important data.
Advantages of CD-ROM/DVD-ROM
» They are less expensive than hard disk drive systems.
Disadvantages of CD-ROM/DVD-ROM
» The data transfer rate/data access time is slower than for hard disks.
It should also be noted that there is another type of DVD, called DVD-
RAM. It is constructed and operates differently to the other DVD
formats and has been used as RAM in computers and camcorders. The
format is now quite old
What is CD/DVD optical disks
CDs and DVDS are described as optical media and are read from or
written to by optical storage devices. Optical storage devices can be
built in to a computer or connected externally via a USB cable. They rely
on the optical properties of laser light, which is used to read data and
to write data on the surface of the disk
What are Blu-ray discs
Blu-ray discs are another example of optical storage media. However,
they are fundamentally different to DVDs in their construction and in
the way they carry out read/write operations. Blu-ray discs are read
from or written to using a Blu ray optical storage device.
What is the difference between DVD and Blu-ray are:
» A blue laser, rather than a red laser, is used to carry out Blu-ray read
and write operations; the wavelength of blue light is only 405
nanometres (compared to 650 nm for red light).
» Using blue laser light means that the pits and lands can be much
smaller; consequently, Blu-ray can store up to five times more data
than normal DVD.
» Single-layer Blu-ray discs use a 1.2 mm thick polycarbonate disk;
however, dual-layer Blu-ray and normal DVDs both use a sandwich of
two 0.6 mm thick disks (i.e. 1.2 mm thick).
» Blu-ray disks automatically come with a secure encryption system
which helps to prevent piracy and copyright infringement.
» The data transfer rate for a DVD is 10 Mbps and for a Blu-ray disc it is
36 Mbps (this equates to 1.5 hours to store 25 GB of data).
Comparison of the capacity and interactivity of DVDs and Blu-ray discs
» A standard single-layer DVD has a storage capacity of 4.7 GB (enough
to store a two-hour standard definition movie).
» A single-layer Blu-ray disc has a storage capacity of 27 GB (enough to
store a two-hour high definition movie or 13 hours of standard
definition movies).
» A dual-layer Blu-ray disc has a storage capacity of 50 GB (enough to
store 4.5 hours of high definition movies or 20 hours of standard
definition movies).
» Blu-ray devices allow greater interactivity than DVD devices. For
example with Blu-ray, it is possible to:
– record high definition television programmes
– skip quickly to any part of the disc
– create playlists of recorded movies and television programmes
– edit or re-order programmes recorded on the disc
– automatically search for empty space on the disc to avoid over-
recording
– access websites and download subtitles and other interesting
features.
Uses of Blu-ray discs
» Home video consoles.
» Storing and playing back movies (one high definition movie of two
hours duration uses up 25 GB of memory).
» Computers can use this technology for data storage or backing up
hard drives.
» Camcorders can use this media (in cartridge form) to store movies
Advantages of Blu-ray discs
» Very large storage capacity, therefore ideal for storing high definition
movies.
» Very fast data transfer rate.
» The data access speed is also greater than with other optical media
. » Blu-ray discs automatically come with a secure encryption system,
which helps to prevent piracy and copyright infringement.
Disadvantages of Blu-ray discs
» Relatively expensive discs
. » Encryption problems (which are used to stop piracy) when used to
store video.
» Introduction of HD (high definition) DVD players has reduced the
advantages of using Blu-ray disc technology.