Secondary Memory

These are also known as auxiliary memory or backup storage device. These are the slowest
memories in memory hierarchy. They are very cheap and are used in bulk usually in terms in
Giga Bytes. These are normally used for storage the big programs and huge software. The
secondary memory is permanent in nature, i.e., the information stored in these devices is not lost
unless specifically deleted. Secondary storage devices being permanent in nature can also be
used for transportation of data from one computer to another.
Magnetic Disk: Magnetic Disk is a rigid plastic disk coated with an oxide for easy
magnetisation. The working principle is similar to the functioning of the gramophone records.
The sound waves are converted to electromagnetic signals and stored on the record surface and
while playing the reverse process occurs. In magnetic disk the data stored is in the form of
magnetic spots. Magnetic disk is, in fact, a pack of many plastic disks. These disks are placed
together over one another to form a hard disk. One magnetic disk pack may consist of 5 or more
disks which can be used from both the sides. All these disks are covered by a metallic shield to
form one hard disk.
Hard Disk: A hard disk is a magnetic disk on which one can store computer data. Hard disk
hold more data and a faster than floppy disk. A single hard disk usually consists of several
platters. Each platter requires read/write heads, one for each side.
All the read/write heads are attached to a single access arm so that they cannot move
independently. Each platter has the same number of tracks, and the track location that cuts across
all platters is called a cylinder. Hard disks are less portable than floppies, although it is possible
to buy removable hard disk.
Compact Disk - Read only memory (CD_ROM): CD- ROM means Compact Disk read only
memory and are also known as optical disks. Usually they consist of a single removable plastic
or metal disk coated on one side with tellurium. They are protected by a 1 mm layer of
transparent plastic. In this storage device the information is stored in compact form. The data is
stored in the form of minute pits which are burned into the tellurium coating with a laser beam.
These pits which are too tiny in size 9about one micro) and are not visible by naked eyes, stored
in tracks on disk. These disks are read only i.e., the information stored in compact disk can only
be read by the computer by unlike the floppy disks computer cannot store anything on these disk.
Information storage or writing on compact disks is possible by laser beam only. Normally the
size of compact disk is 12cms in diameter. Approximately 20000 pages can be stored on a
compact disk.

Input and Output Devices

Input Devices
On the basis of input, computer gives an output. Accurate input is therefore vital to protect these
files from contamination. Some of the input devices are –
Keyboard: A computer keyboard is a peripheral partially modeled after the typewriter keyboard.
Keyboards are designed for the input of text and characters and also to control the operation of a
computer. Most of the more common keyboard layouts (QWERTY-based and similar) were
designed in the era of the mechanical typewriters, so their ergonomics gad to be slightly
compromised in order to tackle some of the technical limitations of the typewriters.

Mouse: Mouse is a small device held in hand and pushed along a flat surface. It can move the
cursor in any direction. Mouse has a use in Windows and other graphical user Interface (GUI)
applications.

Scanners: Scanners allow us to transfer pictures and photographs to our computer. A scanner
‘scans’ the image from the top to the bottom, one line at a time and transfers it to the computer as
a series of bits or a bitmap.

Bar Coding: In this method, small bars of varying thickness and spacing are printed on
packages, books, badges, tags, etc., which are read by optical readers and converted to electrical
pulses. The patterns of bars are unique and standardised.
 Output Devices
Output devices are hardware components, which are used to display or print the processed
information. We are discussing below the structure, working and uses of the common output
devices.
Monitor or video Display unit (VDU): It provides visual display of data. They are of different
types and have different display capabilities. Display capabilities are determined by a special
circuit called the Adapter card. Some popular adapter cards are: Color Graphics Adapter (CGA),
Enhanced Graphics Adapter (EGA), Video Graphics Array (VGA), and Super Video Graphics
Array (SVGA). The smaller dot that can be displayed is called a pixel. The number of pixels that
can be displayed vertically and horizontally gives the maximum resolution of the monitor. The
resolution of the monitor determines the quality of the display. The higher the resolution, the
better is the quality.

Printers: Printer is the most important output device, which is used to print information on
paper. Printers are essential for getting output of any computer-based application

Types of printers
There are many types of printers, which are classified on various criteria. Printers can be broadly
categorized into the following two types:
Impact Printers: The printers that print the characters by striking against the ribbon and onto
the paper are called Impact printers. These printers are of two types –
a) Character Printer
b) Line Printer
Non-impact printer:
The printers that print the characters without striking against the ribbon and onto the paper are
called Non-impact printers.
Plotter: Plotter is an important output device, used to print high quality graphics and drawings.
Although the graphics can be printed on printers, the resolution of such printing is limited on
printers. Plotters are generally used for printing/drawing graphical images such as charts,
drawing, maps, etc. of engineering and scientific applications.

Output can be of two forms Hardcopy and Softcopy

Hardcopy: Information output on to paper often produced at the same time that information is
output in machine readable form or produced as a transient display on a visual display unit
(VDU). Hardcopy is a permanent copy of a display image generated on an output device such as
printer and which can be carried away.
Softcopy: Information that is displayed on a screen, given by voice, stored in a form that can’t be
read directly by a person as on magnetic tape, disk or microfilm.