Herat University

Computer science Faculty

Computer Engineering 1
Storage Devices

Lecture 03

Lecturer: Abdul Razzaq Hamraz

Fall/ 2024

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 Content
➢ Storage Devices

➢ Primary memory
➢ Random Access Memory (RAM)
➢ Read Only Memory (ROM)

➢ Secondary memory
➢ Magnetic Disk

➢ Floppy disk

➢ Hard disk

➢ Optical Disk

➢ CD

➢ DVD
➢

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 Storage Devices
A hardware device which can be used to store
digital data and applications which may be in the
form of images, video, audio, etc. is called a storage
device.

➢ In general Storage devices divide into Tow Parts:

➢ Primary memory

➢ Secondary memory

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 Primary memory
Primary memory is the main memory of computer. It is a chip
mounted on the motherboard of computer. Primary memory is
categorized into two main types

• ROM • RAM
1. PROM 1. SRAM
2. DRAM
2. EPROM

3. EEPROM

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ROM(Read Only Memory)
ROM is a non-volatile primary memory. It does not lose its content

when the power is switched off.

ROM structure includes four parts :

1. BIOS(Basic Input Output System)

2. CMOS-Setup

3. POST(Power On – Self Test)

4. BOOT Strap Loader(Boot signals)

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 Structure OF ROM(Read Only Memory)
➢ BIOS(Basic Input Output System)

BIOS lets the user set the many functions that control how the
computer works. BIOS displays the system settings and finds the
bootable devices.

➢ CMOS-Setup(Complementary metal Oxide Simi Conductor)

BIOS settings are inside this storage ,number of hard disk, Date time ,
CMOS is charged by a battery.

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Structure OF ROM(Read Only Memory)
➢ Power On Self Test (POST) is a program that runs automatically when the system is booted.
BIOS performs the power-on self-test. It checks that the major hardware components are
working properly.

➢ Bootstrap Loader is a program whose purpose is to start the computer software for
operation when the power is turned on. It loads the operating system into RAM and
launches it.

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Type Of ROM

➢PROM)Programmable Read Only Memory( can be

programmed with a special tool, but after it has been
programmed the contents cannot be changed

➢ EPROM )Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (can be

programmed in a similar way as PROM, but it can be erased by
exposing it to ultra violet light and re-programmed.

➢EEPROM) Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only

Memory( memories can be erased by electric charge and re-
programmed. 9
RAM(Random Access Memory)

RAM is used to store data and instructions during the operation of computer.
The data and instructions that need to be operated upon by CPU are first brought to
RAM from the secondary storage devices like the hard disk. CPU interacts with RAM to
get the data and instructions for processing.
➢ Dynamic RAM (DRAM)

➢ Static RAM (SRAM)

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Dynamic RAM (DRAM)

DRAM is the most common type of memory chip.

DRAM must be refreshed continually to store information. For this,
a memory controller is used. To do this, the memory controller
reads the memory and then writes it right back.
DRAM gets its name from the refresh operation that it requires to
store the information; otherwise it will lose what it is holding. The
refresh operation occurs automatically thousands of times per
second. DRAM is slow because the refreshing takes time.

DRAM uses capacitors.

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Static RAM (SRAM)

SRAM chip is usually used in cache memory due to its high speed.
A SRAM memory cell has more parts so it takes more space on a chip than DRAM cell.
It does not need constant refreshing and therefore is faster than DRAM.
SRAM is more expensive than DRAM, and it takes up more space.
SRAM are easier to use and very fast.

SRAM uses multiple transistors.

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Secondary Memory

• Secondary memory, is a type of computer memory that provides long-term

storage for data and programs, secondary memory retains data even when the
power is disconnected.

• Secondary memory is typically slower to access compared to primary memory

but offers much larger storage capacity. It is used to store files, applications,
operating system software, When the computer needs to access data from
secondary memory, it is first transferred to primary memory for faster
processing.

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Secondary Memory….

Secondary memory stores much larger amounts of data and

information (for example, an entire software program) for extended
periods of time.

➢ Magnetic Disk

➢ Floppy disk

➢ Hard disk

➢ Optical Disk

➢ CD

➢ DVD

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Magnetic Disk

• Magnetic disk is a direct access secondary

storage device.

• It is a thin metallic circular plate coated with

magnetic oxide and encased in a protective
cover.

• Data is stored on magnetic disks as magnetized

spots.

• The presence of a magnetic spot represents the

bit 1 and its absence represents the bit 0.

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Floppy Disk:

• A floppy disk is a type of storage medium that was used in the past for data
transfer and storage in computers. These disks were made of plastic and had a
magnetic coating on them for recording and reading data. Floppy disks initially had
low capacity and could only store a small amount of data.

• 5.25-Inch Floppy Disk

• 160KB to 1.2MB

• 3.5-Inch Floppy Disk

• 1.44MB to 2.8MB

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Hard disk
• Hard disk, is a type of storage device used for storing and
retrieving digital data in computers. It consists of one or more
rigid disks, typically made of aluminum or glass, coated with a
magnetic material.
• Hard disk drive (HDD)

• Solid-state drives (SSD)

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HDD VS SSD
• Technology : HDDs use rotating disks coated with a magnetic material to store and retrieve
data. They rely on read/write heads that move across the spinning disks to access data. In
contrast, SSDs use flash memory chips to store data. These chips have no moving parts,
making SSDs more resistant to physical shock and faster in terms of data access.
• Speed

• Cost

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Optical disk

• An optical disk is a type of storage medium that uses laser technology to read

and write data. The tracks on optical disk are further divided into sectors

which are of same length. An optical disk consists of a single spiral track that

starts from the edge to the center of disk. Due to its spiral shape, it can access

large amount of data sequentially,

• Compact Disc (CD)

• Digital Versatile Disc (DVD)

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Compact Disc (CD)

• Compact Disc (CD): CDs were one of the first widely adopted optical disk formats. They have a storage
capacity ( 600MB to 800MB ) megabytes (MB) and are commonly used for audio CDs, software
installation discs, and data storage.

• CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory): CD-ROMs are read-only discs that contain data that can
only be read and not written to CD-ROMs.

• CD-R (Compact Disc Recordable): CD-R discs are write-once discs that allow you to record data onto
them once. Once data is written, it cannot be erased or modified. CD-Rs are commonly used for creating
audio CDs, data backups, and archiving purposes.

• CD-RW (Compact Disc Rewritable): CD-RW discs are rewritable discs that can be erased and rewritten
multiple times. 22
Compact Disc (CD)….

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Digital Versatile Disc (DVD)

Digital Versatile Disc (DVD): DVDs have a larger

storage capacity compared to CDs, ranging from 4.7

gigabytes (GB) to 9 GB for single-layer discs and up

to 17 GB for dual-layer discs. DVDs are used for

movies, video games, software distribution, and

data backup.

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Combo Drive

A combo drive, also known as a DVD combo drive or

CD/DVD combo drive, is a type of optical drive that
combines the functionality of a CD drive and a DVD
drive into a single device. It can read and write both CDs
and DVDs, including CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs, DVD-
ROMs, DVD-Rs, and DVD-RWs.

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At the end

Any Question????

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