Govt.

New Law College,

Indore,(M.P.)

Session: 2020-21
Class: BBA LLB III Sem
Subject: Fundamentals of Computer
Topic: Storage Devices

Submitted by- Submitted to-

Manisha Patidar Prof. Jyoti
Sharma
Table of content
 Introduction.
 Classification of memory(chart).
 Types of storage devices.
i. Primary memory
ii. Secondary memory.
 Conclusion.
 Introduction
A storage device is any type of computing hardware that is used for storing, porting or
extracting data files and objects. Storage device can hold and store information both
temporarily and permanently. Storage devices are one of the core components of any
computing device. They store virtually all of the data and applications on a computer, except
for hardware firmware which is generally managed through separate read only
memory(ROM).Storage devices are available in different forms, depending on the type of
devices. For example, a standard computer had multiple storage devices including RAM,
cache, and a hard disc.
Types of Storage Devices-

1) Primary memory.
2) Secondary memory.
Primary memory
Primary memory is the main area in a computer in which data is stored for quick access by the
computer’s processor. It allows very fast access to data. Primary storage devices are designed
to hold data temporarily means as the device turns off or is rebooted, the main memory is
erased. It comprises only of internal memory. These memories are limited in capacity and
manufactured by using integrated circuits (IC) or semiconductor device. Its speed of Data
accessing is faster than secondary memory. It is more expensive than secondary memory.
Examples of primary storage is RAM, cache memory etc.
There are two types of primary storage devices-
1. Cache memory.
2. Main memory.
Cache memory

Cache memory is an extremely fast memory that acts as a buffer between RAM and the CPU.
It holds frequently requested data and instructions so that they are immediately available to
the CPU when needed. Cache memory is used to reduce the average time to access data from
the main memory. When the processor needs to read or write a location in main memory, it
first checks foe a corresponding entry in cache. It is very fast and small memory.
Main memory
Main memory is the primary , internal workplace in the computer, commonly known as RAM. It
is relatively large and fast memory which is used to store programs and data during the run time
operations.
There are two types of main memory

1) RAM
RAM(Random Access Memory) is the hardware in a computing device where the operating
system, application programs and data in current use are kept so they can be quickly reached by
the devices processor. RAM is the main memory in the computer and it is much faster to read
from and write to than other kind of storage, such as hard disc drive, solid state drive or optical
drive. It is volatile, so it can’t store permanent data.
Types of RAM
i)Dynamic Random Access Memory-
The information in a Dynamic RAM is stored in the form of a charge which is dynamic electric
quantity. The presence of charge in the MOS cell represent ‘1’ and the absence of charge in the cell
may represent ‘0’. The packing density of DRAM is large. It is less expensive and its main
function is to constantly restore whatever information is being held in memory.
ii)Static Random Access Memory-
The information in static RAM is stored in the form of voltage which is static electrical quantity.
These memory is formed using number of flip-flops which can be manufactured using bipolar or
MOS transistors. Normally , if the voltage is high a ‘1’ is stored and if the voltage is low a ‘0’ is
stored. The packing density of SRAM is small. SRAM is very costly but is easy to use.
2) ROM(Read Only Memory)
As the name implies, the contents of this memory can be read only. The program written in the
ROM cannot be modified by the user. ROM is used to hold some permanent and some fixed
data; e.g., monitor program of a computer. ROM is a permanent and non-volatile memory
because when electric power goes off, the content of ROM are not lost.
There are many types of ROM available:
i) Masked ROM.
ii) PROM.
iii) EPROM.
iv) EEPROM.
Secondary memory

If we need to store large amount of data or programs permanently, we need a cheaper and
permanent memory. Such a memory is called secondary memory. It is non-volatile means it
retains data when power is switched off.
Secondary memory is of many types:
i) Magnetic disk drive.
ii) Optical disk.
iii) Flash memory devices.
i) Magnetic disk
Nowadays, magnetic storage is commonly founded on hybrid hard drives or extremely large
HDDs.
a) Floppy disk-
These magnetic disks or diskettes are made up of plastic sheet called Mylar. They are thin and
flexible. These disks are removable disks and the access time of floppy disks is of order of ms
(milliseconds).
b) Hard disk drive
Hard disk drive is a secondary storage device which contains large number of aluminum disks coated with iron
oxide. It has large storage capacity, available in GB. There are less chances of wear and tear in this disk. It
cannot be easily removed from the computer means it is non separable. It is more expensive than floppy disk.

ii) Optical disk

Such devices are those in which LASER beam is used to record as well as to read the information. The storage
capacity of an optical disk is very high. It is cheaper and reliable. The single disadvantage of optical devices is
higher seek time.
Optical device storage is of following types:
a) CD-ROM
b) Blue-ray disk
c) DVD
d) CD-R
a) CD-ROM
This stands for compact disk-read only. The pre- recorded data can be read out by the user. User
cannot write anything. It is an external device which can store and read data in the form of
audio and software data.

b) Blue –ray disk

Blue-ray disk is an optical storage media used to store high definition(HD) video and other
multiple files. BD uses a short wavelength laser as compared to CD/DVD. BD can store up to
128 GB data.
c) DVD
DVD stands for Digital Video Display. DVD are optical devices that can store 15 times the data held
by CDs. They are usually used to store rich multimedia files that need high storage capacity. DVDs
also comes in three varieties- read only, recordable and rewritable.
d) CD-R
Data can be written by the user once on the CD-R. It cannot be deleted or modified later.

iii) Flash memory devices

These storage devices have now replaced both magnetic and optical storage devices. They are easy to
use, portable and easily available and accessible. They have become cheaper and more convenient
option to store data.
Flash memory devices are of following types:
Contd…

a) Memory card
This helps in easy transportation of data from one system to another and it is in a card shape. It
can easily plug into the port and removed after its work is done. A memory card is available in
various sizes such as 8 MB, 16 MB, 128 MB etc.

b) Pen drive
It is also known as USB drive, this storage device is small in size and is portable and ranges
between storage space of 2 GB to 1 TB. It comprises of an integrated circuit which allows it to
store data and also replace it.
Conclusion
Computer storage devices are must for an individual or organization to keep data and
information in a reliable and permanent way. When your computer fails to work, your files
will be kept safe on secondary storage devices. These storage devices keep your files safe and
can be used when needed by the user.