Computer Memory

and Storage Devices

SLO # 2

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describe important
characteristics of
memory devices;
SLO # 2.1.1

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Important Characteristics Of
Memory
Characteristics of Memory: In the broad sense, a microcomputer memory
system can be logically divided into three groups:

1) Processor memory
2) Primary or main memory
3) Secondary memory

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Processor Memory
Processor memory refers to a set of internal registers. These registers hold
temporary results when computation is in progress. There is no speed
disparity between these internal registers and the microprocessor because
they are fabricated on the same chip using the same technology.

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Primary or Main Memory
Primary memory or the main memory is the external memory to store both
program and data. The processor can access these memories directly.
Usually, the size of primary memory is much larger than the processor
memory but its operating speed is slower than that of the processor
registers.

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Secondary Memory
Secondary memory refers to the storage medium compositing slow devices
such as hard disks and floppies. These devices are used to hold large data
and huge program that are not needed by the processor frequently.
Sometimes, secondary memories are also referred to as auxiliary or back
up storage.

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Convert digital storage units from
one to another, i.e. bit, nibble,
byte, kilobyte (KB), kibibyte (KiB),
Megabyte (MB), Mebibyte (MiB),
Gigabyte (GB), Gibibyte (GiB),
Terabyte (TB), Tebibyte (TiB),
Petabyte (PB) and Pebibyte (PiB);

SLO # 2.1.2
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Memory Unit

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Conversion Formulas

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Main Memory

SLO # 2.2

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differentiate between
primary (main)
memory and
secondary memory;
SLO # 2.2.1

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 PRIMARY MEMORY SECONDARY MEMORY
Primary memory is directly accessible by Secondary memory is not directly accessible
Processor/CPU. by CPU.
Main memory. Auxiliary memory.
Instructions or data to be currently executed Data to be permanently stored is kept in
are copied to main memory. secondary memory.
Primary memory is usually volatile. Secondary memory is non-volatile.
Primary memories are made of Secondary memories are made of magnetic
semiconductors. and optical material.
Accessing data from primary memory is Accessing data from secondary memory is
faster. slower.
Primary memory is accessed by the data bus. Secondary memory is accessed by input-
output channels.
The computer has a small primary memory. The computer has a larger secondary
memory.
Primary memory is costlier than secondary Secondary memory is cheaper than primary
memory. memory
Primary memory is an internal memory. Secondary memory is an external memory.

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differentiate among Random
Access Memory (RAM),
Read-Only Memory (ROM)
and internal processor
memory;
SLO # 2.2.2

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 Difference between RAM and ROM
Random Access Memory Read only Memory
Volatile(maintains its data while the Non-Volatile (does not lose content when
device is powered) power is lost)

Stores information temporary Stores information permanently

Requires flow of electricity to retain data Does not require flow of electricity to retain
data

Large size with higher capacity Small size with less capacity
Used for both read and write Used only for reading
Costlier Cheaper than RAM
Very fast but uses a lot of power Fast but uses very little power

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 Internal Processor Memory
Both are temporary memories but they vary mainly based on speed, size and cost.

1. Placement: Cache is usually present on the CPU chip itself. Primary memory(RAM)
is placed on the motherboard and is connected to the CPU via the Memory Bus.
2. Speed: Because cache is closer to the CPU, it is much faster than RAM. Each read
access on the primary memory has to travel via the Memory Bus while the CPU
cache is right there.
3. Size: The size of the cache is much less compared to that of primary memory. The
size of Primary Memory or RAM in today's computers is a few GBs while the size of
cache is a few MBs.
4. Cost: Cache is more expensive than primary memory.
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compare the two types
of RAM, i.e. Static RAM
(SRAM) and Dynamic
RAM (DRAM);
SLO # 2.2.3

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Secondary Memory
SRAM DRAM
Faster speed Slower speed
Small in size Large in size
Is costly Expensive Is Cheap
Used in Cache memory Used in Main memory
Charge leakage property Not Present hence require power
present refresh circuitry

Low Power consumption High Power consumption

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 Compare three types of
ROM, i.e. Programmable
ROM (PROM), Erasable
Programmable ROM (EPROM)
and Electrically Erasable
Programmable ROM
(EEPROM);
SLO # 2.2.4

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Difference between PROM, EPROM and
EEPROM
PROM EPROM EEPROM
A Read Only Memory (ROM) A programable ROM that can A user-modifiable ROM that
that can be modified only be erased and reused. can be erased and
once by a user. reprogrammed repeatedly
through a normal electrical
voltage.
Stands for Programable Read Stands for Erasable Stands for Electrically
Only Memory. Programable Read Only Erasable Programable Read
Memory Only Memory

Developed by Wen Tsing Developed by Dov Frohman Developed by George

Chow in 1956. in 1971. Perlegos in 1978.
Reprogrammable only once. Can be reprogrammed using Can be reprogrammed using
ultraviolet light. electrical charge.
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 describe the role of
Basic Input/ Output
System (BIOS) in boot-
up process;

SLO # 2.2.5
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Role of Basic Input/ Output System (BIOS)
in boot-up process
BIOS stands for Basic Input/output System, the BIOS (pronounced bye-oss)
is a ROM chip located on all motherboards that allows you to access and set
up your computer system at the most basic level.

The BIOS includes instructions on how to load basic computer hardware and
includes a test referred to as a POST (Power On Self-Test) that helps verify
the computer meets requirements to boot up properly. If the computer does not
pass the POST, you will receive a combination of beeps indicating what is
malfunctioning within the computer.

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Role of Basic Input/ Output System (BIOS)
in boot-up process
Four main functions of BIOS:
POST - Test computer hardware insuring hardware is properly functioning before starting
process of loading Operating System.
Bootstrap Loader - Process of locating the operating system. If capable Operating system
located BIOS will pass the control to it.
BIOS - Software / Drivers which interfaces between the operating system and your
hardware. When running DOS or Windows you are using complete BIOS support.
CMOS Setup - Configuration program. Which allows you to configure hardware settings
including system settings such as computer passwords, time, and date.

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Compare the three types
of cache memory, i.e.
Level-1 (L1) cache, Level-
2 ( L2 ) cache and Level-3
(L3) cache;

SLO # 2.2.6
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What is Cache Memory?

Cache is a small amount of memory which is a part of the CPU - closer to the
CPU than RAM. It is used to temporarily hold instructions and data that the
CPU is likely to reuse.

The CPU control unit automatically checks cache for instructions before
requesting data from RAM. This saves fetching the instructions and data
repeatedly from RAM – a relatively slow process which might otherwise keep
the CPU waiting. Transfers to and from cache take less time than transfers to
and from RAM.

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25
Secondary Memory

SLO # 2.3

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 Compare magnetic,
optical and solid state
storage devices;
SLO # 2.3.1

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 Optical Storage Vs Magnetic Storage

# Optical Storage Devices Magnetic Storage Devices

1 Optical storage devices offer Magnetic storage devices offer much
lesser capacity higher capacity
2 Requires LASER light to read and Doesn’t require LASER heads to read and
write data onto the disc write data
3 Slower data read and write Faster data read and write
4 Data on the disk will not be Magnetic field can destroy the data stored
damaged by magnetic fields on Magnetic storage devices
5 Optical storages can be readable, Magnetic storage devices are always
writable and re-writable readable and re-writable
6 Optical storage devices require Almost all magnetic storage devices comes
additional drives to function with built-in drives
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 Solid State Drive Vs Magnetic Storage Device
Criteri Solid State Drive Magnetic Storage Device
a
Price SSDs are about 10 times more Magnetic storage devices are less
expensive than Magnetic expensive than Solid state Drives.
storage devices.
Power SSDs uses less battery power Magnetic storage devices uses about 3
than Magnetic storage times more battery power than SSD’s.
devices.
Capacit SSDs capacity generally is no Magnetic storage devices generally have
y larger than 512 GB. more capacity up to 4 TB.

Speed SSDs are almost twice as fast Magnetic storage devices are slow at
at loading up and copying loading up and copying files.
files.
Noise SSDs are silent whereas HDDs Magnetic storage devices make spinning
make spinning disc sounds disc sounds.
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 Describe magnetic
storage and its types,
i.e. magnetic tapes
and disks;
SLO # 2.3.2

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Magnetic storage

 Hard drive
 Floppy drive
 Magnetic tape

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Different types of Hard Disk

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Hard Disk
The hard disk is the main storage device in your computer. It is a bit
like a filing cabinet: all of your data files and applications software are
stored on it.

The hard disk contains a number of metal platters which have been
coated with a special magnetic material. The data is stored in this
magnetic material. Thus, the hard disk is known as a magnetic storage
device.

In order to access the data, the platters spin many thousands of times
a second and a magnetic read and write head floats just above the
surface of the platter.
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Tracks and Sectors
TRACKS
Each platter is broken into thousands of tightly packed concentric circles, known as
tracks. These tracks resemble the structure of annual rings of a tree. All the
information stored on the hard disk is recorded in tracks. Starting from zero at the
outer side of the platter, the number of tracks goes on increasing to the inner side.
Each track can hold a large amount of data counting to thousands of bytes.

SECTORS
Each track is further broken down into smaller units called sectors. As sector is the
basic unit of data storage on a hard disk. A single track typically can have
thousands of sectors and each sector can hold more than 512 bytes of data. A few
additional bytes are required for control structures and error detection and
correction.
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Structure of
Hard disk

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36
 A floppy diskette is a
type of storage media,
capable of storing
electronic data, like a
computer file. The
floppy diskette was
first created in 1967
by IBM as an
alternative to buying
hard drives, which
were extremely
expensive at the time.
Floppy Disk
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How Floppy Disk Stores Data
A floppy disk is a magnetic media and stores and reads data on the
floppy disk using a read head. When a 3.5" floppy diskette is inserted
into the drive, the metal slide door is opened and exposes the
magnetic disk in the floppy diskette. The read/write head uses a
magnetic polarity of 0 or 1. Reading this as binary data, the computer
can understand what the data is on the platter. For the computer to
write information to the platter, the read/write head aligns the
magnetic polarities, writing 0's and 1's that can be read later.

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39
Magnetic Tape
Magnetic tape is a type of physical
storage media for different kinds of
data. It is considered an analog
solution. Magnetic tape has been a
major vehicle for audio and binary
data storage for several decades,
and is still part of data storage for
some systems.

Originally, magnetic tape was

designed to record sound. In
computing, it holds binary data.
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41
 Describe various types of
optical storage media, i.e.
Compact Discs (CDs), Digital
Versatile Discs (DVDs) and
Blu-Ray;
SLO # 2.3.3

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Compact Disk

Abbreviated as CD, a compact disc is a

flat, round, optical storage medium
invented by James Russell. The first CD
was created at a Philips factory in
Germany on August 17, 1982. The
picture is an example of the bottom of a
standard compact disc and is the side the
disc player reads. The opposite side of
the disc has a label to help indicate what
is on the disc.

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Digital Versatile
Disc
Short for digital versatile disc or digital
video disc, a DVD or DVD-ROM is
a disc capable of storing a significant
amount more data than a standard
compact disc. DVDs are widely used for
storing and viewing movies and other
data. The picture of the Matrix DVD
movie disc is an example of a DVD
movie. CD/DVD drives that utilize both of
these discs were first sold in 1997.

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Blu-Ray
A Blu-ray disk (BD) is a high-capacity optical
disk medium developed for recording,
rewriting and playing back high definition
video. It can store large amounts of data
and was designed to supersede the DVD.

Blu-ray was jointly developed by a group of

personal computer and consumer
electronics companies called the Blu-ray
Disc Association. Blu-ray disks support
higher resolutions and more advanced
video and audio formats compared to
DVDs.
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Identify CDs and DVDs
as CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-
RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-R,
DVD-RW and DVD-RAM;
SLO # 2.3.4

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CD-ROM & DVD-ROM

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CD-ROM and DVD-ROM

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Uses of CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs

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Advantage/ Disadvantages of CD-ROMs and DVD-
ROMs

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CD-R & DVD-R

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CD-R and DVD-R

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Uses of CD-R and DVD-R

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Advantage/ Disadvantages of CD-R and DVD-R

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CD-RW & DVD-RW

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CD-RW and DVD-RW

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Uses of CD-RW and DVD-RW

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Advantage/ Disadvantages of CD-RW and DVD-
RW

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DVD-RAM

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DVD-RAM (Random Access Memory)

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Uses of DVD-RAM

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Advantage/ Disadvantages of DVD-RAM

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Blu-ray RW

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Blu-ray RW

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Uses of Blu-ray RW

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Advantage/ Disadvantages of Blu-ray RW

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 Describe solid state
storage devices (flash
memory and Secure
Digital (SD) cards);
SLO # 2.3.5

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'Solid-State'?

The term ‘solid-state’ essentially means ‘no moving parts’.

Solid-state storage devices are based on electronic circuits with no

moving parts (no reels of tape, no spinning discs, no laser beams,
etc.)

Solid-state storage devices store data using a special type of memory

called flash memory...

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Flash Memory

Flash memory is a type of Electronically-Erasable Programmable

Read-Only Memory (EEPROM). Flash memory is non-volatile (like
ROM) but the data stored in it can also be erased or changed (like
RAM).

Flash memory can be found in many data storage devices...

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USB Memory Sticks
Memory sticks (or ‘thumb-drives’) have
made many other forms of portable storage
almost obsolete (why burn a CD or DVD
when you can more easily copy your files
onto a memory stick?).

Memory sticks are non-volatile, random-

access storage devices.

Each of these small devices has some flash

memory connected to a USB interface. Plug it
into your computer and it appears as a drive.
You can then add files, erase files, etc. You
can use it to move any type of file between
computers.

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Memory Cards
Many of our digital devices (cameras, mobile phones, MP3
players, etc.) require compact, non-volatile data storage. Flash
memory cards provide this and come in a variety of shapes and
sizes.
One of the most common formats used by digital cameras is the
SD Card. The cards store the digital images taken by the camera.
Mobile phones contain a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card
that contains the phone’s number, the phonebook numbers,
text messages, etc.

Many phones also have extra memory cards to store music,

video, photos, etc. (e.g Tiny Micro-SD cards).
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Differentiate between
sequential and direct
access storage
SLO # 2.3.6

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