Storage Device/Multimedia

Storage Devices

Storage Device/Multimedia Storage
Devices

The function of storage in a computer comes in many different sizes, types and
shapes. Each type of computer memory serves a specific function and purpose.


MEMORY
The two fundamentals types of a Memory in a Computer System
1. Main Memory
2. Secondary Memory
Two basic categories or term: short-term and long-term.
Short-term
RAM
Virtual cache
Long-term
ROM
Computer memory is measured in bytes. A byte is made up of 1s and 0s normally
traveling in pairs of eight. These 0s and 1s are the way the computer communicates and
stores information. With each keystroke or character a byte of memory is used.
Measuring Memory

Character Sp a c i n g
Kerning
Strikethrough
Styled Underline
Term/ Byte Abbreviation Value
Kilo K, KB 1,024 bytes
Mega M, MB, Meg 1,048,576 bytes (Million)
Giga G, GB, Giga 1,073,741,824 bytes (Billion)
Tera T, TB, Tera 1,099,511,628,000 bytes (Trillion)
Here is another way of looking at the measurement of memory:
Measuring Bytes
8 Bits = 1 byte
1000 bytes = 1 kilobyte
1000 kilobytes = 1 megabyte
1000 megabytes = 1 gigabyte
1000 gigabytes = 1 tetra
ROM
ROM, or read-only memory is permanent, long-term, nonvolatile
memory. Nonvolatile means is doesn't disappear when the
computer is shut off. It also can not be erased or changed in anyway.
However there are types of ROM called PROM that can be altered.
The P stands for programmable. ROM's purpose is to store the basic
input/output system (BIOS) that controls the start-up, or boot
process.
RAM
RAM, or random-access memory unlike ROM works only when the
computer is turned on. This memory is vital to the computer
because it controls the moment by moment processes of the
computer. The first thing that goes into RAM is the OS (operating
system) which is most cases is Windows 95. Next for the RAM might
be a game, or the Internet browser, or some type of software that
you want to use.


Other types of temporary memory are cache (pronounced "cash") and
virtual memory. Both of these types of memory supplement the
computer's primary RAM and perform the same function as RAM.

Secondary Memory is where programs and data are kept on a long-term
basis.

Here are the most common forms of Long term Storage Devices.

Floppy disk or Floppy or FDD
A round plastic surface that is coated with magnetic film. They come in
31/2 size. They hold about 720k to 1440K of information. They are
typically are used to install new software, save, share, and/or copy files.
Floppy drives are given letters. Commonly the floppy is A, a 2ndfloppy is
B and the hard drive is C.
Hard disk (drive) or HD
A stack of round metal platters called disks encased in a metal air tight shell. They
commonly range in sizes from 1 to 10 gigabytes (1000MB=1GB). The hard drive's function is to
store all the files, and software the computer will ever use. Any file or software program used by
RAM most likely will come from the disk drive.
CD-ROM (Compact disk, read-only memory)
CD's function much like hard drive in that they store large amounts of memory. What
separates them is their mobility and optical storage technology. Their storage capacity is also
very limited compared to hard drives. The can only hold up to approximately 650 MB of
information. The other big difference is that you have to have a special drive to write to CD's.
Otherwise they can only be read from.
DVD's are similar to CD in that they are written and read by
laser. Hard drives use magnetic
currents store data. However CD's and DVD's use light (laser)
to write and read data on a disk.
These long and short pits are then stored or etched on the
surface of the disk. They can only be
read by laser technology. The new DVD technology increased
the amount of memory a regular CD
can hold. DVD's can range in sizes from 4.34GB
(1000MB=1GB) to 7.95GB.
DVD-ROM (digital video disk, read-only
memory)
Three formats were developed: -R/RW (minus), +R/RW
(plus), -RAM (ram).



DVD ROM (also known as "Digital Versatile Disc" or "Digital Video
Disc") is an optical disc
storage media format that can be used for data storage, including movies
with high video and sound
quality. DVDs resemble compact discs as their physical dimensions are
the same (120 mm (4.72
inches) or occasionally 80 mm (3.15 inches) in diameter) but they are
encoded in a different format
and at a much higher density.
Dual Layer recording allows DVD-R and DVD+R discs to store
significantly more data, up to 8.5
Gigabytes per disc, compared with 4.7 Gigabytes for single-layer
discs. DVD-R DL.

.

BLU-RAY ROM
Blu-ray Disc (also known as Blu-ray or BD) is an
optical disc storage medium designed by
Sony to supersede the standard DVD format. Its main
uses are for running Playstation 3 games,
high-definition video and data storage with 50GB per
disc. The disc has the same physical
dimensions as standard DVDs and CDs.
The name Blu-ray Disc derives from the blue-violet
laser used to read the disc. While a standard
DVD uses a 650 nanometre red laser, Blu-ray uses a
shorter wavelength, a 405 nm blue-violet laser,
and allows for almost six times more data storage than
on a DVD.

Hardware Components of Storage Device
CD and DVD
Blu-ray Disc (BD) is an optical disc storage
medium designed to supersede the DVD
format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter
and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and
CDs. Conventional (pre-BD-XL) Blu-ray Discs
contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs (50
GB) being the industry standard for feature-
length video discs. Triple layer discs (100 GB)
and quadruple layers (128 GB) are available for
BD-XL re-writer drives.
Common transfer speeds
Transfer speed Megabytes/s Megabytes
1x 0.05 1.2
2x 0.3 2.4
4x 0.6 4.8
8x 1.2 9.6
10x 1.5 12.0
12x 1.8 14.4
20x 3.0 24.0
32x 4.8 38.4
36x 5.4 43.2
40x 6.0 48.0
48x 7.2 57.6
50x 7.5 60.0
52x 7.8 62.4
Data Transfer Speeds
Power Supply Connector
SATA connector
CONNECTORS FOR PERIPHERALS

IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics Interface)
- A hard disk interface standard used for disk in the rage of 40MB to 1.2
GB, requiring medium to fast data transfer rates. IDE cables consist of either 40
individual wire or 80 individual wires.

1)40 conductor IDE Ribbon cable (for CD ROM / DVD ROM)
2)80 conductor IDE Ribbon cable (for Hard Disk Drive or HDD)
3)Floppy Disk Ribbon Cable( notice a red or blue, white stripe of wire)
4)SATA Cable ( for SATA Hard Disk and DVD Writer)

Types of IDE Cables



SATA CABLE
Internal to external SATA connector L TYPE
Parallel ATA (PATA) is an interface standard for the
connection of storage devices such as hard
disks, solid-state drives, and CD-ROM drives in
computers. The standard is maintained by
X3/INCITS committee[1]. It uses the underlying AT
Attachment and AT Attachment Packet
Interface (ATA/ATAPI) standards.

The current Parallel ATA standard is the result of a long history
of incremental technical development. ATA/ATAPI is an evolution
of the AT Attachment Interface, which was itself evolved in several
stages from Western Digital's original Integrated Drive Electronics
(IDE) interface. As a result, many near-synonyms for ATA/ATAPI
and its previous incarnations exist, including abbreviations such as
IDE which are still in common informal use.
Serial ATA was designed to replace the older ATA (AT
Attachment) standard (also known as
EIDE). It is able to use the same low level commands,
but serial ATA host-adapters and devices
communicate via a high-speed serial cable over two pairs
of conductors. In contrast, the Parallel
ATA (the redesignation for the legacy ATA
specifications) used 16 data conductors each operating
at a much lower speed.

The Serial ATA, or SATA, computer bus is a storage-interface for
connecting host bus adapters to mass storage devices such as hard
disk drives and optical drives. The SATA host adapter is integrated
into almost all modern consumer laptop computers and desktop
motherboards.
SATA offers several compelling advantages over the older parallel ATA
interface: reduced cable-
bulk and cost (reduced from eighty wires to seven), faster and more
efficient data transfer, full
duplex (the ability to transmit and receive at the same time), and hot
swapping (the ability to remove
or add devices while operating).

Serial ATA - or simply SATA - is the new hard disk standard
They only have two channels:
a) one receiving data
b) one transmitting them.
This can be achieved with a very simple cabling. The data
communication only requires 0,25 Volt
compared to the 5 Volt of parallel ATA.