Compu Assignment

Government Collage University Lahore
students name: Syeda Alisha Hussain

Roll number : Bs-PHIL-2606-22
Course Code: comp- 1201
Submitted to : Sir Hafeez
Assignment topic : Secondary Storage Devices

Secondary Storage Devices:
Secondary storage devices are used as a means for users to permanently store data
separate from the computer system itself.
Main types of secondary storage devices:

• magnetic storage devices,, such as hard disk drives. and tapes.
• Optical Storage Devices, such as CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray discs.
• Solid state storage devices, such as solid state drives (SSDs) It offers better data
access rates than magnetic and optical storage .
Types of secondary storage devices
1) Fixed storage device: Fixed storage is an internal media device used by

a computer system to store data. Usually, these are referred to as the
fixed disk drives or Hard Drives. Fixed storage devices are not fixed.
For example: hard drive
2) Removable Storage Device: Removable storage device is a type of storage device that
can be removed from a computer whilst the system is running.
For example: USB memory sticks. External hard drives.
Characteristics of Secondary Storage Devices
These are some characteristics of secondary memory, which

distinguish it from primary memory, such as:
 It is non-volatile, which means it retains data when power is

switched off
 It allows for the storage of data ranging from a few
megabytes to petabytes.
 It is cheaper as compared to primary memory.
 Secondary storage devices like CDs and flash drives can
transfer the data from one device to another.
Classification of secondary storage devices
Sequential Access Storage Device

It is a class of data storage devices that read stored data in a sequence. This is in contrast
to random access memory (RAM), where data can access in any order, and magnetic tape
is the common sequential access storage device.
Magnetic tape: It is a medium for magnetic recording, made of a thin, magnetizable
coating on a long, narrow strip of plastic film. Devices that record and play audio and
video using magnetic tape are tape recorders and videotape recorders. A device that
stores computer data on magnetic tape is known as a tape drive.
It was a key technology in early computer development, allowing unparalleled amounts
of data to be mechanically created, stored for long periods and rapidly accessed.
Direct Access Storage Devices

A direct-access storage device (DASD) is another name for secondary storage devices
that store data in discrete locations with a unique address, such as hard disk drives,
optical drives and most magnetic storage devices.
1. Magnetic disks: A magnetic disk is a storage device that uses a magnetization

process to write, rewrite and access data. It is covered with a magnetic coating and
stores data in the form of tracks, spots and sectors. Hard disks, zip disks and floppy
disks are common examples of magnetic disks.
i. Floppy Disk: A floppy disk is a flexible disk with a magnetic coating on it, and
it is packaged inside a protective plastic envelope. These are among the oldest
portable storage devices that could store up to 1.44 MB of data, but now they
are not used due to very little memory storage.
ii. Hard Disk Drive (HDD): Hard disk drive comprises a series of circular disks
called platters arranged one over the other almost ½ inches apart around a spindle.
Disks are made of non-magnetic material like aluminium alloy and coated with 10-20
nm magnetic material. The standard diameter of these disks is 14 inches, and they
rotate with speeds varying from 4200 rpm (rotations per minute) for personal
computers to 15000 rpm for servers.
Data is stored by magnetizing or demagnetizing the magnetic coating. A magnetic
reader arm is used to read data from and write data to the disks. A typical modern
HDD has a capacity in terabytes (TB).
Optical Disk: An optical disk is any computer disk that uses optical storage
techniques and technology to read and write data. It is a computer storage disk that stores
data digitally and uses laser beams to read and write data.
i. CD Drive: CD stands for Compact Disk. CDs are circular disks that use optical
rays, usually lasers, to read and write data. They are very cheap as you can get
700 MB of storage space for less than a dollar. CDs are inserted in CD drives
built into the CPU cabinet. They are portable as you can eject the drive,
remove the CD and carry it with you. There are three types of CDs:
 CD-ROM (Compact Disk - Read Only Memory): The manufacturer

recorded the data on these CDs. Proprietary Software, audio or video are
released on CD-ROMs.
 CD-R (Compact Disk - Recordable):The user can write data once on the
CD-R. It cannot be deleted or modified later.
 CD-RW (Compact Disk - Rewritable):Data can repeatedly be written
and deleted on these optical disks.
 DVD Drive: DVD stands for digital video display. DVD is an optical device
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
come in three varieties - read-only, recordable and rewritable.
 Blu Ray Disk: Blu Ray Disk (BD) is an optical storage media that stores
high definition (HD) video and other multimedia files. BD uses a shorter
wavelength laser than CD/DVD, enabling the writing arm to focus more
tightly on the disk and pack in more data. BDs can store up to 128 GB of
data.
Optical disk Drive Storage Capacity:
 CD’s : 700 Mb to 1.4 GB

 DVD’s: 4.7 GB to 9 GB
 Dual- layer DVD’s; up to 17 GB
 Blue- ray discs ; 25 GB to 128 GB
Optical Disk Storage Options:
Here are some of the primary optical disc formats: 1, CD ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only
Memory): A pre-recorded disc in which data cannot be modified, commonly used for
distributing software and audio content. 2, CDR, (Compact Disc Recordable): A recordable disc
on which the user can write data once and read it multiple times, but cannot erase or rewrite the
data. 3,. CD RW, (Compact Disc Rewritable): A rewritable disc that allows users to record,
erase, and rewrite data on the same disc multiple times. 4, DVD ROM, (Digital Versatile Disc
Read-Only Memory): Similar to CD-ROM, a pre-recorded disc containing a larger amount of
data, such as movies, games and software. 5, DVD-R and DVD+R: Recordable DVDs,
analogous to CD-R, suitable for recording larger amounts of data. 6, DVD RW and DVD + RW,
and DVD RAM:,Rewritable DVD formats, providing higher storage capacity and flexibility
than CD-RW. 7, Blue – ray Disc ROM ( BD-ROM): A high-capacity pre-recorded disc, used
for distribution of high-definition video and other large-size multimedia content. 8, Blue- ray
Disk Recordable (BD-R) and Blue-ray Disk Rewritable (BD-RE) Recordableand rewritable
Blu-ray discs, allowing users to store larger amounts of data and high-definition video.
Advantages Of Optical Storage Devices:
Optical storage has been a popular choice in computer organisation for several reasons, ranging
from its high storage capacity and performance to its durability and reliability. These advantages
make optical storage an appealing option for various applications, such as data backup, software
distribution, and multimedia storage.

Compu Assignment

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Compu Assignment

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Compu Assignment

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Government Collage University Lahore

students name: Syeda Alisha Hussain

Assignment topic : Secondary Storage Devices

Main types of secondary storage devices:

Types of secondary storage devices

1) Fixed storage device: Fixed storage is an internal media device used by

These are some characteristics of secondary memory, which

 It is non-volatile, which means it retains data when power is

Classification of secondary storage devices

Sequential Access Storage Device

Direct Access Storage Devices

1. Magnetic disks: A magnetic disk is a storage device that uses a magnetization

 CD-ROM (Compact Disk - Read Only Memory): The manufacturer

Optical disk Drive Storage Capacity:

 CD’s : 700 Mb to 1.4 GB

Optical Disk Storage Options:

Advantages Of Optical Storage Devices:

You might also like