COMPUTER STORAGE DEVICES

Madushika Perera
9 min readOct 13, 2021

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đź’ĄDefinition of computer storage devices

A storage device is any kind of hardware that shops information. The maximum common kind of storage tool, which nearly all computers have, is a hard power. The laptop’s number one hard pressure stores the working machine, packages, and documents and folders for users of the computer. At the same time as the hard force is the maximum ubiquitous of all garage devices, several other sorts are not unusual as properly. Flash reminiscence gadgets, inclusive of USB keychain drives and iPod Nanos are famous methods to shop statistics in a small, cell layout. other kinds of flash reminiscence, along with compact flash and SD playing cards are famous methods to save pictures taken by means of digital cameras. External difficult drives that connect via Firewire and USB are also common. these varieties of drives are often used for backing up inner tough drives, storing video or photograph libraries, or for truly including greater storage. ultimately, tape drives, which use reels of tape to save facts, are every other sort of garage tool and are generally used for backing up statistics. (Storage Device Definition, 2021)

đź’ĄThe usage of storage devices

There are many usages of storage devices. A garage tool is any type of computing hardware that is used for storing, porting, or extracting data documents and devices. storage devices can preserve and keep statistics each speedy and permanently. they will be internal or external to a laptop, server, or computing device. storage devices, which include hard disk drives and USB flash drives, are used to save software and character statistics. This storage is continual, it doesn’t neglect the statistics its miles storing even supposing the laptop is turning into off. as well as the shop our files and alertness on our device so we can use them, storage is likewise important for backup and recuperation, need to our information be harmed. There are some of technologies which may be useful for this. (Storage Devices, 2021)

đź’ĄTypes of storage

There are four types of storages.

❤primary storage device

Primary storage is also referred to as “important storage “, “predominant memory” or “internal memory” in addition to they play important role for storing information and programs as a quick foundation while the pc is walking mode, because these storage devices are capable to get entry to all statistics immediately from CPU with the assist of diverse information buses. those devices have confined capacity for facts garage compared to secondary storage devices.

number one storage devices are available in variance consisting of unstable and non-unstable. risky storage is called brief storage due to the fact wherein all facts are deleted while electricity gets turn off mode however it gets right of entry to time and reaction time much great to secondary storage devices. Non unstable storage is everlasting garage in which nothing statistics erase whilst device receives turn off.

examples of primary storage devices

• check in memory

• RAM

• ROM

  • Cache reminiscence

đź–¤ Secondary storage device

Secondary storage devices are also called “Auxiliary memory “, or “outside reminiscence “. Secondary storage devices are risky in nature; it way that statistic does not discard whilst getting to turn-off power, in which all facts store for long term. Secondary storage devices have the velocity of access of facts may be very sluggish evaluate to number one storage devices, and they are inexpensive as nicely. without primary storage devices, those secondary storage devices are vain because secondary storage devices should be needed the primary memory for processing information. initially, whole data is transferred into number one reminiscence then records is getting to make for executable.

Secondary storage devices are utilized in laptop both internally and externally. Secondary storage devices have examples; under.

• Magnetic storage devices

• Optical storage devices

  • Flash memory devices

đź–¤Tertiary storage device

Tertiary storage offers the third segment of storage medium. It permits with robot mechanism to be able to assist to insert and take away huge storage media into storage tool as in keeping with the system’s want.

Tertiary storage structures are normally of item garage kind so every logical file may be fetched individually.

Tertiary storage is used to move media in among their lengthy-term storage locations and available drives without human intervention.

Examples of Tertiary storage

• Magnetic Tapes

• Optical Discs

• Optical tapes

đź–¤Offline storage

term used to explain any storage medium that is non-volatile and whose information can’t be accessed by the pc once removed. a very good example of offline storage is a USB thumb drive. Offline garage is used for shipping and backup protection inside the face of unpredictable occasions, together with hardware failure because of energy outage or documents corrupted by using a laptop virus. offline storage is a subset of secondary storage as they both serve the same reason and do no longer engage at once with the CPU. the important thing differences being that offline storage is used as a manner to physically delivery facts, generally has less potential, and isn’t on hand without human interaction

(What is Storage Devices: Types, Examples, Functions, Uses, 2021)

đź’ĄTypes of computer storage devices

There are many types of computer storage devices

· Magnetic storage devices

· Optical storage devices

· Flash Memory devices

.Online Cloud storage devices

✔Magnetic storage devices

Magnetic storage or magnetic recording is the storage of data on a magnetized medium. Magnetic storage uses distinct patterns of magnetization in a magnetizable cloth to shop facts and is a shape of non-unstable memory. The statistics is accessed using one or greater study/write heads. Magnetic storage media, mostly hard disks, are widely used to store pc information in addition to audio and video signals. in the discipline of computing, the term magnetic storage is preferred and inside the area of audio and video production, the time magnetic recording is extra usually used. The difference is much less technical and more a matter of preference. other examples of magnetic storage media include floppy disks, magnetic tape, and magnetic stripes on credit playing cards.

✔Optical storage devices

In computing, an optical disc power (bizarre) is a disc power that makes use of laser light or electromagnetic waves within or close to the visible light spectrum as part of the method of studying or writing facts to or from optical discs. some drives can only read from positive discs, however recent drives can both examine and file, additionally known as burners or writers (because they bodily burn the natural dye on write-as soon as CD-R, DVD-R and BD-R LTH discs). Compact discs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs are common types of optical media which can be study and recorded by such drives.

âś” Flash memory

Flash memory is an electronic non-unstable laptop memory storage medium that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. the 2 important forms of flash memory, NOR flash and NAND flash, are named for the NOR and NAND logic gates. NOR flash use the equal mobile design, which includes floating gate MOSFETs. They range at the circuit level relying on whether the nation of the bit line or phrase lines is pulled high or low. In NAND flash, the relationship among the bit line and the word lines resembles a NAND gate; in NOR flash, it resembles a NOR gate. Flash memory, a type of floating-gate reminiscence, was invented at Toshiba in 1980 and is based totally on EEPROM era. Toshiba commenced advertising flash memory in 1987.[1] EPROMs had to be erased completely before they might be rewritten. NAND flash reminiscence, but can be erased, written, and study in blocks (or pages), which normally are a great deal smaller than the whole device. NOR flash reminiscence permits an unmarried system word to be written — to an erased area — or examine independently. A flash memory tool typically consists of one or more flash memory chips (each keeping many flashes memory cells), along with a separate flash memory controller chip.

✔Online Cloud storage devices

Cloud storage is a version of pc statistics storage in which the virtual records is saved in logical pools, stated to be on “the cloud”. The physical storage spans multiple servers (on occasion in more than one places), and the bodily surroundings is generally owned and managed by using a hosting corporation. these cloud storage providers are liable for maintaining the data available and accessible, and the physical environment secured, included, and jogging. humans and corporations buy or lease storage potential from the providers to store person, organization, or application facts. Cloud storage offerings can be accessed thru a collocated cloud computing carrier, a web provider application programming interface (API) or via programs that make use of the API, together with cloud desktop storage, a cloud storage gateway or net-based totally content management structures.

(Magnetic storage — Wikipedia, 2021) (Optical disc drive — Wikipedia, 2021) (Flash memory — Wikipedia, 2021) (Cloud storage — Wikipedia, 2021)

đź’ĄMost used storage devices

Optical discs and flash reminiscence devices are maximum popular, and to an awful lot of lesser volume removable hard disk drives. In corporation uses, magnetic tape is main. Older examples are floppy disks, Zip disks, or punched cards.

đź’ĄCharacteristics of computer storage devices

Secondary storage refers to any tool which can keep information, similarly to principal memory. Secondary storage devices are non-unstable and are generally excessive capacity, portable or each.

factors affecting the choice of a secondary storage tool include.

• speed (how quickly statistics may be accessed)

• value in keeping with garage unit (i.e., price according to gigabyte or megabyte)

• durability (toughness)

• portability (how smooth it is to transport it from one pc to some other)

uses, blessings and drawbacks of storage media:

(Storage devices — Hardware and network technologies — CCEA — GCSE Digital Technology (CCEA) Revision — BBC Bitesize, 2021)

References

(n.d.). Retrieved from Christensson, P. (2006, November 16). Storage Device Definition. Retrieved 2021, Oct 7, from https://techterms.com

Cloud storage — Wikipedia. (2021, 10 08). Retrieved from En.wikipedia.org: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_storage

Flash memory — Wikipedia. (2021, 10 08). Retrieved from En.wikipedia.org: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_memory

Magnetic storage — Wikipedia. (2021, 10 08). Retrieved from En.wikipedia.org: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_storage

Optical disc drive — Wikipedia. (2021, 10 08). Retrieved from En.wikipedia.org: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_disc_drive

Storage Device Definition. (2021, 10 08). Retrieved from (“Storage Device Definition”, 2021): https://techterms.com/definition/storagedevice

Storage devices — Hardware and network technologies — CCEA — GCSE Digital Technology (CCEA) Revision — BBC Bitesize. (2021, 10 08). Retrieved from BBC Bitesize: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/ztyd3k7/revision/4

Storage Devices. (2021, 10 08). Retrieved from KnowItAllNinja: https://www.knowitallninja.com/lessons/storage-devices-3/

What is Storage Devices: Types, Examples, Functions, Uses. (2021, 10 08). Retrieved from DigitalThinkerHelp: https://digitalthinkerhelp.com/what-is-storage-devices-types-examples-functions-uses/

A.G.M.D. PERERA

PS/2019/188

University of Kelaniya.

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