Memory and storage

Worksheet

Warm-up
1. What is the difference between memeory and storage?
2. Why is it necessary to have both internal and external memory/storage devices?

Vocabulary practice
Match each term in column A with an appropriate definition from column B. There are
three options in column B that cannot be matched. Write your answers in the table
below.

Column A
Column B
1. Dynamic RAM (DRAM) A. Does not require constant refreshing and uses flip-flops
2. Static RAM (SRAM) to store each bit.
3. Read-only Memory (ROM) B. A permanent memory that stores the basic input/output
4. PROM system (BIOS) of a computer.
5. EPROM C. A ROM chip that can only be programmed once using a
PROM writer.
6. Flash Memory
D. A storage media with no moving parts, relying on the
7. Hard Disk Drive (HDD) movement of electrons.
8. Solid State Drive (SSD) E. A type of RAM made from capacitors and transistors
9. Optical Storage that needs constant refreshing.
10. Sensor F. Uses laser light to read/write data on CDs, DVDs, or
Blu-ray discs.
G. Portable device often used for data backups, connected
via USB.
H. Reads physical data from its surroundings and converts
it into a signal for a computer.
I. Memory used in SSDs, memory cards, and memory
sticks, erasable and rewritable.
J. A high-capacity magnetic storage device with spinning
disks.
K. Type of ROM that can be erased and rewritten using UV
light.
L. Converts digital data into an electrical signal to drive a
motor or actuator.
M. Non-consecutive storage of data due to frequent editing
and deletion.
N. A lag in a system caused by delays in locating data.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Reading practice
Choose a sentence / clause (a - f) which best fits each gap (1-5). There is one extra option
which cannot be used. Place appropriate letters in the gaps in the text.

a. Data is stored on the surface in sectors and tracks

b. In this way, they can be used as back-up devices or as another way of transferring files
between computers
c. All applications, the operating system, device drivers and general files (for example,
documents, photos and music) are stored on secondary storage
d. However, the sectors allocated may not be adjacent to each other
e. They have no moving parts and all data is retrieved at the same rate.
f. A number of read-write heads can access all of the surfaces in the disk drive

Secondary storage devices

Secondary storage includes storage devices that are not directly accessible by the CPU.
They are non-volatile devices which allow data to be stored as long as required by the user.
This type of storage is much larger than primary memory, but data access time is considerably
slower than RAM and ROM. 1______. The following section discusses the various types of
secondary storage that can be found on the majority of computers. Secondary storage devices
fall into three categories: magnetic, solid state and optical.

Hard disk drives (HDD)

Hard disk drives (HDD) are still one of the most common methods used to store data
on a computer. Data is stored in a digital format on the magnetic surfaces of the disks (or
platters, as they are frequently called). The hard disk drive will have a number of platters
which can spin at about 7000 times a second. 2______. Normally each platter will have two
surfaces which can be used to store the data. These read-write heads can move very quickly –
typically they can move from the centre of the disk to the edge of the disk (and back again) 50
times a second.

3_______. A sector on a given track will contain a fixed number of bytes.

Unfortunately, hard disk drives have very slow data access when compared to, for
example, RAM. Many applications require the read-write heads to constantly seek for the
correct blocks of data; this means a large number of head movements. The effects of latency
then become very significant. Latency is defined as the time it takes for a specific block of
data on a data track to rotate around to the read-write head.

Users will sometimes notice the effect of latency when they see messages such as,
‘Please wait’ or, at its worst, ‘not responding’.
 When a file or data is stored on an HDD, the required number of sectors needed to
store the data will be allocated. 4______. Through time, the HDD will undergo numerous
deletions and editing, which leads to sectors becoming increasingly fragmented, resulting in a
gradual deterioration of the HDD performance (in other words, it takes longer and longer to
access data). Defragmentation software can improve on this situation by ‘tidying up’ the disk
sectors.

An HDD is a direct access device; however, data in a given sector will be read sequentially.

Removable hard disk drives are essentially HDDs that are external to the computer and can be
connected to the computer using one of the USB ports. 5_______.

For questions 1-5, circle the most appropriate option according to the text below.

Solid state drives (SSD)

Latency is an issue in HDDs, as discussed earlier. Solid state drives (SSD) reduce this
issue considerably. They have no moving parts and all data is retrieved at the same rate. They
do not rely on magnetic properties. The most common type of solid state storage devices store
data by controlling the movement of electrons within NAND chips. The data is stored as 0s
and 1s in millions of tiny transistors (at each junction one transistor is called a floating gate
and the other is called a control gate) within the chip. This effectively produces a non-volatile
rewritable memory.
However, a number of solid state storage devices sometimes use electronically
erasable PROM (EEPROM) technology. The main difference is the use of NOR chips rather
than NAND. This makes them faster in operation but devices using EEPROM are
considerably more expensive than those that use NAND technology. EEPROM also allows
data to be read or erased in single bytes at a time. Use of NAND only allows blocks of data to
be read or erased. This makes EEPROM technology more useful in certain applications where
data needs to be accessed or erased in byte-size chunks.
Because of the cost implications, the majority of solid state storage devices use NAND
technology. The two are usually distinguished by the terms flash memory (use NAND) and
EEPROM (use NOR). So, what are the main benefits of using an SSD rather than an HDD?
Solid state drives
» are more reliable (no moving parts to go wrong)
» are considerably lighter (which makes them suitable for laptops)
» do not have to ‘get up to speed’ before they work properly
» have a lower power consumption
» run much cooler than HDDs (both these points again make them very suitable for laptop
computers)
» are very thin (because they have no moving parts)
» access data considerably faster.
The main drawback of SSD is the still unknown longevity of the technology. Most
solid state storage devices are conservatively rated at only 20 GB write operations per day
over a three year period – this is known as SSD endurance. For this reason, SSD technology is
not commonly used in servers, for example, where a huge number of write operations take
place every day. However, this issue is being addressed by a number of manufacturers to
improve the durability of these solid state systems and they are rapidly becoming more
common in applications such as servers and cloud storage devices.
Note that it is also not possible to over-write existing data on a flash memory device; it
is necessary to first erase the old data and then write the new data at the same location.
Memory sticks/flash memories (also known as pen drives) use solid state technology.
They usually connect to the computer through the USB port. Their main advantage is that
they are very small, lightweight devices which make them suitable for transferring files
between computers. They can also be used as small back-up devices for music or photo files,
for example.
Complex or expensive software, such as an expert system, will often use a memory
stick as a dongle. The dongle contains additional files which are needed to run the software.
Without this dongle, the software will not work properly. It therefore prevents illegal or
unauthorised use of the software, and also prevents copying of the software since, without the
dongle, it is useless.

1. Why do SSDs have lower latency compared to HDDs?

A. They use magnetic properties.
B. They retrieve data at the same rate.
C. They rely on NAND chips only.
D. They have moving parts.
2. What makes EEPROM technology more expensive than NAND technology?
A. The use of floating gates and control gates.
B. The ability to read or erase data in single bytes.
C. The need to first erase old data before writing new data.
D. The reliance on NAND chips.
3. Which is a drawback of SSD technology?
A. High power consumption.
B. Susceptibility to overheating.
C. Limited durability of write operations.
D. Heavier weight compared to HDDs.
4. Why are NAND-based SSDs commonly referred to as flash memory?
A. Because they use NOR chips.
B. Because they are rewritable and non-volatile.
C. Because they are cheaper than EEPROM-based devices.
D. Because they store data using magnetic properties.
5. What is one of the main benefits of memory sticks using SSD technology?
A. They allow data to be accessed as byte-sized chunks.
B. They are suitable for transferring files between computers.
C. They are heavier but more durable than SSDs.
D. They require dongles to prevent unauthorized use.
For statements 6-10, decide whether they are true (T), false (F) or the information is not
given in the text (NI).

6. Solid state drives (SSD) rely on magnetic properties to store data.

7. SSDs consume more power than HDDs.
8. NAND technology is cheaper than EEPROM technology.
9. SSDs are commonly used in servers due to their durability.
10. A dongle is necessary for transferring files using memory sticks.

Use the information below and information that you get from other sources and fill in the
table.

Disk type Laser Wavelength of Disk construction Track pitch

colour laser light (distance
between
tracks)
CD
DVD
Blue-ray
nm = 10−9 metres

µm = 10−6 metres

Optical media: CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray discs

CDs and DVDS are described as optical storage devices. Laser light is used to read
data from, and write data onto, the surface of a disk.
Both CDs and DVDs use a thin layer of metal alloy or light-sensitive organic dye to
store the data. As shown in Figure 3.7, both systems use a single, spiral track which runs from
the centre of the disk to the edge. When a disk spins, the optical head moves to the point
where the laser beam ‘contacts’ the disk surface and follows the spiral track from the centre
outwards. As with an HDD, a CD/DVD is divided into sectors allowing direct access of data.
Also, as in the case of an HDD, the outer part of the disk runs faster than the inner part of the
disk.
The data is stored in ‘pits’ and ‘bumps’ on the spiral track. A red laser is used to read
and write the data. CDs and DVDs can be designated R (write once only) or RW (can be
written to or read from many times).
DVD technology is slightly different to that used in CDs. One of the main differences
is the use of dual layering which considerably increases the storage capacity. This means that
there are two individual recording layers. Two layers of a standard DVD are joined together
with a transparent (polycarbonate) spacer, and a very thin reflector is sandwiched between the
two layers. Reading and writing of the second layer is done by a red laser focusing at a
fraction of a millimetre difference compared to the first layer.
Standard, single layer DVDs still have a larger storage capacity than CDs because the
‘pit’ size and track width are both smaller. This means that more data can be stored on the
DVD surface. DVDs use lasers with a wavelength of 650 nanometres; CDs use lasers with a
wavelength of 780 nanometres. The shorter the wavelength of the laser light, the greater the
storage capacity of the medium.
» Blu-ray discs are another example of optical storage media. However, they are
fundamentally different to DVDs in their construction and in the way they carry out read-
write operations.
» Blu-ray uses a blue laser, rather than a red laser, to carry out read and write operations; the
wavelength of blue light is only 405 nanometres (compared to 650 nm for red light).
» Using blue laser light means that the ‘pits’ and ‘bumps’ can be much smaller; consequently,
a Blu-ray can store up to five times more data than a DVD.
» Blu-ray uses a single 1.1 mm thick polycarbonate disk; DVDs use a sandwich of two 0.6
mm thick disks.
» Using two sandwiched layers can cause birefringence (light is refracted into two separate
beams causing reading errors); because Blu-ray uses only one layer, the discs do not suffer
from birefringence.
» Blu-ray discs automatically come with a secure encryption system which helps to prevent
piracy and copyright infringement.

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Advantages vs. Disadvantages:

Using the reading on SSDs and HDDs, debate in your group:
 "If you were designing a laptop, would you choose SSD or HDD? Why?"
 Make a list of pros and cons for each device type.

Data Management Challenges:

Based on the information about fragmentation in HDDs, discuss:
 "Why is defragmentation important? Do SSDs require it?"
 How do modern devices handle data management better than older systems?

Exam practice:
Describe the features of magnetic, optical and solid state storage which differentiate them
from the other two types. Provide the most common uses of the three storage types.