Storing Data On Storage Mediums

 The purpose of storage devices is to store data and software for later use

The purpose of storage devices is to hold data even when the computer is

turned off so the data can be used whenever needed/to have nonvolatile/permanent/backup copies of data/keep archives

Stored data may be loaded back into the CPU for further processing or sent

to an output device

The device writes data to the medium and reads it from the medium

The CPU is able to write data to the hard disk/tape in the form of formatted

files

The CPU is also able to read data and software from the hard disk/tape in

readiness for processing to take place

There is no distinction between software and data as far as the storage

device is concerned – both are a form of digital data

Optical devices such as CD, DVD and Blu-Ray drives all make use of a

laser to burn dark pits onto the medium

Each dark pit is a binary digit e.g. 1 whilst the absence of a pit is the

opposite binary bit e.g. 0 if the pit is a 1

Small areas of a tape/disk are magnetised to represent 1 or 0

Hard disks and magnetic tape have surfaces coated with a magnetically

sensitive material such as iron oxide

Solid state drives make use of electrical charge to store the data

Reading data involves retrieving data from the surface and transferring it

into the computer’s memory for use. 

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