M. Guymon - Pleasant Grove High - Spring 2003 Computer Performance & Storage Devices Computer...

M. Guymon - Pleasant Grove High - Spring 2003

Computer Performance& Storage Devices

Computer Technology


Computer Performance


Boot Process

Sequence of events that occurs between the time you turn on a computer and the time that it becomes ready to accept commands.Purposes

• Runs a diagnostic test to make sure everything is working.

• Loading the operating system, so the computer can carry out basic operations.


6 events of the boot process:

Power up Start boot program Power-on self-test Identify peripheral devices Load operation system Check configuration and

customization


Circuits

The path from one component of a computer to another that data uses to travel.

Circuits run between RAM and the

microprocessor. RAM and various

storage devices.


Silicon Chip

Silicon is melted sand.

What the circuits are embedded into to keep them together.


Megahertz (mHz)

A measurement used to describe the speed of the system clock.

A megahertz is equal to one million cycles (or pulses) per second.

1.3 MHz means that the microprocessor’s clock operates at a speed of 1.3 MILLION cycles per second.


Pentium

Name of the CPU. Pentium is the 5th

generation of the Intel processor. Other generations

were called• 80-88• 286• 386• 486


RAM vs. ROM RAM

“Random Access Memory”

The ability of a storage device to go directly to a specific storage location without having to search sequentially from a beginning location.

Very volatile• Cannot hold data when

the power is off.• Looses all data when

power is lost.

ROM “Read only memory”Drives can read data

from disks, but cannot store new data on them.

One or more integrated circuits that contain permanent instructions that the computer uses during the boot process.


Binary Number System

A method for representing letters or numbers using only two digits, 0 and 1. Bit

• Each 0 or 1 Byte

• 8 bits Also referred to as

Base 2 Binary Code.


Memory Measurements

Bit Each 0 or 1

Byte 8 bits

Kilobyte Approximately 1,000 bytes Exactly 1,024 bytes

Megabyte Approximately 1 million

bytes Exactly 1,048,576 bytes

Gigabyte Approximately 1 billion

bytes Terabyte

Approximately 1 trillion bytes


Storage Devices

Used to keep data when the power to the computer is turned off.

Medium/media Location where data is stored.


Hard Disk

Usually mounted inside the computer’s system unit.

Can store billions of characters of data. Stated in forms of

bytes:• Megabytes or

Gigabytes


Magnetic Storage

Recording of data onto disks or tape by magnetizing particles of an oxide based surface coating.

A fairly permanent type of storage that can be modified.


Floppy Disk

Round piece of flexible Mylar plastic covered with a thin layer of magnetic oxide and sealed inside a protective covering.

May be referred to as a “floppy”.

3½ disk capacity is 1.44 MB or 1,440,000 bytes


Floppy Disk Options

FormattedPreparing the disk for use by the

computer. Write-protected

Setting the disk so that it can not be written to by the computer.


Zip Disk

Floppy disk technology manufactured by Iomega. Available in 100 MB and 250 MB versions.


Digital Audio Tape

Method of storing large amounts of data on tape using helical scan technology to write data at high densities across the tape at an angle.


Optical Storage

Means of recording data as light and dark spots on CD or DVD.

Reading is done through a low-power laser light.Pits

• Dark spotsLands

• Lighter, non-spotted surface areas


CD-ROM

“CD – Read Only Memory” Also called CD-R

CD-Read Storage device that uses

laser technology to read data that is permanently stored on compact disks, cannot be used to write data to a disk.


CD-RW

“CD-Read Write” A storage device that reads data from CD’s and also

can write data to CD’s. Similar to a CD-ROM, but has the ability to write to

CD.


DVD-ROM

“Digital Video Disks – Read Only Memory”

Reads data from CD’s (audio and data) and DVD’s (data or movie)

Flash Memory

Early 1980s, was invented by an employee of Toshiba (a Japanese company)

The name ‘flash’ was suggested because of the way information is erased from the memory chip – similar to a camera’s flash bulb

Because of the restriction from binary addresses, memory sizes usually have followed the standard being exponential multiples of 2


Flash Memory

In 2005, Toshiba and Sandisk created a flash memory chip capable of holding 1 gigabyte of data.

Later, that same year, they developed a 2 gig memory chip.

March of 2006, a 4 gigabyte chip was introduced and in September, an 8gig was available.

In 2008, the 16gig and 32gig were created.M. Guymon - Pleasant Grove High - Spring 2003

Flash Memory

As of 2012, some companies have been introducing 64 gig, 128 gigs and 256 gigs.

Recently, due to the improvements of flash memory, computers are being developed with flash memory to replace hard drives.

Some announcements have been made that Flash memory might even replace standard RAM memory chips, although currently, the speed of Flash is still slower than RAM.



Resources

Parsons, June Jamrich, and Dan Oja. Computer Concepts. Boston: Course Technology - Thompson Learning, 2002.

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