Magnetic Disk Structure
Architecture-
• The entire disk is divided into platters.
• Each platter consists of concentric circles called as tracks.
• These tracks are further divided into sectors which are the smallest divisions in the disk.
• A cylinder is formed by combining the tracks at a given radius of a disk pack.
• There exists a mechanical arm called as Read / Write head.
• It is used to read from and write to the disk.
• Head has to reach at a particular track and then wait for the rotation of the platter.
• The rotation causes the required sector of the track to come under the head.
• Each platter has 2 surfaces- top and bottom and both the surfaces are used to store the
data.
• Each surface has its own read / write head.
In modern computers, most of the secondary storage is in the form of magnetic disks. Hence,
knowing the structure of a magnetic disk is necessary to understand how the data in the disk
is accessed by the computer.
Structure of a magnetic disk
A magnetic disk contains several platters. Each platter is divided into circular shaped tracks.
The length of the tracks near the centre is less than the length of the tracks farther from the
centre. Each track is further divided into sectors, as shown in the figure.
Tracks of the same distance from centre form a cylinder. A read-write head is used to read
data from a sector of the magnetic disk.
The speed of the disk is measured as two parts:
• Transfer rate: This is the rate at which the data moves from disk to the computer.
• Random access time: It is the sum of the seek time and rotational latency.
Seek time is the time taken by the arm to move to the required track. Rotational latency is
defined as the time taken by the arm to reach the required sector in the track.
Even though the disk is arranged as sectors and tracks physically, the data is logically
arranged and addressed as an array of blocks of fixed size. The size of a block can
be 512 or 1024 bytes. Each logical block is mapped with a sector on the disk, sequentially. In
this way, each sector in the disk will have a logical address.
Detailed specification
The disk is divided into tracks. Each track is further divided into sectors. The point to be noted
here is that outer tracks are bigger in size than the inner tracks but they contain the same number
of sectors and have equal storage capacity. This is because the storage density is high in sectors
of the inner tracks where as the bits are sparsely arranged in sectors of the outer tracks. Some
space of every sector is used for formatting. So, the actual capacity of a sector is less than the
given capacity.
Read-Write(R-W) head moves over the rotating hard disk. It is this Read-Write head that
performs all the read and write operations on the disk and hence, position of the R-W head is
a major concern. To perform a read or write operation on a memory location, we need to place
the R-W head over that position. Some important terms must be noted here:
1. Seek time – The time taken by the R-W head to reach the desired track from it’s
current position.
2. Rotational latency – Time taken by the sector to come under the R-W head.
3. Data transfer time – Time taken to transfer the required amount of data. It depends
upon the rotational speed.
4. Controller time – The processing time taken by the controller.
5. Average Access time – seek time + Average Rotational latency + data transfer time
+ controller time.
Note: Average Rotational latency is mostly 1/2*(Rotational latency).
What is a magneto optical disk?
The magneto-optical disk is a special removable disk whose design of the drive allows the
inserted disk to be exposed to the magnetic head on one side and to the laser on the other side.
A magneto-optical disk is a rewritable disk that makes use of both magnetic disk and optical
technologies. It is similar to a magnetic diskette except for its larger size. Magneto-optical disks
are seldom manufactured and used due to the advent of flash drives and DVD/CD drives, which
are less expensive and have better writing time and reliability.
Magneto-optical disks are also known as magneto-optical drives and MO drives.
Its writing speed is faster than that of diskettes, but is slower than that of CD/DVD drives
One of the most well-known examples of a magneto-optical disk is the Sony MiniDisc
The magneto-optical disk has the following features:
• It is capable of having high data intensity by means of a magnetic read/write head and
a laser.
• Like diskettes, the magneto-optical disk allows multiple rewrites.
• The driver for a magneto-optical disk can verify the information written to the disk and
will report any errors to the operating system. This often results in faster reading but
slower writing, although it helps make data storage more reliable.
• The magneto-optical disk is a special removable disk.
• The design of the drive allows the inserted disk to be exposed to the magnetic head on
one side and to the laser on the other side.
• Its writing speed is faster than that of diskettes, but is slower than that of CD/DVD
drives.
• Convenience and reliability are much better than those of diskettes, along with high
data capacity.
Optical Disk
An optical disk is any computer disk that uses optical storage techniques and technology to
read and write data. It is a storage device in which optical (light) energy is used. It is a computer
storage disk that stores data digitally and uses laser beams to read and write data. It uses the
optical technology in which laser light is centred to the spinning disks.
Optical Disk is operated its read and write activities through LASER technology. the LASER
stands for LIGHT AMPLICATION THROUGH STIMULATED EMISSION OF
RADIATION. Within the disk, the laser’s ray generally writes on the upper flat surface, and
here it makes small pits or holes
Types of Optical Disk:
Optical memories or Optical disks are alternate mass storage devices with huge capacity (up to
20 GB). Information is written to or read from an optical disk using a laser beam. Only one
surface of an optical disk is used to stored data. An optical disk is relatively inexpensive, and
has a long life of at least 15 years. Since the read/write head does not touch the disk surface,
there is no problem of disk wear or head crash. The main draw back of the optical disk system
is its slow average access time. Here, we will discuss 3 types of optical disks:
1. CD-ROM (Compact-Disk Read Only Memory)
2. WORM (Write Once Read many) or CD-R (CD-Recordable).
3. Erasable Optical Disk
4. DVD-ROM, DVD-R and DVD-RAM
1. CD-ROM
CD-ROM technology uses 12-centimeter (4.7-inch) compact disks (CDs) similar to those used
in stereo music systems. Each disk can store more than 600 MB. That is approximately
equivalent to 400 1.44 MB floppy disks or 300,000 double-spaced pages of text. First of all a
master disk is prepared. On a master disk, a laser records data by burning permanent
microscopic pits in a spiral track to represent From a master disk, CDROMs are produced on
mass scale. Then CD-ROM disk drives use a laser device to read the binary codes formed by
those pits.
For reading the data a laser beam of lower intensity is employed. A laser system needs 25mW
for writing whereas only 5mW are needed for reading
CD-ROMs use long spiral tracks to store data serially, as shown in Figure 3.15. The track is
divided into blocks of same size as shown in the figure. A CD-ROM disk rotates at a variable
speed so that the pits are read by the laser at a constant linear speed. The speed of the disk is
adjusted in such a way that the track passes under the read/write head at a constant linear
velocity.
Advantages
• High storage capacity.
• Cost per bit of storage is cheaper than the other types of memory devices.
• Removable from the computer, so suitable for archival storage. 5.25 inch disks store 650 MB
data.
Disadvantages
• Longer access time as compared to that of a magnetic hard disk (because locating a desired
address involves first moving the head to the specific area then adjusting the rotating speed and
then reading the address, and then to find and access the specific sector).
• Information can not be updated because it is a read-only (permanent) memory.
2.WORM or CD-R (CD-Recordable)
CD-R (compact-disk recordable) is another optical disk technology. The user can record (write)
their own data once on a CD with a CD-R disk drive unit. After this recording user can read
the data as many times as desired.
CD-R is suitable for data and files which are not to be changed. The user can store permanent
data, information, and files for maintaining records.
Advantages and Limitations
• High storage capacity.
• Better reliability and long life.
• Greater access time as compared to a hard-disk.
3. Erasable Optical disk or CD-RW (CD-rewritable)
The major limitation of CD-ROM and CD-R disks is that recorded data can not be erased.
However, CD-RW (CD-rewritable) optical disk systems have now become available which
record and erase data by using a laser to heat a microscopic point on the disk‟s surface.
Advantages and limitations
• Very high storage capacity. A 5.25 inch optical disk can store about 650 MB data
• It is more reliable and has a long life.
• Longer access time as compared to that of a hard-disk.
4. DVD-ROM, DVD-R and DVD-RAM
DVD stands for Digital Video Disks or Digital Versatile Disks. A DVD stores much more data
than a CD-ROM. Its capacities are 4.7GB, 8.5GB, and 20GB etc. The capacity depends on
whether it is a single layer, double layer; single sided or double sided disk. DVD uses laser
beam of shorter wavelength than CD-ROM uses and therefore more tracks are available.
Working principles of DVD disks are same as those of a CD-ROM, CD-R or CD-RW.
The Speed of CD-ROM or DVD-ROM is given in terms of nX, where n is an integer. For
example 32X. In case of CD, X=150 KB/s, so 32X=32x150=4.8 MB/s. In case of DVD, X=1.38
MB/s.
DVD-R: It is a recordable DVD, same as a CD-R disk. The user can write data once on a DVD-
R, then read the data as many times as required. DVD-RAM: It is a rewritable DVD, same as
a CD-RW disk.
DVD-RAM uses a phase change technology to write, read and erase data.
S.NO. MAGNETIC DISK OPTICAL DISK
Media type used is Single removable
1 Media type used is Muiltiple fixed disk disk
2 Intermediate signal to noise ratio Excellent signal to noise ratio
3 Sample rate is Low Sample rate is High
Implementated where data is randomly
4 accessed. Implementated in streaming files.
S.NO. MAGNETIC DISK OPTICAL DISK
5 Only one disk can be used at a time Mass replication is possible
Tracks in the magnetic disk are generally In optical disk the tracks are
6 circular constructed spirally.
The data in the magnetic disk is randomly In the optical disk, the data is
7 accessed. sequentially accessed.
In the magnetic disk, only one disk is
8 accessed at a time. Optical disk allows mass replication
Why do we need memory hierarchy
As we move up the storage hierarchy, we encountered memory elements having faster access
time, less capacity and higher cost per bit stored. When we move down, we have a larger
storage capacity, slower access time and lower cost per bit stored. Thus, CPU storage
components generally have the fastest access time, the smallest storage capacity and the highest
cost per bit stored. The cache memory which is placed in between the CPU and the main
memory is a very high speed semiconductor memory used to enhance the speed of main
memory. The main (primary) memory falls next in the memory hierarchy list. Secondary
storage media such as hard-disk/magnetic disk memories make up the level of hierarchy just
below the main memory. Secondary storage devices are at the bottom of the memory hierarchy.
Secondary storage devices such as magnetic tapes are used for archival storage. They are very
cost effective and so are used for mass storage of data, when fast access time is not required.
