COMPUTER MEMORY

Memory is an essential element of a computer. Without its memory, a computer is

of hardly any use. Memory plays an important role in saving and retrieving data. The
performance of the computer system depends upon the size of the memory. Memory is
of following types:

1. Primary Memory / Volatile Memory.

2. Secondary Memory / Non Volatile Memory.

1. Primary Memory / Volatile Memory: Primary Memory is internal memory of the

computer. RAM AND ROM both form part of primary memory. The primary memory
provides main working space to the [Link] following terms comes under primary
memory of a computer are discussed below:

 Random Access Memory (RAM): The primary storage is referred to as random

access memory (RAM) because it is possible to randomly select and use any
location of the memory directly store and retrieve data. It takes same time to any
address of the memory as the first address. It is also called read/write memory.
The storage of data and instructions inside the primary storage is temporary. It
disappears from RAM as soon as the power to the computer is switched off. The
memories, which lose their content on failure of power supply, are known as
volatile memories .So now we can say that RAM is volatile memory.

 Read Only Memory (ROM): There is another memory in computer, which is

called Read Only Memory (ROM). Again it is the ICs inside the PC that form the
ROM. The storage of program and data in the ROM is permanent. The ROM
stores some standard processing programs supplied by the manufacturers to
operate the personal computer. The ROM can only be read by the CPU but it
cannot be changed. The basic input/output program is stored in the ROM that
 examines and initializes various equipment attached to the PC when the power
switch is ON. The memories, which do not lose their content on failure of power
supply, are known as non-volatile memories. ROM is non-volatile memory.

 PROM: There is another type of primary memory in computer, which is called

Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM). You know that it is not possible to
modify or erase programs stored in ROM, but it is possible for you to store your
program in PROM chip. Once the programmers’ are written it cannot be changed
and remain intact even if power is switched off. Therefore programs or
instructions written in PROM or ROM cannot be erased or changed.

 EPROM: This stands for Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory, which
overcome the problem of PROM & ROM. EPROM chip can be programmed time
and again by erasing the information stored earlier in it. Information stored in
EPROM exposing the chip for some time ultraviolet light and it erases chip is
reprogrammed using a special programming facility. When the EPROM is in use
information can only be read.

 Cache Memory: The speed of CPU is extremely high compared to the access
time of main memory. Therefore the performance of CPU decreases due to the
slow speed of main memory. To decrease the mismatch in operating speed, a
small memory chip is attached between CPU and Main memory whose access
time is very close to the processing speed of CPU. It is called CACHE memory.
CACHE memories are accessed much faster than conventional RAM. It is used
to store programs or data currently being executed or temporary data frequently
used by the CPU. So each memory makes main memory to be faster and larger
than it really is. It is also very expensive to have bigger size of cache memory
and its size is normally kept small.

 Registers: The CPU processes data and instructions with high speed; there is
also movement of data between various units of computer. It is necessary to
transfer the processed data with high speed. So the computer uses a number of
special memory units called registers. They are not part of the main memory but
they store data or information temporarily and pass it on as directed by the
control unit.
2. Secondary Memory / Non-Volatile Memory: Secondary memory is external and
permanent in nature. The secondary memory is concerned with magnetic memory.
Secondary memory can be stored on storage media like floppy disks, magnetic disks,
magnetic tapes, This memory can also be stored optically on Optical disks - CD-
ROM. The following terms comes under secondary memory of a computer are
discussed below:

 Magnetic Tape: Magnetic tapes are used for large computers like mainframe
computers where large volume of data is stored for a longer time. In PC also you
can use tapes in the form of cassettes. The cost of storing data in tapes is
inexpensive. Tapes consist of magnetic materials that store data permanently. It
can be 12.5 mm to 25 mm wide plastic film-type and 500 meter to 1200 meter
long which is coated with magnetic material. The deck is connected to the central
processor and information is fed into or read from the tape through the
processor. It’s similar to cassette tape recorder.

 Magnetic Disk: You might have seen the gramophone record, which is circular
like a disk and coated with magnetic material. Magnetic disks used in computer
are made on the same principle. It rotates with very high speed inside the
computer drive. Data is stored on both the surface of the disk. Magnetic disks are
most popular for direct access storage device. Each disk consists of a number of
invisible concentric circles called tracks. Information is recorded on tracks of a
disk surface in the form of tiny magnetic spots. The presence of a magnetic spot
represents one bit and its absence represents zero bit. The information stored in
a disk can be read many times without affecting the stored data. So the reading
operation is non-destructive. But if you want to write a new data, then the existing
data is erased from the disk and new data is recorded. For Example-Floppy
Disk.

 Optical Disk: With every new application and software there is greater demand
for memory capacity. It is the necessity to store large volume of data that has led
to the development of optical disk storage medium. Optical disks can be divided
into the following categories:

1. Compact Disk/ Read Only Memory (CD-ROM)

2. Write Once, Read Many (WORM)
3. Erasable Optical Disk
Bit

A bit is a value of either a 1 or 0 (on or off).

Nibble

A Nibble is 4 bits.

Byte

Today, a Byte is 8 bits.

 1 character, e.g. "a", is one byte.

Kilobyte (KB)

A Kilobyte is 1,024 bytes.

 2 or 3 paragraphs of text.

Megabyte (MB)

A Megabyte is 1,048,576 bytes or 1,024 Kilobytes

Gigabyte (GB) = 1,024 Megabytes

Terabyte (TB) = 1,024 Gigabytes

Hardware and Software:

The main difference between hardware and software are as follows:

Hardware

1. Physical parts of the computer are called hardware.

2. You can touch, see and feel hardware.
3. Hardware is constructed using physical materials or
components.
4. Computer is hardware, which operates under the control of a
software.
5. If hardware is damaged, it is replaced with new one.
6. Hardware is not affected by computer viruses.
7. Hardware cannot be transferred from one place to another
electronically through network.
8. User cannot make new duplicate copies of the hardware.

Software

1. A set of instructions given to the computer is called software.

2. You cannot touch and feel software.
3. Software is developed by writing instructions in programming
language.
4. The operations of computer are controlled through software.
5. If software is damaged or corrupted, its backup copy can be
reinstalled.
6. Software is affected by computer viruses.
7. Software can be transferred from one lace to another
electronically through network.
8. User can make many new duplicate copies of the software.