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Questions and Answers
What is a characteristic of non-volatile memory?
What is a characteristic of non-volatile memory?
What was a limitation of using punched cards for storing data?
What was a limitation of using punched cards for storing data?
What would happen if a punched card was dropped and the order was lost?
What would happen if a punched card was dropped and the order was lost?
How were the values of the bits determined on punched cards?
How were the values of the bits determined on punched cards?
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What was a consequence of punching a single hole mistakenly on a punched card?
What was a consequence of punching a single hole mistakenly on a punched card?
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What was the most cost-effective way of storage in terms of dollars per bit for some time?
What was the most cost-effective way of storage in terms of dollars per bit for some time?
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How is data stored in magnetic tapes?
How is data stored in magnetic tapes?
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What is a major disadvantage of magnetic tapes?
What is a major disadvantage of magnetic tapes?
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How do floppy disks differ from magnetic tapes in terms of organization of data?
How do floppy disks differ from magnetic tapes in terms of organization of data?
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What affects the access speed to floppy disks?
What affects the access speed to floppy disks?
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Study Notes
Non-Volatile Memory
- Memory volatility refers to a memory's ability to retain information without a constant power supply.
- A non-volatile memory example is a piece of paper, as it can store information indefinitely without power.
Punched Cards
- Punched cards were an early method of storing data, with each hole representing a single bit.
- The values of the bits were determined by checking whether the holes were punched or not.
- Punched cards were inefficient, requiring manual labor to convert programs into binary and punch holes for each bit.
- Errors, such as mistakenly punching a hole, required starting over from scratch.
- Keeping the cards in order was crucial for the program to work correctly.
Magnetic Tapes
- Magnetic tapes were a later development in non-volatile storage, consisting of a magnetizable sheet divided into small slots, each representing a bit.
- Information was stored by changing the magnetic polarization of the sheet, which could be detected and changed by the reading/writing head.
- Magnetic tapes are durable and were used by companies and government bodies as a backup solution due to their durability.
- However, magnetic tapes are slow due to the mechanical movement required for data access.
- They also have limited storage density and are susceptible to external sources of magnetization and mechanical damage.
Floppy Disks
- Floppy disks are a type of magnetic storage that divides data into circular tracks, which are further divided into slots.
- The reading/writing head is movable, reducing the time it takes to access data.
- However, access is still slow due to the mechanical movement of the disk and head.
- Floppy disks are susceptible to magnetic and mechanical damage.
- Access speed is affected by the device's ability to spin the disk, measured in RPM (Rounds Per Minute).
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Description
Learn about non-volatile memory, its ability to retain information without power, and its various types. From paper to modern technologies, explore the evolution of non-volatile memory.
