Physics Research Task

Types of Digital Data Storage

CD - stores data using 'pits', binary value 0, doesn't reflect light, and 'lands', binary value 1, does reflect light. Spirals from the inner ring of the disc to the outer ring. The data is stored with a laser, creating the tiny indentations for light to not reflect from, and read with a laser bouncing light from the shiny disc. The inner tracks of the disc are read at a faster RPM than the outer tracks. Can store about 5 GB of data, has to physically have enough room - the smaller the laser the better, as more rings of tracks can fit onto a standard 12cm disc. Floppy disc - stores data using magnetic storage, also found on credit cards, works by splitting the film into sections called magnetic domains. Read-and-write heads detect and modify the magnetization of the material under it - if it's magnetized one direction it's a binary 1, the other it's a binary 0. Problem with these is that they store a tiny amount of data - maximum of 2 MB - and can tear very easily. Inside the disc are two layers of fabric, with the medium in the middle - the fabric reduces friction between the medium and the outer casing, and protects the medium from dirt. Hard disc drive - used by computers to store data, again uses magnetic recording. Sort of a combination between a CD and a floppy disc, a rapidly spinning magnetic disc with magnetic heads arranged on a moving arm to read and write data to the disc (or discs). They are the most popular storage device today, have massive (and varying) data space, and they're quite small. Solid state drive - no moving parts, as compared to HDD, better in every way: quieter, safer, faster. MUCH more expensive. Stores data using flash memory, so through electronics - floating gate transistors. Uses electric signals rather than a physical rotating arm, for example. Many think that they are the future. Flash drive - very popular, very portable. USB stands for Universal Serial Bus, which was an industry standard made to standardize the connection of computer peripherals. Called flash drives because they use flash memory. Can be huge, up to 256 and more gigabytes!

Communicating Digital Data

Cloud computing - storing data on 'the internet', which is the collective knowledge of every computer hooked up to it. Servers are hired throughout the world, for example in google, and information you upload to the internet, through dropbox, for example, is stored there. Referred to as 'in the cloud' because you don't know specifically where it is.

Jack Foster

Email - literally electronic mail, without going into detail a message sent from one computer to another, like in phone lines. Normally sent through several servers, however. Fax - short for facsimile, which is a latin fac simile (make alike), which is a copy of an old book or manuscript. Literally sent over the phone lines, from one fax machine to another, in image rather than sound.

Fibre Optics

Jack Foster

Advantages of optical fibre - thinner thus higher carrying capacity, less signal degradation, less interference - light doesn't interfere with light down the same cable, less power use because low-power transmitters can be used because less signal degradation Disadvantages - expensive installation cost, easily damaged because thin and light, require specialist skill to make and join to one another. NBN - government install fibre optic connections all over Australia, then sells them to companies like Telstra and Optus (retail service providers). These RSPs then sell internet access to the houses. Estimated to cost AUD$35.9 billion to construct over a ten year period. Planned to reach 93% of the population by 2021. Should be peak speeds of one gigabit per second, which is tremendously fast.

Jack Foster