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CD ROM

Most of the present-day modern computers make use of electro mechanical magnetic storage device as their secondary memory for additional bulk back-up storage of information. All the mechanical processes of reading and writing of the data leads to wear and tears of the recording media and of the read/write head. Similar problems include anything recorded magnetically is prone to erasure by stray magnetic fields. All forms a magnetic recording needs moving media in contact with the reading/writing. This abnormally reduces head and media life, and also increases possibilities of data corruption by magnetized or dirty heads.

Present day trend is somehow we have to overcome these problems. There is continuous demand for large storage capacity memories/disks but that were smaller. Compact in size, and resistant to conditions of temperature humidity and magnetic field changes.

The optical storage technology can be classified in to 2 sub-categories.

1) Un-changeable and
2) Re-writable (changeable)

The unchangeable category include CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read only memory) and WORM (Write Ones and Read Many times).

The rewritable or changeable technologies include dye-polymer, phrase-change and magneto-optical technologies (MO disks/drives).

The first application of the optical technology was in audio compact disks and later in video compact disks.

Audio compact disks were adapted to produce the CD-ROM Compact disk read only memory for the computer. Data is recorded by burning miscroscope pits on the disk surface. The data is read by a laser beam that scans the tracks. The shiny disk-surface versus the darker burnt pits provide two fool proof states to represent the binary numbers 0’s and 1’s that are fundamental and used in all computer recodings. The pits are mechanical feature, the pre-recorded disks can be mass produced by using pressing equipment, CD-ROMs cannot be recorded at home because there are read-only memories. At the time of manufacturing, the data is permantely stored and sealed by burning pits on to the disk surface. After words CD-ROM permits only reading. These disks compact in size and therefore can store large amount of data in a lesser storage space.

The uses of CD-ROM are as follows:

A very good quality data, no data corruption, long lasting compact storage have made the CD-ROMs popular in computer industry. A major computer installations that works for multimedia communication between user and computer definitely be adopting CD-ROMs Computerized Audio and Video cassette recording totally make use of CD-ROMs just for good quality recording and storage. which in turn enhance the sensitive control and synthesis of music, levels, instrument tones and picture quality. Thus optical recording technology provided as a high quality compact storage medium the CD-ROM.

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