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Magnetic Media |
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Memory stored on external magnetic media include magnetic tape, a hard disk, and a floppy disk. Magnetic tape is a form of external computer memory used primarily for backup storage. Like the surface on a magnetic disk, the surface of tape is coated with a material that can be magnetized. As the tape passes over an electromagnet, individual bits are magnetically encoded. Computer systems using magnetic tape storage devices employ machinery similar to that used with analog tape: open-reel tapes, cassette tapes, and helical-scan tapes (similar to video tape). Another form of magnetic memory uses a spinning disk coated with magnetic material. As the disk spins, a sensitive electromagnetic sensor, called a read-write head, scans across the surface of the disk, reading and writing magnetic spots in concentric circles called tracks. Magnetic disks are classified as either hard or floppy, depending on the flexibility of the material from which they are made. A floppy disk is made of flexible plastic with small pieces of a magnetic material imbedded in its surface. The read-write head touches the surface of the disk as it scans the floppy. A hard disk is made of a rigid metal, with the read-write head flying just above its surface on a cushion of air to prevent wear. |
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