Optical storage Optical storage is a term referring to the storage of data on an optically readable medium.

Data is recorded by making marks in a pattern that can be read back with the aid of light. A common modern technique used by computers involves a tiny beam of laser light precisely focused on a spinning disc.

Optical storage system uses an electronic data storage medium that can be written to and read using a laser beam. A laser read the dots, and the data was converted to an electrical signal, and finally to audio or visual output. optical data storage refers to storage systems that use light for recording and retrieval of information.

Optical disc offers a number of advantages over magnetic storage media. An optical disc holds much more data. The greater control and focus possible with laser beams (in comparison to tiny magnetic heads) means that more data can be written into a smaller space. Storage capacity increases with each new generation it includes CD-ROM, DVD-ROM and their variants

CD (compact disc) A Compact Disc (also known as a CD) is an optical disc used to store digital data, originally developed for storing digital audio Standard CDs have a diameter of 120 mm and can hold up to 80 minutes of audio (700Mb of Data). The technology was later adapted and expanded to include data storage CD-ROM, write-once audio and data storage CD-R, rewritable media CD-RW

Anatomy of CD Compact Disc is made from a 1.2 mm thick disc of almost pure polycarbonate plastic and weighs approximately 16 grams. The physical components are defined as--moving from the centre outwards--centre hole, first transition area, clamping area, second transition area, information area, rim. These are also identified as spindle hole, clamping ring, stacking ring, mirror band, data area, rim.

CD-ROM discs are identical in appearance to audio CDs, and data are stored and retrieved in a very similar manner (only differing from audio CDs in the standards used to store the data). Discs are made from a 1.2 mm thick disc of polycarbonate plastic, with a thin layer of aluminum to make a reflective surface. The most common size of CD-ROM disc is 120 mm in diameter

 A laser is shown onto the reflective surface of the disc to read the pattern of pits and lands ("pits", with the gaps between them referred to as "lands"). Because the depth of the pits is approximately one-quarter to one-sixth of the wavelength of the laser light used to read the disc, the reflected beam's phase is shifted in relation to the incoming beam, causing destructive interference and reducing

Optical recording was for a long time, and is still, considered a future replacement for magnetic recording. Optical recording systems potentially have much greater reliability than magnetic recording systems since there is a much larger distance between the read/write element and the moving media. Therefore, there is no wear associated with repeated use of the optical systems. However, there are other possible souses of trouble: the life and stability of the laser, mechanical damage to the relatively soft and exposed-to-the-environment media, mechanical damage due to shock and vibration, etc. Another advantage of the optical recording systems over the best performing magnetic recording systems - hard drives - is their removability.

The main disadvantages of optical storage when compared to magnetic is slower random data access. This partially comes from the design of the relatively large (and heavy) optical heads. Moving 100 grams over the disks at the high acceleration and speed needed to match the 5 to 10 ms average access time for magnetic hard disk drives is a real challenge, since the effective weight of the moving parts of a hard drive's head-stack assembly (actuator arm with suspensions and sliders) is on the order of only a few grams. Plus, unlike the hard disk, an optical disk is usually removable, which limits rotational velocities and, correspondingly, limits access time. Increasing rpm causes the relatively loosely fixed CDROM disk to vibrate significantly compare to a stiff, fixed, and balanced hard disk.