|
Objectives
- The student will name at least 3 examples of analog and
digital storage media.
- The student will differentiate between images of analog
and digital signals.
History
We live in an information age. The storage and retrieval of
information drives research, business, education and entertainment
everywhere you look.
The quantity of information continues to grow, while market
forces drive the quest for smaller and more efficient storage
media.
Storage.
Social development has followed the ability
to first record, then store and distribute information. Historically,
storage of information has been a significant challenge. Storage
media have evolved from simple, low capacity media that were
difficult to duplicate and distribute, to today’s digital
environment with huge storage capacities and simple distribution.
Examples of historical information storage techniques include:
Cave painting and petroglyphs
Ink or pencil on paper ranging from papyrus
to modern papers
Printed material, first text and the Gutenburg printing press
then photographs produced through processes such as gravure
and halftone
Nature's Role
Nature’s techniques for storing information include:
Need three ring/graph
pattern image
- Tree rings that are an analog representation of the patterns
of flood and drought.
- Crystal structures that represent patterns and arrangements
of atoms and molecules.
- DNA, digital encoding of information in patterns of genes
and proteins.
Crystal structure
DNA
Present Day
Today Data is stored all around you on floppy disks, barcodes,
identification and bankcards. Data can be in many forms: identification
numbers, photographs, computer files, audio and videotape, CD-ROMs
(Compact Disk-Read Only Memory) and DVDs (Digital VideoDisk).
The data stored in these media can be stored in many forms.
This module will help you learn more about information storage
and how data is saved and retrieved.
CD ROM s
Microfilm
Paper Records
A recent estimate of information storage estimated 1% is stored
in recordable media such as disk drives and CD-ROM, 4% in photographic
microfilm and fiche, and 95% on paper.
|
