1. Primary and Secondary Storage
Component 1
Primary and Secondary Storage

2. Starter Pre-reading recap
What is Primary Storage?
What is stored in Primary Storage?
What is Secondary Storage?
Explain what is different about Secondary Storage?
What is RAM?
What is ROM?
Explain the difference between RAM and ROM?
What is stored in ROM?
What is Flash Memory?
What is RAM Cache Memory?
Describe the difference between Volatile and Non- Volatile memory?
Which memory is fastest?
Name 3 different secondary storage devices
Which has the largest capacity?
What is cloud storage?
What are the advantages of cloud storage?
What are the disadvantages of cloud storage?

3. Learning Intentions and Outcomes
Explain the functional characteristics of Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), flash memory and cache memory.
Describe the characteristics of contemporary secondary storage technologies including magnetic, optical and solid state.
Explain the functional characteristics of contemporary secondary storage devices in terms of suitability, durability, portability and speed.

4. What is memory?
Memory in a computer system refers to the components that store (or remember) things. There are different types of memory with different proposes.
There are different types of memory can be compared by three things
Speed
Price
Volatility

5. Volatility There are two types of memory
Volatile – It need electricity to continue storing data
Non-volatile – It does not need electricity to store data
When you are in the middle of a piece of work at school and a “mate” turns off you computer you will notice that you lose all of your work. This is because all of your work is stored in main memory/RAM. If you had pressed save it would have been stored on the Hard drive.
Cache & RAM are volatile
HDD and memory sticks are non-volatile

6. Primary Storage
Primary Storage is used for the temporary storage of currently running programs and data.
Primary Storage is much faster than Secondary Storage
The most common types are:
RAM
Cache

7. Cache
Cache is the memory used by the CPU. This is where the CPU places data performs calculations.
It is very fast
It is very expensive

8. RAM
Ram is the type of memory used in the computers main memory. It stands for Random Access Memory.
It is used to store all of the instructions and data ready to be used by the CPU (in its cache).

9. Secondary Storage Secondary storage is also known as backing storage.
Data is written from memory to secondary storage when data is no longer being actively used, for retrieval at a later time.
The time a computer takes to access data stored on secondary storage is longer than the time taken accessing data from memory

10. ROM
Every computer or smart phone has software called the bootstrap loader. This is a small program that loads the operating system.
Once the operating system is loaded then it takes care of the rest.
Typically the bootstrap loader is Read Only. It is hard coded to the device. You can install different operating systems but you must use the bootstrap

11. Other Secondary Storage Devices
Magnetic Disk Hard Drives
Solid State Drives
Flash Memory
Magnetic Tape

12. Why bother with both?
So why doesn’t the processor get the instructions strait from the Hard Disk?
It is all about keeping the CPU busy. The Hard disk is too slow to keep up.
Cache is too expensive to use to store all programs and files.

13. Graded Exercises
You must complete the grade 4 exercises before you move on.
You can use the pre-reading, PowerPoint, Internet, or the Help! Folder to help you complete the grade 4 exercises.
When you have completed grade 4 you can move on to the grade 5-7 exam questions. (You will need to print these).
Remember to be smart when using the Internet:
Wikipedia is often complicated – sometimes even I don’t understand!
BBC Bitesize, Teach ICT, and Revision World are better places to find your information!

14. Crib Sheet – What I must remember about ___
Starting Point: Read the learning outcomes from the exam board
Record the key facts that you need to remember about Primary and Secondary Storage
Think about what you have learnt today, what questions you have been asked, definitions of words, or anything else you think is important!

15. Homework Question Sheets: 8 RAM, ROM, and Virtual Memory
11 Storage Devices
Pre-reading notes:
Pages of the pre reading notes