CHAPTER 11
CD-ROM STORAGE
INTRODUCTION
As the uses of computers expand, the need for disseminating large amounts of
information to multiple users also increases. This information can be software or
raw data. The use of a CD-ROM is ideally suited for these purposes. In the Navy,
CD-ROMs are currently being used in several areas including the Naval Intelligence
Processing System (NIPS) and the Naval Command and Control Systems.
After completing this chapter, you should be able to:
Describe the physical characteristics of a CD-ROM
Describe the storage structure of the data on a CD-ROM
Describe the operation of a CD-ROM drive
Describe the different applications that use CD-ROMs
The evolution of CD-ROM technology has expanded to the point that
multimedia CD-ROMs are now in use. A multimedia CD-ROM is a disc that stores
digital data, digitized audio data, and digitized video data. The same CD-ROM
drive can be used for all three functions; in many cases, using the computer to drive
the audio and video portions of the CD-ROM.
NOTE: Disc or disk? The original audio compact disc distributors referred
to the CD as a disc, while the manufacturers of floppy disks used the disk
spelling. When the compact disc was developed as a digital storage
medium, the manufacturers kept the disc spelling. In this manual, we stay
with the current use of disc when referring to the CD-ROM compact disc.
The CD-ROM for use as a data storage medium was a result of the popularity
of the audio compact disc. The major problem that had to be overcome was that
digital data storage had to be much more precise than digital audio. A reliable data
encoding and error correction scheme was developed to solve this problem.
This chapter will introduce you to the CD-ROM and the CD-ROM drive.
TOPIC 1—THE COMPACT
etching a series of pits, or little holes, between flat spots.
DISC
The flat spots on the disc are called lands. The
information is stored on a continuous spiral track that
The compact disc is capable of storing any type of
starts at the inside of the disc and travels toward the
digital data. The information is stored on the disc by
outer edge.
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