>Hey Xotor, I went to that
>page that you suggested if
>one was interested in the
>next generation of data storage.
> I read some dumbed-down
>oversight of how the FMD-ROM
>devices would work and I
>surmised (because you posted about
>the storage thingies) that you
>are well familiarized (English is
>not my primary language, I
>don't know if the word
>"familiarized" exists or not) with
>how data storage devices work.
> They say they will
>be able to make CD-sized
>disks with 140 GB capacity
>and in the future expand
>it to be 1 TB
>(!!). They plan to
>use "volumetric storage" in multiple
>layers to achieve that goal.
> I am somewhat profficient
>with Physics but I didn't
>understand most of the processes
>behind the FMD-ROMs. What
>I understood is that they
>will use volumetric storage as
>in opposed to the track
>storage currently being used.
>So that means they are
>probable going to start cranking
>out holograms and holographic projectors?
> If you could help
>me by enlightening me in
>those matters (volumetric data storage
>and FMD-ROMs), I would hugely
>appreciate it.
With CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks, the data is extracted by reflecting a laser beam off of the metallic substrate (reflective layer) on the disk. The drive then interprets that data that is reflected off of the disk and converts it into digital data.
Now with DVDs, they take advantage of multiple layers of reflective material inside the disk, that's why they can hold a lot more than a regular CD, which only has one layer. The problem is that if you try adding more than, say, two layers, the signal reaching the bottom layers becomes weaker and more prone to interference because the beam has to move through the upper layers.
That's where FMD-ROMs come in. By using a flourescent laser and different type of substrate, one that is transparent, the FMD-ROM drive can read data from layers many layers below the top layer with no interference because only the flourescent wavelengths are interpretted and used.
This means that you can put many more layers onto a single disk than previous methods. In essence, you could put something like ten layers on a single FMD-ROM, or even more.
Also, because of the nature of FMD-ROMs, the drive can read multiple layers at one time at one place, something impossible for reflective-based media. CD-ROM drives have upped their read capability by using more than one laser at different spots or by speeding up the disk to ultra-high speeds, but the FMD-ROMs can read multiple layers at once. Just think about reading ten layers at once per spin. That's like getting 10x speed for every 1x spin. Imagine a 40x drive which would equate to a 400x normal read.
That's why these FMD-ROM drives may be able to reach 1 gigabit/second transfer rate. 1x CD-ROM speeds are, what, 150kB/sec, e.g. 1200kbit/sec? That would make 1 gigabit/sec be equivalent to a 833x CD-ROM drive?
-Xotor-
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