CD-ROM Drives
CD-ROM data transfer rates are based on a factor of 150 KB per second.
Before a CD-ROM drive can be accessed by the processor, the proper drivers must be loaded.
To run a CD-ROM drive from MS-DOS, the real-mode drivers must be loaded.
Advanced Hard Disk Drives
For many years, hard disk drives were limited to 528 MB.
There are four ways to overcome the 528-MB Barrier: LBA, Enhanced CHS translation, Fast ATA, and DMA transfer.
EIDE controllers and I/O cards support up to four EIDE drives including hard disk drives, tape drives, CD-ROM drives, and removable disk drives.
SCSI Drives
SCSI chains can have up to eight devices, including the host adapter (or 16, depending on the configuration) connected together.
SCSI chains must be terminated at both ends.
Each device in a SCSI chain must have a unique ID.
RAID uses SCSI drives to provide improved data storage and fault tolerance.
Review Questions
Name four methods of overcoming the 528-MB hard disk limitation.
How do multiple block reads speed up a computer?
How many devices can be installed on a SCSI chain?
What is the effect of improper termination on a SCSI chain or device?
What is the BIOS protocol for SCSI devices?
Sometimes the SCSI device driver conflicts with other drivers. What steps need to be taken to resolve the problem?
Describe three advantages of using a CD-ROM drive.
What are the four steps required to install a CD-ROM drive?
Is a 16X CD-ROM drive 16 times faster than a 1X? Why?
How would you determine which type of CD-ROM to install in a computer?
Why would you use the MSCDEX.EXE real-mode driver with Windows 95?
Instead of using magnetic energy for storing data, a CD-ROM uses ___________________ technology.
Name some possible controller card combinations.
What software is required for a CD-ROM drive installation?
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