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Ultra Density Optical (UDO) is a next-generation optical disc format designed for high-density storage of high-definition video and data. Image File history File links Information_icon. ... Image File history File links Udo. ... In computing, optical disc authoring, including CD authoring and DVD authoring, known often as burning, is the process of recording source material—video, audio or other data—onto an optical disc (compact disc or DVD). ... The optical lens of a compact disc drive. ... It has been suggested that ISO image be merged into this article or section. ... A CD recorder drive. ... Optical disc authoring software is computer software for authoring optical discs including CD-ROMs and DVDs. ... CD and DVD recorders for authoring optical discs such as CD-ROMs and DVDs have a history of various technologies. ... In optical disc authoring, there are multiple modes for recording: Dics At Once and Track At Once. ... Packet writing is an optical disc recording technology used to allow writeable CD and DVD media to be used in a similar manner to a floppy disk. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... CD redirects here. ... The CD-ROM (an abbreviation for Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (ROM)) is a non-volatile optical data storage medium using the same physical format as audio compact discs, readable by a computer with a CD-ROM drive. ... A CD-R (Compact Disc-Recordable) is a variation of the Compact Disc digital audio disc invented by Philips and Sony. ... Compact Disc ReWritable (CD-RW) is a rewritable optical disc format. ... DVD (commonly Digital Versatile Disc, previously Digital Video Disc) is an optical disc storage media format that can be used for data storage, including movies with high video and sound quality. ... A DVD+R disc The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... DVD-R DL (Dual Layer) (Also Known as DVD-R9) is a derivative of the DVD-R format standard. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... DVD+R DL (Double Layer), also known as DVD+R9, is a derivative of the DVD+R format created by the DVD+RW Alliance. ... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... You can recognize a DVD-RAM immediately because visually there are lots of little rectangles distributed on the surface of the data carrier. ... A Blu-ray Disc is a high-density optical disc format for the storage of digital media, including high-definition video. ... Blu-ray Disc recordable refers to two optical disc formats that can be recorded with an optical disc recorder. ... HD-DVD disc HD DVD (for High Density Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical media format which is being developed as one standard for high-definition DVD. HD DVD is similar to the competing Blu-ray Disc, which also uses the same CD sized (120 mm diameter) optical data... HD DVD-R is the next generation writable disk variant of HD DVD, expected to be shipping in 2006 with a single-layer capacity of 15GB and a dual-layer capacity of 30GB. External links http://arstechnica. ... The Rainbow Books are a collection of standards defining the allowed formats of Compact Discs. ... ISO 9660, a standard published by the International Organization for Standardization, defines a file system for CD-ROM media. ... Joliet is the name of an extension to the ISO 9660 file system. ... The Rock Ridge Interchange Protocol (RRIP, IEEE P1282) is an extension to the ISO 9660 volume format which adds POSIX file system semantics. ... The Rock Ridge Interchange Protocol (RRIP, IEEE P1282) is an extension to the ISO 9660 volume format which adds POSIX file system semantics. ... The El Torito Bootable CD Specification is an extension to the ISO 9660 CD-ROM specification. ... Overview Apple Macintosh computers use the HFS (or HFS+) file system on hard disks, mainly. ... The Universal Disk Format (UDF) is a format specification of a file system for storing files on optical media. ... Mount Rainier is an expansion to the Universal Disk Format (UDF). ... In computing, sound reproduction, and video, an optical disc is flat, circular, usually polycarbonate disc whereon data is stored. ... The optical lens of a compact disc drive. ... Projection screen in a home theater, displaying a high-definition television image. ...

Overview

An Ultra Density Optical disc or UDO is a 5.25" ISO cartridge optical disc encased in a dust-proof caddy which can store up to 30 GB of data. Utilising a design based on a Magneto-optical disc, but utilising Phase Change technology combined with a blue violet laser, a UDO disc can store substantially more data than a magneto-optical disc or MO, because of the shorter wavelength (405 nm) of the blue-violet laser employed. MOs use a 650-nm-wavelength red laser. Because its beam width is shorter when burning to a disc than a red-laser for MO, a blue-violet laser allows more information to be stored digitally in the same amount of space. Magneto-optical disc A Magneto-optical disc and the numerous rectangles on its surface A magneto-optical drive is a kind of optical disc drive capable of writing and rewriting data upon magneto-optical discs. ... In its most common usage, the term phase change indicates that a substance has changed among the three classical phases of matter: solid, liquid and gas. ... Magneto-optical disc A Magneto-optical disc and the numerous rectangles on its surface A magneto-optical drive is a kind of optical disc drive capable of writing and rewriting data upon magneto-optical discs. ... The wavelength is the distance between repeating units of a wave pattern. ... A metre (American spelling: meter; symbol: m) is a unit of length and the current base unit of length in the International System of Units (SI). ...

Current generations of UDO store up to 30 GB, but 60 GB and 120 GB versions of UDO are in development and are expected to arrive sometime in 2007 and beyond, though up to 500 GB has been speculated as a possibility for UDO. ^[1]

History

Originally an optical disc storage medium developed as a replacement for the Magneto-optical digital storage medium, Ultra Density Optical was developed beginning June 2000 and first announced by Sony on November 1st 2000. ^[2] It was later adopted with heavy investment by Plasmon, a US technology company with extensive experience with computer archival backup systems and solutions. ^[3] The optical lens of a compact disc drive. ... Magneto-optical disc A Magneto-optical disc and the numerous rectangles on its surface A magneto-optical drive is a kind of optical disc drive capable of writing and rewriting data upon magneto-optical discs. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... In physics, the plasmon is the quasiparticle resulting from the quantization of plasma oscillations. ...

Currently UDO is being championed by its development partners Plasmon, Hewlett Packard, Asahi Pentax (responsible for the opto-mechanical assembly design) and Mitsubishi Chemical parent company of the Verbatim media storage brand, and various computer and IT solutions companies. Mitsubishi Chemical is the second major development partner of UDO media.^[4] In physics, the plasmon is the quasiparticle resulting from the quantization of plasma oscillations. ... HP redirects here. ... In 1957, the Asahi Optical Company introduced the Pentax, a 35mm SLR, which was so well received that it influenced the design 35mm SLRs for years to come, in both Japan and Europe. ... Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation(now part of Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation) (三菱化学株式会社, Mitsubishi Kagaku, MCC) is a Japanese corporation. ... Verbatim has several meanings. ...

Specifications

Writing technology

UDO uses a Phase Change recording process that permanently alters the molecular structure of the disc surface.

Phase Change utilizes the heat from a blue laser to write data on the recording surface of optical media. The laser records data marks by altering the reflective quality of the recording surface. This is done by changing the physical state of the media's recording layer from a crystalline to an amorphous state, which produces bright to dark marks on the media. The same laser, set at a lower intensity, is then used to read the media. The write once method of phase change prevents data from being overwritten or altered. UDO uses a non-contact recording to a provide robust and reliable performance and is insensitive to exposure to magnetic fields.

Disc format

There are three versions of UDO 30: a True WORM (Write Once Read Many), an R/W (Re-Writable), and Compliant WORM (shredable WORM). To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Rewritable

The UDO Rewritable format uses a specially formulated Phase Change recording surface that allows recorded data to be deleted and modified. In practice, UDO Rewritable media operates like a standard magnetic disc. Files can be written, erased and rewritten, dynamically reallocating disc capacity. Rewritable media is typically used in archive applications where the stability and longevity of optical media is important, but the archive records change on a relatively frequent or discretionary basis. Rewritable media is typically used in archive environments where data needs to be deleted or media capacity re-used.

True write once

The UDO True Write Once format uses a different phase change recording surface than the Rewritable media. Unlike Rewritable media, the write once recording surface cannot be erased or altered, making Write Once the most stable in terms of data integrity, because the physical record is kept authentic. This level of data integrity is not usually matched by other magnetic disc or tape technologies using normal write once emulation. Write Once has been used successfully in high data integrity environments such as banks and financial institutions with similar magneto-optical discs. Its advantages are media longevity which reduces the cost and frequency of migration, and data authenticity. Common uses of True Write Once media include medical, financial, industrial and applications that have long or indefinite record retention periods with a need for unquestioned record authenticity.

Compliant write once media

UDO Compliant Write Once media has the same operational properties as UDO True Write Once media but with one clear and important difference. Through the use of a specially designed “shred” operation, individual records written to Compliant Write Once media can be destroyed once their retention period expires.

The shred function is controlled at an application level and operates only on Compliant Write Once media. It is a fully verified process and unlike the erase pass on magnetic disks, the shred operation on Phase Change media leaves no trace of any previously written data. While it is possible to shred data on magnetic discs through the use of specialized tools that repeatedly overwrite a patterned sequence, destroying individual records on magnetic tape is not possible without totally rewriting the media. Shredding data on Compliant Write Once media is noted as the most efficient and safest way to currently destroy data using UDO.

Magneto-optical comparison

The table below summarizes the differences between conventional Magneto-Optical specifications and those of the enhanced Ultra Density Optical disc.

^[5]

Drive mechanism

UDO Drives Specifications Summary

• Media Load Time 5 s
• Media Unload Time 3 s
• Average Seek Time 35 ms
• Buffer Memory 32MB
• Max Sustained Transfer Rate - Read 8 MB/s
• Max Sustained Transfer Rate - Write 4 MB/s (with verification)
• MSBF - Mean Swap Between Failure 750,000 load/unload cycles
• MTBF - Mean Time Between Failure 100,000 hours
• Interface Wide Ultra 2 LVD SCSI

UDO comes in both internal and external drive guises. External drives are also available as part a robotic autoloader. All the drives are designed for heavy duty and rigorous use. ADIC Scalar 100, Example of an Autoloader An Autoloader is a data storage device consisting of at least one tape drive (the drive), a method of loading tapes into the drive (the robot), and a storage area for tapes (the magazine). ...

Laser and optics

UDO systems use a blue-violet laser operating at a wavelength of 405 nm, similar to the one used for HD DVD and Blu-ray, to read and write data. Conventional MOs use red lasers at 660 nm. ^[6] A packaged laser diode with penny for scale. ... The wavelength is the distance between repeating units of a wave pattern. ... HD-DVD disc HD DVD (for High Density Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical media format which is being developed as one standard for high-definition DVD. HD DVD is similar to the competing Blu-ray Disc, which also uses the same CD sized (120 mm diameter) optical data... Blu-ray discs Blu-ray Disc is a next-generation optical disc format jointly developed by a group of leading consumer electronics and PC companies called the Blu_ray Disc Association (BDA), which succeeds the Blu_ray Disc Founders (BDF). ...

The blue-violet laser's shorter wavelength makes it possible to store more information on a 13 cm sized UDO disc. The minimum "spot size" on which a laser can be focused is limited by diffraction, and depends on the wavelength of the light and the numerical aperture of the lens used to focus it. By decreasing the wavelength, using a higher numerical aperture (0.85, compared with 0.575 for MO), the laser beam can be focused much more tightly. This produces a smaller spot on the disc than in existing MOs, and allows more information to be physically stored in the same area. Blue lasers have applications in many areas, from opto-electronic data storage at high-density, to medical applications. ... Resolving power is the ability of a microscope or telescope to measure the angular separation of images that are close together. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Numerical aperture is a technical term of multiple uses: Numerical aperture of optical telecommunication fiber Numerical aperture in microscopy This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... A lens. ...

The opto-mechanism design of current Plasmon UDO drives are jointly developed with Asahi Pentax.^[7]

Performance

UDO currently offers more than three times the capacity of MO, with 33% faster file access, an 8 MB/sec read transfer rate, and a lower long term cost of ownership. It is estimated it can be up to 84% per gigabyte less than magneto-optical in terms of overall media cost.

Applications

Archival storage

Currently UDO has an expected data archival life of around 50 years. Apart from the storage size, the discs (like Magneto Optical discs) are designed for durability and long term reliability. This makes it ideal for backup use in banks, hospitals, governmental and financial institutions.

Secure video

A potentially new application. A company called Blu-Laser Cinema announced in June 2005 that it was launching a new player using the UDO format to provide a secure viewing and editing platform for film production houses. Targeted towards the high-end video editing and production community ie. Hollywood film production companies and producers, the unit featured a smart card reader and a USB dongle with an embedded biometric fingerprint reader to allow access only to authorized users. ^[8]

Advantages

• Record high definition television (HDTV) without any quality loss.
• Instantly skip to any spot on the disc.
• Record one program while watching another on the disc with out any disturbance.
• Automatically searches for an empty space on the disc to avoid recording over a program.
• Records are kept secure and authentic with Write Once media
• Long media life of over 50 years
• Supports scalable, high capacity configurations

Features

The core technology for UDO is essentially similar to Blu-ray and also PDD (as they were all developed by Sony) although there are a number of key differences. The main features of UDO are: The diagnostic category pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) refers to a group of disorders characterized by delays in the development of multiple basic functions including socialization and communication. ...

Data authenticity and integrity

UDO provides absolute data authenticity for any application where archived information must remain 100% unchanged ie banks, legal institutions. UDO uses a phase change recording process that permanently alters the molecular structure of true write once media, ensuring data is integral at the most fundamental level.

Long-term data retention

Long term archival storage. The design of the UDO with a tested stable recording surface, protective coating and encasement in a cartridge is expected to give it at least 50 years storage life, minimizing the frequency of data migration and management for firms requiring large amounts of important data storage. The UDO disc design is a robust design and reduces the potential for contamination of media.

High capacity and scalability

Blue laser technology gives 30 GB UDO more than three times the capacity of previous generation MO (Magneto Optical) and DVD technologies. Being removeable, UDO cartridges, combined with the off-line media management capabilities of optical storage libraries, makes UDO a much more scalable format. Rarely used data can be removed from a library, freeing up capacity yet remaining managed and accessible.

Rapid information access

UDO has a fast 35-millisecond random access capability. An 8 KB sector size helps read/write performance across a wide range of file sizes. UDO is slightly faster as it operates at Constant Angular Velocity (CAV). During reads and writes the discs spin continuously at very high speeds. In rewritable applications, UDO has a unique direct over write capability, doubling rewrite speeds by eliminating the need for a dedicated erase pass.

Low total cost of ownership

UDO has a very low archival storage total cost of ownership compared to other forms of data storage formats. With inexpensively priced 30 GB media, the cost of a UDO library compares favorably with tape or DVD solutions (which can be less reliable than UDO or MO) and can be cheaper to run than certain hard disk-based systems. UDO's ISO standard 5.25 inch media cartridge allows the use of MO and UDO media in the same library, eliminating the need for migration from 9.1 GB MO media. Planned introductions of backward-compatible 60 GB and 120 GB UDO drives makes UDO a worthwhile contender for vast amounts of secure storage at a price.

References

1. ^ Ultra-Density Optical (UDO) Rewritable and WORM Technology (2006). Retrieved on 2006-08-25.
2. ^ Sony Develops Next Generation Optical Disk Storage System For the Data Server Market (2006). Retrieved on 2006-08-25.
3. ^ Plasmon Adopts New High Capacity 5.25 inch Optical Data Format (2006). Retrieved on 2006-08-25.
4. ^ Plasmon to Introduce Blue-Laser Ultra Density Optical (UDO) Drive at COMDEX (2006). Retrieved on 2006-08-25.
5. ^ Table from Sony website
6. ^ Sony Develops Next Generation Optical Disk Storage System For the Data Server Market (2006). Retrieved on 2006-08-25.
7. ^ Plasmon to Introduce Blue-Laser Ultra Density Optical (UDO) Drive at COMDEX (2006). Retrieved on 2006-08-25.
8. ^ Sony Develops Next Generation Optical Disk Storage System For the Data Server Market (2006). Retrieved on 2006-08-25.

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External links

• Optical Storage Technology Association
• UDO Technology Forum
• UDO Basic Information