Memory Access Methods in Computer

These are 4 Types of Memory Access Methods:

1. Sequential Access:- In this method, data is accessed in a sequential manner. In this method, the access time depends on the location of the data.

Magnetic Tapes, Magnetic Disks, and Optical Memories are the application of sequential memory access.

2. Random Access: In this method, the data is allowed to be read or written at any location with equal speed. In this method, any location of the memory can be accessed randomly. And in this method physical locations are independent.

RAM and ROM are the applications of this random memory access.

3. Direct Access: In this method, each block or record has a specific address depending on its physical location and access is accomplished by direct access to reach a general vicinity plus sequential searching, counting or waiting to reach the final destination.

This method is a combination of Sequential Access and Random Access methods. The access time depends on the memory organization and the characteristics of storage technology. And in this method the access is semi-random or direct.

Application of thus direct memory access is magnetic hard disk, read/write header.

4. Associate Access: In this memory, a word is accessed instead of using its address. This access strategy is a unique kind of random access strategy. Application of this Associate memory access is Cache memory.