Optical Drive Information

Optical drives are what computers use to scan and interpret CDs.

If you're even an occasional computer user, chances are you've operated the optical drive at one point. An optical drive has important applications, and is a necessary component in today's common computer.

Definition

An optical drive, commonly referred to as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, is the drive in the computer that reads and writes optical discs. Optical discs are storage devices used to distribute software and other consumer media.

Process

The optical drive uses electromagnetic waves or laser light to read or write data to or from optical discs. Optical discs are composed of millions of small bumps and indentations. Waves or lights from the optical drive read these indentations and bumps as zeros and ones, or binary code. The computer interprets the code and can then translate it into pixels, creating images, and electronic signals, producing sound.

Function

Optical drives allow CDs and DVDs to be accessed and run in such consumer appliances as DVD players and CD players. Optical drives are often used in common PCs to read software distributed in disc form, and to record discs for storage and information exchange.

References

• PCMag: Definition of: optical drive
• "Principles of Computer Hardware"; Alan Clements; Oxford University Press; 2006

Resources

• "How Computers Work"; Ron White; Que; 2007