INPUT / OUTPUT

DEVICES
Input devices are used to provide data or
information to the computer. The computer
follows the instructions given to it by and
input device . For example, a keyboard is
commonly used to transfer data or
information from human readable form to
machine-readable form. Other examples of
input devices are: mouse, joystick, trackball,
light pens , scanners , touch window, etc.
One of the main input devices used by
computers, a PC's keyboard looks very similar
to the keyboards of electric typewriters, with
some additional keys. A computer's main input
device is the keyboard, and it's almost
impossible to imagine a computer without one.
A computer keyboard a lot looks like the
keyboard for a typewriter but has added keys
that provide many different features and
enhancements.
1. XT (Extend technology keyboard)
2. AT (Advance technology keyboard)
3. Enhanced Keyboard / Standard
Keyboard.
Keyboard is divided into four types of
keypads:
Alphabetic keypad.
Numeric keypad.
Function keypad.
Special function keypad.
Modifier keys.
Screen navigation or cursor movement
keys.
These keys are similar to a standard typewriter
and is used to type general information.

These keys are used to input numeric data

only. These are very useful in case of large
numeric data input because all numeric keys
can be accessed by one hand only. These
keys can also be used as an alternative to the
screen navigation and editing keys.
These are keys marked as F1 to F12, located
normally at the top of the keyboard. These are
special keys provided to a Programmer, which
allow him to attach special functions to each
key. Each of these function keys are also given
some special function in different packages.
These keys are knows as special function keys
which are spread on the keyboard at different
locations these keys from special function
keypad.
These keys are used to modify the input of other keys.
You press another key while holding down one of the
modifier keys. Shift, Ctrl, Alt are some examples of
modifier keys. .
In addition to these groups of keys, there are some
other keys present on most of the keyboards. For
example:
Delete key: This key is also used to delete a character.
Insert key: This key is also used to insert a character.
Esc key:
The function of this key varies from program to
program.

Print screen key:

This key allows user to capture whatever is shown
on the screen as an image. The image, then can be
printed, pasted or manipulated in different ways.
In many programs there is a blinking mark
on the screen where the key you press will
display a particular character I digit
special character. This mark, called
Cursor, appears in different shapes in
various programs, a solid small box, a
vertical line, etc. Cursor Control keys are
used to move the cursor around the
screen. Most keyboard includes the
following Cursor movement keys:
There are four arrow keys; left arrow key, right
arrow key, up arrow key and down arrow key.
These are used to move the cursor one place
left, right, up or down.

Home key moves the cursor to the beginning of

the line on which the cursor is present; while the
end key moves the cursor to the end of line.

These keys are used to make the cursor jump

page by page. Page Up key is used to moves
cursor to the previous page / screen and Page
Down moves the cursor to the next page.
 .

An input device that allows an individual to

control a mouse pointer in a graphical user
interface (GUI). Utilizing a mouse a user
has the ability to perform various functions
such as opening a program or file and does
not require the user to memorize a
commands, like those used in a text-based
environment such as MS-DOS.
A track ball is essentially an 'upside down'
mouse. The ball faces upwards and is operated
directly by the user's fingers. A track ball has the
advantage over a mouse in that it requires less
desk space, and picks up less dirt from the work
surface and so still requires cleaning
occasionally. Track balls are particularly
appropriate where desk space is limited, and
they are often built into the keyboards of laptop
computers.
A Light Pen is a pointing device shaped
like a pen and is connected to a VDU.
The tip of the light pen contains a light-
sensitive element which, when placed
against the screen, detects the light from
the screen enabling the computer to
identify the location of the pen on the
screen. Light pens have the advantage of
'drawing' directly onto the screen, but this
can become uncomfortable.
The joystick is a rotary lever. Similar to an aircraft's
control stick, it enables you to move within the
screen's environment, and is widely used in the
computer games industry.
A touch sensitive screen is a special type
of visual display unit. In front of the
display a grid of light beams or fine wires
criss-cross the screen. When you touch
the screen the computer senses where
you have pressed. Touch screens can be
used to choose options which are
displayed on the screen.
The main application for which touch
screens are used is the provision of public
information systems. Touch screen
operated computers can be found in
places such as travel agents and airports.
Here a touch screen is being used to
provide information to tourists.
Touch screens are not used very often, as
they are not very accurate, tiring to use
for a long period and are more expensive
than alternatives like a mouse. The main
advantage of the touch screen is that
anyone can use it without having to be
trained.
A barcode reader (or barcode scanner) is a
computer peripheral for reading barcodes
printed on various surfaces. Like a flatbed
scanner, it generally consists of a light source, a
lens and a photo conductor translating optical
impulses into electrical ones.
A digital camera is another hand-held,
portable input device that takes pictures
as input. Normal cameras capture
pictures on a special coated film ; while
digital camera captures images
electronically without the need of a film.
The camera stores the snapshots in its
memory then user can copy them into a
computer. These images can be edited,
printed or copied in a document, etc.
An output device is used to display the data or
information that we receive from the computer.
An output device can be used to display or print
the intermediate or final results performed by
computer. The use of these devices depends on
the type and purpose of output. Some examples
of output devices are: Monitors, Printer, Plotters,
Visual display unit (VDU), liquid crystal display
(LCD), etc.
The basic two types of monitors are:
1- CRT MONITORS.
2- FLAT-PANEL DISPLAY.
The CRT, or Cathode Ray Tube, is the
"picture tube" of your monitor. Although it
is a large vacuum tube, it's shaped more
like a bottle. The image you see on the
monitor's screen is made up of thousands
of tiny dots (pixels).
Flat-panel display(Liquid crystal display or
LCD),which is usually used with portable
computers but now have become very
popular with the desktop computers too.
Monochrome computers are actually
display two colors , one for the
background and one for the foreground .
The colors can be black and white , green
and black , or amber and black.
Color monitors can display anywhere from
16 to over 1 million different colors . Color
monitors are sometimes called RGB
monitors because they accept three
separate signals red , green and blue (the
three fundamental colors.)
Printer is an output device. Printer is a
device that accepts text and graphic
output from the computer and transfers
the information to paper , usually to
standard size sheets of paper. Printers
come in a variety of different sizes,
shapes, and styles. Some printers use ink
to print pictures and documents, while
others use toner and laser technology to
print documents.
1) IMPACT PRINTING.

2) NON - IMPACT PRINTING

Impact printers include all printers that
works by striking an ink ribbon. like Daisy
wheel , Dot Matrix, and line printers are
impact printers . Impact printers are much
noisier than other printers.

Non-Impact printers include laser printer ,

ink-jet printers etc.