Block Diagram of Digital Computer

Vikram Computer Institute Computer Fundamentals
LEARN HOW TO THINK & THINK HOW TO DEVELOP
Computer
Computer is an advanced electronic device that takes raw data as an input through input devices, from
the user and processes (means arithmetic, logical, controlling, storing) it under the control of a set of
instructions (called program). Finally, it produces information as output through output devices, and
saves it for future use.
Functionalities of a Computer
If we look at it in a very broad sense, any digital computer carries out the following five functions −
Step 1 − Takes data as input.
Step 2 − Stores the data/instructions in its memory and uses them as required.
Step 3 – Processes (means arithmetic, logical, controlling, storing) the data and
converts it into useful information.
Step 4 − Generates the output.
Step 5 − Controls all the above four steps.
Block diagram of digital computer

Block diagram of a computer gives you the pictorial representation of a computer that how it works
inside. We will see how computer works from feeding the data to getting the result.
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There are four parts in the digital computer they are

1. Input Unit
2. Memory / Storage Unit
3. CPU
4. Output Unit
1. Input Unit: The data and instructions are inputted into the computer using input devices the
most commonly used input device is keyboard. Other commonly used input devices are mouse,
floppy disk drive, magnetic tape etc.
All the input devices accept the data and instruction from outside world, convert it to a form that
the computer can understand, supply the converted data to the computer system for further
processing. This unit creates a link between the user and the computer.
2. Memory / Storage Unit: The storage unit of a computer holds data and instructions that are
entered through the input unit, before they are processed.
It stores programs, data as well as intermediate results and results for output. Its main function is
to store information.
The storage devices can be divided into two main categories:
(a) Primary Storage (Main Memory):

This memory is generally used to hold the program being currently executed in the computer, the
data being received from input device, the intermediate and final results of a program.
The primary memory is temporary in nature. The data is lost when the computer is switched off.
The data is electronically represented in the main memory chip’s circuitry and while it remains in
the main memory, central processing unit (CPU) can access it directly at a very fast speed.
Primary storage has limited storage capacity because it is very expensive and generally made up
of semiconductor devices.
(b) Secondary Storage (Auxiliary Memory):

The Program and data if needed by central processing unit (CPU) are first transferred from the
secondary memory to main memory.
The results are also stored in secondary memory to main memory. It is a mass storage memory,
slower but cheaper.
It is non-volatile in nature i.e. data is not lost even if the power supply is switched off.
Some of the most commonly used secondary storage devices are Hard Disk, Compact Disk etc.
3. Central Processing Unit (CPU):

The control unit and arithmetic logic unit of computer are together known as central processing
unit (CPU). The CPU is like brain and performs following functions: It performs all calculations,
it takes all decisions, and it controls all units of a computer.

(a) Control Unit: It controls all other units in a computer. The control unit instructs the input unit
where to store the data after receiving it from user. It controls the flow of data and instructions
from the storage unit to Arithmetic logic unit (ALU), it does not perform any actual processing of
data. It manages and coordinates the entire computer system and synchronizes its working
(b) Arithmetic and Logic Unit:

The function of an Arithmetic logic unit (ALU) is to perform arithmetic and logical operations
such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, AND, OR, NOT, Exclusive OR etc. It also
performs increment, decrements, shift and clear operations. It is the place where the actual
execution of instructions takes place during processing operation.
4. Output Unit: An output unit performs the reverse operation of that of an input unit. As
computers, work with binary code the results produced are also in binary form. So before
applying results to the outside world it must be converted to human acceptable (readable) form.
So, it supplies information obtained from processing to outside world. Units called output
interfaces accomplish this task.
Following are some of the important output devices used in a computer.
 Monitors
 Graphic Plotter
 Printer
Characteristics / Advantages of Computers
High Speed
 Computer is a very fast device.
 It is capable of performing calculation of very large amount of data.
 The computer has units of speed in microsecond, nanosecond, and even the picosecond.
 It can perform millions of calculations in a few seconds as compared to man who will spend
many months to perform the same task.
Accuracy
 In addition to being very fast, computers are very accurate.
 The calculations are 100% error free.
 Computers perform all jobs with 100% accuracy provided that the input is correct.
Storage Capability
 Memory is a very important characteristic of computers.
 A computer has much more storage capacity than human beings.

 It can store large amount of data.

 It can store any type of data such as images, videos, text, audio, etc.
Diligence
 Unlike human beings, a computer is free from monotony, tiredness, and lack of
concentration.
 It can work continuously without any error and boredom.
 It can perform repeated tasks with the same speed and accuracy.
Versatility
 A computer is a very versatile machine.
 A computer is very flexible in performing the jobs to be done.
 This machine can be used to solve the problems related to various fields.
 At one instance, it may be solving a complex scientific problem and the very next moment it
may be playing a card game.
Reliability
 A computer is a reliable machine.
 Modern electronic components have long lives.
 Computers are designed to make maintenance easy.
Automation
 Computer is an automatic machine.
 Automation is the ability to perform a given task automatically. Once the computer receives a
program i.e., the program is stored in the computer memory, then the program and
instruction can control the program execution without human interaction.
Reduction in Paper Work and Cost

 The use of computers for data processing in an organization leads to reduction in paper work
and results in speeding up the process.
 As data in electronic files can be retrieved as and when required, the problem of maintenance
of large number of paper files gets reduced.
 Though the initial investment for installing a computer is high, it substantially reduces the
cost of each of its transaction.
Input Devices
The data and instructions are inputted into the computer using input devices the most commonly
used input device is keyboard. Other commonly used input devices are mouse, floppy disk drive,
magnetic tape etc.
All the input devices accept the data and instruction from outside world, convert it to a form that
the computer can understand, supply the converted data to the computer system for further
processing. This unit creates a link between the user and the computer.
There are 5 categories of input devices
1. Text input devices

2. Pointing input devices
3. Scanning input devices
4. Audio & video input devices
5. Gaming input devices
1. text input devices:

Keyboard
Keyboard is the most common and very popular input device which helps to input data to the
computer. The layout of the keyboard is like that of traditional typewriter, although there are some
additional keys provided for performing additional functions.
Keyboards are of two sizes 84 keys or 101/102 keys, but now keyboards with 104 keys or 108 keys
are also available for Windows and Internet.
The keys on the keyboard are as follows −
S.N Keys & Description

o
Typing Keys
1
These keys include the letter keys (A-Z) and digit keys (09) which generally give the same
layout as that of typewriters.

Numeric Keypad
2 It is used to enter the numeric data or cursor movement. Generally, it consists of a set of 17
keys that are laid out in the same configuration used by most adding machines and
calculators.
Function Keys
3 The twelve function keys are present on the keyboard which are arranged in a row at the
top of the keyboard. Each function key has a unique meaning and is used for some specific
purpose.
Control keys
4 These keys provide cursor and screen control. It includes four directional arrow keys.
Control keys also include Home, End, Insert, Delete, Page Up, Page Down, Control(Ctrl),
Alternate(Alt), Escape(Esc).
Special Purpose Keys

5
Keyboard also contains some special purpose keys such as Enter, Shift, Caps Lock, Num
Lock, Space bar, Tab, and Print Screen.
2. Pointing input device:

Mouse
Mouse is the most popular pointing device. It is a very famous cursor-control device having a small
palm size box with a round ball at its base, which senses the movement of the mouse and sends
corresponding signals to the CPU when the mouse buttons are pressed.
Generally, it has two buttons called the left and the right button and a wheel is present between the
buttons. A mouse can be used to control the position of the cursor on the screen, but it cannot be
used to enter text into the computer.

Advantages
 Easy to use
 Not very expensive
 Moves the cursor faster than the arrow keys of the keyboard.
Joystick
Joystick is also a pointing device, which is used to move the cursor position on a monitor screen. It is
a stick having a spherical ball at its both lower and upper ends. The lower spherical ball moves in a
socket. The joystick can be moved in all four directions.
The function of the joystick is similar to that of a mouse. It is mainly used in Computer Aided
Designing (CAD) and playing computer games.
Light Pen
Light pen is a pointing device similar to a pen. It is used to select a displayed menu item or draw
pictures on the monitor screen. It consists of a photocell and an optical system placed in a small tube.

When the tip of a light pen is moved over the monitor screen and the pen button is pressed, its
photocell sensing element detects the screen location and sends the corresponding signal to the CPU.
Track Ball
Track ball is an input device that is mostly used in notebook or laptop computer, instead of a mouse.
This is a ball which is half inserted and by moving fingers on the ball, the pointer can be moved.
Since the whole device is not moved, a track ball requires less space than a mouse. A track ball
comes in various shapes like a ball, a button, or a square.
3. Scanning input devices:

Scanner
Scanner is an input device, which works more like a photocopy machine. It is used when some
information is available on paper and it is to be transferred to the hard disk of the computer for
further manipulation.

Scanner captures images from the source which are then converted into a digital form that can be
stored on the disk. These images can be edited before they are printed.
Magnetic Ink Card Reader (MICR)

MICR input device is generally used in banks as there are large number of cheques to be processed
every day. The bank's code number and cheque number are printed on the cheques with a special
type of ink that contains particles of magnetic material that are machine readable.
This reading process is called Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR). The main advantages of
MICR is that it is fast and less error prone.

Optical Character Reader (OCR)

OCR is an input device used to read a printed text.
OCR scans the text optically, character by character, converts them into a machine-readable code,
and stores the text on the system memory.
Bar Code Readers

Bar Code Reader is a device used for reading bar coded data (data in the form of light and dark
lines). Bar coded data is generally used in labelling goods, numbering the books, etc. It may be a
handheld scanner or may be embedded in a stationary scanner.
Bar Code Reader scans a bar code image, converts it into an alphanumeric value, which is then fed to
the computer that the bar code reader is connected to.
Optical Mark Reader (OMR)

OMR is a special type of optical scanner used to recognize the type of mark made by pen or pencil. It
is used where one out of a few alternatives is to be selected and marked.
It is specially used for checking the answer sheets of examinations having multiple choice questions.
Digitizer
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Digitizer is an input device which converts analog information into digital form. Digitizer can
convert a signal from the television or camera into a series of numbers that could be stored in a
computer. They can be used by the computer to create a picture of whatever the camera had been
pointed at.
Digitizer is also known as Tablet or Graphics Tablet as it converts graphics and pictorial data into
binary inputs. A graphic tablet as digitizer is used for fine works of drawing and image manipulation
applications.
4. Audio & Video Input devices:

Microphone
Microphone is an input device to input sound that is then stored in a digital form.
The microphone is used for various applications such as adding sound to a multimedia presentation
or for mixing music.
5. Gaming input devices:

Output Devices
The output unit consists of devices with the help of which we get the information from the computer.
This unit is a link between the computer and the users. Output devices translate the computer's
output into a form understandable by the users.
Following are some of the important output devices used in a computer.
 Monitors
 Graphic Plotter
 Printer
Monitors
Monitors, commonly called as Visual Display Unit (VDU), are the main output device of a
computer. It forms images from tiny dots, called pixels that are arranged in a rectangular form. The
sharpness of the image depends upon the number of pixels.
There are two kinds of viewing screen used for monitors.
 Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT)

 Flat-Panel Display
Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT) Monitor
The CRT display is made up of small picture elements called pixels. The smaller the pixels, the
better the image clarity or resolution. It takes more than one illuminated pixel to form a whole
character, such as the letter ‘e’ in the word help.

A finite number of characters can be displayed on a screen at once. The screen can be divided into a
series of character boxes - fixed location on the screen where a standard character can be placed.
Most screens are capable of displaying 80 characters of data horizontally and 25 lines vertically.
There are some disadvantages of CRT −
 Large in Size
 High power consumption
Flat-Panel Display Monitor
The flat-panel display refers to a class of video devices that have reduced volume, weight and power
requirement in comparison to the CRT. You can hang them on walls or wear them on your wrists.
Current uses of flat-panel displays include calculators, video games, monitors, laptop computer, and
graphics display.
The flat-panel display is divided into two categories −
 Emissive Displays − Emissive displays are devices that convert electrical energy into light.
For example, plasma panel and LED (Light-Emitting Diodes).
 Non-Emissive Displays − Non-emissive displays use optical effects to convert sunlight or
light from some other source into graphics patterns. For example, LCD (Liquid-Crystal
Device).
Printers
Printer is an output device, which is used to print information on paper.
There are two types of printers −
 Impact Printers
 Non-Impact Printers

Impact Printers
Impact printers print the characters by striking them on the ribbon, which is then pressed on the
paper.
Characteristics of Impact Printers are the following −
 Very low consumable costs

 Very noisy
 Useful for bulk printing due to low cost
 There is physical contact with the paper to produce an image
These printers are of two types −
 Character printers
 Line printers
Character Printers
Character printers are the printers which print one character at a time.
These are further divided into two types:
 Dot Matrix Printer (DMP)

 Daisy Wheel
Dot Matrix Printer
In the market, one of the most popular printers is Dot Matrix Printer. These printers are popular
because of their ease of printing and economical price. Each character printed is in the form of
pattern of dots and head consists of a Matrix of Pins of size (5*7, 7*9, 9*7 or 9*9) which come out
to form a character which is why it is called Dot Matrix Printer.

Advantages
 Inexpensive
 Widely Used
 Other language characters can be printed
Disadvantages
 Slow Speed
 Poor Quality
Daisy Wheel
Head is lying on a wheel and pins corresponding to characters are like petals of Daisy (flower) which
is why it is called Daisy Wheel Printer. These printers are generally used for word-processing in
offices that require a few letters to be sent here and there with very nice quality.
Advantages
 More reliable than DMP

 Better quality
 Fonts of character can be easily changed
Disadvantages
 Slower than DMP

 Noisy
 More expensive than DMP
Line Printers
Line printers are the printers which print one line at a time.

These are of two types −
 Drum Printer
 Chain Printer
Drum Printer
This printer is like a drum in shape hence it is called drum printer. The surface of the drum is divided
into a number of tracks. Total tracks are equal to the size of the paper, i.e. for a paper width of 132
characters, drum will have 132 tracks. A character set is embossed on the track. Different character
sets available in the market are 48-character set, 64 and 96 characters set. One rotation of drum prints
one line. Drum printers are fast in speed and can print 300 to 2000 lines per minute.
Advantages
 Very high speed

Disadvantages
 Very expensive
 Characters fonts cannot be changed
Chain Printer
In this printer, a chain of character sets is used, hence it is called Chain Printer. A standard character
set may have 48, 64, or 96 characters.
Advantages
 Character fonts can easily be changed.

 Different languages can be used with the same printer.
Disadvantages

 Noisy
Non-impact Printers
Non-impact printers print the characters without using the ribbon. These printers print a complete
page at a time; thus, they are also called as Page Printers.
These printers are of two types −
 Laser Printers
 Inkjet Printers
Characteristics of Non-impact Printers
 Faster than impact printers

 They are not noisy
 High quality
 Supports many fonts and different character size
Laser Printers
These are non-impact page printers. They use laser lights to produce the dots needed to form the
characters to be printed on a page.
Advantages
 Very high speed

 Very high quality output
 Good graphics quality

 Supports many fonts and different character size
Disadvantages
 Expensive
 Cannot be used to produce multiple copies of a document in a single printing
Inkjet Printers
Inkjet printers are non-impact character printers based on a relatively new technology. They print
characters by spraying small drops of ink onto paper. Inkjet printers produce high quality output with
presentable features.
They make less noise because no hammering is done and these have many styles of printing modes
available. Color printing is also possible. Some models of Inkjet printers can produce multiple copies
of printing also.
Advantages
 High quality printing

 More reliable
Disadvantages
 Expensive as the cost per page is high

 Slow as compared to laser printer

Computer - Applications
Business
A computer has high speed of calculation, diligence, accuracy, reliability, or versatility which has
made it an integrated part in all business organizations.
Computer is used in business organizations for −
 Payroll calculations
 Budgeting
 Sales analysis
 Financial forecasting
 Managing employee database
 Maintenance of stocks, etc.
Banking
Today, banking is almost totally dependent on computers.
Banks provide the following facilities −
 Online accounting facility, which includes checking current balance, making deposits and
overdrafts, checking interest charges, shares, and trustee records.
 ATM machines which are completely automated are making it even easier for customers to
deal with banks.
Insurance
Insurance companies are keeping all records up-to-date with the help of computers. Insurance
companies, finance houses, and stock broking firms are widely using computers for their concerns.
Insurance companies are maintaining a database of all clients with information showing −
 Procedure to continue with policies

 Starting date of the policies
 Next due installment of a policy
 Maturity date
 Interests due
 Survival benefits
 Bonus
Education
The computer helps in providing a lot of facilities in the education system.
 The computer provides a tool in the education system known as CBE (Computer Based
Education).
 CBE involves control, delivery, and evaluation of learning.
 Computer education is rapidly increasing the graph of number of computer students.
 There are a number of methods in which educational institutions can use a computer to
educate the students.
 It is used to prepare a database about performance of a student and analysis is carried out on
this basis.
Marketing
In marketing, uses of the computer are following −
 Advertising − With computers, advertising professionals create art and graphics, write and
revise copy, and print and disseminate ads with the goal of selling more products.
 Home Shopping − Home shopping has been made possible through the use of computerized
catalogues that provide access to product information and permit direct entry of orders to be
filled by the customers.
Healthcare
Computers have become an important part in hospitals, labs, and dispensaries. They are being used
in hospitals to keep the record of patients and medicines. It is also used in scanning and diagnosing
different diseases. ECG, EEG, ultrasounds and CT scans, etc. are also done by computerized
machines.
Following are some major fields of health care in which computers are used.
 Diagnostic System − Computers are used to collect data and identify the cause of illness.
 Lab-diagnostic System − All tests can be done and the reports are prepared by computer.
 Patient Monitoring System − These are used to check the patient's signs for abnormality
such as in Cardiac Arrest, ECG, etc.
 Pharma Information System − Computer is used to check drug labels, expiry dates,
harmful side effects, etc.

 Surgery − Nowadays, computers are also used in performing surgery.
Engineering Design
Computers are widely used for Engineering purpose.
One of the major areas is CAD (Computer Aided Design) that provides creation and modification of
images. Some of the fields are −
 Structural Engineering − Requires stress and strain analysis for design of ships, buildings,
budgets, airplanes, etc.
 Industrial Engineering − Computers deal with design, implementation, and improvement of

integrated systems of people, materials, and equipment.
 Architectural Engineering − Computers help in planning towns, designing buildings,

determining a range of buildings on a site using both 2D and 3D drawings.
Military
Computers are largely used in defence. Modern tanks, missiles, weapons, etc. Military also employs
computerized control systems. Some military areas where a computer has been used are −
 Missile Control
 Military Communication
 Military Operation and Planning
 Smart Weapons
Communication
Communication is a way to convey a message, an idea, a picture, or speech that is received and
understood clearly and correctly by the person for whom it is meant. Some main areas in this
category are −
 E-mail
 Chatting
 Usenet
 FTP
 Telnet
 Video-conferencing
Government
Computers play an important role in government services. Some major fields in this category are −

 Budgets
 Sales tax department
 Income tax department
 Computation of male/female ratio
 Computerization of voter’s lists
 Computerization of PAN card
 Weather forecasting
Disadvantages of Computers
No I.Q.
 A computer is a machine that has no intelligence to perform any task.
 Each instruction has to be given to the computer.
 A computer cannot take any decision on its own.
Dependency
 It functions as per the user’s instruction, thus it is fully dependent on humans.
Environment
 The operating environment of the computer should be dust free and suitable.
No Feeling
 Computers have no feelings or emotions.
 It cannot make judgment based on feeling, taste, experience, and knowledge unlike humans.

Classification of Computers
Classification on the basis of size
1. Super Computers: The super computers are the highest performing system. A
supercomputer is a computer with a high level of performance compared to a general-
purpose computer. The actual Performance of a supercomputer is measured in FLOPS
instead of MIPS. All of the world’s fastest 500 supercomputers run Linux-based
operating systems. Additional research is being conducted in China, the US, the EU,
Taiwan and Japan to build even faster, more high performing and more technologically
superior supercomputers. Supercomputers actually play an important role in the field of
computation, and are used for intensive computation tasks in various fields, including
quantum mechanics, weather forecasting, climate research, oil and gas exploration,
molecular modelling, and physical simulations. and also, Throughout the history,
supercomputers have been essential in the field of the cryptanalysis.
Eg: PARAM, jaguar, roadrunner.
2. Mainframe computers : These are commonly called as big iron, they are usually
used by big organisations for bulk data processing such as statics, census data
processing, transaction processing and are widely used as the severs as these systems
has a higher processing capability as compared to the other classes of computers, most
of these mainframe architectures were established in 1960s, the research and
development worked continuously over the years and the mainframes of today are far
more better than the earlier ones, in size, capacity and efficiency.
Eg: IBM z Series, System z9 and System z10 servers.
3. Mini computers : These computers came into the market in mid 1960s and were sold
at a much cheaper price than the main frames, they were actually designed for control,
instrumentation, human interaction, and communication switching as distinct from
calculation and record keeping, later they became very popular for personal uses with
evolution.
In the 60s to describe the smaller computers that became possible with the use of
transistors and core memory technologies, minimal instructions sets and less expensive
peripherals such as the ubiquitous Teletype Model 33 ASR. They usually took up one or
a few inch rack cabinets, compared with the large mainframes that could fill a room,
there was a new term “MINICOMPUTERS” coined
Eg: Personal Laptop, PC etc.
4. Micro Computers: A microcomputer is a small, relatively inexpensive computer
with a microprocessor as its CPU. It includes a microprocessor, memory, and minimal
I/O circuitry mounted on a single printed circuit board. The previous to these
computers, mainframes and minicomputers, were comparatively much larger, hard to
maintain and more expensive. They actually formed the foundation for present day
microcomputers and smart gadgets that we use in day to day life.
Eg: Tablets, Smartwatches.

Classification on the basis of functionality

1. Servers: Servers are nothing but dedicated computers which are set-up to offer some
services to the clients and other systems on the network. They may or may not have
screens attached to them.
Servers have high processing powers and can handle multiple requests simultaneously. Most
commonly found servers on networks include −
 File or storage server

 Game server
 Application server
 Database server
 Mail server
 Print server
 security server
2. Workstation:
Workstation is a computer used for engineering applications (CAD/CAM), desktop

publishing, software development, and other such types of applications which require a
moderate amount of computing power and relatively high-quality graphics capabilities.
Workstations generally come with a large, high-resolution graphics screen, large amount of
RAM, inbuilt network support, and a graphical user interface. Most workstations also have
mass storage device such as a disk drive, but a special type of workstation, called diskless
workstation, comes without a disk drive.

Common operating systems for workstations are UNIX and Windows NT. Like PC,
workstations are also single-user computers like PC but are typically linked together to form
a local-area network, although they can also be used as stand-alone systems.
3. Information Appliances: They are the portable devices which are designed to

perform a limited set of tasks like basic calculations, playing multimedia, browsing
internet etc. They are generally referred as the mobile devices. They have very limited
memory and flexibility and generally run on “as-is” basis.
4. Embedded computers: They are the computing devices which are used in other
machines to serve limited set of requirements. They follow instructions from the non-
volatile memory and they are not required to execute reboot or reset. The processing
units used in such device work to those basic requirements only and are different from
the ones that are used in personal computers- better known as workstations.


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Vikram Computer Institute Computer Fundamentals

LEARN HOW TO THINK & THINK HOW TO DEVELOP

Block diagram of digital computer

1| Institute of Professional Computer Programming & Designing, Contact 95027 83007

There are four parts in the digital computer they are

The storage devices can be divided into two main categories:

(a) Primary Storage (Main Memory):

(b) Secondary Storage (Auxiliary Memory):

3. Central Processing Unit (CPU):

2| Institute of Professional Computer Programming & Designing, Contact 95027 83007

(b) Arithmetic and Logic Unit:

Characteristics / Advantages of Computers

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 It can store large amount of data.

Reduction in Paper Work and Cost

There are 5 categories of input devices

1. Text input devices

1. text input devices:

The keys on the keyboard are as follows −

S.N Keys & Description

5| Institute of Professional Computer Programming & Designing, Contact 95027 83007

Special Purpose Keys

2. Pointing input device:

6| Institute of Professional Computer Programming & Designing, Contact 95027 83007

7| Institute of Professional Computer Programming & Designing, Contact 95027 83007

3. Scanning input devices:

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Magnetic Ink Card Reader (MICR)

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Optical Character Reader (OCR)

Bar Code Readers

Optical Mark Reader (OMR)

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4. Audio & Video Input devices:

5. Gaming input devices:

Following are some of the important output devices used in a computer.

There are two kinds of viewing screen used for monitors.

 Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT)

12 | Institute of Professional Computer Programming & Designing, Contact 95027 83007

There are some disadvantages of CRT −

The flat-panel display is divided into two categories −

There are two types of printers −

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Characteristics of Impact Printers are the following −

 Very low consumable costs

These are further divided into two types:

 Dot Matrix Printer (DMP)

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 More reliable than DMP

 Slower than DMP

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These are of two types −

 Very high speed

 Character fonts can easily be changed.

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These printers are of two types −

 Faster than impact printers

 Very high speed

 Good graphics quality