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UNIT-I
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS
1.1 DEFINITION OF COMPUTER:
Computer is an electronic device which
PROCESS
INPUT OUTPUT
 Accepts and stores the input data
 Process the input data , and
 Generate the output in required
format

1.2CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTER:
1) Speed: Computer can perform data processing jobs very fast, usually
-6 -9
measured in microseconds (10 ), nanoseconds (10 ), and picoseconds
-12
(10 )
2) Accuracy: Accuracy of a computer is consistently high and the degree of its
accuracy depends upon its design. Computer errors caused due to incorrect
input data or unreliable programs.

3) Diligence: Computer is free from monotony, tiredness, and lack of

concentration. It can continuously work for hours without creating any error
and without grumbling
4) Versatility: Computer is capable of performing almost any task. computer
can be used for communication process control , research ,weather fore
casting ,health care ,online trading , education on so on
5) Storage/Memory: Computer can store and recall any amount of information
because of its secondary storage capability. It forgets or looses certain
information only when it is asked to do so
6) Programmable: Computer can be programmed to function automatically and
this is differentiating it from any other electronic devices.
7) Networking capability: Computers can be inter connecter each other, so
that we can share information from one computer to other.

8) No I.Q.: A computer does only what it is programmed to do. It cannot take

its own decision in this regard
9) No Feelings: Computers are devoid of emotions. Their judgment is based on
the instructions given to them in the form of programs that are written by us
(human beings)
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1.3 GENARATIONS OF A COMPUTER:

Generatio Key hardware Key software Key characteristics

n technologies technologies
(Period
)
First  Vacuum tubes  Machine and  Bulky in size
(1942-1955) assembly languages
 Electromagnetic  Highly unreliable
relay memory  Stored program
 Limited
concept
 Punched commercial use and
cards secondary storage  Mostly scientific costly
applications
 Difficult
commercial production
 Difficult to use
Second  Transistors  Batch operating system  Faster, smaller, more
(1955-  reliable and easier to
 Magnetic cores memory High-level programming
1964) languages(COBAL,FOTRAN program than previous
 Magnetic tapes & generation systems
)
Disks for secondary Commercial production
storage  Scientific and commercial
was still difficult and costly
applications

Third  ICs with SSI and MSI  Timesharing  Faster, smaller, more
(1964- technologies operating system reliable, easier and
cheaper to produce
1975)  Larger magnetic cores  Standardization of high-
memory level programming  Commercially, easier to
languages use, and easier to
 Larger capacity
upgrade than previous
disks and magnetic  Unbundling of software
generation systems
tapes secondary from hardware
storage

Fourth (1975-  ICs with VLSI  Operating systems  Small, affordable,

1989) technology for PCs with GUI reliable, and easy to use
 Microprocessors;  windows operating
PCs
 semiconductor system  More powerful
memory  UNIX operating system  Totally general
 Larger capacity with C programming purpose machines
hard language
 Easier to produce
Disks as in-built  Object-oriented design commercially
secondary storage and programming
 Easier to upgrade
 Magnetic tapes and  Network-based
applications  Rapid software
floppy disks as portable development possible
storage media
 Personal computers

Fifth(1989-  ICs with ULSI  multithreading, distributed  Portable computers

Present) technology OS  Powerful, cheaper,
 Larger capacity  JAVA reliable, and easier to
main memory, hard use desktop machines
 World Wide Web
disks with RAID support  Totally general
 Multimedia,
 Optical disks as portable Internet
purpose machines
read-only storage media applications  Easier to produce
 Notebooks, powerful commercially, easier to
desktop PCs and upgrade
workstations  Rapid software
development possible
 Internet
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1.4EVOLUTION OF COMPUTER
The idea of using machines to solve mathematical problems can be traced at least as far
as the early 16th century. Mathematicians designed and implemented calculators that
were capable of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

 Blaise Pascal invented the first mechanical adding machine in 1642

 Baron Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz invented the first
Calculator for multiplication in 1671
 Keyboard machines originated in the United States around 1880
 Around 1880, Herman Hollerith came up with the concept of punched cards
that were extensively used as input media until late 1970s
 Charles Babbage is considered to be the father of modern digital computers
 He designed “Difference Engine” in 1822
 He designed a fully automatic analytical engine in 1842 for performing basic
arithmetic functions
 His efforts established a number of principles that are fundamental to
the design of any digital computer
 George Scheutz read of the difference engine in 1833, and along with
his son Edvard Scheutz began work on a smaller version.
 By 1853 they had constructed a machine that could process 15-digit numbers
and calculate fourth-order differences.
A major drawback of the early nautomatic calculator wa that treir programs
were wired on boards than made it difficult to change it.

 In 1940s ,Dr. John Von Neumann introduced the” stored program” concept
 The basic idea behind this concept is that a sequence of instructions and data can
be stored in memory.
 The feature considerably influence development of modern digital computer.
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1.5 CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS (OR )

TYPES OF COMPUTERS:
According to functionality and operating principles, Type of computers are
classified as :

1) Analog Computer

An analog computer is a form of computer that uses continuous physical phenomena

such as electrical, mechanical, or hydraulic quantities to model the problem being solved.

2) Digital Computer

A computer that performs calculations and logical operations with quantities represented
as digits, usually in the binary number system

3) Hybrid Computer (Analog + Digital)

A combination of computers those are capable of inputting and outputting in both digital
and analog signals. In this computers, the digital segments performs process controlled
by conversion analog signals to digital.

On the basis of Size and speed , Type of Computer are classified as:

1) Micro Computer or Personal Computer

• Desktop Computer: a personal or micro-mini computer sufficient to fit on a desk.

• Laptop Computer: a portable computer complete with an integrated screen and

keyboard. It is generally smaller in size than a desktop computer and larger than a
notebook computer.

• Palmtop Computer/Digital Diary /Notebook /PDAs: a hand-sized computer.

Palmtops have no keyboard but the screen serves both as an input and output device.

 Workstations

A terminal or desktop computer in a network. Work stations are used for engineering
applications ,desktop publishing , software development, and etc.
2) Mini Computer
A mid-sized computer. In size and power, minicomputers lie between workstations and
mainframes. a minicomputer is a multiprocessing system capable of supporting from 4 to
about 250 users simultaneously.
3) Mainframe Computer
A very large and expensive computer capable of supporting hundreds, or even
thousands, of users simultaneously. mainframes are just below supercomputers. In
some ways, mainframes are more powerful than supercomputers because they support
more simultaneous programs. But supercomputers can execute a single program faster
than a mainframe.
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4) Super Computer

The fastest and most powerful type of computer

Supercomputers are very expensive and are employed for specialized applications that
require immense amounts of mathematical calculations.

For example, weather forecasting requires a supercomputer. Other uses of

supercomputers include animated graphics, fluid dynamic calculations, nuclear energy
research, and petroleum exploration.

The chief difference between a supercomputer and a mainframe is that a supercomputer

channels all its power into executing a few programs as fast as possible, whereas a
mainframe uses its power to execute many programs concurrently.

1.6 BLOCK DIAGRAM OF COMPUTER:

INPUT UNIT:

An input unit of a computer system performs the following functions:

1. It accepts (or reads) instructions and data from outside world

2. It converts these instructions and data in computer acceptable form
3. It supplies the converted instructions and data to the computer system
for further processing
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OUTPUT UNIT:

An output unit of a computer system performs the following functions:

1. It accepts the results produced by the computer, which are in coded form and
hence, cannot be easily understood by us.

2. It converts these coded results to human acceptable (readable) form

3. It supplies the converted results to outside world.

STORAGE UNIT or MEMORY UNIT:

The storage unit of a computer system holds (or stores) the following :

1. Data and instructions required for processing (received from input devices)

2. Intermediate results of processing

3. Final results of processing, before they are released to an output device

TYPES OF STORAGE:

1. Primary storage
i. Used to hold running program instructions
ii. Used to hold data, intermediate results, and results of ongoing
processing of job(s)
iii. Fast in operation
iv. Small Capacity
v. Expensive
vi. Volatile (loses data on power dissipation)
2. Secondary storage
i. Used to hold stored program instructions
ii. Used to hold data and information of stored jobs
permanently
iii. Slower than primary storage
iv. Large Capacity

v. Lot cheaper than primary storage

vi. Retains data even without power

CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT:

 It is the brain of a computer system

 It is responsible for controlling the operations of all other units of a computer
system
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ARITHMETIC LOGIC UNIT:

Arithmetic Logic Unit of a computer system is the place where the

actual executions of instructions take place during processing operation.
An arithmetic logic unit (ALU) is a digital circuit used to perform arithmetic and
logic operations using binary digits (1, 0).

Arithmetic operations: +, - , *, /.. etc

Logic operations: <,>,==,!=, AND,OR,NOT…etc

CONTROL UNIT:
Control Unit of a computer system manages and coordinates the operations of all
other components of the computer system. It directs the flow of data between the
CPU and the other devices.
A control unit or CU is circuitry that directs operations within a computer's processor.
It lets the computer's logic unit, memory, as well as both input and output devices know
how to respond to instructions received from a program.

1.7APPLICATIONS OF COMPUTERS
The various applications of computers in today's arena :
1. Business
2. Education
3. Marketing
4. Banking
5. Insurance
6. Communication
7. Health Care
8. Military
9. Engineering Design

› Business
A computer has high speed of calculation, diligence, accuracy, reliability, or versatility
which made it an integrated part in all business organizations.
Computer is used in business organizations for: Payroll calculations, Sales analysis,
Budgeting, Financial forecasting, Managing employees database and Maintenance of
stocks etc.

› Education
Computers have its dominant use in the education field which can significantly enhance
performance in learning. Even distance learning is made productive and effective
through internet and video-based classes. Researchers have massive usage of these
computers in their work from the starting to till the end of their scholarly work.
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› Marketing
In marketing, uses of computer are:
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 use of
computerized catalogues that provide access to product information and permit direct
entry of orders to be filled by the customers.

› Banking
Today banking is almost totally dependent on computer. Banks provide the facilities of:
Banks provide online accounting facility, which includes current balances, deposits,
overdrafts, interest charges, shares, and trustee records.
ATM machines 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.
The insurance companies, finance houses and stock broking firms are widely using
computers for their concerns.
› Communication
Communication means 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 for.
Some main areas in this category are: Chatting, E-mail, Usenet, FTP, Video-
conferencing and Telnet.
› Health Care
Most of the medical information can now be digitized from the prescription to reports.
Computation in the field of medicine allows us to offer varied miraculous therapies to
the patients. ECG’s, radiotherapy wasn’t possible without computers.
› Military
Computers are the main tools which help in developing missiles and other equipment in
the deference system. Designing and the maintenance are possible only through
computers. Computer builds the links between the soldiers and commanders through
the satellite. Construction of weapons and controlling their function is not possible
without the aid of computers. The list of the criminals and the records of the cops are
maintained regularly in the system.
› Engineering Design
computers aid in designing buildings, magazines, prints, newspapers, books and many
others. The construction layouts are designed beautifully on system using different tools
and softwares.
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1.8CAPABILITIES AND LIMITATIONS OF A COMPUTER

The following items are the capabilities of a computer.
1. The computer processes information very fast.
Computer can get the average of a million sets of numbers in a few seconds by
pressing a button. It is like getting the sum or total of one hundred different sets of
numbers in one click.
2. The computer gives accurate results.
Some scientists use the computer in their experiments. The needed data for their
experiments are processed in the computer. They can get almost perfect and more
accurate results through it.
3. The computer stores large amount of data and information.
Most computers have storage or accessories wherein the user can save
information or document. These are called floppy diskettes, hard disks and zip disks.
4. The computer enables one to restore or bring back any of his works.
You try to bring your old work when you want to make another copy of it, or
when you want to change something in it. A computer makes all these possible.
5. It is automatics.
You don’t have to wait long for a computer to do a certain job. Most of the time,
you just have to click a button and the computer’s processor will do the rest of the work.
6. The computer can do two things at the same time.
You may open two or more programs at the same time. You may work with the
first one while you minimize or hide the other program.
7. The computer can be improved and upgraded.
The computer is unlike other machines or appliances that your parents discard or
throw away when they do not function properly anymore. Today, it is very easy to
replace damaged and obsolete computer parts.
Thus, it has its own limitations, like the following:
1. The computer can only do what you tell it to do.
Do not expect the computer to give you something which you never tell it to do.
It will only give you what you ask it.
2. It cannot generate information on its own.
it cannot give you information you need if you do not feed it with the necessary
data.
3. The computer will give you wrong information if you feed it with wrong data.
The computer cannot distinguish between correct data and wrong data. Thus, if
you feed your computer with wrong data, it will result with the computer giving wrong
information.
4. The computer cannot correct wrong instruction.
If you give the computer wrong instruction, it will not able to do anything to
correct it. It will only stop functioning
5. Computer cannot learn anything from its experiences.
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1.9 ROLE OF I/O DEVICES IN A COMPUTER SYSTEM

 I/O devices Provide means of communication between a computer and outer world

 I/O devices also known as peripheral devices because they surround

the CPU and memory of a computer system

 Input devices are used to enter data from the outside world into primary storage

 Output primary devices supply results of processing from storage to users

1.10 INPUT DEVICES OR INPUT UNITS:

1.10.1 KEYBOARD:

o Keyboard Allow data entry into a computer system by pressing a set of keys (labeled
buttons) neatly mounted on a keyboard connected to a computer system
o 101-keys QWERTY keyboard is most popular

Windows key is a four pane key that helps you open any program and applications
ESC Key is used to interrupt or cancel the current process
F1 through F12 Keys are the function keys that has various uses
Tab Key helps to begin a line of text
Caps Lock Key enables or disables the letter in uppercase
Shift Key helps a user to type a single uppercase letter
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Ctrl Key is used in keyboard shortcut key

Fn Key is used for performing special functions like brightness, contrast, switching
Spacebar key is used for creating empty space to separate words
Arrows Key with up, down, left and right buttons
Backspace key is similar to delete key for removing texts in a word
Delete key is used to remove text, file or other objects from system
Enter key is used to send the cursor to next line
Insert key toggles how text is inserted
Break key enables the user to break a computer from pause or other halted state
Prt Sc key helps you to take screenshot on your monitor
Home key returns to beginning of line, document, page or screen
Page up key helps to move up one page which is currently viewed
Page down key helps you move down the currently viewed page
End key moves the cursor to end of line, document or screen
Numlock key enables and disables the numeric keypad

1.10.2 POINTING DEVICES:

o Pointing devices are used to rapidly point to and select a graphic icon
or menu item from multiple options displayed on the Graphical
User Interface (GUI) of a screen
o Pointing devices are used to create graphic elements on the screen such as
lines, curves, and freehand shapes
o Some commonly used point-and-draw devices are
A. mouse,
B. track ball,
C. joy stick,
D. electronic pen,
E. touch screen

A) MOUSE:
 Mouse is the most popular point-and-draw device
 Mouse is a small hand-held device that fits comfortably in a user’s palm
 It rolls on a small bearing and has one or more buttons on the top
 When a user rolls a mouse on a flat cursor moves on the terminal
screen in mouse’s movement
 Different applications display the graphics cursor as different symbols
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TYPES OF MOUSE:
1) Mechanical mouse:
 Mechanical mouse has a ball inside it that partially projects out through an
opening in its base
 Ball rolls due to surface friction when the mouse is moved on a flat surface
 On two sides of the ball are two small wheels that spin to match the
speed of the ball. Each wheel of the mouse is connected to a sensor
 As the mouse ball rolls when a user moves the mouse, the sensors
detect how much each wheel spins and send this information to the
computer in the form of changes to the current position.

2) Optical mouse:

 An optical mouse has no mechanical parts like the ball and wheels
 It has a built-in photo-detector
 When a user moves the mouse on a special pad with gridlines, the photo-
detector senses each horizontal and vertical line on the pad, and sends
this information to the computer in the form of changes to the current
position

3)One, Two, and Three buttons mouse:

 Mouse can have one, two, or three buttons

 With a mouse having multiple buttons, the leftmost button is the main
button that allows for most mouse operations
 A user can configure another button as main button
4)Serial and bus mouse:

 A serial mouse plugs into a serial port

 A bus mouse requires a special electronic card, which provides a special port just
for connecting the mouse to a computer
5) Wired and cordless mouse:
 Wired mouse is connected to a computer with a small cord

 A cordless mouse operates by transmitting a low-intensity

radio or infrared signal.

B)TRACKBALL:
 A trackball is a pointing device similar to a mechanical mouse

 Roller ball is placed on the top along with the buttons We have to roll the ball
with hand
 Trackball requires less space than a mouse for operation Trackball is a preferred
device for CAD/CAM applications.
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C)JOYSTICK:
 Joystick is a pointing device that works on the same principle as a
trackball
 To make the movements of the spherical ball easier, it is placed in a socket
with a stick mounted on it
 User holds the stick in his/her hand and moves it around to move the spherical
ball.
 User can to move the stick forward or backward, left or right, and position
the graphics cursor at a desired position.
 Joysticks use potentiometers to sense stick and ball movements
 A button on top of the stick enables a user to select the option pointed to
by the cursor

D)ELECTRONIC PEN:
1) LIGHT PEN:

 Uses a photoelectric cell and an optical lens mounted in a pen-shaped

case
 It focuses on to it any light in its field of view
 It detects the light emitted from a limited field of view of the monitor’s
display
 System transmits this electric response to a processor, which identifies the
menu item or icon that is triggering the photocell.
 Pen has a finger-operated button.
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2) WRITING PEN WITH PAD:

 This type of electronic pen comes with a special type of writing pad
 User writes on the pad with the electronic pen whatever data he/she
wants to input to the computer
 This input device with handwriting recognition software is used often as an
easy way to input text and freehand drawings into compute.

E)TOUCH SCREEN:

 Touch screen is Most simple, intuitive, and easiest to use compare to all
input devices

 Touch screen Enables users to choose from available options by

simply touching with their finger the desired icon or menu item
displayed on the screen
 Most preferred human-computer interface used in information
kiosks (unattended interactive information systems such as automatic teller
machine or ATM)
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1.10.3 SCANNERS
o Scanners are Input devices that enable direct data entry into a
computer system from source documents
o Scanners Eliminate the need to key in text data into the computer
o Due to reduced human effort in data entry, they improve data
accuracy and also increase the timeliness of the information processed.
o Some data scanning devices are also capable of recognizing marks
or characters
o Using scanners, design and ink specification of input documents usually becomes
more critical for accuracy.

TYPES OF SCANNERS:
A) IMAGE SCANNERS:
o Input device that translates paper documents into an electronic
format for storage in a computer
o Electronic format of a scanned image is its bit map
representation
o Stored image can be altered or manipulated with an image-
processing software

Types of Image scanners:

1) Flat-bed scanner:
 A flat-bed scanner is like a copier machine consisting of a box having a
glass plate on its top and a lid that covers the glass plate.
 To scan a document, a user has to place it upside down on the glass
plate.
 A light beam below the glass plate moves horizontally from one end to
other to scan whole document.

2) Hand-held scanner:
 A user can hold a hand-held scanner in hand conveniently.
 It has a set of light emitting diodes encased in a small case
 To scan a document , a user drags it slowly over the document from one
end to the other end with its lights on.
 These are much cheaper than flatbed scanners.
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B)OPTICAL CHARACTER RECOGNITION(OCR) DEVICE:

o Scanner equipped with a character recognition software (called OCR
software) that converts the bit map images of characters to equivalent
ASCII codes

o IT Enables word processing of input text and also requires less

storage for storing the document as text rather than an image

o OCR software is extremely complex because it is difficult to make a

computer recognize an unlimited number of typefaces and fonts

o Two standard OCR fonts are OCR-A (American standard) and OCR-B
(European standard)

C)OPTICAL MARK READER:

 Scanner capable of recognizing a pre-specified type of mark by pencil
or pen.
 Very useful in grading the tests with objective type questions.
 Technique used for recognition of marks involves focusing a light on the
page being scanned and detecting the reflected light pattern from the
marks.
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D)BAR-CODE READER:

o Scanner used for reading (decoding) bar-coded data.

o Data ceded in the form of small lines (bars) are known as bar codes.
o Bar codes represent alphanumeric data by a combination of
adjacent vertical lines (bars) by varying their width and the spacing
between them.

o Scanner uses laser-beam to stroke across pattern of bar code. Different

patterns of bars reflect the beam in different ways sensed by a light-sensitive
detector converts into electrical pulses

o Finally, the logic circuit converts the electrical pulses into alphanumeric value.
o Universal Product Code (UPC) is the most widely known bar coding
system.

E)MAGNETIC-INC CHARACTER RECOGNITION(MICR ):

 MICR is used by banking industry for faster processing of large volume of

cheques
 Bank’s identification code (name, branch, etc.), account number and cheque
number are pre-printed (encoded) using characters from a special
character set on all cheques.
 Special ink is used that contains magnetizable particles of iron oxide.
 IT consist of numaricals 0 to 9 and four special characters.
 A MICR reader-sorter transfers codded data into these fonts from cheques to
computer.
 MICR is not adopted by other industries because it supports only 14 symbols.
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F)ELECTRONIC CARD READER:

 Electronic cards are small plastic cards having encoded data appropriate for
the application for which they are used
 Electronic-card reader (normally connected to a computer) is
used to read data encoded on an electronic card and transfer
it to the computer for further processing
 Used together as a means of direct data entry into a computer system
 Used by banks for use in automatic teller machines (ATMs) and by
organizations for controlling access of employees to physically secured areas.
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1.10.4 VOICE RECOGNITION SYSTEMS :

Input device that allows a person to input data to a computer system by
speaking to it.
Types of voice recognition systems:
1) Single word recognition systems can recognize only a single spoken
words, such as YES, NO, MOVE, STOP, at a time. Speaker-independent
systems are mostly of this type.
2) Continuous speech recognition systems can recognize spoken
sentences, such as MOVE TO THE NEXT BLOCK. Such systems are normally
speaker-dependent
Uses of voice recognition systems:
o For inputting data to a computer system by a person in situations where
his/her hands are busy, or his/her eyes must be fixed on a measuring
instrument or some other object
o For data input by dictation of long text or passage for later editing and
review
o For authentication of a user by a computer system based on voice
input
o For limited use of computers by individuals with physical
disabilities.
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1.10.5 VISION-INPUT SYSTEM:

 Vision-input system allows computer to accept input just by seeing an object.
 Input data is normally an object’s shape and features in the form of an image
 Mainly used today in factories for designing industrial robots that are used
for quality-control and assembly processes.
Steps to recognize a given object:
1. It focuses the camera on the given object.
2. The camera creates a digital image of the objects and feeds it to the computer.
3. The computer takes appropriate action depending on that specific application.

1.10.6 TERMINALS:

A computer terminal is an electronic or electromechanical hardware device that is

used for entering data into, and displaying or printing data from, a computer or
a computing system.

It is device which includes input and output devices in one combination like monitor
and keyboard.
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Types of Terminals:
1) Dump Terminals:
 Device which consists of a keyboard and a monitor, and a connection to a
full-fledged computer ,usually a server PC, minicomputer, or a mainframe
computer.
 Dumb terminals have no 'intelligence' (data processing )and depend
entirely on the computer for computations, data storage, and retrieval.
 Dumb terminals are used by airlines, banks, and other such firms for
inputting data to, and recalling it from, the connected computer.

2) Smart Terminals:
 A terminal that has some processing capabilities, but not as many as
an intelligent terminal.
 Smart terminals have built-in logic for performing simple display
operations, such as blinking and boldface. In contrast, a dumb
terminal has no processing capabilities at all.

3) Intelligent Terminal:
A terminal (monitor and keyboard) that contains processing power. Intelligent
terminals include memory and a processor to perform special display operations. , but
no local disk or tape storage.
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1.11.OUTPUT DEVICES(OR)OUTPUT UNITS:

Soft-copy output

 Not produced on a paper or some material that can be touched and

carried for being shown to others
 Temporary in nature and vanish after use
 Examples are output displayed on a terminal screen or spoken out by a voice
response system

Hard-copy output

 Produced on a paper or some material that can be touched and carried

for being shown to others.
 Permanent in nature and can be kept in paper files or can be looked
at a later time when the person is not using the computer
 Examples are output produced by printers or plotters on paper

1.11.1 MONITER:
o Monitors are the most popular output devices used for producing soft-copy
output
o It is also called visual display unit(VDU).
o Display the output on a television like screen.
o IT forms text or images from tiny dots ,called pixels that are arranged in
rectangular form.
o The sharpness of the image depends on the number of pixels.
o It is the most popular I/O device.

Types of Monitors:
1) Cathode-Ray Tube(CRT):

 Cathode-ray-tube (CRT) monitors look like a television and are normally used
with non-portable computer systems.

 A finite number of characters can displayed on a screen at once.

 Most of the screens are capable of displaying 80 characters of data horizontally

and 25 lines vertically.

 These are large in size.

 High power consumption.

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2) Flat-panel monitors:

 Flat-panel monitors are thinner and lighter.

 Commonly used with portable computer systems like notebook computers.

 Now they are also used with non-portable desktop computer systems because
they occupy less table space.

 You can hang them on a wall or wear them on wrist.

 These are small in size.

 low power consumption

Flat-panel display divided into two categories:

 LCD(Liquid-crystal device)

 LED(Light-Emitting Diodes)

1.11.2 PRINTERS:
Printers are the most common output devices for producing hard-copy output.

TYPES OF PRINTERS:
1) Impact printers:
 The impact printers print the characters by striking them on the ribbon which is
then pressed on paper.

 These are very low in cost.

 These are very noisy.

 Impact printers can be used for generating multiple copies by using carbon
paper or its equivalent

Types of impact printers:

a)Dot-Matrix printer:
o These are Character printers that form characters and all kinds of images
as a pattern of dots.

o It Prints many special characters, different sizes of print and graphics

such as charts and graphs.

o These printers are Slow in printing , with speeds usually ranging between
30 to 600 characters per second.

o These are Cheap in both initial cost and cost of operation.

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b) Drum printer:
 These are Line printers that print one line at a time

 Have a solid cylindrical drum with characters embossed on its surface in

the form of circular bands

 Set of hammers mounted in front of the drum in such a manner that an

inked ribbon and paper can be placed between the hammers and the drum

 Can only print a pre-defined set of characters in a pre-defined style that is

embossed on the drum

 Impact printers and usually monochrome

 Typical speeds are in the range of 300 to 2000 lines per minute.
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c) Chain printers:
o These are Line printers that print one line at a time

o It Consist of a metallic chain/band on which all characters of the character

set supported by the printer are embossed.

o It also have a set of hammers mounted in front of the chain/band in such

a manner that an inked ribbon and paper can be placed between the
hammers and the chain/band

o It can only print pre-defined sets of characters that are embossed on the
chain/band used with the printer

o It Cannot print any shape of characters, different sizes of print, and

graphics such as charts and graphs

o These are impact printers and can be used for generating multiple copies
by using carbon paper or its equivalent

o These are usually monochrome

o Typical speeds are in the range of 400 to 3000 lines per minute.

2)NON-IMPACT PRINTERS:
A type of printer that does not operate by striking a head against a ribbon.
Examples of nonimpact printers include laser and ink-jet printers.

Types of non-impact printers:

A)Inkjet printers:
 These are Character printers that form characters and all kinds of
images by spraying small drops of ink on to the paper

 In this printers , there is a Print head contains up to 64 tiny nozzles

that can be selectively heated up in a few micro seconds by an
integrated circuit register.

 The printer selectively heats the appropriate set of nozzles as the

print head moves horizontally to print a character.
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 It Can print many special characters, different sizes of print, and

graphics such as charts and graphs.

 These are Non-impact printers. Hence, they cannot produce multiple

copies of a document in a single printing

 They Can be both monochrome and color

 These are Slower than dot-matrix printers with speeds usually

ranging between 40 to 300 characters per second

 These printers are more expensive than a dot-matrix printer.

B) LaserJet printer:
 These are Page printers that print one page at a time.

 It Consist of a laser beam source, a multi-sided mirror, a

photoconductive drum and toner.

 To print a page, the laser beam is focused on the electrostatically charged

drum by the spinning multi-sided mirror.

 Toner sticks to the drum in the places the laser beam has charged the
drum’s surface.
 Toner is then permanently fused on the paper with heat and pressure to
generate the printer output
 Laser printers produce very high quality output having resolutions in the
range of 600 to 1200 dpi.
 It Can print many special characters, different sizes of print, and graphics
such as charts and graphs
 These are non-impact printers
 Most laser printers are monochrome, but color laser printers are also
available
 Low speed laser printers can print 4 to 12 pages per minute. Very high-
speed laser printers can print 500 to 1000 pages per minute
 More expensive than other printers
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1.11.3. PLOTTERS:
Plotters are special output devices used to produce hard copied of large graphs
and designs on paper. Plotters are often used for the production of construction maps,
engineering drawings, architectural planes and business charts.

Types of Plotters:

A) Drum Plotters:

 A drum plotter is pen plotter that wraps

the paper around a drum.
 The drum then rotates the paper as
pen moves across it and draw image.

B)Flat-bed Plotters:

 A flat-bed plotter is a mechanical drafting

device.
 The paper remains stationary on a flat
surface while a pen moves across it horizontally and
vertically.
 This plotters many different colors of pens to
create the graphics.
 The size of the graphic is limited to the size
of the flat-bed surface.
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C) Inkjet Plotters:
 The inkjet plotters create an image by spraying small droplets of ink onto
a piece of paper.
 It is a popular choice for advertising
agencies and graphic designers.
 Inkjet plotters are used for large
outputs, such as banners and billboards and
large signs often seen on roadsides.

1.11.4. SOUND CARDS:

 A sound card is an expansion component(IC) used in computers to receive and
send audio.
 Sound cards are configured and utilized with the help of a software application
and a device driver.
 The input device attached to receive audio data is usually a microphone, while the
device used to output audio data is generally speakers or headphones.
 The sound card converts incoming digital audio data into analog audio so that the
speakers can play it.
 In the reverse case, the sound card can convert analog audio data from the
microphone into digital data that can be stored on the computer and altered using
audio software.
 Sound cards are also known as audio adapters.

History:
 Computers were originally only capable of producing beeps using a narrow range
of frequencies.
 These beeps were used mainly as warning alarms.
 The growth in multimedia created a need for high quality sound for both
professional and entertainment reasons.
 AdLib was a pioneering sound card created to fill this need in year 1987.
 AdLib made programmable audio possible, featuring a 9-voice mode and a
percussion mode that could be used with AdLibs composition software.
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 The introduction of Sound Blaster sound cards by Creative Labs increased the
capabilities of sound cards by enabling
the recording and playing of digital audio.
 Sound cards have continued to
evolve both in terms of hardware and
software. The modern sound cards can
output 3-D sound and surround sound of
increasingly high quality

 Computer games and other applications are being developed to make full use of
the new capabilities of sound cards.
 The use of sound cards is so widespread that most motherboard manufacturers
offer built-in sound cards for computers.

1.11.5 speakers:
 A computer speaker is an output hardware device that connects to a computer
to generate sound.

 The signal used to produce the

sound that comes from a computer
speaker is created by the
computer's sound card.

 Speakers are made up of a cone,

an iron coil, a magnet, and housing
(case).

 When the speaker receives

electrical input from a device, it sends the current through the causing it to move
back and forth.

 This motion then vibrates the outer cone, generating sound waves picked up by
our ears.
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Evolution of the computer speaker:
A)Onboard speakers:
 Onboard speakers built into the chassis that generated a series of different
tones and beeps.
 As technology progressed, onboard speakers moved to being built into the
computer monitor and acquired the ability to produce voices, music, and other
sound effects.
 The speakers were usually located on the bottom-left and bottom-right on the
front of the monitor.

B) Internal speaker:
 The first internal computer speaker was invented by IBM in 1981 and
produced basic, low quality sound.
 The internal speaker is a basic speaker on a motherboard that creates beeps,
beeping noises, and mono tones. This speaker is very basic and is not a
speaker for playing songs, music, or other complex sounds generated in a
game.

C) External speaker:
 External speakers are connected to a computer or another device to give the
sound more amplification (make it
louder), add more bass with create
surround sound.
 If you have a laptop, smartphone, or
another device with built-in speakers,
you do not need external speakers
unless you need louder sounds, more
bass, or surround sound.
 The first external computer speaker
was invented by Abinawan
Puracchidas in 1991