AQA Computer Science A-Level

4.7.4 External hardware devices

Intermediate Notes

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Specification:

4.7.4.1 Input and output devices:

Know the main characteristics, purposes and suitability of the devices
and understand their principles of operation.
Devices that need to be considered are:
● barcode reader
● digital camera
● laser printer
● RFID

4.7.4.2 Secondary storage devices:

Explain the need for secondary storage within a computer system.
Know the main characteristics, purposes, suitability and understand the
principles of operation of the following devices:
● hard disk
● optical disk
● solid-state drive (SSD)
Compare the capacity and speed of access of various media and make
a judgement about their suitability for different applications.

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 Input and output devices

In order to make use of data, computers must be able to use various devices which allow
the computer to have data ​input ​and ​output​.

Barcodes and barcode readers

When you buy something in a supermarket, the chances are that a​ barcode reader​ is used
by the computer to identify what it is you’re buying.

Barcodes are ​printed diagrams​ that consist of​ light and dark portions​. They ​contain
information ​which can be read by a computer using a barcode reader.

Barcode readers consist of a ​laser light source​, a ​lens​, ​photodiodes ​and a ​mirror​. The
mirror directs light from the laser onto a printed barcode. The light reflected by the barcode
passes through the lens and is incident on the photodiode which ​turns light into electrical
charge​. This electrical charge can be ​measured ​and processed to form a​ digital signal
representing the content of a barcode.

Light portions of a barcode ​reflect the most light​ while dark sections absorb incident light.
The pattern of light and dark stripes in a barcode corresponds to binary 1s and 0s.

Barcodes can have ​error detection​ and prevention methods

such as ​parity bits ​and ​check digits​ built in, allowing
computers to tell whether a barcode has been read correctly.
If a barcode ​fails to scan ​correctly, perhaps because the
barcode is dirty, the reader will​ continue to scan​ until the
barcode is read successfully. Barcode readers can scan
barcodes ​1000s of times a second​, so the time delay caused
by rescanning is ​hardly perceptible​ to humans.

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Digital cameras
Digital cameras consist of a ​lens ​that focuses light onto a ​sensor​. The path of light
between the lens and the sensor is controlled by a ​shutter​.

Sensors used in digital cameras convert

incident light into electrical charge.
Charge builds up in cells, each of which
represents a pixel ​in the image. Once
the photograph has been taken, the
charge in each of the cells is ​measured
and converted to a digital value which is
then processed by the camera and
stored as a digital image.

In colour cameras, there are​ multiple cells for each pixel​, each of which has a ​filter ​that
only allows in ​certain colours ​of light. This lets the camera build up a ​separate image ​for
the intensity of ​each colour​ which can then be ​combined ​to form a full colour photograph.

Red light intensity Green light intensity Blue light intensity

Red, green and blue combined

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Laser printer
A laser printer produces images on paper from digital signals. They consist of a ​laser light
source​, a ​mirror​, a ​drum​, a​ toner roller​ and ​fusers​.

When a document is printed, the drum is ​electrically charged ​all over before the laser is
directed at its surface by the mirror. Areas on which the laser is incident are ​discharged​,
leaving behind an ​impression of the page​ in electrical charge on the drum.

The toner roller dispenses ​charged toner​ (a type of plastic powder) onto the drum. The
charged toner is attracted to the charged portions of the drum. The toner is then applied to
the paper by the drum before the paper is ​heated ​by fusers, fixing the toner to the paper.

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RFID
RFID, which stands for radio frequency identification,
is a method of transferring information ​wirelessly
between a ​tag ​and a ​reader​. RFID is used in
contactless credit and debit cards as well as in some
hotel room cards.

Inside an RFID tag is a ​chip ​which contains a small

amount of memory. The chip is attached to a coil of
wire which acts as an ​antenna​.

1 2 3
When an RFID tag is scanned, the reader emits ​radio waves​ which are picked up by the
tag’s antenna (stage 1). The power induced in the tag’s antenna from these waves is
enough to power the chip (stage 2) which then uses its antenna to emit its own radio wave
(stage 3), which contains the information held on the chip. This wave is picked up by the
reader which ​decodes ​the information and returns the information to a computer.

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 Secondary storage devices

A computer’s primary storage is memory such as RAM and ROM. Secondary storage,
which is used to store files and applications, includes hard disk drives (HDDs), solid-state
drives (SSDs) and optical disks.

Hard disk drives

A hard disk drive consists of a number of circular ​platters ​which are made from a magnetic
material. Above each platter hovers an ​actuating arm​ on which is a ​read/write head​.

The actuating arm allows the read/write head, which changes the magnetic ​polarity ​of
parts of the platter, to access ​all portions ​of each platter.

Data is written in ​concentric tracks​, each of

which is further divided into ​sectors​. The
platter rotates ​thousands of times per minute​,
allowing for good read and write speeds.

Because of the number of ​moving parts​ in hard

disk drives, they are susceptible to ​damage
from movement​. This makes them unsuitable
for use in portable devices like phones and
tablets.

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Solid-state drives
Solid-state drives (SSDs) consist of ​NAND flash memory cells​ and a ​controller ​that
manages the structure of data on the drive. The memory cells store information by
trapping electrical charge​.

Data is stored on SSDs in ​pages​, which are combined to form ​blocks​.

Unlike hard disk drives, SSDs are ​not capable of overwriting​ data. Instead, an SSD’s
controller must ​completely erase ​the entirety of a page before writing ​new information ​to it.

Because SSDs ​don’t have any moving parts​, they are capable of ​far higher read and write
speeds ​than HDDs and are suitable for use in portable devices like phones and tablets.

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Optical disks
Optical disks include CDs, DVDs and Blu-rays. They store information which can be read
optically ​by a laser. Optical disks can be either read-only, recordable or rewritable
depending on what they are to be used for.

Different types of optical disk vary slightly but all follow the same basic principles of
operation.

The image below shows a microscope view of the surface of a read-only optical disk. The
stripes in the image are called ​pits​, and the areas surrounding them called ​lands​. Pits are
burnt into the disk by a ​high-power laser ​which ​permanently deforms ​the surface.

Unlike hard-disk drives which use tracks and sectors, optical disks have​ just one
continuous track​ which ​spirals ​from the center of the disk to the outside edge.

When a ​low-power ​laser beam is passed over the flat surface of an optical disk, it ​reflects
back ​onto a ​photodiode​. However, when the laser is incident on a pit, the light from the
beam is scattered in different directions rather than reflected back at the photodiode. The
resulting pattern of reflections and scatters can be converted into a ​digital signal ​of binary
1s and 0s.

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Comparison of secondary storage devices

Hard-disk drive Solid-state drive Optical disk

Very low capacity.

High capacity. Relatively low
Blu-rays have the
Typical capacity Typically between capacity. Typically
highest capacity at
500GB and 5TB. under 1TB.
25GB.

Relatively low
Good speeds. Very high speeds.
Read / write speeds speeds.
≈ 100MB/s ≈ 500MB/s
≈ 30MB/s

Latency High Very low High

Very small and

Bulky, heavy and Lightweight and rarely
lightweight, can be
Portability easily damaged by damaged by
damaged by
movement. movement.
scratches and dirt.

Power consumption High Low High

Good for sharing and

Good for desktop Good for laptops,
Suitability distributing small
PCs and servers. phones and tablets.
volumes of data.

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