Introduction

In computing, an input device is a peripheral device (piece of computer hardware

equipment) used to provide data and control signals to an information processing system
such as a computer or information appliance.
Input devices are hardware that allows data to be input into computers. Input devices send
signals into the computer that have to be interpreted by the operating system using drivers.
Some of the most common input devices include: keyboards, mice, scanners, digital
cameras and joysticks etc.
2D scanners
USE
To convert hard-copy documents into an electronic/digital form which
can be stored in a computer memory.

There are 2 types of 2D scanner;

Flat bed scanner

Hand held scanner

Principle of operation:

• The document to be scanned is placed onto the glass pane and the
cover lid is lowered.
• A scan head, that is a shining lamp (e.g. a xenon lamp), moves
across the document producing an image which is reflected to a
lens using a series of mirrors.
• The lens focuses the image onto an electronic, light-sensing
integrated circuit known as a charged coupled device (CCD) which
turns light into an electric charge. (the CCD itself consists of
thousands of light-sensitive elements or pixels)
• A digital image of the document is then formed and stored in the
computer’s memory.
 •

Real-life applications:
• At an airport to read passenger’s passport and identify the passenger.
• Make use of OCR technology (Optical Character Recognition) which
allows the manipulation of the digital images, e.g. it may be edited as
text. This can be used to extract information like the name of the
passenger, from passport.
• Facial recognition software can be used to compare key facial features
on the scanned photograph from passport and a photograph taken
by a digital camera, to identify the passenger.
3D scanners
USE
To scan solid objects and produce 3-D images

Principle of operation:
• Scans and analyses a real-world object at several points along x, y, z
coordinates
• Splits image into several thin 2D ‘slices’ which can be stored digitally
• These slices are added up to reconstruct the 3D image of the object on a
computer using a CAD (Computer Aided Design) software. They may also be
sent to 3D printing.

Limitations of 3D scanning:
• Cannot be used on shiny, transparent or mirroring objects

Real-life applications:
• In medical field for body scanning:
• Computer tomographic (CT) scanners (x-ray)
• MRI (magnetic resonance)
• SPECT (gamma rays)
• In entertainment industry to produce video games
• Industrial design, prosthetics and orthotics, reverse engineering and
prototyping
Barcode readers

A barcode is simply a numeric code represented as a series of black and

white lines of varying thickness. These lines can be read by a barcode
reader/scanner.
They are used to identify items, resources, documents amongst others.
Different numbers or characters are represented by varying the widths
and spacing of the parallel lines.

Principle of operation
(similar to scanner)
• A red light/red LED reads the barcode
• The reflected light is read by sensors, where a pattern is
generated and converted to digital data

Advantages:
• Faster for data entry/less typing
• Shorter queues resulting in faster service
• More accurate than a person/fewer errors
• Automatic adjustments of stock in the system/allows for
automatic stock control

Disadvantages:
• Difficult to read if obscured by marks/damaged/scratched
• Can be difficult to get the bar code reader into a position to read
bar code on large items

Real-life applications:
• POS (Point of Sale): supermarkets
• Library system
• Membership card
• Stock Control System of items
Note: The most common use of barcode readers is at
Point-of- Sale (POS) in a shop. The code for each item to
be purchased needs to be entered into the computer.
How happens once a barcode is read at the POS?/ How
is automatic stock control done?
(The barcode number is used to uniquely identify each
stock item in the database as the KEY FIELD)
• The barcode number is looked up to find the

required stock item record

• Once found, the price and other stock item details
are sent back to the checkout (or POINT OF SALE
TERMINAL (POS)).
• The number of stock items in the record is reduced
by one each time the barcode is read.
• This new value for number of stock items is
updated in the stock item record.
• The number of stock items is compared to the re-
order level; if it is less than or equal to this value,
more stock items are automatically ordered.
• Once an order for more stock items is generated, a

flag is added to the record to stop re-ordering

every time the stock item barcode is read.
• When new stock items arrive, the stock levels are
updated in the database.

**at step 2, the billing details are obtained

**at steps 3 & 4, stock control takes place as the
number of stock items left is decremented at each item
sale
 **at step 5, stock item is automatically ordered if below
the set level

QR reader

A Quick Response code is made up of a matrix of filled in

squares on a light background. It may be used to display text to
user , or even a website link or a text message or even
authenticate the use of some applications.

Principle of operation
• Scan QR code using built-in camera in smartphones or

tablets
• The code is read using an appropriate app (e.g. QR code

Reader and Quick Scan) which can be downloaded

• Once read, the QR code will send information back to the

phone or tablet, e.g. a website link or general information

(e.g. a phone number or ‘special offer’)
 Advantages:
• Can contain larger amount of information than barcodes
• Easy to scan using built-in camera facility (no need of

special hardware)
• Easy way to direct users to online content and pages

Real-life applications:
• Advertising purposes on magazines, business cards, on

trains and buses

Digital camera

USE
Used to take photos in digital format.
Digital cameras make use of microprocessor which allows manipulation
of:
• Aperture (light intensity)
• Lens focus
• Flash
• Shutter speed
• ‘red eye’ removal etc

• Quality of image depends on:

• Resolution of camera: Number of pixels
• The sensor
• Lenses used in camera

Principle of operation
Images are captured when light passes through the lens onto a light-
sensitive cell (sensor), which is made up of thousands of tiny elements
called pixels. A digital image is then formed and stored in the memory.
The number of pixels determines the size of the file needed to store the
image.
Advantages:
• View/adjust pictures easily and immediately
• Can be cost effective (no need of buying and processing film)
• Can store more pictures in less space
• Easy data transfer to computers via USB (also have wireless
connection nowadays)

Disadvantages:
• More power consumption
• Sophisticated lenses and camera may be very expensive
Keyboard

Figure: a Braille keyboard

There are several keyboards layouts e.g. QWERTY (English), AZERTY (French), Braille
keyboard

Principle of operation:
Inside the keyboard, there are metallic plate, circuit board (key matrix) and
processor, which are responsible for transferring information from the keyboard to
the computer.

• When a user presses a key, which contains a letter/number/symbol, a signal

is sent to the microprocessor, which interprets which key has been pressed
using the ASCII or Unicode character sets.
• The latter then can display the corresponding character on monitor.

Advantages:
• Simple technology to use

Disadvantages:
• Slow compared to data capture technology like OCR(Optical Character
Recognition)
 • Health risk (Repetitive Strain Injury) if used continuously for long period of
time (risk can be reduced by using ergonomic keyboards)

NOTE: keyboards make use of keyboard buffer (prevent microprocessor waiting for
input via keyboard)

Pointing devices
The selection of an icon or option on the screen is usually done using a Pointing device
(unless touchscreen).

Mouse
• Control cursor on graphical user interface(screen)
• Selection made by pressing/clicking button
• May have a scroll button
There are of different types :
• Mechanical one (uses ball underneath to detect
motion)
• Optical (senses reflected light to control cursor)
• A mouse can be connected to PC using a USB cable or
by Bluetooth connection

• Restricted motion for games especially

• Needs some desk space and a proper flat surface
• Risk of RSI
Joystick
• Adapted for motion
• Widely used in video games

• Can be kept on any surface

• Use less desk space

• Can be quite sensitive (thus trackerball)

• Can lead to RSI (wrist injury) upon prolonged use

Trackerball
 • better control of motion

• Can be kept on any surface

• Use less desk space

• Less risk of RSI
• Can be used on laptops n notebooks

Touch Pad

• Control cursor by moving finger over sensitive pad

area (a tactile sensor)

• Can be used on laptops n notebooks

Touch screens
USE:
• Uses a touch sensitive screen as pointing device
• Also allows input via ‘virtual keyboard’
• May use finger or stylus

Principle of Operation
• The device senses where the user is pointing and reports the position to the
processor
• The processor will deduce what the user’s input/answer is.

There are 3 major types of touchscreen technology used :

Capacitive Infrared • Resistive

Technology • uses layers of glass that •
uses glass and can • uses upper layer of
acts a capacitor either detect heat or polyester and bottom
• when the top layer is uses infrared sensors layer of glass
touched, the electric to detect touch • when top layer
current changes • microprocessor touched, it completes
• microprocessor works works out where the circuit screen was
 out the coordinates of screen was touched touched based on
where the screen based on sensor/heat sensor
touched data • microprocessor works
out coordinates heat
data of where the
screen was touched
Benefits • this is a medium-cost • Allows multi-touch • relatively inexpensive
technology capability technology
• good visibility in strong • Can use bare fingers, • can use bare fingers,
sunlight gloved hand or stylus gloved hand or stylus
• allows multi-touch • Good screen
capability durability
• very durable
Drawbacks • can only use bare • Relatively expensive • poor visibility in strong
fingers or a conductive technology sunlight
stylus • Heat-sensitive • doesn't allow multi-
systems only allow touch capability
bare fingers to be • screen is vulnerable to
used scratches

Advantages of using touch screens:

• Easy to use (e.g. young children for making drawings or playing games)
• Difficult to vandalise
• Can be made reasonably waterproof

Disadvantages of using touch screens:

• Disabled/blind people have difficulty using this technology

Real life applications

• Smartphone
• PDA
• Tablets
• Monitors/laptop screens
• At POS
Interactive whiteboard
USE:
It acts as a virtual whiteboard and in mainly used to project information which can
be actively edited and saved for later use.
Principle of operation:
• The interactive whiteboard is connected to a computer via a USB interface.
• The computer's visual display is projected onto the board.
• The board is then adjusted to make sure the sensors it contains line up with
the displayed image.
• The user touches the board either with a special pen or their finger.
• Sensors determine which part of the board has been touched and translates
the touch into an action, for example selecting a menu option or clicking an
'OK' button or even writing or drawing diagrams.

• The interactive whiteboard contains special software that allows:

• Handwriting recognition
• PC control (running and controlling computer applications )
• Text input via a virtual keyboard

Advantages:
• quite versatile- they be can written on, drawn on, display images and text
• offer a large screen that is excellent for use in a classroom or business
environment

Disadvantages:
X Must be accurately calibrated before use otherwise a user may touch the board in
one place and the touch isn't registered
X Can be quite imprecise, which can make it difficult to do any work that requires
more complex detail

Real life applications

• In education sector: at schools, colleges & universities

• Sport: for team planning and strategy sessions

• Business ; in meeting for discussions and staff training

Microphone

USE
To input sound in computer system

Principle of Operation
• A diaphragm vibrates when the microphone picks up a sound,
producing an electric signal
• An ADC (analogue to digital converter) found in the sound card,
converts the signal to digital values which can be stored in the
computer
• Sound file can then be edited using appropriate audio editing
software

Application
• Used in Voice recognition
• It is used to identify a 'known’ person e.g. a security system
used to authenticate user voice
• The software compares wave patterns from the person’s
voice with those stored in memory.
• If the wave patterns match, then the correct person is
identified.

• Used in Speech recognition (Recognise words through syllables

(e.g. Siri))
• First, the speech patterns are converted to digital form.
• The digital form is broken up into phonemes which are then
compared with words stored in the built-in dictionary.
• The spoken words are then recognised.

Advantages of using microphone:

• Can issue computer commands
Disadvantages of using microphone:
• Cannot be used in noisy environment
• Need specialised speech recognition software

Real life applications

• Speech to text program for disabled people
• Voice recognition as security feature
• Vocal command features in modern smartphones