0% found this document useful (0 votes)
11 views15 pages

Input and Output Devices

Uploaded by

techboy0206040
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
11 views15 pages

Input and Output Devices

Uploaded by

techboy0206040
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 15

INPUT & OUTPUT

DEVICES
COMP101 / COMP-111

Ch. Muhammad Ashraf Kamboh


Chapter 4

Input & Output Devices


Q.1 What are Input devices? Explain its types.
Anything given to the computer is called input. Data and instructions are given to the computer
as input. Input into the computer can be entered:
• Through a keyboard (by typing characters)
• By selecting commands (icons) on the screen and then clicking with a mouse
• By pressing a finger on a touch screen
• By speaking into a microphone
• By sending the image through a digital camera
• By scanning data printed on paper through scanner etc.

Input devices:
Any hardware component used to enter data and instructions into the computer or mobile
device is called an input device. It takes input (data or instructions) from user and converts it
into a form that a computer can understand and use. Different input devices are used for
entering data and instructions into a computer. Examples of input devices are keyboard, mouse,
scanner, touchpad, trackball, joystick, microphone, digital camera, etc.
Types of input devices:
There are multiple types of input devices. Some of those are given below.

1. Keyboard
2. Mouse
3. Trackball
4. Touch pad / track pad
5. Pointing stick
6. Touch screen
7. Digital camera
8. Light pen
9. Joystick
10. Scanners and readers
11. Microphone
1. Keyboard:
Keyboard is the most commonly used input device. It is mostly used to enter text and numeric
type data into the computer. Buttons on the keyboard are called keys. Keyboard contains keys
for all alphabetic characters, numeric digits, and special characters. It also contains some
special keys known as function keys. A standard keyboard contains more than 100-keys like
QWERTY keyboard. This is because first six leftmost keys on top row of alphabets are Q, W, E,
R, T, and Y. A keyboard is connected to serial or USB port on system unit.

2. Mouse:
It is used to control cursor or pointer on the screen and to give commands to the computer. As a
user moves a mouse, pointer on the screen also moves. Mouse is connected with computer by
a cable or wireless connection. Usually, a mouse with a cable is connected to USB port on
system unit. Front of the mouse's casing contains one wheel and 2 or 3 buttons. These buttons
can be clicked or double clicked to perform different tasks. For example, an object (icon) on the
screen is selected by clicking left button of the mouse. Similarly, a program or folder is opened
by double clicking left button of mouse. Bottom of a mouse is flat and contains a mechanism
that detects movement of mouse. Commands can be given to computer very easily and quickly.
Mouse also allows the user to create graphics such as lines, curves, and freehand shapes, on
the screen

3. Trackball:
It performs functions like a mouse but it is a stationary device. It has a moveable ball on its top.
The ball is rotated or rolled with fingers (or the palm of the hand) to control the movement of a
pointer on the screen. Like a mouse, a trackball also has buttons used to send commands to
computer. However, a trackball has additional buttons whose functions vary depending upon
software. Trackball is usually available with a laptop computer. It is fixed on its keyboard. A
trackball is also available as a separate input device. Some cordless trackballs are also
available. These are not directly connected to computer with a wire.

4. Touch pad / track pad:


A touchpad is a pressure-sensitive pointing input device. It is also called trackpad. Like a
trackball, a touchpad is also a stationary device but it has no moving parts. It is a small, flat
surface (or sensitive pad) over which a user slides his/her fingertip to move the pointer on the
screen. As a user slides his/her fingertip on flat surface of touchpad, pointer (or cursor) moves
on the screen. Some touchpads have one or more buttons around the edge of the pad. These
buttons work like mouse buttons. Some touchpads have no button. On most touchpads, users
can tap the pad’s surface to initiate mouse operations such as clicking. Touchpads are now
commonly used with portable computers such as laptops and are built-in on their keyboards.
We can also connect a touchpad to a personal computer. Advanced keyboards also have a
built-in touchpad

5. Pointing stick:
It is a pressure sensitive device. It is similar to pencil eraser and exists between keys on the
keyboard. The pointer on the screen moves when the user pushes the pointing stick. It requires
no additional space or cleaning like mouse. Pointing stick is normally used with notebook
computers.

6. Touch screen:
A touch screen is a touch sensitive display device. The user can touch different parts of the
screen. He touch screen either using fingers or stylus to input data and issue commands. Many
touch screens today are multi-touch and can recognize input from more than one finger at a
time. For example, the user can touch the screen with two fingers to enlarge or rotate an image
on the screen. Touch screens are commonly used in tablets, mobile devices, retail stores or
ATMs etc.

7. Digital camera:
Digital camera is used to store digital images by taking pictures. It stores captured images on
storage in the camera or some kind of memory card. Photos taken with digital camera are
typically transferred to a computer using some wired or wireless connection. Many digital
cameras allow the user to edit the images. The number of digital photos depends on the amount
of memory in the camera.

8. Light pen:
A light pen is handheld pointing device. It looks like a pen. It is connected to the computer
through a wire. When user touches the pen on specific areas of a specially designed screen, it
sends information to the computer. Light pen is usually used by engineers and graphic
designers etc.

9. Joystick:
A joy stick consist of a base and a stick. The stick can be moved in any direction to move an
object around the computer screen. A joy stick can perform similar task to a mouse of trackball.
It is mostly used for playing computer games.

10. Scanners and reading devices:


Scanner reads data or information from a source. This source could be a written document, a
print tag, a graphic image or a photograph. A scanning device reads the data or information and
then converts into a form that can be processed by the system unit. Two types of scanning
devices are optical scanners and optical readers.

11. Microphone
A microphone is an input device. It is used to digitally record audio data such as human voice. It
can be plugged into a computer or recorder. Many software applications can accept data with
microphone. The software in the computer converts the sound waves into digital form.

Q.2 Write a Keyboard.


Keyboard is the most commonly used input device. It is mostly used to enter text and numeric
type data into the computer. Buttons on the keyboard are called keys. Keyboard contains keys
for all alphabetic characters, numeric digits, and special characters. It also contains some
special keys known as function keys. A standard keyboard contains more than 100-keys like
QWERTY keyboard. This is because first six leftmost keys on top row of alphabets are Q, W, E,
R, T, and Y.
A keyboard is connected to serial or USB port on system unit. Some keyboards do not require
cable to connect with computer. These keyboards enter data into computer through wireless
technology such as radio waves (Bluetooth) or infrared light waves (IrDA). These types of
keyboards are known as Cordless or Wireless keyboards. Every keyboard consist of Function
keys, Main keyboard, Numeric keys and Additional keys.
Function keys:
There are 12 function keys on the top of the keyboard that are labeled from F1 to F12. These
keys are used to perform some special functions. Function of each function key depends upon
the software being used on computer. For example, in many software, function key F1 is used
to get help about software currently running on the computer.

Main Keyboard:
Main keyboard area is like a typewriter keypad. It includes alphabetic character keys, numeric
keys, and some special command keys. Functions of command keys depend upon software
being used on the computer. Some of the most commonly used command keys are Esc, Tab,
Caps Lock, Shift, Ctrl, Alt, Backspace, Enter etc.

Numeric keys
This part of keyboard consists of numeric keys and arithmetic operator keys. These keys are
usually located on the right of the keyboard. These keys are similar to calculator keys. This part
of keyboard also has an extra Enter key and Num Lock key. Num Lock key is used to activate or
de-activate numeric keypad. It is a toggle key

Additional Cursor control Keys:


Keyboards also have some additional keys. Most of these keys are used to move cursor inside
the document. Arrow keys, Insert, Delete, Home, End, PgUp, PgDn, Print Screen, Scroll Lock,
Pause, Windows.

Q.3 Write a short note on Pointing Devices.


A pointing device is an input device that is used to control a pointer (cursor) on the screen and
to give commands to the computer. A pointer represents a small symbol on the screen. It
usually appears on the screen in the Graphical User Interface (GUI). For example, an arrow
appears on the screen in the Windows environment. Location of the pointer on screen changes
as a user moves pointing device. Pointing device can be used to select text, graphics, or other
objects and to open a file/folder or run a program. Similarly, we can perform many other
functions very easily and quickly using a pointing device. For example, engineers use pointing
devices to draw graphs or maps. Examples are mouse, joystick, trackball, track pad, light pen,
etc.

Q.4 Write a note on Mouse.


It is used to control cursor or pointer on the screen and to give commands to the computer. As a
user moves a mouse, pointer on the screen also moves. Mouse is connected with computer by
a cable or wireless connection. Usually, a mouse with a cable is connected to USB port on
system unit. Front of the mouse's casing contains one wheel and 2 or 3 buttons. These buttons
can be clicked or double clicked to perform different tasks. For example, an object (icon) on the
screen is selected by clicking left button of the mouse. Similarly, a program or folder is opened
by double clicking left button of mouse. Bottom of a mouse is flat and contains a mechanism
that detects movement of mouse. Commands can be given to computer very easily and quickly.
Mouse also allows the user to create graphics such as lines, curves, and freehand shapes, on
the screen
Types of Mouse
Mechanical Mouse
A mechanical mouse has a rubber or metal ball inside it and an electronic circuit containing
sensors. Ball rotates as mouse is rolled over a flat surface. Movement of pointer depends on
rotation of ball. Nowadays, this type of mouse is rarely used

Optical Mouse
No ball inside it. It uses a device that emits and senses light to detect the movement of the
mouse. Some optical mouse devices use optical sensors, and other use laser to detect the
mouse movement. Nowadays, the optical mouse is commonly used in personal computers
(PCs)

Wireless or Cordless Mouse


Not directly connected with computer. It uses wireless technology, such as radio waves
(Bluetooth) or infrared light waves (IrDA). It enters input signals into computer in a similar way
as a cordless keyboard

Air Mouse
Air mouse is similar to a remote control. It is a motion-sensing mouse. It is used in presentations
for running slide shows, controlling media, and other objects. For example, raising mouse up
might increase volume of media player. Air mouse works in air by detecting the direction of hand
motion.

Q.5 Define Scanners. Write a note on its types.


A scanner is a light-sensing input device. It reads images and text printed on the paper and then
translates into a form (i.e. digital form) the computer can process. Scanner uses laser
technology to scan image on the printed paper and store it into the computer. Many scanners
also include OCR software (Optical Character Recognition software). This software can convert
a scanned image of the document into a text file that can be edited in a word processing
application

Types of Optical Scanners


There are three types of scanners
• Flatbed Scanner
• Handheld Scanner
• Sheet-Fed Scanner

Flatbed Scanners

It is also known as an image scanner. It scans a full image of the document at a time.
It works like a photocopy machine. The most common type of scanner, flatbed scanners
have a large glass surface and a lid. These scanners work best with flat objects, such as
photos and papers, but you can also place larger items such as open books onto the scanner
bed. The document to be scanned is placed on the glass surface and a flip-up cover is
put over it. Scanner reads the whole image/document at a time and sends it to
computer memory for storage. Flatbed scanners are mostly used at home and small
offices. Some models of flatbed scanner come built in to all-in-one devices, which function as
printers, scanners, copy machines and fax machines.

Handheld Scanners

Hand scanners or handheld scanners are small wand-shaped devices. It is also called a pen
scanner. It is a small handheld scanning device. It is used in the same way as we use
a marker highlighter. Handheld scanner is dragged over the image to be scanned.
Usually, a handheld scanner is used for scanning small images, text, numbers, and
bar codes. For example, it can be used for scanning articles from magazines,
newspapers, and books. Handheld scanners are available in different shapes and
types.

Sheet-fed Scanner
A sheet-fed scanner is a type of scanner that scans only one piece of paper at a time.
Paper is moved automatically through the scanner across a stationary scan head.
Sheet-fed scanners scan loose papers placed in a tray by pulling them across a static
scanning lens. These devices make it easier to scan a large stack of papers than a flatbed
scanner, where you would have to insert and remove each page. Sheet-fed scanners can
scan photos, letters, forms, business cards, and even receipts. However, they won't
work to scan books or large papers that don't fit in the tray. Some sheet-fed scanners feature
additional trays designed for smaller items such as business cards. Sheet-fed scanners are
available in different shapes and types.

Q. Write a note on output.

Data processed into a useful form is called output. The form of output varies,
depending on the hardware and software being used and the requirements of the
users. Users can view output on a screen, or print it on the paper through a printer, or
store it on the disk in a file. In case of audio output, it can listen through speakers,
headphones, or earbuds

Classification of Output

• Softcopy Output
• Hard Copy
Soft Copy:

Output viewed on the display screen & output in the form of audio or video. This kind
of output is not tangible. It means that softcopy output cannot be touched. Output
stored in a file on a disk is also a form of softcopy. Commonly used softcopy output
devices display screen and speaker (for audio output)

Hardcopy Output:

Output printed on the paper. It may be in the form of text and graphics. Commonly
used hardcopy output devices are printers and plotters.

Output Devices:

A hardware component that is used to receive the output from the computer is called
an output device. It takes information from computer and converts it in a form that a
user can understand. Commonly used output devices are

 Monitors
 Printers
 Plotters
 Speakers

Q. Monitors

Monitor is a commonly used output device on personal computers. Display device,


also called a display device or simply display. It is used as a softcopy output device. It
consists of a screen and different electronic components that display information on
the screen. In a desktop computer, a monitor is a separate unit. In mobile computers
and devices, monitor is built into the top of the case. Most of the monitors display text,
graphics, and video in different colors. Today, most of the personal computers use
color monitors. However, some monitors are monochrome. Monochrome means that
information appears in one color. Today, monochrome monitors are rarely used.
Features of Monitors
Size

Size of a monitor (display screen) is measured diagonally in inches. From upper-right


corner of the screen to the lower-left corner. Display screens are available in various
sizes. Today, desktop computer screens are available from 17 to 30 inches, laptop
screens from 14 to 17 inches, and tablet screens from 7 to 10 inches.

Color:

Display screens can be either color or monochrome. Color display screens show
output in multiple colors. Color display screens are also called RGB monitors. RGB
stands for Red, Green, and Blue. RGB display screen can create 256 different colors
and thousands of variations of these colors. Today, most of the display screens show
output in multiple colors.

Resolution
Display screen is divided into small dots called pixels. Pixels are arranged horizontally and
vertically. Number of pixels on a screen is called its resolution. For example, a monitor screen
with a resolution of 1440 × 900 has 1440 pixels horizontally and 900 pixels vertically. Monitor’s
screen that has a large number of pixels has a high resolution. Resolution refers to the
sharpness and clearness of an image. High-resolution monitors are always preferred to see
video films as well as for designing graphics

Dot Pitch:
Distance between pixels on the monitor screen is called dot pitch or pixel pitch. It is measured
in millimeters. Dot Pitch is another factor that is used to measure the image clarity on a monitor.
Smaller the distance between the pixels, higher will be the resolution of display screen.

Types of Monitors
There are two types of monitors:

 CRT Monitors
 Flat panel monitors
CRT Monitors
CRT stands for Cathode Ray Tube. This monitor contains a cathode ray tube (CRT). Cathode
ray tube is a vacuum tube. Front of the tube is the screen on which output appears. Back of the
screen is coated with phosphor (chemical material that lights up when an electron beam falls on
it). Screen is organized into a grid of tiny dots of phosphor material. Smallest number of
phosphor dots that the electron gun can focus on is called a pixel. CRT monitor contains one or
more electron guns. A stream of bits defining the image of output is sent from the computer
(from the CPU) to the CRT, where the bits are converted into a beam of electrons. Electron gun
fires the beam of electrons. Beam of electrons passes through focusing and deflection systems.
They direct beam towards specified points on the phosphor-coated screen. When a beam of
electrons hits the dots of phosphor, it lights up the selected dots (pixels) and an image of output
is generated on the screen. In color CRT monitors, there are three electron guns; one for red
color, second for green color, and third for blue color (RGB). Other colors for output are
generated with the combination of these three colors. A typical CRT monitor can display output
in 256 to 65,536 colors.

Flat-Panel Monitors
A flat panel monitor is a lightweight display device. It takes less desk space. It also consumes
less power than a CRT monitor. However, it is expensive than the CRT monitor. A flat panel
monitor is made up of two plates of glass. These plates contain a substance in between them.
This substance is activated in different ways. The flat panel monitors are available in different
sizes. They are mostly used with laptops and mobile devices. Examples of mobile devices that
use flat panel monitors are digital cameras, tablet PCs, PDAs, and mobile phones. In these
devices, they are built-in as small screens. Size of the screen is from 2.5 to 4 inches. Today, flat
panel monitors are also commonly used with desktop computers.
Types of Flat-Panel Monitors
Types of Flat-panel Monitors are as follows:
• LCD Monitor
• LCD Screen
• LED Monitor
• OLED Monitor
• Gas Plasma Monitor
LCD Screen
LCD screen is used in mobile devices. These devices have built-in LCD screens. Most of the
LCD screens are touch screens. Examples of mobile devices that use LCD screens are
smartphones (mobile phones), PDAs, and digital cameras
LED Monitor
LED stands for Light Emitting Diode. LED monitor is a light weight flat panel display unit. It uses
LEDs (light-emitting diodes) as pixels for displaying output. It produces bright images, emits less
radiations, more reliable, and consumes less electric power than the LCD monitor. Lifetime of
the LED monitor is also longer than other types of monitors. However, LED monitors are
expensive than other types of monitors. Screens in laptops and mobile devices often use LED
technology.
OLED Monitor
OLED stands for Organic Light Emitting Diode. OLED monitor is a type of flat-panel monitor. It
uses organic molecules that are self-illuminating and, thus, do not require a backlight. It
consumes less power and produces brighter images than LED or LCD monitors
Gas Plasma Monitor
A plasma monitor or display uses gas plasma technology. It uses a layer of gas between two
glass plates. Gas emits ultraviolet light when an electric current is supplied. This light causes
the pixels on the screen to glow and form the image. Gas plasma monitors offer large screen
sizes up to 150 inches. Display quality of these screens is also higher than the LCD monitor.
However, these monitors are expensive than the LCD monitor. That is why gas plasma monitors
are not commonly used

Q. Differentiate between CRT and Flat-Panel Monitors.


Flat-Panel Monitor CRT Monitor
Lightweight than a CRT monitor Heavier than a flat panel monitor
Commonly used in mobile computers and Used in some desktop computers
devices
Consumes less electric power than a CRT Consumes more electric power than a flat
monitor panel monitor
Uses liquid crystal or gas plasma technology Uses a cathode ray tube to display output
to display output
Can operate with a charged battery Operates with electric power only
More expensive than a CRT monitor Less expensive than a flat panel monitor
Takes less desk space than a CRT monitor Takes more desk space than a flat panel
monitor
Emits harmful radiation Does not emit harmful radiation

Q. What are printers?


Printers are the most commonly used output devices. They are used to print documents (output)
on the papers. Output printed on the paper is called hardcopy. Hardcopy is also called as a
printout. Output may be in the form of characters, symbols, and graphics. A printer is connected
to a parallel port or a USB port of system unit by a cable.

Types of Printers:
There are two types of printers.

 Impact printers
 Non-impact printers
Impact Printers:
An impact printer works like a typewriter. It produces output on paper by striking a print hammer
or set of pins against an inked ribbon. The ink is pressed from ribbon on the paper to produce
the output. It uses an electro-mechanical technique to print output on the paper. It can print
characters and graphics on the paper. Impact printers are slower in printing and produce low-
quality output. Printing speed of these printers is measured in characters or lines per minute.
They also produce more noise during printing. However, impact printers are less expensive.
Today impact printers are not commonly used. Examples of impact printers are character
printers (such as dot matrix printer & daisy wheel printer) and line printer (such as chain printer
and drum printer)

Non-Impact Printers:
A printer that produces output on paper without striking the paper is called a non-impact printer.
Some non-impact printers use spray ink while other use heat and pressure to create images.
Non-impact printers use electrostatic, inkjet, laser, and thermal technologies for printing. Non-
impact printers are faster and produce high-quality output than impact printers. They produce no
noise during printing. These printers are costly than impact printers. Examples of non-impact
printers are laser printer, ink-jet printer, thermal printer, and photo printer.

Q. Explain types of Impact Printers.


Types of Impact printers:
There are different types of impact printers. Some of them are as follows:

 Dot matrix printers


 Daisy wheel printers
 Line printers
Dot Matrix Printer
A Dot Matrix printer in an impact printer. It makes a hardcopy by printing one character at a
time. Speed is measured by the number of characters it can print in one second. Printing speed
of dot matrix printer is from 300 to 1100 characters per second (cps) or more. A dot matrix
printer contains a print-head with a matrix of small pins arranged in rows and columns (in the
form of a matrix). Print-heads are available with 9, 18, or 24 pins. This printer produces output
on paper by striking pins (with a different combination of pins) against an ink ribbon. It forms the
shape of output (characters or graphics) on paper by a number of dots. Usually, a dot matrix
printer uses 100 to 300 dots per inch (DPI) to print output. Print-head that has more number of
pins provides the best quality printout. The printing cost of these printers is very cheap. Dot
matrix printers do not provide high quality output. They produce a lot of noise while printing.

Daisy Wheel Printer


Similar to a typewriter. It has a print wheel with a series of petals. This wheel is known as the
daisy wheel. Daisy wheel have many petals and each petal of the daisy wheel contains a
character at its end. A motor rotates the wheel. When the desired character reaches the print
position on the paper, a hammer strikes a petal against the ribbon. This prints the character on
the paper. Printing speed is in the range of 10 to 100 characters per second. Slower than the
dot-matrix printer. However, its print quality is better than the dot matrix printer.
Line Printers:
Line printers are very fast printers. It prints a complete line of characters at a time. Printing
speed is measured in lines per minute (lpm) which is up to 3000 lines per minute. Line printers
are normally used with mainframe and minicomputers. Examples are Chain printer and Drum
printer etc.

Q. Explain Types of Non-Impact Printers.


Different types of Non-Impact printers are follows:

 Laser printers
 Inkjet printers
 Thermal printers
Laser Printer (Light Amplification by Simulated Emission of Radiation):
A laser printer is the fastest and high-quality non-impact printer. A laser printer works like a
photocopying machine. It uses laser technology to print image of output on the paper. It uses a
LASER beam to burn the powder on the page to create a permanent image on the paper. This
ink powder is contained in the toner.
Laser printers are available in both black-and-white and color models. Today, laser printers are
commonly used for printing different types of documents. Laser printer prints one page at a
time, therefore called page printer. The printer speed of laser printers is 12 to 45 pages per
minute (PPM). The printing speed for large business users is 150 PPM or more. The speed
depends on the content being printed. Plain text is printed faster than graphics.
Laser printer prints text and graphics in high resolution. A typical laser printer provided a
resolution of 1200 DPI or more. It also prints at higher speed than inkjet and dot matrix printers.
Laser printer is mostly used in business field. The black and white printing cost of laser printer is
less than inkjet printer. Laser printers are available in black and white as well as color models.

Ink-Jet Printer
It creates output on paper by spraying tiny drops of liquid ink. It can print text and graphics in
both black-and-white and color. Printing speed is measured by number of pages per minute
(ppm), it can print (it means that it is a page printer). Most ink-jet printers can print 12 to 36
pages per minute.
However, they print graphics and colors at a slower rate. Inkjet printer has a print-head that can
spray very fine drops of ink. It consists of cartridges filled with liquid ink (some of them contain
black ink and others contain color ink). Each cartridge has small nozzles in the form of a matrix.
Like a dot matrix printer, combination of nozzles is activated to form the shape of characters or
images on paper by spraying liquid ink through holes of nozzles. Most inkjet printers have
resolution ranging from 1200 to 4800 dpi (dot per inch). In case of an inkjet printer, a dot is a
drop of ink. These are less expensive, slower, prints in low quality than laser printers. However,
faster and have high print quality than dot-matrix printers.
Thermal Printer
It prints information on heat-sensitive paper by pushing electrically heated pins. Basic thermal
printers are not very expensive but their print quality is low. These printers are typically used to
print receipts at ATMs and retail stores, electronic tickets at airports, tokens at banks, and other
public places. Modern thermal printers have high print quality. They are also faster than ink-jet
and laser printers

Q. Write a note on Plotters.


A plotter is a special output device. It is used for printing architectural drawings, building maps,
and charts. A plotter is typically used to print large graphs or maps such as construction maps
or engineering drawings. Plotter is normally a very slow output device. It works on the principle
of holding a pen in hand and moving it on paper for drawing lines.
Types of Plotters
• Flatbed Plotter
• Drum Plotter

Flatbed Plotter
A flatbed plotter is also known as a table plotter. It plots on paper that is placed over a table-like
surface. Typically, plot size is equal to the area of a bed. Bed size varies according to the need.
Flatbed plotter uses two robotic drawing arms, each of which holds a set of pens. Most of the
flatbed plotters have one to four pens of different colors. These pens move across the paper to
draw charts or graphs on the paper. Movement of these pens is controlled by the computer
system. Flatbed plotters are used in the design of cars, ships, aircraft, buildings, highways, etc.
Flatbed plotters are very slow in drawing or printing graphs. Large and complicated drawing can
take several hours to print

Drum Plotter
A drum plotter is also known as a roller plotter. It consists of a drum or roller on which a paper (a
large paper sheet) rotates during printing. Paper or sheet is fed to this plotter. A drum plotter
also consists of a mechanical device known as a robotic drawing arm that holds a set of pens or
pencils. Drum rotates back and forth to draw (or print) the graph on the paper. Robotic drawing
arm also moves side to side as the paper is rolled back and forth through the roller. This work is
done under the control of the computer. These plotters are used to produce continuous output
such as to record earthquake readings.

Q. Explain Audio Output.


Output in the form of voice, music, or any other sound is called audio output. Devices that are
used to receive audio output (i.e. listen to music, speech, or other sounds) from a computer or
mobile device are called audio output devices. Commonly used audio output devices are
speakers, headphones, earphones or earbuds, and headset
Speakers
A speaker is used to receive audio output from the computer. It produces softcopy output in the
form of voice. In some personal computers, speakers are built into the monitor. Similarly, mobile
computers and devices have integrated speakers (or internal speakers). These speakers have a
low-quality audio output. An external sound speaker (or stereo speaker) can be attached to the
computer or mobile device for high-quality audio output. It is connected to the computer through
the sound card on the motherboard. Speakers are available in different shapes and sizes.
Wireless speakers are also available

Headphones, Earbuds & Headset


A speaker may create disturbance for others and also may create other privacy problems. For
example, in a computer laboratory or office or any other crowded environment, speakers might
not be practical. Headphones or earbuds are used for the solution of these problems. Only the
individual wearing the headphones or earbuds hears the sound from the computer. Headphones
and earbuds (earbuds are also called earphones) are audio output devices. Difference is that
headphones are placed outside the ears, whereas earbuds or earphones are rest inside the ear
canal. An audio output device that functions as both headphones and a microphone is called a
headset. It is often used for making telephone calls or participating in video conferences or web
conferences. Many headsets communicate wirelessly with a computer or mobile device.
Wireless headsets are commonly used with smartphones

You might also like