Input and Output Devices
Input and Output Devices
DEVICES
COMP101 / COMP-111
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.
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.
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.
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
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)
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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
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.