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Chapter 2 – Input and Output Devices

Input Devices Output Devices
Keyboard Monitors
- CRT Monitors
- TFT Monitors
- LCD and LED Monitors
- Other Monitors
Concept Keyboard Projectors
Numeric Pads Printers
- Inkjet
- Dot Matrix
- 3-D Printers
Pointing Devices Speakers
- Mouse
- Touchpad
- Trackerball
- Remote control
- Joysticks
- Driving Wheel
Touch Screens Control Applications
- Motors
- Buzzers
- Light
- Heaters

Scanners
Digital Cameras
Video Cameras
Microphones
Sensors
Graphics Tablet
Webcams
Light pens
Direct Data Entry Devices
Magnetic Stripe reader
Contactless card reader
Chip and pin reader
RFID readers
Magnetic Ink Character recognition (MICR)
OMR – Optical Mark Recognition
OCR – Optical character recognition
Barcode Reader
QR codes
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Input - KEYBOARDS

Keyboards - Most common input device used for entering letters, characters and numbers

What is the common layout of a keyboard?

The most common layout of a keyboard is qwerty

What does it mean if a keyboard is ergonomically designed?

It is easier or better to use compared to a regular one

What does RSI stand for and how does it occur?

Repetitive Strain injury and it occurs when you repeat actions regularly and strain your body

What are 3 computer related health risks that could occur?

-Eye strain from using the device too long
-Carpal tunnel from using the mice for prolonged periods of time
-Backpain from siting at the computer for too long

Give 3 ways someone could prevent computer-related health risks from occurring.
-Wear UV glasses that block out blue light to reduce eye strain
-Use an ergonomic mice and keyboard for easier and better use
-Take frequent breaks from using the computer for too long

Advantages of using Keyboards Disadvantages of using Keyboards

Fast entry of text into a document Can be difficult to use if the user is impaired or
has an injury

It’s a well known method of input Slow method when compared to direct data
entry
Easy to use for most people It takes up a large amount of desk space
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Concept Keyboard – uses icons/phrases instead of standard letters.

What is the advantage of using a concept keyboard over a standard keyboard?

It can be useful for people who find using an ordinary keyboard difficult.

List 3 industries that would prefer to use a concept keyboard and why
-The fast food industry , as the customizable keys of a concept keyboard can make it simple for the
fast food places to take orders
-Shops can use it to manage inventory and at the counter
-Offices can use concept keyboards for workers who have to repeatedly type certain words to make
less errors
Numeric Keypads – used to enter numbers only (although some have the option for letters too)

Give 3 scenarios where someone would prefer to use a numeric keyboard.

-When they are at an ATM where they have key in their PIN, amount of money, etc.
-When you use a mobile phone and have to dial a number
-When a barcode reader fails and the user has to key in the numbers manually

What is POS?
A POS is a Point of sale terminal, where the cashier stands.

Advantages of using Numeric Keyboards Disadvantages of using Numeric Keyboards

Faster than standard keyboards when entering Sometimes have small keys which can make
numeric data input more difficult.

Because many are small devices (for example, Sometimes the order of the numbers on the
mobile phones) they are very easy to carry keypad is not intuitive
around.
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Input - POINTING DEVICES

Mouse

Write down what happens when the user performs the actions below

Right Click Brings up drop downmenus

Left Click Select things by double clicking

Scroll Move through document

Double Click Select things

Drag Move menus

What are the benefits of using an optical mouse?

Does not need a large desk area when compared to a keyboard

Advantages of using a mouse Disadvantages of using a mouse

Faster method for choosing an option rather than Can be more difficult for people with restricted
using a keyboard. hand/wrist movement than using a keyboard for
data entry
Very quick way of navigating through applications Difficult to use if no flat surface readily available (
and the internet.
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Touchpad
Where are touchpads usually found?
On a laptop, near the keyboard
What functions can a touchpad perform?
Same as mouse

Advantages of using a touchpad Disadvantages of using a touchpad

Same as the mouse (faster than a keyboard for People with limited hand/wrist movement find the
choosing options, used to navigate applications device difficult to use
and the internet, etc.)

Because the touchpad is integrated into the Can be more difficult to control the pointer when
laptop computer there is no need for a separate compared to a normal mouse
mouse

Tracker ball
How is a tracker ball different to a mouse? Explain this by explaining the function of the ball.
You control the ball and that is the way you control the pointer, instead of needing to move your arms

Who would find this device useful and why?

People with limited arm mobilty
Advantages of using a tracker ball Disadvantages of using a tracker ball
Does not need the same fine control as a mouse Not supplied with the computer as standard,
therefore more costly

Easier to use than a mouse if the operator has User may need training because it is not standard
problems with their wrist or hand. equipment
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Remote Control – yes, the ones you use for your TV and gaming.
Give two ways a remote control would be used.
Turn on AC
Turn on TV
Advantages of using a remote control Disadvantages of using a remote control
Can be operated from any reasonable distance, Difficult to use if the operator has limited
unlike, for example, a wired mouse which is hand/wrist movement.
restricted by the length of the wire
Some industrial processes are hazardous, so it is It is easier to block the signal if, for example, the
a big advantage to be able to select operations walls in the building are very thick.
from a distance

Joysticks
Explain how a joystick works and when it can be used.
. By gripping the stick, a pointer on the screen can be controlled. It can be used to control a
simulation (driving, flying)
Advantage of using a joystick Disadvantage of using a joystick
Control is more realistic for some applications More difficult to control the on-screen pointer than
than, for example, using a mouse with other devices, such as a mouse.

Driving Wheel
Johnny just bought a new driver to play computer games. Explain to him what a Driving wheel is and
how to connect it to his gaming device.
A driving (steering) wheel is an example of an input device that is similar to a joystick in many ways. It
connects to a computer (or games machine), usually through a USB port.
Advantage of using a Driving Wheel Disadvantage of using a Driving Wheel
Easier than a keyboard or joystick to control It can be a rather expensive input device
steering movements; it is more natural compared to mouse or joystick

Input - OTHER DEVICES

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Touch Screen
How is a touch screen seen as both an input or output device?
It can display info on the screen and can receive input via touch
How can businesses use touch screens to make operations run faster?
People can use touch screens to order at restaurants
How can touch screens be used in education?
Students can use touch screens to use learning applications such as NEO study

Advantages of using a touch screen Disadvantages of using a touch screen

Faster entry of options than using keyboard or Limited number of input options available.
mouse.

Very easy method for choosing options. The screen can get very dirty with constant
touching (giving a risk of spreading infections,
and reduce its responsiveness which makes it
more difficult to read in strong sunlight)

Scanners
Name two kinds of scanners
OCR and OMR

If Susie scans a page from her textbook and would like to edit the data, how can she go about doing
this?
She can put the scanned text on a document and annswer from there
Give 3 reasons why someone would want to scan something?

To be able to print it
To be able to mark optical test
To be able to edit it digitally

What are the advantages of using an app like camscanner?

Its free
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Its simple to use

You dont need a physical scanner as you can use your camera

Advantages of using a scanner Disadvantages of using a scanner

Images can be stored for editing at a later date. Quality can be limited depending on how good a
resolution the scanner is capable of (most
scanners have a range of resolutions you can
choose from).
When used with OCR, much faster and more They can be fairly slow at scanning, especially if
accurate (no typing errors) than typing in the colour scanning mode is chosen or if the
documents again chosen scanning resolution is high

Digital and video cameras

List 3 ways a user can get a video/photograph off their device and onto the PC.
Send through the cloud
Message to yourself
Send through bluetooth
What are 2 advantages of using a DSLR camera vs a phone camera?
More professional
Higher quality pictures
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Microphones
Henry is singing karaoke, he wants to understand why the computer needs to convert the sound from
analog to digital. Explain what this process is and why it occurs.
When Henry sings into the microphone, his voice produces analog sound waves, which are
continuous and vary over time. Since computers can only work with digital signals (made up of 0s and
1s), the karaoke machine needs to convert the analog sound into digital form through a process
called analog-to-digital conversion (ADC). This involves sampling the sound at regular intervals,
quantizing the samples by assigning them numerical values, and then encoding those values into a
digital format. This allows the computer to process, store, and play back his voice along with the
karaoke music.
What are 2 other ways to use a microphone (other than singing).
Recording presentions , videos .
Do voice acting for animated movies
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Sensors
What is a sensor used for?
To measure physical events and send them to a a computer
Why is a sensor more accurate at reading data in comparison to a human?
Because they are machines they can make observations that are very accurate
Types of sensors and their uses
Temperature To sense a change in temperature
Pressure To sense a change in pressure levels
Light To sense a change in light levels
Sound/acoustic To sense a change in decibel levels
Humidity/moisture To sense a change in humidity in the
environment
pH To sense a change in acidity

Advantages of using a sensor to record data Disadvantages of using a sensor to record data
More accurate readings taken when compared Faulty sensors can give spurious results
to human operators.

Readings are continuous – no break in the Most sensors are analogue, therefore they
monitoring. require conversion using an ADC.

Graphics Tablet
What is the purpose of a graphics tablet? When would it be useful?
To draw and illustrate

What apps would require a graphics tablet?

Paint, Krita

Advantages of using a graphics tablet Disadvantages of using a graphics tablet

Illustrating feels like drawing on pen and paper The tip can be broken and has to be replaced

It is precise if you calibrate it regularly It can be in accurate if not calibrated

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Webcams
What are the benefits of using webcams to communicate with others?
You can display physical movement and show presentations
Most devices have webcams installed in them these days. List the safety issues that might be in play
when having a webcam.
Malicious people may be able to access your webcam and see what you are doing
*Please note that Light pens have been removed from these notes*
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Input – Direct Data Entry Devices

Magnetic Stripe Readers

List two cards where a magnetic stripe be found?
Bank card
Member card for a gym

Advantages of using magnetic stripe Disadvantages of using magnetic stripe

readers readers
They are easy to use Less secure than, for example, biometric
methods

It is not an expensive technology. » The cards wear out with a lot of use

Contactless Card Readers

What is another term for a contactless card transaction?
Tap to pay

What are the steps taken during a contactless card transaction?

First the clerk checks your items out, then puts the amount due on the system, then you tap to pay it
automatically withdraws it from the your balance

Advantages of using contactless card Disadvantages of using contactless card

readers readers
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Faster transactions (typical transaction takes 10 They are more expensive than normal credit/debit
seconds as opposed to 30 seconds using cards
magnetic stripe reader)

The contactless card system uses 128-bit Can take money twice if the customer uses it as a
encryption systems to protect the data. chip and PIN card (one is contactless and the
other is chip and PIN)

Retailers no longer have access to the customer’s » Transactions are usually limited to a small
credit/debit card information maximum value

Chip and Pin Readers

How does a chip and pin transaction occur? List all the devices needed.
Chip and PIN readers are similar to smart card readers but are used at EFTPOS terminals. The
device has a slot into which the card is placed and the chip is read; the PIN is entered using the
keypad. The reader also has a small screen which gives instructions to the operator. They are similar
to the contactless system

Advantages of using chip and pin Disadvantages of using chip and pin
More secure system than contactless payments You have to input pin manually
(PIN typed in must match up with PIN stored on
chip)

More robust system than magnetic stripe cards The chip can be damaged

More widespread The reader can steal your information

RFID readers
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How does a RFID tag work? List all the hardware that is needed.
Radio frequency identification (RFID) readers use radio waves to read and capture information stored
on a tag. In some applications, the tag can be read from a distance of several metres, which is one of
its advantages over the barcode system. The RFID tag is made up of two components:
a microchip that stores and processes information
an antenna which is used to receive and transmit data/information.
List three examples where RFID tags are used
Live stock tracking

Entry cards

Library cards

Advantages of using RFID Disadvantages of using RFID

No line-of-sight contact is necessary; the tags can Tag collision (this is when the signals from two or
be read from a distance more tags overlap, interfering with each other).

It is a very robust and reliable technology. Because RFID uses radio waves, they are
relatively easy to jam or interrupt

Very fast read-rate (typically less than 100 It is relatively easy to hack into the data/signal
milliseconds to respond) transmitted by the tag.
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MICR readers

What does MICR stand for?

Magnetic ink character recognition

How does MICR technology work?

Scans set area with magnetic, receive data and give output

List 2 uses of MICR Technology

In bank cheques

In money

Advantages of using MICR Disadvantages of using MICR

Increase cheque clearance accuracy. With the Expensive to use
MICR the banks can be able to read the data on the
cheque more accurately.

Reduce Fraud Only in limited fonts

Fast document proccessing Applications are limited

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OMR readers
What does OMR stand for?
Optical mark recognition

How does OMR technology work?

Completed multiple-choice forms can be scanned in using OMR. The forms have timing marks down
one side – these timing marks pass under the first column sensor of the scanner. These marks
indicate the position of each question on the paper. Using OMR software, a template is created to
map out the X-Y coordinates of each lozenge (area which is filled in by pencil/ink or left blank) – a
value is then assigned to each lozenge. As each question is scanned, a light passes through the
scanner which picks up the position of any lozenge which has been filled in by pencil/ink. The position
of the filled in lozenges is compared to the corresponding coordinates on the ‘answer sheet template’.
If the position matches to the X-Y coordinates, then the answer is recorded as being correct. The
scanned results are exported to a database or spreadsheet

List 2 uses of OMR Technology

Mark forms

Mark multiple choice tests

Advantages of using OMR Disadvantages of using OMR

Because there is no typing, they are more The forms need to be carefully designed to
accurate than keying in the data. make sure the marks/shading are correctly
positioned to gather accurate information

It is a very fast way of inputting the results of a There can be problems if they have not been
survey, etc. – the documents are fed in filled in correctly, and sometimes have to be
automatically and there is no user input manually checked before being read – this is
both time consuming and expensive.
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They are more accurate than OCR methods. They often only work with black pen or penci
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OCR Readers
What does OCR stand for?
Optical character recognition

How does OCR technology work?

Optical character recognition (OCR) is the name given to a device that converts the text on hard copy
documents into an electronic form. OCR software converts this electronic data into a form that can
then be used in various application packages, such as word processors or presentation software

List 2 uses of OCR Technology

One of the most recent uses is the processing of passports and identity cards

Converting hard copy documents into electronic form which can be stored on a computer

Advantages of using OCR Disadvantages of using OCR

It is a much faster data entry system than The system still has difficulty reading some
manually keying in data handwriting

Because there is no manual data entry, the Still not very accurate
number of errors is also reduced.
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Barcode Readers
How does a barcode reader receive information from a barcode?
A barcode is a way to encode information into a visual pattern (those black lines and white spaces)
that a machine (a barcode scanner) can read.

The combination of black and white bars (also referred to as elements) represents varying text
characters that follow a pre-established algorithm for that barcode (more on the types of barcodes
later).

List 3 uses for a barcode reader

In retail stores

In Library databases

In shops

Advantages of using barcodes Disadvantages of using barcodes

Much faster than keying in data manually and Relatively expensive system to administer.
fewer mistakes will be made

If used as a way of recording safety testing of Barcodes can be mixed up

components (for instance electrical components)
they can help improve safety

They allow automatic stock control. Can be more easily damaged than RFID tags or
magnetic stripes

QR Response codes
List 3 areas where QR codes can be useful.
advertising products

giving automatic access to a website or contact telephone number

storing boarding passes electronically at airports and train stations

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Why would a company choose to place a QR code on a product label?

Because its more user friendly and more accessible

OUTPUT DEVICES
What is an output device?

Something that converts computer output to somethings humans can understand

CRT Monitors

What is a CRT monitor used for?

They are only used in specialist areas, such as computer-aided design (CAD); the screens are
usually very large to enable complex diagrams to be created or modified.

Advantages of using CRT Monitors Disadvantages of CRT Monitors

The screen can be clearly seen at a wider range They tend to be rather heavy and present a
of viewing angles than with most LCD monitors. weight hazard if not supported properly; they also
have a very large footprint on a desk (they cover
about ten times the area of an LCD monitor).
They allow the use of light pens in, for example, They run very hot and can cause fires if left
CAD/CAM applications. unattended (especially as they get older).

TFT Monitors

What does TFT stand for?

Thin film transistor

What are the uses of a TFT Monitor?

Advantages of TFT Monitors Disadvantages of TFT Monitors

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Very efficient, low power consumption Colour and contrast from various viewing angles
can be inconsistent

Unlike CRT monitors, do not suffer from screen Lower contrast than CRT monitors, because it is
image burn-in (that is, a permanent image burned harder to produce a deep, rich level of black.
into the screen due to unchanging images over a
period of time)
Screens are available in all sizes Often has motion blur issues