CHAPTER 2

INPUT,OUTPUT AND MEMORY DEVICES

overview
Keyboard
Mouse
Joystick
Scanner
Bar Code Reader
Types of Memory
Output Devices
Input Devices
 An input device is used to feed data into a computer. The human understandable form (usually
English/Kannada or any other language) is converted into machine understandable form 0’s and 1’s
(digital or analog signals).

 A computer can have several input devices. Namely Keyboard, Mouse, Joystick, OCR, MICR etc.

Keyboard
 The most common input device is the keyboard.
 Keyboard consists of a set of typewriter like keys that enable you to enter data into a
computer.
 They have alphabetic keys to enter letters, numeric keys to enter numbers, punctuation
keys to enter comma, period, and semicolon etc.,functional keys to perform some
specific functions.
 The keyboard detects the key pressed and generates the corresponding ASCII codes
which can be recognized by the computer

 Standard keyboards have their basic layout.

 The average number of keys on a regular keyboard is 105/108, though range of 95-108
slight variations, especially in the manner the keys are placed.
 QWERTY keyboards are the most common and have the six alphabets Q, W, E, R, T, and Y
in the first row.
Ergonomics
 refers to the study of methods that can reduce stress on muscles to avoid repetitive strain
injury.
 Ergonomic keyboards are designed in such a way that typing can be done putting the least
amount of stress on the fingers and wrist.

Wireless Keyboard
 is a keyboard that does not need to be connected to the computer via a wire.
 Wireless keyboard use Bluetooth, Infrared (IR), and Radio Frequency to connect to the
computer with the help of batteries and transmitted and receiver with the range 1 to 40 feet
distance contact between the computer and the keyboard type very ineffective.

Virtual keyboards
 They are mainly used in devices which do not necessarily require a keyboard, like a tablet or a
smart-phone.
 They are useful as they aid in making the size of the device smaller.
 Virtual keyboards are also used in situations concerning security, as anything entered on an
ordinary keyboard is recorded in a key log, leading to security risks associated with passwords
or PIN numbers.
Compact keyboards
 are slim and usually do not have the numeric keypad that is present on the
right side of other keyboards.
 These are typically used in laptops, where sizing issues make it difficult
to accommodate a standard keyboard.
Mouse(Mechanically Operated User Serial Engine)
Mouse is an input device that controls the movement of the cursor on the display screen .

There are 3 types of mouse

 Mechanical mouse
 Optical mouse
 Wireless mouse

Mechanical mouse
 It has 2 buttons on upper side of the mouse used for select and escape operations.
 it has mechanical sensors that detect the movement of the pointer in x and y axis.

Optical Mouse
 It uses laser sensors to detect the movement.
 It has USB connector
Wireless Mouse
 It is not physically connected to the computer system.
 It functions through infrared light, similar to remote device

Joystick
A joystick is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or
direction to the device it is controlling.

 Joysticks are often used to control video games, simulated programs, usually have one or more push-buttons
whose state can also be read by the computer.

 The lever controls the movement of the pointer and other display objects on the screen. It's movement is limited.
Scanner
 An input device which scans text pictures drawings etc.
 Scanned objects can be stored and modified according to user needs.

Types of scanner
1. OMR
2. OCR
3. MICR
4. BARCODE READER

Optical Mark Reading and Recognition (OMR)

 Special pre-printed forms are designed with boxes which can be marked with a dark pencil or ink.
 Such documents are read by a reader, which transcribes the marks into electrical pulses which are
transmitted to the computer.
 They are widely used in applications like objective type answer papers evaluation in which large number of
candidates appear, time sheets of factory employees etc.
Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
 The OCR technique permits the direct reading of any printed character without any special ink.
 With OCR, a user can scan a page from a book.
 The computer will recognize the characters in the page as letters and punctuation marks, and stores.
Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR)

 MICR is widely used by banks to process cheques.

 Human readable numbers are printed on documents such as cheque using a special magnetic ink.
 The cheque can be read using a special input unit, which can recognize magnetic ink characters.

Barcode Reader

 It is used to scan and decode the barcoded data.

 Barcode is a group of dark and vertical lines used
to encode data.
Introduction to Memory devices 210 byte 1024 bytes 1 Kilo byte
 Memory is the most essential part of the 220 bytes 1024 Kilo bytes 1 Mega byte
computer. 230 bytes 1024 Mega 1 Giga byte
 We need memory to store the data. This
storage enables us to use the stored data to in bytes
future. 240 bytes 1024 Giga 1 Terra byte
 Computer memory is mainly divided as primary
memory and secondary memory bytes
2 50
bytes 1024 Terra 1 Peta byte
The memory and storage devices are measured in
terms of bits and bytes, the measurements in used bytes
are 0 ,1 binary digit (bit). 8 bits make a byte.
2 60 bytes 1024 Peta 1 Exa byte
8 bits make a bytes
byte.2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2=1024. 2 70
bytes 1024 Exa bytes 1 Zeta byte
210 2 80
bytes 1024 Zeta 1 Yotta byte
bytes
2 90
bytes 1024 Yotta 1 Bronto byte
bytes
2 100
bytes 1024 Bronto 1 Geop byte
bytes
Primary Memory

Primary memory includes Read Only Memory (ROM) and Random Access Memory (RAM)

Read Only Memory

 In ROM, the information is burnt (pre-recorded) into the ROM chip at manufacturing time.
 Once data has been written into a ROM chip, it cannot be erased but you can read it.
 When we switch OFF the computer, the contents of the ROM are not erased, but remain stored
permanently
 ROM is a non volatile memory. ROM stores critical programs such as the program that boots the
computer.

Programmable Read Only Memory -PROM

 PROM is a memory on which data can be written only once.
 A variation of the PROM chip is that it is not burnt at the manufacturing time, but can be
programmed using PROM programmer or a PROM burner.
 PROM is also a non-volatile memory

Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory – EPROM

 In EPROM, the information can be erased and re-programmed using a special PROM – programmer.
EPROM is non-volatile memory. An EPROM differs from a PROM in that a PROM can be written to only
once and cannot be erased.
 ultraviolet light is used to erase the contents of the EPROM.
Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory – EEPROM
 It can be erased by exposing it to an electrical charge.
 It is also non-volatile in nature.
 EEPROM is not as fast as RAM or other types of ROM.
 A flash memory is a special type of EEPROM that can be erased and re-programmed.

Random Access Memory – RAM

 If the CPU needs to store the results of the calculations it can store them in RAM.
 When we switch OFF a computer, whatever is stored in the RAM gets erased.
 It is a volatile form of memory.
 A memory that performs both reads and writes is often called a RAM.

Types of RAM
1. EDO RAM (extended data output RAM)
EDO (extended data output) RAM is a type of random access memory (RAM) chip that improves the
time to read from memory on faster microprocessors such as the Intel Pentium.
2.Static random-access memory (SRAM)
 It retains the stored information as long as the power is on.
 The term static differentiates it from dynamic RAM (DRAM) which must be periodically refreshed.
 It is costly and faster than dynamic RAM.

3.Dynamic random-access memory (DRAM)

 It has refreshing circuit and loses its stored information in a very short period of time.
 It slower than static RAM.

Types of DRAM
1. DDR(Double Data Rate Ram)
2. DDR2
3. DDR3
4. DDR4

DDR RAM is a type of very fast computer memory. It’s based on the same architecture as SDRAM, but uses
the clock signal differently to transfer twice the data in the same amount of time.
Secondary Memory
 The computer may need to store data, programs etc., (because the primary memory is volatile).
 Secondary storage is also called backup storage.
 Secondary storage can be used to transmit data to another computer either immediately or a later time.
 Some of the commonly used secondary storage devices are hard disks, magnetic tapes, floppy disks and CD-
ROM.

Hard Disk
 Hard disk is a magnetic disk on which you can store computer data.
 The hard disk is direct-access storage medium. This means you can store and retrieve data randomly.
 The device is used as mass storage device.
 It has a rotating metal oxide plate called “platter”. The concentric circles on the platter is called the
“track". Each track is divided into a smaller segments called “sector”.
Magnetic Tape
 This recording medium contains a thin tape with a coating of a fine magnetic strip, used for recording digital data.
 The tape itself is a strip of plastic, coated with a magnetic recording medium.
 Bits are recorded as magnetic spots on the tape along several tracks.

Floppy disk
 The floppy drive uses a thin circular disk for data storage.
 It is a soft magnetic disk.
 It is a thin magnetic-coated disk contained in a flexible or semi-rigid protective jacket.
 The disk rotates at 360rpm (Rotations per minute).
 A read/write head makes physical contact with the disk surface.
 Data is recorded as a series of tracks sub-divided into sectors.
 The floppy disks are usually 3.5" in size.
Optical Disk

 Optical disk is coated with highly reflective optical material.

 Data recording is done by focusing a laser beam on the surface of the disk.
 The reflections are converted into electronic signals.

Different types of optical disk are

1. CD-ROM(compact disk read only memory).\
2. CD-RW(compact disk read write)
3. DVD(digital versatile disk)
4. BD(blue ray disk)

CD-ROM
 It is a read only optical storage device.
 User can store the data at once and later cannot be deleted or modified.
 It’s storage capacity is 700MB.

CD-RW
 It works similar to CD-ROM.
 The user can erase and store the data any number of times.
DVD Digital Video Disc
 With the advances in optical disc technology, it can not only store video program, but also store music,
data, along with increased use, it will be this type of CD-ROM referred to as “Digital Versatile Disc”, and
the English name is the Digital Versatile Disc.
 Storage capacity of DVD ranges from 4.7GB to multisession DVD with storage capacity of 12GB.

BLUE ray disk

 BLUE ray disk Blue-ray Disc, referred as BD.

 BD disc features are: It consists of a thickness of 1.1mm of the recording layer and a thickness of only
0.1mm composite made of a transparent protective layer.
 The work of the shorter wavelength light source, in the recording layer surface can be comparable with
the operating wavelength of fingerprints, with storage capacity.
Portable storage device
 A portable storage device (PSD) is a small hard drive designed to hold any kind of digital data.
 This is slightly different from a portable media player, which stores and plays music and movies.
 Some are fixed size hard drives of 256GB, 320GB,500Gb,1Tb,2Tb etc.
 When travelling, a portable storage device may be a useful alternative to backing up or purging memory cards if a
computer is unavailable for downloading.

CACHE Memory
 The cache is a small amount of high-speed memory, present between the primary memory and CPU
(processor).
 There are two levels of cache memory L1 and L2, L1 cache memory will present inside the CPU, whereas
the L2 cache will be present on the mother board, cache memory holds the most recent
data/instructions.
Introduction to output devices

 Output is the result/information that is obtained after processing.

 The information must be presented in the human understandable form (usually from 0’s and 1’s to
English/Kannada or any other language) is capable of presenting information on to the output devices.
 There are many output devices attached with the computers. The monitors and printers are commonly
used output devices.

Monitors
 Monitor is a commonly used output device, sometimes called as display screen/Visual display unit
(VDU).
 It provides a visual display of data.
 The smallest dot that can be displayed is called a pixel (picture element).
 The resolution of the screen improves as the number of pixels is increased.
 Most of the monitors have a 4:3 width to height ratio. This is called ‘aspect ratio’.
 The size of the monitor is measured diagonally may be 12",14",17",19", 21" and based on technology.
 Printers
 Printer is an output device that prints text or images on paper or other media (like transparencies).
 By printing you create what is known as a ‘hard copy’. There are different kinds of printers, which vary in
their speed and print quality.
 The two main types of printers are impact printers and non-impact printers.

Impact printers
 it include printers that print by striking device against inked ribbon.
 Impact printers use a print head containing a number of metal pins, which strike an inked ribbon placed
between the print head and the paper.
 Line printers, dot-matrix printers are some of the impact printers.
 The programs and data present in the memory is called as soft copy.
 The programs and data present on the paper is called as hard copy.
Characteristics of impact printers
 In impact printers, there is physical contact with the paper to produce an image.
 Due to being robust and low cost, they are useful for bulk printing.
 Impact printers are ideal for printing multiple copies (that is, carbon copies) because they can easily print
through many layers of paper.
 Due to its striking activity, impact printers are very noisy.
 Since they are mechanical in nature, they tend to be slow.
 Impact printers do not support transparencies.
 Measured with characters per seconds (cps).

Characteristics of Non-impact printers

 They are quiet than impact printers because there is no striking mechanism involved.
 They possess the ability to change type faces automatically.
 These printers produce high-quality graphics
 These printers usually support the transparencies
 These printers cannot print multi part forms because no impact is being made on the paper.
 Measured in dots per inches (dpi)
 The speed is calculated by the number of pages per minute (ppm)
 The size of the printing various A4, A3, A2, A0 and Jumbo size.
Line Printer
 Line printers are high-speed printers capable of printing an entire line at a time.
 A line printer can print 150 lines to 3000 lines per minute.
 The limitations of line printer are they can print only one font, they cannot print graphics, the print quality is
low and they are noisy to operate.

Dot Matrix Printer

 The most popular serial printer is the dot matrix printer.
 It prints one line of 8 or 14 points at a time, with print head moving across a line.
 They are similar to typewriters. They are normally slow.
 The printing speed is around 300 characters per second.
Thermal Printer
 Thermal printers are printers that produce images by pushing electrically heated pins against special
heat-sensitive paper.
 They are inexpensive and used widely in fax machines and calculators.
 Thermal printer paper tends to darken over time due to exposure to sunlight and heat. So the printed
 matters on the paper fade after a week or two. It also produces a poor quality print.
Laser Printers
 Laser printers use a laser beam and dry powdered ink to produce a fine dot matrix pattern.
 It can produce very good quality of graphic images.
 The available resolutions range from 300 dpi at the low end to around 1200 dpi at the high end.

Inkjet Printers
 Inkjet printers use colour cartridges which combine magenta, yellow and cyan inks to create colour tones.
 A black cartridge is also used for crisp monochrome output.
 Inkjet printers work by spraying ionizing ink at a sheet of paper.
Plotter Printers
 Plotter is an output device that draws pictures on paper based on commands from a
computer.
 Plotters differ from printers in that they draw lines using a pen.
 Multicolor plotters use different-colored pens to draw different colors.
 In general, plotters are considerably more expensive than printers.
 They are used in engineering applications where precision is mandatory.

Speakers
The speakers are the output units.
The sound signals from analog/digital are converted into audible frequency in the speakers and
produce voice output (audio data).
Using speakers along with speech synthesizer software, the computer can provide voice output.
Today the speakers are with the subwoofer and 2/3/4 speakers.