INPUT DEVICES

Keyboard
• Keyboard is the most common and very popular input device
which helps to input data to the computer. The layout of the
keyboard is like that of a traditional typewriter, although there
are some additional keys provided for performing additional
functions.
• Keyboards are of two sizes 84 keys or 101/102 keys, but now
keyboards with 104 keys or 108 keys are also available for
Windows and Internet.
Advantage:
1.Suitable for entering numeric data.
2.Function keys are a fast and effective method of using
commands, with fewer errors.
Disadvantage:
1.Keyboard is not suitable for graphics input.
Mouse
• A Mouse is a pointing device and used to position the pointer
on the screen. It is a small palm size box. There are two or
three depression switches on the top. The movement of the
mouse along the x-axis helps in the horizontal movement of
the
cursor and the movement along the y-axis helps in the vertical
movement of the cursor on the screen. The mouse cannot be
used to enter text. Therefore, they are
used in conjunction with a keyboard.
Advantage:
1. Easy to use
2. Not very expensive
3. Moves the cursor faster than the arrow keys of the keyboard
Track ball
• Track ball is an input device that is mostly used in
notebook or laptop computers, instead of a mouse.
This is a ball which is half inserted and by moving fingers
on the ball, the pointer can be moved.
• Since the whole device is not moved, a trackball requires
less space than a mouse. A track ball comes in
various shapes like a ball, a button, or a square.
Space ball
• It is similar to trackball, but it can move in six directions
where trackball can move in two directions only. The
movement is recorded by the strain gauge. Strain gauge
is applied with pressure. It can be pushed and pulled in
various directions. The ball has a diameter around 7.5 cm.
The ball is mounted in the base using rollers. One-third of
the ball is an inside box, the rest is outside.
Joystick
• Joystick is also a pointing device, which is used to move
the cursor position on a monitor screen. It is a stick having
a spherical ball at its both lower and upper ends. The
lower spherical ball moves in a socket. The joystick can
be moved in all four directions.
• The function of the joystick is similar to that of a mouse. It
is mainly used in Computer Aided Designing (CAD) and
playing computer games.
Voice Recognition
➢ Voice Recognition is one of the newest, most complex
input techniques used to interact with the computer. The
user inputs data by speaking into a microphone. The
simplest form of voice recognition is a one-word command
spoken by one person. Each command is isolated with
pauses between the words.
➢ Voice Recognition is used in some graphics workstations
as input devices to accept voice commands. The voice-
system input can be used to initiate graphics operations or
to enter data. These systems operate by matching an input
against a predefined dictionary of words and phrases.
Image Scanner
• Scanner is an input device, which works more like a
photocopy machine. It is used when some information is
available on paper and it is to be transferred to the hard
disk of the computer for further manipulation.
• Scanner captures images from the source which are then
converted into a digital form that can be stored on the
disk. These images can be edited before they are printed.
Touch Panels
➢ Touch Panels is a type of display screen that has a
touch-sensitive transparent panel covering the screen. A
touch screen registers input when a finger or other object
comes in contact with the screen.
➢ When the wave signals are interrupted by some contact
with the screen, that located is recorded.
➢ Touch screens have long been used in military
applications.
Digitizer
• Digitizer is an input device which converts analog
information into digital form. Digitizer can convert a
signal from the television or camera into a series of
numbers that could be stored in a computer. They
can be used by the computer to create a picture of
whatever the camera had been pointed at.
• Digitizer is also known as Tablet or Graphics Tablet as it
converts graphics and pictorial data into binary inputs. A
graphic tablet as a digitizer is used for fine works of
drawing and image manipulation applications.
Light Pen
• Light pen is a pointing device similar to a pen. It is used to
select a displayed menu item or draw pictures on the
monitor screen. It consists of a photocell and an optical
system placed in a small tube.
• When the tip of a light pen is moved over the monitor
screen and the pen button is pressed, its photocell
sensing element detects the screen location and sends
the corresponding signal to the CPU.