INPUT / OUTPUT DEVICES

A computer is only useful when it is able to communicate with the

external environment. When you work with the computer you feed your data
and instructions through some devices to the computer. These devices are
called Input devices. Similarly, computer after processing, gives output
through other devices called output devices.
For a particular application one form of device is more desirable
compared to others. We will discuss various types of I/O devices that are
used for different types of applications. They are also known as peripheral
devices because they surround the CPU and make a communication
between computer and the outer world.

Input Devices
Input devices are necessary to convert our information or data in to a form which can be understood by the computer. A good
input device should provide timely, accurate and useful data to the main memory of the computer for processing followings
are the most useful input devices.

1. Keyboard: - This is the standard input device attached to all computers. The layout of keyboard is just like the traditional
typewriter of the type QWERTY. It also contains some extra command keys and function keys. It contains a total of 101
to 104 keys. A typical keyboard used in a computer is shown in Fig. 2.6. You have to press correct combination of keys
to input data. The computer can recognize the electrical signals corresponding to the correct key combination and
processing is done accordingly.

2. Mouse: - Mouse is an input device shown in Fig. 2.7 that is used with your personal computer. It rolls on a small ball and
has two or three buttons on the top. When you roll the mouse across a flat surface the screen censors the mouse in the
direction of mouse movement. The cursor moves very fast with mouse giving you more freedom to work in any direction.
It is easier and faster to move through a mouse.
3. Scanner: The keyboard can input only text through keys provided in it. If we want to input a picture the keyboard
cannot do that. Scanner is an optical device that can input any graphical matter and display it back. The common optical
scanner devices are Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR), Optical Mark Reader (OMR) and Optical Character Reader
(OCR).

o Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR): - This is widely used by banks to process large volumes of cheques
and drafts. Cheques are put inside the MICR. As they enter the reading unit the cheques pass through the magnetic
field which causes the read head to recognise the character of the cheques.

o Optical Mark Reader (OMR): This technique is used when students have appeared in objective type tests and
they had to mark their answer by darkening a square or circular space by pencil. These answer sheets are directly
fed to a computer for grading where OMR is used.

o Optical Character Recognition (OCR): - This technique unites the direct reading of any printed character.
Suppose you have a set of hand written characters on a piece of paper. You put it inside the scanner of the computer.
This pattern is compared with a site of patterns stored inside the computer. Whichever pattern is matched is called a
character read. Patterns that cannot be identified are rejected. OCRs are expensive though better the MICR.

4. Track Ball : Track ball is similar to the upside- down design of the mouse. The user moves the ball directly, while
the device itself remains stationary. The user spins the ball in various directions to effect the screen movements.

5. Light Pen : This is an input device which is used to draw lines or figures on a computer screen. It’s touched to the
CRT screen where it can detect raster on the screen as it passes.

6. Bar Code Reader: This device reads bar codes and coverts them into electric pulses to be processed by a
computer. A bar code is nothing but data coded in form of light and dark bars.
7. Voice Input Systems: This devices converts spoken words to M/C language form. A micro phone is used to
convert human speech into electric signals. The signal pattern is then transmitted to a computer when it’s compared to a
dictionary of patterns that have been previously placed in a storage unit of computer. When a close match is found, the
word is recognized.

8. Touchscreen: Touchscreen is a special computer screen that takes the input by sensing the touch of a human
finger, gloved hand, stylus, pen or any other pointing device. The user gives instructions to the computer just by touching
the screen.

9. Computer Joystick and Gamepad Joystick and game-pad are also input devices which are also input devices
which are used to control the movement of object on the screen. Just like mouse, these are also pointing devices. Mostly
they are used for playing games on the computer. The joystick has a vertical stick with a track ball at its bottom. While
playing the games on the computer, the user needs to move the objects quickly on the screen. With the movement of this
vertical stick the objects can be moved in all the directions easily.

10. A webcam is a video camera that feeds or streams its image in real time to or through a computer to a computer
network.
 Output Devices

1. Visual Display Unit: The most popular input/output device is the Visual Display Unit (VDU). It is also called the monitor.
A Keyboard is used to input data and Monitor is used to display the input data and to receive massages from the computer.
A monitor has its own box which is separated from the main computer system and is connected to the computer by cable.
In some systems it is compact with the system unit. It can be color or monochrome.

2. Terminals: It is a very popular interactive input-output unit. It can be divided into two types: hard copy terminals and soft
copy terminals. A hard copy terminal provides a printout on paper whereas soft copy terminals provide visual copy on
monitor. A terminal when connected to a CPU sends instructions directly to the computer. Terminals are also classified
as dumb terminals or intelligent terminals depending upon the work situation.

3. Printer: It is an important output device which can be used to get a printed copy of the processed text or result on paper.
There are different types of printers that are designed for different types of applications. Depending on their speed and
approach of printing, printers are classified as impact and non-impact printers. Impact printers use the familiar typewriter
approach of hammering a typeface against the paper and inked ribbon. Dot-matrix printers are of this type. Non-impact
printers do not hit or impact a ribbon to print. They use electro-static chemicals and ink-jet technologies. Laser printers
and Ink-jet printers are of this type. This type of printers can produce color printing and elaborate graphics.

4. Speakers: Speakers are categorized as output devices. These are used to listen to the music and sounds played by the
computer. Normally they come in a pair and have different shapes and sizes.
5. Plotter: We can get the print of a photograph, drawing, image stored in the computer, by using a plotter. It is an output
device which provides a high quality of printed output. It is generally used by engineers and architects.