Stream: BCA 1st sem

Subject: COMPUTER FUNDAMENTAL

Unit – 2 | Input Devices

Input Devices :

 Input device enables the user to send data, information, or control signals to a computer.

 The Central Processing Unit (CPU) of a computer receives the input and processes it to
produce the output.

 Following are some of the important input devices which are used in a computer –

1. Keyboard
2. Mouse
3. Track Ball
4. Joy Stick
5. Light pen
6. Scanner
7. Optical Character Reader(OCR)
8. Bar Code Reader
9. Optical Mark Reader(OMR)
10. Magnetic Ink Card Reader(MICR)
11. Graphic Tablet
12. Microphone
13. Webcam

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1. Keyboard :

 The keyboard is a basic input device that is used to enter data into a computer or any
other electronic device by pressing keys. It has different sets of keys for letters,
numbers, characters, and functions.
 Keyboards are connected to a computer through USB or a Bluetooth device for wireless
communication.

 The keys on the keyboard are:

1) Numeric Keys :

o These keys are used to enter numeric data and move the cursor.

2) Keyboard Shortcuts (Alphabets key) :

o These keys include the letter keys (A-Z) and the number keys (09).

3) Control Keys :

o The pointer and the screen are controlled by these keys. It comes with four
directional arrow keys.
o Control keys include Home, End, Insert, Alternate(Alt), Delete,
Control(Ctrl), and Escape.

4) Special Keys :

o Enter, Shift, Caps Lock, NumLk, Tab, and Print Screen are some of the
special function keys on the keyboard.

5) Function Keys :

o The 12 keys from F1 to F12 are on the topmost row of the keyboard.

6) Symbol Keys :

o All types of symbol used in keyboard.

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2. Mouse :

 The mouse is a hand-held input device which is used to move cursor or pointer across
the screen.
 It is designed to be used
on a flat surface and
generally has left and right
button and a scroll wheel
between them.
 Laptop computers come
with a touchpad that works
as a mouse.
 It lets you control the
movement of cursor or
pointer by moving your
finger over the touchpad.
 Some mouse comes with
integrated features such as extra buttons to perform different buttons.

3. Track Ball :

 Track Ball is an accessory for notebooks and

laptops, which works on behalf of a mouse.
 It has a similar structure to a mouse.
 Its structure is like a half-inserted ball and we
use fingers for cursor movement.
 Different shapes are used for this like balls,
buttons, or squares.

4. Joy Stick :

 A joystick is also a pointing input device like a

mouse. It is made up of a stick with a spherical
base.
 The base is fitted in a socket that allows free
movement of the stick.
 The movement of stick controls the cursor or
pointer on the screen.
 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.

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5. 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.

6. Scanner :

 The scanner uses the pictures and pages

of text as input.
 It scans the picture or a document.
 The scanned picture or document then
converted into a digital format or file
and is displayed on the screen as an
output.
 It uses optical character recognition
techniques to convert images into
digital ones.

7. Optical Character Reader(OCR) :

 OCR is a computer reading technique

that reads numbers, characters, and
symbols.
 OCR is a technique for recognizing text
in documents that have been scannedinto
digital form.
 Optical character recognition (OCR)
refers to a device that reads printed text.
 Character by character, OCR scans the
text, converts it to a machine-readable
code, and saves it into the memory of the system.

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8. Bar Code Reader :

 A bar code reader is a device that reads bar-

coded data (data that is represented by light
and dark lines).
 To label things, number books, and so on,
bar-coded data is often utilized. It could be a
standalone scanner or a component of one.
 A barcode reader is a device that reads
barcodes and extracts data from them.
 The code bar is used to read the bar code
printed on any goods.
 By impacting light beams on barcode lines, a
barcode reader identifies existing data in
barcodes.

9. Optical Mark Reader(OMR) :

 OMR is a special type of optical scanner

used to recognize the type of mark made by
pen or pencil.
 It is used where one out of a few
alternatives is to be selected and marked.
 It is specially used for checking the answer
sheets of examinations having multiple choice questions.

10. Magnetic Ink Card(Character) Reader(MICR) :

 MICR computer input device is designed

to read the text printed with magnetic
ink.
 MICR is a character recognition
technology that makes use of special
magnetized ink which is sensitive to
magnetic fields.
 It is widely used in banks to process the
cheques and other organizations where
security is a major concern.
 It can process three hundred cheques in a minute with hundred-percent accuracy.
 The details on the bottom of the cheque (MICR No.) are written with magnetic ink.
 A laser printer with MICR toner can be used to print the magnetic ink.

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11. Graphic Tablet :

 A graphics tablet, also known as a digitizing

tablet, is a computer input device that allows
users to draw drawings and graphics by hand,
much like they would with a pencil and paper.
 A graphics tablet is a flat surface on which the
user can draw a picture with the help of an
attached stylus, which is a pen-like drawing
device.

12. Microphone :

 The microphone is a computer input device that

is used to input the sound.
 It receives the sound vibrations and converts
them into audio signals or sends to a recording
medium.
 The audio signals are converted into digital data
and stored in the computer.
 The microphone also enables the user to
telecommunicate with others.
 It is also used to add sound to presentations and
with webcams for video conferencing.

13. Webcam :

 Any camera which is connected to a computer is

called a webcam.
 The in-built camera provided on a computer can also
be considered a webcam.
 It is an input device as it can take pictures, and can be used
to record videos if required.
 The pictures and videos are stored in the computer memory
and can be displayed on the screen if required.
 Although it works almost the same as the digital camera, it is
different from a digital camera, as it is designed to take compact digital photos that can
be uploaded easily on the webpages and shared with others through the internet.

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OBR-
It is short for optical bar code reader, a device that can read data that is encoded using bar codes. Tags can be read by using this device, which
examines a series of vertical bars with varying widths in search of particular data.

A light pen or scanner that is connected to a computer is typically used for reading bar codes.

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)

Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) is a standard to transmit and store music, originally designed for digital music synthesizers. MIDI does
not transmit recorded sounds. Instead, it includes musical notes, timings and pitch information, which the receiving device uses to play music from its
own sound library.MIDI was developed in the early 1980s to provide interoperability between digital music devices. It was spearheaded by the
president of Roland instruments and developed with Sequential Circuits, an early synthesizer company that Yamaha purchased in 1987. Other early
adopters included Yamaha, Korg, Kawai and Moog.The first MIDI-compatible instruments were released in 1983.

INTRODUCTION TO DATA STORAGE:-

Data Storage is a key segment of computerized gadgets, as buyers and organizations have come to depend on it to save data goi ng from individual
information to business-basic data. It is used to capture and retain digital data on storage devices.

Types of Data Storage:

Network Attached Storage Device: The network-attached storage device permits the storage and recovery of data from a centralized location by

approved network users. These devices are adaptable and versatile. NAS associates with a wireless router, making it simple for dis seminated

workplaces to access documents from any device associated with the network.
Cloud storage: Cloud storage is a storage option that utilizes remote servers and is accessible from any computer with Internet access. It is kept

up, worked and overseen by a cloud storage service provider on storage servers that are based on virtualization strategies. E xamples of cloud

storage providers are Google Drive, iCloud, Citrix ShareFile, ownCloud, Dropbox, Amazon Cloud Drive, MediaFire, etc.

Direct Attached Storage: Direct-attached storage is storage associated with a PC. It is associated with one computer and not accessible to other

computers. DAS can furnish clients with preferable execution over networked storage in light of the fact that the server does not need to cross a

system to peruse and compose information. Hard drive or USB flash drive is an example of direct -attached storage.

Storage Area Network: The storage area network is a network-based storage system. SAN systems connect to the network utilizing high-speed

interfaces enabling improved execution and the capacity to interface numerous servers to a centralized disk storag e store. Storage area networks

are highly scalable because capacity can be added as needed.

Object storage: Object storage is a technique for organizing data into distinct components called objects that are kept with specific ident ifiers and

metadata. It is very scalable. Each object is given a distinct address in this type, and data may be retrieved by using that address as a r eference. It

is made for large-scale, unstructured data storage, including multimedia files, backups, and archives. Distributed sto rage systems and cloud

storage platforms is an example of Object storage.

Magnetic tape : Magnetic tape is used as a medium for data storage in a process known as tape storage.
Due to its affordability, toughness, and high quality, it has been a preferred option for long-term archival and backup storage. It is commonly used

in industries like healthcare, media, and government sectors, where compliance and preservation of data are critical.

Floppy diskette

Floppy diskettes provide an old method of portable data storage.

Data is held on a thin plastic disk with a magnetic coating covered with a plasticprotective case.

The most widely used floppy disk is the 3.5 inch floppy diskette.
Floppy diskettes are used where small files need to be transferred or stored.
Magnetic tape

A magnetic tape is a magnetically coated plastic ribbon capable ofstoring large amounts of data and information at a low cost.

Magnetic tapes are one of the most oldest forms of data storage oncomputers.

Magnetic tapes are used for applications which require extremely largestorage capacity and for backup of files.
Advantages of magnetic tapes

1) Substantially less expensive

2) The storage capacity of a magnetic tape is much higher than that ofa floppy diskette.

Disadvantages of magnetic tapes

1) Magnetic tapes are slow when writing and retrieving data

2) Magnetic tapes have a limited shelf life of about two years forreliable results.

3) Need another tape to update data

Zip disks

Another obsolete storage device, Zip disks are high capacity disks that resemble floppy disks however areslightly larger and thicker is size
compared to floppy disks. Zip disks were used for data backup and movinglarge files between computers.
 Jaz disks

These are small portable disks with high storage

capacity and are used for storing data that requires large storage. Jaz disks were used for data backup andmoving large files between
computers. Were expensive and very unreliable.
 Hard disks

A hard disk usually consists of several inflexible circular magnetic disks called platters on which data, instructions and information are stored
electronically.

A hard disk is also known as a hard disk drive (HDD). Hard disks are sealed tightly to keep out contaminants like dust and smoke which can
lead to head crashes.

Hard disks are used to:

1) Data and files

2) Application software
3) System software like the operating system
 Advantages of hard disks
1) Provide far much larger storage capacity
2) Provide faster and convenient data access time
3) Hard disks are cheaper than floppy diskettes per storage amount.
4) Since some reside inside the computer, they cannot be stolen or misplaced.
5) Data life of hard disks is long once in use
6) Hard disks are reliable and have better protection against dust and dirt.

Disadvantages of hard disks

1) Hard disks are expensive
2) Data becomes less secure if left on the hard disk
3) Virus attacks render data life limited in case of unprotected systems
4) Head crash may occur due to extreme shock or contaminants

Types of hard disks

Internal (fixed) disks

These are high speed and high storage capacity hard disks that cannot be removed from the disk drives.
 External (removable) hard disks
These are special types of hard disks that may beinserted in the computer when there is need for storage and then removed thereafter.

Uses of external hard disks

1) Can carry data-backups all over the place

2) Transfer information, programs and picturesbetween computers

Advantages of external hard disks

1) Improved data cargo carrying capacity

2) More portable-small and light

Disadvantages of external hard disks

1) Have to be handled quite carefully

2) More expensive than other forms of removablestorage.

3) Easy to be stolen or misplaced

Magnetic Tapes.
Magnetic tape is a medium for magnetic recording, made of a thin, magnetisable coating on a long, narrow strip of
plastic film. It was developed in Germany, based on magnetic wire recording. Devices that record and play back audio
and video using magnetic tape are tape recorders and video tape recorders. Magnetic tape an information storage
medium consisting of a magnetic coating on a flexible backing in tape form. Data is recorded by magnetic encoding of
tracks on the coating according to a particular tape format.
Characteristics of Magnetic Tapes
 No direct access, but very fast sequential access.
 Resistant to di_erent environmental conditions.
 Easy to transport, store, cheaper than disk.
 Before, it was widely used to store application data; nowadays,
 it's mostly used for backups or archives (tertiary storage).
Advantages of Magnetic Tape

 Compact: A 10-inch diameter reel of tape is 2400 feet long and is able to hold 800, 1600 or 6250 characters

in each inch of its length. The maximum capacity of such type is 180 million characters. Thus data are stored
much more compact on tape

 Economical: The cost of storing characters on tape is very less as compared to other storage devices.

 Fast: Copying of data is easier and fast.

 Long term Storage and Re-usability:

Magnetic tapes can be used for long term storage and a tape can be used repeatedly without loss of data.

Magnetic Disks
You might have seen the gramophone record, which is circular like a disk and coated with magnetic material.
Magnetic disks used in computer are made on the same principle. It rotates with very high speed inside the

disk drive. Data are stored on both the surface of the disk. Magnetic disks are most popular for direct access
storage. Each disk consists of a number of invisible concentric circles called tracks. Information is recorded on
tracks of a disk surface in the form of tiny magnetic sports. The presence of a magnetic sport represents one bit
(1) and its absence represents zero bit (0). The information stored in a disk can be read many times without
affecting the stored data. So the reading operation is non-destructive. But if you want to write a new data, then
the existing data is erased from the disk and new data is recorded.

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