Input Devices

Input devices are peripherals that can accept data and present it to the CPU
in a form that the CPU can act upon.

You should be able to do the following

• Identify the device from

a picture of the device
• Suggest a suitable use
for the device
• State advantages of the
device
• State disadvantages of
the device

Keyboard

Used to enter user created text in applications. For example creation of a

letter using a word processor. Often called a QWERTY keyboard if the letters
are arranged so that the first 6 letters from the top left are QWERTY. The
arrangement of the rest of the keyboard depends upon the part of the world it
is sold.

Advantages and disadvantages

• Most people know how to use

it so specialist training not
required
• Cheap
• Easily collects dust and dirt
so not suitable for dirty
environments
• Requires significant desktop
space

Numeric Keypad

Either found as a separate section of a standard desktop PC keyboard or as a

completely separate input device in applications only requiring numeric data to
be entered. Examples of numeric keypads are found on
 • Bank ATM machines
• PIN PADS for enterring
a Personal Indentification
Number when using a bank
card to pay in a shop

Advantages and disadvantages

• Rapid operation for

experienced users
• Smaller footprint so
good in working
environments with reduced
space such as an EFTPOS
terminal
• Only allows numeric
data to be entered

Mouse

A pointing device used to control a pointer or curser. Used to select items on a

GUI (Graphical User Interface) e.g. clicking on an icon to run a program.

Advantages and disadvantages

• May de difficult to use by

people with physical
disabilities
• Requires desktop space to
use
• Picks up dust and dirt easily -
ball may become stuck
• Most people know how to use
it

Touch Pad

Commonly found on laptop computers. It has the same functionality as a

mouse. Cursor is controlled by the movement of a finger over a sensitive pad.

Advantages and disadvantages

 • Does not require
desktop space to useful in
reduced space applications
• A sealed unit so less
problems with malfunction
due to dust and dirt
• Can take time to
become familiar with its
operation

Trackerball

Same functionality as a mouse. Cursor controlled my moving a ball with

fingers or palm. The ball protrudes from the top of the device.

Advantages and disadvantages

• Notcommon and needs time

to become aquatinted with its
operation
• Easier to use by people with
physical disabilities

Remote Control

Device used to control the operation of devices such as

• T.V's
• Video Recorders and
players
• DVD Recorders and
players
• Satellite decoders/
receivers
• Music Systems
• Multimedia Projectors

Advantages and disadvantages

• Makes it easier to
control device without having
to be right next to it
 • Often small and
portable so easily lost

Joystick

Device used to control movement on a screen in applications such as flight

simulators, driving simulators and computer games.

Advantages and disadvantages

• Allows simulators to be more

realistic e.g. flight simulators

Touch Screen

Touch sensitive screen that enables a user to select from a limited list of
items. Used in applications such as Point-Of-Sale terminals, tourist
information kiosks and systems to find out about public transport.

Advantages and disadvantages

• Combines output
device (screen) with input
device so reduced space
requirements
• Operators will require
training to use it effectively
• Less prone to
malfunction due to dust and
dirt.

Magnetic Stripe Reader

Device to read the magnetic stripe on the back of bank cards and some types
of identification cards for security systems. Found in bank ATM machines,
EFTPOS terminals in supermarkets and entry systems for secure locations.

Advantages and disadvantages

• Easy operation by untrained

users
• Can become unusable by too
much dust and dirt
Chip Reader

Device used to read the chip found on bank cards. Used in shops to pay for
purchases. Similar applications as magnetic stripes and magnetics stripe
readers but more recent technology.

Advantages and disadvantages

• Secure way of storing

banking and personal data
• Easy operation for
untrained user
• Less common than
magnetic strip readers so
may not always be available

PIN Pad

A numeric keypad used together with magnetic stripe readers and chip
readers to confirm the person is the rightful owner of the card by typing in a
PIN (4 digit Personal Identification Number).

Advantages and disadvantages

• Easy operation for untrained

user
• Small footprint on shop
counters
• Enable PIN entry without
others seeing what is typed

Scanner

Used to convert hard copy documents into digital form to allow it to be stored
on a computer.

Advantages and disadvantages

• Allows rapid entry of

images and text into a digital
form for storage on a
computer
 • Can be used with OCR
to enter large amounts of text
data rapidly
• Expensive and may
require extra software to be
useable

Digital Camera

Camera which captures an image on a light sensitive digital sensor (also

called a CCD or Charge Coupled Device) instead of a piece of film. The image
id captured in a digital form that can be sent directly to a computer.

Advantages and disadvantages

• Reduced cost of processing

and buying film
• More expensive than
comparable film camera
• Easy to upload images to a
computer
• Often more compact than a
comparable film camera
• Less chance of dust and dirt
entering as it does not need to
be opened to change film

Microphone

Used to record audio such as voice for input into a computer

Sensors

Devices that respond to a certain physical property and convert it into an

electrical signal. Can be connected to a computer often via an analogue to
digital converter. Examples of the physical properties that can be sensed and
the applications in which they are found include

• Temperature
o Automatic
washing machines
 o Automatic
cookers
o Air conditioning
controllers
o Central heating
controllers
o Computer-
controlled greenhouses
o Monitoring and
recording scientific
experiments
o Environmental
monitoring and
recording
• Pressure
o Burgular alarms
o Automatic
washing machines
o Robotics
o Production-line
control
o Monitoring and
recording scientific
experiments
o Environmental
monitoring and
recording
• Light
o Computer-
controlled greenhouses
o Burgular alarms
o Robotics
o Production-line
control
o Monitoring and
recording scientific
experiments
o Environmental
monitoring and
recording
Graphics Tablet

Device used to convert free-hand drawings into digital form that can be sent to
a computer. Consists of a flat surface that detects the movement of a pen and
sends this data to the computer.

MICR

Stands for Magnetic Ink Character Recognition. Device used to read the
special magnetic ink that banks use to print details on the bottom of a cheque.
The magnetic ink is used to record the persons bank account number and
branch sort code. This enables to cheque to be machine readable and speeds
up the processing of cheques compared to manual input by an operator. The
characters printed with magnetic ink are also human readable.

OMR

Stands for Optical Mark Recognition. Relies on a specifically designed paper

form that has certain regions where a mark can be placed by a person using a
pen or pencil. The presence of the mark on the page has a meaning based on
the position of the mark which is understood by the software on the computer.
The system does not recognise actual characters such as letters or numbers.

OCR

Stands for Optical Character Recogniction. A device to enable a computer to

recognise written or printed characters. Used together with a scanner it
enables a page of text to be scanned and enterred into a computer as editable
text (for use in a word processor) instead of just an image of the text that
cannot be changed.

Barcode Reader

A barcode is a series of black lines on a white background used to identify

products. Each number is represented by a line with a different thickness. The
barcode reader passes a beam of light over the barcode to detect the lines
and their thickness and converts this into a number. Used in supermarkets at
EPOS terminals to connect a product being purchased with the correct price
stored in the supermarkets database.

Video Cameras
A digital video camera works in a similar way to a digital still camera but
enables moving images to be captured as a series of still digital images.

Web Cams

Often mounted on a computer or built into the screen of laptop computers. It

enable to capture of moving images in the same way as a video camera.

Light Pen

Used to control the movement of a cursor or to select items from a screen in

situations where space is limited so the use of a mouse or graphics tablet
would be difficult.