INPUT DEVICES

▪ describe the principles of operation (how each device works) of these input devices: 2D and
3D scanners, barcode readers, Quick Response (QR) code readers, digital cameras,
keyboards, mice, touch screens, interactive whiteboards, microphones

Scanners
Scanners are hardware devices that are used to convert hard copies of documents / objects into a
digital format that is readable by computers.
Scanners use light to make digital copies of real world objects.

2D Scanners
2D scanners are used to convert a physical paper copy of a document (Known as hard copy) into a
digital format that can be stored and processed by a computer.
2D scanners are usually used to make digital copies of documents or pictures, but can also be used
to create a 2D image of other objects as well. In a flat bed scanner the document is placed on a glass
plate. A light is then shone on the piece of paper and a light sensor used to detect the light which is
bounced back. Wand scanners, also known as hand-held scanners, work on the same principal except
that the user will move the scanner across the document manually. They can be used in conjunction
with a printer to create copies of documents.
Operation - A scanner works by following these steps.
1. The user opens the lid and places the document face down on the glass pane
2. The user will close the lid and press scan
3. A bright light is shone on the document, the light will move from one side of the document to the other
4. From the light passing through the paper an image is produced and sent to a lens
5. This image will then be placed onto a light sensitive sheet which is made up of many pixels, each pixel
will record the amount of light or colour that is appearing on it.
6. This data will be stored on the computer as a file in its memory.

Optical Character Recognition - OCR

OCR is the process of converting a scanned image file into a text document that can be edited using
a word processor.
When an image is scanned it is normally stored as a bitmap file. This means that we can view it as an
image, however, it is not very useful if you wish to alter some of the text. OCR solves this problem by
converting the document into an editable one.
How does it work? - OCR works by looking at each line of the document and checking to see if the
black and white dots match any characters in the reference file. Each time it detects a match it will
add that character to the outputted document.
 Facial Recognition
In an increasingly security conscious world, scanning has become a very important technology in
ensuring peoples identity. Facial recognition software is now used with scanners in may airports to
ensure that people are using the correct passports.
How it works -
1. An image of your face is taken by a camera
2. Your passport is scanned by a 2d scanner
3. Specialist facial recognition software will compare the proportions of your face on the passport image
and the image taken by the camera. The software will look at things such as the width of your nose,
hair line, distance between your eyes or the size of your mouth.

3D Scanners
3D scanners use reflected laser light to build up a three-dimensional model of an object. They can be
used in conjunction with 3D printers or fabricators to duplicate objects.
Existing 3D scanning is a new technology that has had a positive impact in both medical and industrial
fields.
Medical - Scanning the human body/ parts allows doctors to take a closer look an possible problems
virtually which can aid in giving a correct diagnosis e.g. taking an MRI scan of your knee to look for a
small tendon tear.
Industrial - Existing tools or parts can be scanned into digital format. Once scanned in the object can
be altered and tested using specialist 3d software.

How do they work? - 3D scanners work by using a process called Tomography. This means that it
will take images of the object in very thin slices.

Barcode Scanners
A barcode reader works in a very similar way to a 2D scanner. It uses reflected light from a laser to
detect the black lines in a barcode or QR code. All barcodes use a check-digit so that the system
knows when a barcode has been scanned correctly. Usually barcode scanners will emit a beep sound
once a barcode has been scanned and confirmed as correct by checking the check-digit. They are
often integrated in to electronic point of sale (EPOS) systems in supermarkets and stores. They are
also frequently used in libraries for checking books in and out. They have applications in
manufacturing to track the progress of items through the assembly line or in courier services to track
packages from source to destination.
A barcode scanner is a device used to read barcodes and transmit the data into a computer. Bar
codes are everywhere, they are usually used on retail items to store a product ID number, once
entered into a system, the ID number can then be used with a database to find the product information.
 How does the Scanner work?
As you can see from the image above, barcodes consist of black and white lines. So how can this
information be inputted into a computer?
1. First the barcode scanner will fire a red light at the barcode.
2. When the light hits the barcode, it will reflect differently based on whether it hits a black or white part
of the bar code
3. This light will reflect back to sensors built into the scanner. Based on how much light reflects back to
the sensor at certain points, the scanner can determine where the black and white lines of the code
are.
Understanding the Barcode
There are many different types of bar code system out there, each system has its own way of
representing data with black and white lines, to find out about the many different systems check out
this site -SCANDIT.
There are two types that we need to concentrate on, these are Universal Product Code Version A
(PC-A) and Code 128.
The main difference between the two systems is that code 128 can represent letters and numbers
but UPC-A is only able to represent numbers.
UPC-A
The Universal product code version A (UPC-A) barcode system is a very common one, it is used world
wide to store and label retail products.
These barcodes are common place in our lives, but rarely do people stop to understand how they
work. The barcode itself is separated into different sections each with their own purpose in
representing data. See the image below.
Guard Bars - These are two long lines placed at the start middle and end of the bar code, their
purpose is to help distinguish the left and right sides of the bar code.

Left side - The left side of the barcode is used to store information about the manufacturer of a product
Right side - The right side of a barcode is used to store the products unique id number.
Check Digit - This is an error checking number that is used to make sure that the barcode has been
scanned correctly. Once the code is scanned, an algorithm will be followed with all of the numbers, if
the result matches the check digit you can be sure that the scan was correct.
Remember the ERROR CHECKING PART OF 1.1.3

Bars and Numbers

So now that we know what each part of the barcode represents, it is time to think about how different
numbers are represented with black and white lines.
It may not look like it to the untrained eye but each line can be broken down into 7 small segments,
each of these segments are colored either black or white in correspondence to a pre set system of
number representation. below you can see the different patterns that represent each number.
IMPORTANT NOTE - The right side of the bar code is the inverse (Opposite) of the left side.
Binary understanding - As with anything in a computer, everything will boil down to binary. With
regards to bar codes each of the 7 sections required for each numbers is represented by using a 0 for
white and 1 for black.
 QR - Quick Response Codes
A QR code is another type of bar code which can be read by tablets and smartphones. QR codes are
square rather than rectangle shape and they consist of many smaller squares rather than using lines.
QR codes can be very useful as they can be used to store the following information:
▪ Links to websites
▪ Business cards
▪ V contacts - Adds contact to phone
▪ Advertisements
▪ Travel boarding passes.
To explore more that can be done with bar codes, try creating your own HERE.

Digital Cameras
Digital cameras work in a very similar way to traditional cameras except that the images are self-
processed and then saved digitally on some type of storage media, usually flash memory, rather than
by exposing light to photosensitive film which is later processed in a lab.
Digital and film cameras share an optical system, typically using a lens with a variable diaphragm to
focus light onto an image pickup device. The diaphragm and shutter admit the correct amount of light
to the imager, just as with film but the image pickup device is electronic rather than chemical. However,
unlike film cameras, digital cameras can display images on a screen immediately after being recorded,
and store and delete images from memory. Many digital cameras can also record moving videos with
sound. Some digital cameras can crop and stitch pictures and perform other elementary image editing.
Digital cameras can also capture video. Webcams in particular are popular devices for this and are
designed with use over the Internet in mind.
How it works -
1. The camera will break up what it sees through its lens into a grid of pixels
2. A shutter will open letting light onto a CCD sensor that is at the back of the lens
3. The intensity of the light colour is measured but the millions of sensors arranged in the grid on the
CCD sensor
4. This information is interpreted as digital information and stored in the cameras memory.
Keyboards
A keyboard is the most commonly used input device on personal computers. It consists of a number
of keys arranged in the style of a typewriter. Each key, when pressed, operates a switch which closes
an electronic circuit. This then sends an electrical signal to the CPU. Each key press sends a unique
signal so that the CPU knows which key was pressed.
They keys have a letter, number or symbol printed or engraved on it so that the user knows which
keys to press. Pressing keys can be used either for data entry or to initiate certain commands (such
as the print-screen key). Often multiple keys need to be pressed simultaneously to achieve a desired
effect. For instance pressing the Ctrl and C keys together is often used to copy the selected content
to the clipboard.
The keyboard is connected to the computer either by using a USB connection or by wireless
connection. In the case of tablets and mobile phones, the keyboard is often VIRTUAL or a type of
TOUCHSCREEN technology. Each character on a keyboard has an ASCII value. Each character
pressed is converted into a digital signal, which the computer interprets. Keyboards are a relatively
slow method of data entry and are also prone to errors. But they are probably still the easiest way to
enter text into a computer. However, frequent use of these devices can lead to injuries, such as
REPETITIVE STRAIN INJURY (RSI) in the hands and wrists. Ergonomic keyboards can help to
overcome this problem – these have the keys arranged differently. They are also designed to give
more support to the wrists and hands when doing a lot of typing.

Pointing devices
The selection of an application often requires the user to ‘click’ on an icon. Selection of the icon is
usually done with a POINTING DEVICE (such as a MOUSE or a TRACKERBALL) or by using a
touchscreen. The mouse is probably still the most common pointing device and comes in various
forms:
• the more traditional type with a mechanical ball arrangement; connected to the computer through a
USB port
• the more modern type that use red LEDs to detect movement in the x-y direction; these are a type
of optical mouse
• mice that use either of the above types of technology but use a wireless connection to the computer.

Whatever type of mouse is used it will require an area of desk space to allow movement. They often
require a mouse mat since some surfaces, such as paper, prevent the correct operation of the device.
Depending on the type of computer, the mouse is fitted with one or two buttons to allow for selection
and other functions. Many designs of mouse have a scroll wheel to allow rapid movement up and
down the screen.
Trackerballs are seen more often in an industrial environment – such as a control room. Because they
don’t need to move, the trackerball doesn’t need any desk space or special surface. The operator is
also less likely to suffer from injuries such as RSI. A ball on the top of the trackerball is moved to
control a cursor on the screen. As with the mouse, buttons are used to select icons and to carry out
other functions. Most laptop computers have a built-in TOUCH PAD. This contains a tactile sensor
which allows the user to control a cursor by simply moving a finger over the surface of the pad. Buttons
to the left and right of the pad act in the same way as buttons on a mouse. However, by simply tapping
the surface this acts as a quick method of selection on many touch pads.
Touch Screens
Touchscreens are now a very common form of input device. They allow simple touch to launch an
application or to carry out many of the functions of pointing devices such as a mouse. One of the main
uses of touchscreen technology is in mobile phones. At present, there are three major types of
touchscreen technologies applied to mobile phone screens:
• capacitive
• infra-red
• resistive.
 How do capacitive touch screens work?
▪ It's made up of many conductive layers where an electric field is created.
▪ There are sensors around the screen which are constantly monitoring the field.
▪ When touched, the electric charge is transferred (conducted by) the finger.
▪ A signal is sent to the microprocessor, which calculates the coordinates of the touch. A stylus may
also be used with this type of touch screen.

Interactive Whiteboards
An interactive whiteboard works like a large graphics tablet, except much larger and usually used in
conjunction with a projector to overlay the user's screen on to the device's surface. Some boards are
used with a stylus in the same way as a graphics tablet, others can be used by touching the surface
with a finger. They can be wall-mounted or can be mounted in a portable frame.
Interactive tables are the same as interactive whiteboards but laid horizontally and positioned as a
table rather than positioned vertically.
 Microphones
A microphone is used to capture sound waves, which are then converted to a digital format for
processing and storage by a computer system. They are often built-in to modern computing devices,
such as laptops, mobile phones and tablets. They can also be external devices connected via cable
or wirelessly.
Most microphones today use electromagnetic induction (dynamic microphones), capacitance change
(condenser microphones) or piezoelectricity (piezoelectric microphones) to produce an electrical
signal from air pressure variations. Microphones typically need to be connected to a preamplifier
before the signal can be amplified with an audio power amplifier or recorded.
• describe how these principles are applied to real-life scenarios, for example: scanning of
passports at airports, barcode readers at supermarket checkouts, and touch screens on
mobile devices

Airports
Airports, supermarkets, and any application where information needs to be relayed to customers, gain
benefit from having automatic information kiosks rather than having manned desks. These allow
customers to automatically obtain information when they require it. Output is normally on a screen but
the input devices can vary and are usually:
▪ Touch screens (with menu options)
▪ mouse/tracker balls to select options
▪ limited options keyboard
▪ light pens (although these are becoming increasingly less common)
(Keyboards are usually not offered since the number of options is limited and the owners of the system
don’t want customers keying in information and attempting to “hack” into the system).
Using this automated information system affords the following advantages to the customers and
company:
▪ the system can be linked into websites to give live updates (very useful option at airports, bus
terminals, railway stations, etc.)
▪ information is usually more up to date using this method
▪ no language problems (manually operated desks may have limited language capability)
▪ no need to wait in queues
▪ companies can advertise special offers, special services, key notices, etc.
▪ lower costs to companies (fewer staff needed)
▪ automatic information kiosks are always open
Barcodes
So the barcode has been read, then what happens?
• The barcode number is looked up in the stock database (the barcode is known as the KEY FIELD in
the stock item record); this key field uniquely identifies each stock item.
• When the barcode number is found, the stock item record is looked up.
• The price and other stock item details are sent back to the checkout (or POINT OF SALE TERMINAL
(POS)).
• The number of stock items in the record is reduced by one each time the barcode is read.
• This new value for number of stock items is written back to the stock item record.
• The number of stock items is compared to the re-order level; if it is less than or equal to this value,
more stock items are automatically ordered.
• Once an order for more stock items is generated, a flag is added to the record to stop re-ordering
every time the stock item barcode is read.
• When new stock items arrive, the stock levels are updated in the database.
Advantages of using barcodes to the management include:
• much easier and faster to change prices on stock items
• much better, more up-to-date sales information/sales trends
• no need to price every stock item on the shelves (this reduces time and cost to the management)
• allows for automatic stock control
• possible to check customer buying habits more easily by linking barcodes to, for example, customer
loyalty cards.
Advantages of using barcodes to the customers include:
• faster checkout queues (staff don’t need to remember/look up prices of items)
• errors in charging customers are reduced
• the customer is given an itemised bill
• cost savings can be passed on to the customer
• better track of ‘sell by dates’ so food should be fresher.
The barcode system is used in many other areas. For example, it can be utilised in libraries where
barcodes are used in books and on the borrower’s library card. Every time a book is taken out, the
borrower is linked to the book automatically. This allows automatic checking of when the book is due
to be returned, for example.
• describe how a range of sensors can be used to input data into a computer system, including
light, temperature, magnetic field, gas, pressure, moisture, humidity, pH and motion
Overview of Sensors:
Used to detect data in the surrounding environment that constantly changes.
This information is ‘physical’ and ‘analogue’. Analogue data is constantly changing and it changes
very smoothly.
For example: Outside temperature changes all of the time but it does so very gradually and smoothly.
It doesn't suddenly jump from 10°C to 20°C.
Computers don’t understand analogue data and therefore it needs to be converted to digital (e.g. 1’s
and 0’s). The computer can then read the data. A special device called an Analogue to Digital
Converter (ADC) is used in order to achieve this.
Sensors are used in monitoring and control applications.
When monitoring, the data is sent directly to some sort of a computer and is then processed and used.
For example: A burglar climbs through a window and walks through an alarm’s light sensor. The
computer inside the alarm will pick up on the broken light signal and use this information to sound the
alarm
Sensors can also be used for a wide range of data collection and everyday applications.
For example: Taking measurements in scientific experiments Measuring pollution in the atmosphere
Sensing the temperature in a room and using this to either turn a heating system on or off Automatic
doors open themselves when they detect a person nearby.
Temperature
Automatic washing machines, Central heating systems, Automatic greenhouses, Cookers.
Pressure
Burglar alarm systems, Washing machines, Robotics, Environmental monitoring.

Light
Automatic greenhouses, Automatic doors, Burglar alarm systems, Street lighting control.

Sound
Burglar alarm systems, Voice recognition systems (like using a voice command to start a car).
Humidity/Moisture
Automatic greenhouses, Environmental monitoring, Agriculture, Factories that manufacture items that
can be ruined by too much air moisture (microchips etc).

pH
Automatic greenhouses, Chemical manufacturing, Environmental monitoring, Aquariums (wrong pH
can kill fish)

Gas (e.g. O2 or CO2)

monitor pollution levels in a river or in the air, measure O2 and CO2 levels in a greenhouse, check for
CO2 leaks in a power station
Infra-red/motion
 turn on the windscreen wipers on a car automatically, detect intruders in a burglar alarm system, count
people entering/leaving a building
Magnetic field
any application where detection of changes in a magnetic field is required (e.g. in cell phones, CD
players, etc.), used in anti-lock braking systems in motor vehicles

Advantages of Sensors
▪ Readings taken using sensors are more accurate than those taken by a human.
▪ Sensors can monitor information constantly (They don’t get tired like humans can).
▪ Sensors can respond to information immediately (Burglar alarms goes off as soon as an intruder is
detected).
▪ No need for humans to operate the sensor. This can be useful if gathering the information is hazardous
like in detecting radiation levels for example.
Disadvantages of Sensors
▪ Faulty sensors can give incorrect results. For example: if the sensors on a car that help with reverse
parking become dirty they may not identify an obstacle and cause you to crash into it.
• describe how these sensors are used in real-life scenarios, for example: street lights, security
devices, pollution control, games, and household and industrial applications

Sensors are used in both monitoring and control applications.

Monitoring Systems
Examples of monitoring include:
• monitoring a patient in a hospital for vital signs such as heart rate, temperature, etc.
• monitoring of intruders in a burglar alarm system
• checking the temperature levels in a car engine
• monitoring pollution levels in a river.

Burglar alarm system

A burglar alarm monitoring system will carry out the following actions:
• The system is activated by keying in a password on a keypad.
• The infra-red sensor picks up the movement of an intruder in the building.
• The acoustic sensor picks up sounds such as footsteps or breaking glass.
• The pressure sensor picks up the weight of an intruder coming through a door or through a window.
• The sensor data is passed through an ADC if it is in an analogue form to produce digital data.
• The computer/microprocessor will sample the digital data coming from these
sensors at a given frequency (e.g. every five seconds); the data is compared with the stored values
by the computer/microprocessor.
• If any of the incoming data values are outside the acceptable range, then the
computer sends a signal to:
• a siren to sound the alarm, or
• a light to start flashing.
• A DAC is used if the devices need analogue values to operate them.
• The alarm continues to sound/lights continue to flash until the system is reset with a password.

Monitoring Patients in a Hospital

• A number of sensors are attached to the patient; these measure vital signs such as: temperature,
heart rate, breathing rate, etc.
• These sensors are all attached to a computer system.
• The sensors constantly send data back to the computer system.
• The computer samples the data at frequent intervals.
• The range of acceptable values for each parameter is keyed in to the computer.
• The computer compares the values from the sensors with those values keyed in.
• If anything is out of the acceptable range, a signal is sent by the computer to sound an alarm.
• If data from the sensors is within range, the values are shown in either graphical form on a screen
and/or a digital read out.
• Monitoring continues until the sensors are disconnected from the patient.

Control Applications
Control of street lighting
The lamp is fitted with a light sensor which constantly sends data to the microprocessor. The data
value from the sensor changes according to whether it is sunny, cloudy, raining or it is night time etc.
• The light sensor sends data to the ADC interface.
• This digitises the data and sends it to the microprocessor.
• The microprocessor samples the data every minute (or at some other frequency rate).
• If the data from the sensor < value stored in memory:
• a signal is sent from the microprocessor to the street lamp
• and the lamp is switched on.
• The lamp stays switched on for 30 minutes before the sensor readings are sampled again (this
prevents the lamp flickering off and on during brief heavy cloud cover, for example).
• If the data from the sensor >= value stored in memory:
• a signal is sent from the microprocessor to the street lamp
• and the lamp is switched off.
• The lamp stays switched off for 30 minutes before sensor readings are sampled again (this prevents
the lamp flickering off and on during heavy cloud cover, for example).

Anti-lock braking systems (on cars)

ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEMS (ABS) on cars use magnetic field sensors to stop the wheels
locking up on the car if the brakes have been applied too sharply.
• When one of the car wheels rotates too slowly (i.e. it is locking up), a magnetic field sensor sends
data to a microprocessor.
• The microprocessor checks the rotation speed of the other three wheels.
• If they are different (i.e. rotating faster), the microprocessor sends a signal to the braking system:
• and the braking pressure to the affected wheel is reduced
• the wheel’s rotational speed is then increased to match the other wheels.
• Checking the rotational speed using these magnetic field sensors is done several times a second
and the braking pressure to all the wheels can be constantly changing to prevent any of the wheels
locking up under heavy braking; this is felt as a ‘judder’ on the brake pedal as the braking system is
constantly switched off and on to equalise the rotational speed of all four wheels.
• If one of the wheels is rotating too quickly, braking pressure is increased to that wheel until it matches
the other three.
▪ describe the principles of operation of the following output devices: inkjet, laser and 3D
printers; 2D and 3D cutters; speakers and headphones; actuators; flat-panel display
screens, such as Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and Light-Emitting Diodes (LED) display; LCD
projectors and Digital Light Projectors (DLP)

Inkjet Printers
Explain what an inkjet printer is made up of
▪ A print head that contains nozzles which spray droplets of ink on the paper to form characters.
▪ An inkjet cartridges (blue, yellow,magenta), and a black cartridge is used (and combined at
times).
▪ A stepper motor and belt which moves the print head assembly across the page side-to-side.
▪ A paper feed which automatically feeds the printer with pages as required.
How are ink droplets produced?
Thermal Bubble: Tiny resistors create localized heat which makes the ink vapourize. This causes the
ink to form a tiny bubble; as the bubble expands, some of the ink is ejected from the print head onto
the paper.
When the bubble collapses, a small vacuum is created which allows fresh ink to be drawn into the
print head. This continues until the print cycle is completed.
Piezoelectric: a crystal is located at the back of the ink reservoir for each nozzle. The crystal is given
a tiny electronic charge which makes it vibrate. The vibration forces ink to be ejected onto the paper;
at the same time more ink is drawn for further printing.
What happens when a user wishes to print a document using an inkjet printer?
1. The data from a document is sent to a print driver
2. The print driver ensures that data is in a format that the printer can understand
3. A check is made by the print driver to see if the printer is available to print (or is it offline?)
4. The data is sent to the printer and it is stored in temporary memory as a print buffer)
5. A sheet of paper is fed into a main body of the printer; a sensor detects if there is paper in the
tray. If it is out of paper/or jammed an error message is sent.
6. As the sheet of paper is fed through the printer, the print head moves side to side across the
paper printing the text or image; the four ink colours are sprayed in their exact amounts of the
desired final colour.
7. At the end of full pass of the print head, the paper is advanced very slightly to allow the next
line to be printed; this continues until the whole page is printed.
8. If there is more data in the buffer, the whole process from stage 5 is repeated until the buffer
is empty.
9. Once the buffer is empty, the printer sends an interrupt to the processor of the computer; this
is a request for more data to be sent to the printer; the whole process continues until the whole
document is printed.
When should you use inkjet printers?
One off photos where only a few pages of good quality is needed.
Small paper tray and cartridges.
Laser Printers
How do laser printers differ from inkjet printers?
They use dry powder ink rather than liquid and use static electricity to produce text and images. Laser
print the whole page at once unlike inkjet (line by line).
What are the advantages of laser printers?
Speed to carry out large print jobs (2000 leaflets).
Don’t run out of ink halfway through a job.

What happens when a user wishes to print a document using an laserjet printer?
1. The data from the document is sent to a print driver.
2. The print driver ensures that data is in correct format for printer
3. A check is made by the driver to ensure the printer is ready
4. The data is sent to the printer and it is stored in temporary memory (print buffer)
5. The start of the printing process involves a printing drum being given a positive charge; as the
drum rotates, a laser beam is scanned across it removing the positive charge in certain areas;
this leaves negative charged areas which exactly match the text/images of the page to be
printed.
6. The drum is coated with positively charged toner (powdered ink); since the toner is positively
charged it sticks only to the negative charged parts of the drum
7. A negatively charged sheet of paper is rolled over the drum
8. The toner on the drum sticks to the paper to produce an exact copy of the page sent to the
printer
9. To prevent paper being stuck to the drum, the electric charge on the paper is removed after
one rotation of the drum
10. The paper goes through a fuser which is a set of heated rollers; the heat melts the ink so that
it fixes permanently to the paper
11. At the end a discharge lamp removes all the electric charge from the drum making it ready to
print the next page

When should you use laser printers?

Laser Printers – high quality printouts. Very fast at making multiple copies of a document (high volume
printing) – great for magazines and posters.
They have a large paper tray and toner cartridges which help.

3D Printers

State where 3D printers are used

Computer Aided Design (CAD) applications

State what 3D printers can produce

Solid objects which work.

Explain how a 3D printer solid object is produced

Built up by layers and layers using materials such as powdered resin, powdered metal, paper or
ceramic powder.

State some of the features of a 3D printer

They can use additive manufacturing – object is built using layer upon layer.
They can also use subtractive manufacturing – removing material to make object.

Explain how subtractive manufacturing works

If a statue for example is built using a 3D printer it would build the statue using layers upon layers of
powdered stone until the object is formed. It will then carve the statue out of solid stone (removing the
stone that is not required) until the final product is made.
CNC machines do the same for metal objects (remove the metal not needed)

State what is meant by Direct 3D Printing

It uses inkjet technology.
A print head moves left to right like in a normal inkjet printer. It can also move up and down to build
up the layers of an object.

Explain what is meant by Binder 3D Printing

It is similar to Direct 3D printing. It goes over a layer twice. The first time it sprays dry the powder, and
on the second time it uses a binder (like glue) on the layer to make it become solid.

State what new 3D Printing technologies use

Lasers and UV lights to harden liquid polymers.
 Explain the steps/process in creating a 3D printed object
1. Create a design using CAD software
2. Import the design into some special software which turns it into a format understood by the 3D
printer
3. The 3D printer is setup to allow the solid object to be created
4. The solid object is built up layer by layer (0.1 mm thick). It can take several hours depending
on the size/thickness of the object.
5. The object is removed from the printer and is prepared (such as a jelly substance/or water/or
removing/cutting away) by getting a rid of excess parts of the object. The object has to be left
alone to CURE for a few hours (dry off)
Give examples of 3D Printing being used

1. Prosthetic Limbs to exactly fit the patient

2. Items to allow precision reconstructive surgery such as facial recognition following an accident.
It can scan your skull to make the surgery more accurate to your face.
3. Aerospace – making wings
4. Art and Fashion – new creative clothing
5. Making parts for items no longer in construction – a suspension part for a car no longer made
2D and 3D Cutters

State the difference between a 2D and 3D cutter

The 3D cutter can recognise an object using X-Y-Z direction, rather than 2D (x,y)

State the different materials that laser cutters can cut

▪ Glass
▪ Crystal
▪ Metal
▪ Polymer
▪ Wood

Give a benefit of 3D cutters

They are controlled by computers therefore can cut beyond the surface of the material and produce
intricate designs
 Speakers and Headphones

Explain how speakers/headphones work

▪ Sound is produced from a computer by passing digital data through a Digital to Analogue converter
and then through an Amplifier.
▪ The sound then passes through the speaker.
▪ The sound is produced in the speaker through a vibrating cone that works at different frequencies and
amplitudes

Explain what is meant by sampling rate

The rate/speed at which the DAC (Digital to analogue converter) can translate the digital output into
analogue voltages

State what is the average sampling rate speed

44 100 samples per second

State the bit depths for the following. Stereo and Surround Sound.
Stereo = 2 bits
Surround Sound = 8-24 bits
If a CD is being produced which contains a number of music tracks. Each music piece is sampled 44
100 per second. Each sample is 16 bits.
If we are using stereo sound:
44 100 x 2 x 16 = 1 411200 bits per second
If a CD is being produced which contains a number of music tracks. Each music piece is sampled 44
100 per second. Each sample is 16 bits.
If we are using stereo sound:
44 100 x 2 x 16 = 1 411200 bits per second
1 411200 divided by 8 = 176 400 bytes per second
 Actuators

Flat-panel display screens such as LCD, LED display and

OLED

State what LCD stands for

Liquid Crystal Display

Explain how LCD operate

▪ Front layer of the display is made up of liquid crystal diodes.
▪ The tiny diodes are grouped together in 3s or 4s known as pixels.
▪ The 3 grouped together use RGB
▪ The 4 grouped together use RGBY which makes colours more vivid

Modern day LCDs use LEDs. Explain this concept

Modern LCDs have a backlight using LED (light emitting diode) technology. It makes the image have
better contrast and brightness. When being used, a matrix of tiny LEDs is used behind the screen so
need LEDs or CCFL.

Old LCDs used CCFL. State what is meant by CCFL

Cold Cathode Fluorescent Light which was used as the backlight for old LCDs

Old LCDs used CCFL. Explain how CCFL works

Two fluorescent tubes behind LCD screen which supplies light.

Explain why LEDs are more popular than CCFLs

▪ LEDs reach maximum brightness immediately where CCFLs have to warm up.
▪ LEDs give a whiter light which sharpens the image and makes colours more vivid. CCFL has a slight
yellow tint.
▪ LEDs produce a brighter light which improves colour definition
▪ Monitors use LED technology are thinner than CCFL monitors
▪ LEDs last indefinitely making them more reliable and consistent products
▪ LEDs consume little power which means less heat and less energy

State what is meant by OLED

Organic Light Emitting Diodes which are used in future LED technologies
 Explain how OLEDs are constructed
They use organic materials (made up of carbon compounds) to create semi-conductors which are
flexible.
Organic films are sandwiched between two charged electrodes (metallic cathode and a glass anode).
When an electric field is applied to the electrodes they give off light. This means no backlight is
required. This allows very thin screens.

What shape can OLEDs be?

Any shape – curved for example. Mobile phones are starting to use these so that the screen can wrap
around your wrist.
These screens can even be folded up or put into clothing such as outdoor survival clothes which will
have an inbuilt GPS receiver in it.

What are the advantages of OLED over LED and LCD?

▪ The plastic organic layers of OLED are thinner, lighter and more flexible than the crystal structures.
▪ The light-emitting layers of an OLED are lighter; OLED layers can be from plastic rather than glass
used in LCD/LED screens.
▪ OLEDs give a brighter light than LEDs
▪ OLEDs do not require backlighting like LCD screens – OLED generate own light
▪ No backlighting for OLED means less power, and is therefore important for battery operated mobile
phones.
▪ OLED can be made into any size due to plastic – advertising boards for example.
▪ OLED have a large field of view – 170 degrees, ideal for TV sets and advertising screens

Give some explanations of LCD/LED screens

▪ Touch screens
▪ Mobile Phones
▪ Tablets
▪ Game consoles

LCD projectors and Digital Light Projectors

State the two types of light projectors

Digital light projectors
LCD projectors

State when projectors are to be used

Project computer output onto large screens/interactive whiteboards
Explain how DLP (digital light projectors) work
1. Millions of micro mirrors on a DLP chip.
2. The mirrors are arranged in a specific way which determines the resolution of the digital image.
3. When the micro mirrors tilt towards the light source, they are ON.
4. When the micro mirrors tilt away from the light source, they are OFF.
5. This creates a light/dark pixel on the projection screen.
6. The micro mirrors can be switched on/off several thousand times per second which creates
shades of grey (1024 shades of grey). This is known as grey scale.
7. A bright white light source passes through a colour filter on its way to the DLP chip.
8. The white light is split into RGB.
9. The DLP projector can create over 16 million colours.
10. The ON OFF states each micro mirror are linked to colours from the filter to produce the
coloured image.

Explain how an LCD projector works

1. A high intensive beam of light is generated from a bulb.
2. The beam of light is sent to a group of chromatic-coated mirrors; these reflect the light back at
different wavelengths.
3. When the white light hits these mirrors, the wave length correspond to RGB light components.
4. The RGB components pass through 3 LCD screens. The screens show the image to be
projected as millions of pixels in grey scale.
5. When the coloured light passes through the LCD screens, a RGB version of the grey image
appears.
6. The images of RGB are combined together using a special prism to produce a full coloured
image consisting of millions of colours.
7. The image passes through projector lens onto screen.