ICT NOTES

ICT NOTES

USER INTERFACE
Users command and instruct devices through the user interface

CLI – Command Line Interface

 Enter instructions as text

 Results as text
 Usually used in old systems with little storage
 Commands have to be exactly right, for the system to return the
required results (Disadvantage )

Menu Driven Interface

 Menus with options will be displayed

 Trigger a command or open another menu
 Could take time, due to repeated menus
 Usually used in ATM’s

GUI- Graphical User Interface

 Used based on a system – WIMP

 W- Areas of screen dedicated to the application
 I- Small images that represent applications
 M- A menu of the options to open applications or OS tasks
 P- Controls the cursor on the screen
 Mostly user friendly
 Only need to use WIMP to operate this interface

Voice Interface

 Allows the user to give spoken instructions to the system

 System matches the spoken words against a library
 Sometimes system gives us an incorrect match creating unwanted
results & tension
 Advantageous feature is that it allows a hands-free operation

Gesture Interface

 Device is controlled by swiping the fingers on the screen

 Usually found on touch screen devices

FEATURES OF DIGITAL DEVICES

Portability:-

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 A portable device is easy to carry around

 Usually related to size and weight
 Portable device – Smartphone – HIGH PRIORITY
 TV – LOWER PRIORITY

Performance:-

 High performance – FASTER SPEED

 The speed at which instructions are carried out by the processor
 Faster the processor -> HIGHER THE PERFORMANCE
 Instructions are loaded onto the processor from the RAM
 Faster RAM-> HIGHER THE PERFORMANCE
 If RAM is full, storage is used as overflow- called VIRTUAL MEMORY

Storage :-

 Used to store files and programs

 Higher the storage -> MORE FILES AND PROGRAMS ARE STORED
 Storage speed also affects the performance

User Interface:-

 Users command and instruct devices through the User Interface

Connectivity:-

 Data can be shared between devices through wired or wireless

connections
 You can also use connectivity for software updates or backups
 WIRED connection -> usually FASTER & MORE reliable
 WIRELESS connectivity -> PORABILITY

Media Data:-

 Media data is read or written by digital devices

 Most devices contain inbuilt media
 But some adapters can be provided to externally connect media to
devices

Energy Consumption :-

 Most energy consuming devices need electricity to work

 LOWER ENERGY CONSUMTION -> LONGER BATTERY LIFE
 Nowdays there is a mass production from device engineers
creating :-
 - Eco- friendly devices , which are less energy consuming

Expansions:-

 More space allows installing additional components

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 They might either have and expansion slot or Ports (USB)

Security :-

Next chapter(DIGITAL SECURITY )

DIGITAL SECURITY

Software Security :-

 Set the OS to open only after password or PIN(Personal Identification

Number) is entered
 Locks automatically, if not used for a certain period of time. Needs
PIN or password to login again.
 If an incorrect PIN is entered, user must wait for a while, to try
again, this prevents hackers to repeatedly trying new options. (if
tried repeatedly, the data on the device might be erased )
 Devices have biometric scanners- like TOUCH ID

Physical Security:-

 Security slots are created to attach devices to furniture

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PERIPHERAL DEVICES :-

- A device that can be connected to a computer

- There are 3 types of peripheral devices:-
1. Input
2. Output
3. Storage

INPUT:-

 Input devices send data to the computer

Keyboard:-

 Uses keys, to input text or interact with the software

 Can be connected to computer using wired or wireless connection
 Laptops have inbuilt keyboards
 Can be used to access common commands using combination of
keys – SHORTCUTS
 - eg. To copy – ctrl+C, To paste – ctrl+V

POINTING DEVICE:-

Mouse:-

 Uses an optical sensors to recognise movements

 Sensitivity of the mouse depends on the surface the mouse is on

Tracker Ball:-

 Rolled to move the pointer

 There are no buttons in the tracker ball

Track Pads:-

 They are commonly found on laptops

 The surface of trackpads on laptops sense the movement, presses
and touches of the finger

Joysticks:-

 Usually found on game controllers -> used to move sprites around

Graphics Tablet

 A flat pad that is used with a stylus

 Usually used by digital artist and designers or online comic/ manga
makers
 Main function is to draw and write

SCANNERS:-

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 uses light sensors to record physical documents and save as digital

file in the computer.

OCR – Optical Character Recognition:-

 this device can be used to recognise characters and save as a text

file

OMR – Optical Mark Recognition

 This device can be used to identify marks in a document

 They are commonly used to mark multiple choice questions(MCQ’s)

Barcode scanners:-

 These scanners scan a pattern of lines and gaps- BARCODE

 BARCODES – can be used on parcel – for tracking
 BARCODES – represent letters and numbers
 BARCODES – can be separates to linear and matrix codes

Linear codes Matrix codes

QR Codes (Matrix Code)-

 Can hold more information than linear codes

 Can be scanned from any angle

Webcam:-

 Specialised camera
 Usually have inbuilt microphones
 Used a security camera
 Used to stream images or videos

Microphone:-

 Used to capture sound

 Uses a diaphragm which moves when air hits it, this produces an
analogue signal
 Microphone then converts analogue -> digital signal using a sound
card

OUTPUT PERIPHERALS:-
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 Devices that are connected to the computer that output information

provided by the CPU.
 Can be presented as electronic display, printed form, video, audio,
or tactile form

Monitors

 Provides the output as electronic display

 This is the most common form of output
 Features:-
 SCREEN SIZE –measured diagonally
 RESOLUTION – measured in pixels
 ENERGY EFFICIENCY – methods to save energy(screen savers, power
stand by )

Printer:-

 There are three main types of printers :-

1. DOTMATRIX
2. INKJET
3. LASER

Dot matrix printers:-

 They impact printers, by hitting the paper through an ink ribbon

 Features:-
o Slowest
o Cheap
o Low cost per copy
o Rare color printing
o Low quality
 Uses carbon copy layers – so that many copies can be printed at
same time.

Inkjet printers:-

 uses cartridges full of ink

 spits ink on the paper to form whatever that has to be printed
 Features:-
o Fast
o Medium cost
o High cost per copy
o Color printing
o High quality

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Laser printers:-

 Have rotating cylinders with electric charges,

 then when laser discharges the points needed so that the tonner is
attracted to those points and an image is heated onto a paper
 Features:-
o Fastest
o Expensive
o Medium cost per copy
o Color printing
o High quality
 Usually used in high businesses if a lot of printing needs to be done

3D printer:-

 Used to create a model for any digital design

 It works by adding layers of heat and material from bottom to top.
 This takes a lot of time to create a model

Plotter

 Draws a high quality drawing of digital design

 Usually made through a CAD – Computer Aided Design software
 A pen is moved on a paper to make the design
 It is often used by designers, architects and engineers

Projectors:-

 Used in home entertainment systems or in schools for teaching

 Contains:-
o Light bulbs:- they have different brightness levels, so they are
important for projectors and are very expensive to replace
o Resolution:- have different quality of screens
o Zoom functionality:- Allows the projected screen to be
enlarged or made smaller
o Portability:- not all projectors are portable but newer once are
smaller and lighter so they are easier to carry around.

Speakers:-

 used to output sound, usually are found in pairs…

 this pairs is usually used in home entertainment system and is used
for stereo or surround sound

Control Devices (Actuators ):-

 these are devices that make something happen in the real world
 these devices are often though as mechanical

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 eg:- valves, pistons, heaters, coolers and motors