Input Devices

Input device are the hardware components that helps the user to send data,
instruction, or control signals to a computer system.
An input device is a computer device or hardware used to input data and
instructions to the computer system.

Following are few of the important input devices which are used in a computer:
1. Keyboard

2. Mouse

3. Joy Stick

4. Light pen

5. Track Ball

6. Scanner

7. Graphic Tablet

8. Microphone

9. Magnetic Ink Card Recognition(MICR)

10. Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

11. Bar Code Reader (BCR)

12. Optical Mark Reader(OMR)

Keyboard
Keyboard is the most common and very popular
input device which helps in inputting data to the
computer. The layout of the keyboard is like that
of traditional typewriter, although there are some
additional keys provided for performing additional
functions. Keyboards are of two sizes 84 keys or
101/102 keys, but now keyboards with 104 keys or
108 keys are also available for Windows and
Internet.
Mouse
Mouse is the most popular pointing device. It is a
very famous cursor-control device having a small
palm size box with a round ball at its base, which
senses the movement of the mouse and sends
corresponding signals to the CPU when the mouse
buttons are pressed.
Generally, it has two buttons called the left and the
right button and a wheel is present between the
buttons. A mouse can be used to control the
position of the cursor on the screen, but it cannot
be used to enter text into the computer.
Advantages
 Easy to use
 Not very expensive
 Moves the cursor faster than the arrow keys of
the keyboard.

Joystick
Joystick is also a pointing device, which is used
to move the cursor position on a monitor screen.
It is a stick having a spherical ball at its both
lower and upper ends. The lower spherical ball
moves in a socket. The joystick can be moved in
all four directions.
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.

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.

Track Ball
Track ball is an input device that is mostly used in
notebook or laptop computer, instead of a mouse.
This is a ball which is half inserted and by moving
fingers on the ball, the pointer can be moved.
Since the whole device is not moved, a track ball
requires less space than a mouse. A track ball comes
in various shapes like a ball, a button, or a square.

Scanner
Scanner is an input device which works more like a
photocopy machine. It is used when some
information is available on a paper and it is to be
transferred to the hard disc of the computer for
further manipulation. Scanner captures images
from the source which are then converted into the
digital form that can be stored on the disc. These
images can be edited before they are printed.

Digitizer or Graphics Tablet

Digitizer is an input device which converts
analog information into digital form. Digitizer
can convert a signal from the television or camera
into a series of numbers that could be stored in a
computer. They can be used by the computer to
create a picture of whatever the camera had been
pointed at. Digitizer is also known as Tablet or
Graphics Tablet because it converts graphics and
pictorial data into binary inputs. A graphic tablet
as digitizer is used for doing fine works of
drawing and image manipulation applications
 Microphone
Microphone is an input device to input sound that
is then stored in digital form. The microphone is
used for various applications like adding sound to
a multimedia presentation or for mixing music.

Magnetic Ink Card Recognition (MICR)

MICR input device is generally used in banks because of a large number of
cheques to be processed every day. The bank's code number and cheque number
are printed on the cheques with a special type of ink that contains particles of
magnetic material that are machine readable. This reading process is called
Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR). The main advantages of MICR is
that it is fast and less error prone.

Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

OCR is an input device used to read a printed text. OCR scans text optically
character by character, converts them into a machine readable code and stores
the text on the system memory.

Bar Code Readers (BCR)

Bar Code Reader is a device used for reading bar coded data (data in form of
light and dark lines). Bar coded data is generally used in labelling goods,
numbering the books etc. It may be a hand held scanner or may be embedded in
a stationary scanner. Bar Code Reader scans a bar code image, converts it into
an alphanumeric value which is then fed to the computer to which bar code
reader is connected.

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.

Output Devices -The output device displays the result of the processing of raw
data that is entered in the computer through an input device.
An output device is a hardware device that is used to show the processed
results to the user in the form of text, audio, video on a computer screen or a
printed hard copy on paper.

The output device displays the result of the processing of raw data that is entered in
the computer through an input device.

1. Monitor
2. Printer
3. Projector
4. Plotter
5. Speakers
 1) Monitor
The monitor is the display unit or screen of the computer. It is the main output
device that displays the processed data or information as text, images, audio or
video.

Types of Monitors

i) CRT Monitor
CRT monitors are based on the cathode ray tubes. They are like vacuum tubes
which produce images in the form of video signals. Cathode rays tube produces a
beam of electrons through electron guns that strike on the inner phosphorescent
surface of the screen to produce images on the screen.

ii)LCD Monitor
The LCD monitor is a flat panel screen that is compact and light-weight as
compared to CRT monitors. It is based on liquid crystal display technology which
is used in the screens of laptops, tablets, smart phones, etc

iii)LED monitor
The LED monitor is an improved version of an LCD monitor. It also has a flat
panel display and uses liquid crystal display technology like the LCD monitors.
The difference between them lies in the source of light to backlight the display.

iv)Plasma Monitor
The plasma monitor is also a flat panel display that is based on plasma display
technology. It has small tiny cells between two glass panels. These cells contain
mixtures of noble gases and a small amount of mercury.

2. Printers
Printer is an output device, which is used to print information on paper.
"A printer is an external output device that takes data from a computer and
generates output in the form of graphics / text on a paper".
There are two types of printers
1. Impact Printers
2. Non-Impact Printers
 Impact Printer
The impact printer uses a hammer or print head to print the character or images
onto the paper. The hammer or print head strikes or presses an ink ribbon against
the paper to print characters and images.

Characteristics of Impact Printers

1. Very low consumable costs
2. Very noisy
3. Useful for bulk printing due to low cost
4. There is physical contact with the paper to produce an image

A)Character Printers
Character printers are the printers which print one character at a time.
These are further divided into two types
1. Dot Matrix Printer(DMP)
2. Daisy Wheel

i) Dot Matrix Printer

Dot Matrix Printer is an impact printer. The characters and images printed by it
are the patterns of dots. These patterns are produced by striking the ink soaked
ribbon against the paper with a print head. The print head contains pins that
produce a pattern of dots on the paper to form the individual characters.
ii) Daisy Wheel Printer
a daisy-wheel impact printer can be used. It is called daisy-wheel printer because
the print mechanism looks like a daisy; at the end of each “Petal” is a fully formed
character which produces solid-line print. A hammer strikes a “petal” containing a
character against the ribbon, and the character prints on the paper. Its speed is slow
typically 25-55 characters per second.

B) Line Printers:
Line printer, which is also as a bar printer, prints one line at a time. It is a high-
speed impact printer as it can print 500 to 3000 lines per minute. Drum printer and
chain printer are examples of line printers.

i) Drum Printer:
Drum printer is a line printer that is made of a rotating drum to print characters.
The drum has circular bands of characters on its surface. It has a separate hammer
for each band of characters. When you print, the drum rotates, and when the
desired character comes under the hammer, the hammer strikes the ink ribbon
against the paper to print characters

ii) Chain Printer:

Chain printer is a line printer that uses a rotating chain to print characters. The
characters are embossed on the surface of the chain. hey can type 500 to 3000 lines
per minute. They are also noisy due to the hammering action.

Non Impact Printer:-

Non-impact printers don't print characters or images by striking a print head or
hammer on the ink ribbon placed against the paper. They print characters and
images without direct physical contact between the paper and the printing
machinery. These printers can print a complete page at a time, so they are also
known as page printers. The common types of non-impact printers are Laser
printer and Inkjet printer:

i) Laser Printer:
A laser printer (also known as Page Printers as they prints the whole page at
once). A laser printer is a non-impact printer that uses a laser beam to print the
characters. laser printer is a type of printer which makes use of a laser beam to
produce an image on the drum or you can say that it is a printer that makes use of a
focused beam of light to transfer text and images onto paper.
 ii) Inkjet Printer:
The inkjet printer is a non-impact printer that prints images and characters by
spraying fine,ionized drops of ink. The print head has tiny nozzles to spray the ink.
The printer head moves back and forth and sprays ionized drops of ink on the
paper, which is fed through the printer. It can produce print objects with a
resolution of at least 300 dots per inch (dpi).

3. Projector
A projector is an output device that enables the user to project the output onto a
large surface such as a big screen or wall. It uses light and lenses to produce
magnified texts, images, and videos.

4) Plotter
A plotter is a specialized output device used to generate high-quality, accurate, and
detailed graphics. It's popular in fields like engineering, architecture, and graphic
design.

Types of Plotters
o Pen Plotters: Pen plotters are the most classic sort of plotter, drawing
continuous lines on paper or other media using a pen or marker.
o Electrostatic Plotters: Electrostatic plotters use an electrostatic charge to
attract toner or ink onto paper. Electrostatic plotters can print high-resolution
images with smooth gradients and solid fills.
o Inkjet Plotters: Inkjet plotters work similarly to inkjet printers but are
designed for large-format printing. They generate the desired picture or
pattern by spraying small droplets of ink onto the paper.
o Cutting Plotters: Cutting plotters are specialized plotters used to cut out
shapes and designs on various materials such as vinyl, paper, or fabric.
o Laser Plotters: Laser plotters use a laser beam to create high-resolution
prints on various media. They work by directing the laser beam across the
surface of the media, selectively exposing it to heat, which creates the
desired image or design.
5) Speakers
Speakers are important output devices that transform electrical impulses into
audible sounds. They're essential to many modern devices, including computers,
televisions, music players, and mobile phones. The audio system improves the
multimedia experience by providing high-quality audio output.