Input Devices

Input devices are important parts of a computer that help us communicate

with the system.

●​ These devices let us send data or commands to the computer,

allowing it to process information and perform tasks.

●​ Whether it's typing on a keyboard or clicking a mouse, these devices

enable us to interact with the computer and accomplish tasks.

How Does an Input Device Work?

An input device converts user actions or physical movements into signals

that the computer can understand and process.

●​ Signal Conversion: Input devices convert physical actions (e.g.,

pressing a key, moving a mouse) into electrical signals that the

computer can understand.

●​ Data Transmission: These electrical signals are transmitted to the

computer’s processor, typically via USB, Bluetooth, or wireless

connections.

●​ Processing by the CPU: Once the signals reach the processor, the

data is interpreted and processed by the computer to carry out the

desired task (e.g., typing a letter, moving a cursor).

 ●​ User Interaction: The user interacts with the input device (keyboard,

mouse, etc.), and the device sends corresponding data to the

computer based on user input.

●​ Feedback to the User: In some cases, input devices provide

feedback (e.g., vibration in a game controller or sound from a

keyboard key press) to confirm the input was registered.

An input device converts user actions into computer-readable signals.

Different Types of Input Devices

There are Various types of Input Devices and in the below section you will

explore all types of input devices.

Keyboard
Keyboard is the most common and commonly used input device. It allow

users to input text and commands. Keyboard contains various keys for

entering letters, numbers, and characters. Although there are some

additional keys for completing various activities.

Types of Keys on the Keyboard

●​ Numeric Keys: These keys are used to enter numeric data and move

the cursor. It is typically made up of 17 keys.

●​ Keyboard Shortcuts: These keys include the letter keys (A-Z) and

the number keys (09).

●​ Control Keys: The pointer and the screen are controlled by these

keys. It comes with four directional arrow keys. Control keys include

Home, End, Insert, Alternate(Alt), Delete, Control(Ctrl), and Escape.

●​ Special Keys: Enter, Shift, Caps Lock, NumLk, Tab, and Print Screen

are some of the special function keys on the keyboard.

●​ Function Keys: The 12 keys from F1 to F12 are on the topmost row

of the keyboard.

Types of Keyboard

Genrally there are three types of keybord adn they are:

●​ QWERTY Keyboard: It is the most common type of keyboard layout

used in computers and typewriters. It is named after the first six

letters in the top row of the keyboard (Q, W, E, R, T, Y).

●​ AZERTY Keyboard: This keyboard layout commonly used in

French-speaking countries, named after the first six letters in the top

row (A, Z, E, R, T, Y).

●​ DVORAK Keyboard: This keyboard layout designed by Dr. August

Dvorak and William Dealey in the 1930s to improve typing

efficiency. Unlike the QWERTY keyboard, this keyboard arranged to

make typing faster and less tiring by putting common letters like A,

E, I, O, U, and others under the strongest fingers.

Mouse

The mouse is the most commonly used pointing device. It’s a small, handheld

device that you move on a flat surface to control a cursor or pointer on the

screen. By clicking buttons or scrolling a wheel on the mouse, you can select

items, open files, drag objects, or navigate programs. Mouse was invented in

1963 by Douglas C. Engelbart.

Different Types of Mouse

●​ Trackball Mouse: A mouse with a ball on top that you roll with your

fingers to move the cursor. The mouse stays still, making it good for

small spaces.

●​ Mechanical Mouse: An older mouse with a rubber ball inside that

rolls on a surface to move the cursor. It uses moving parts to track

motion.

●​ Optical Mouse: A mouse that uses a light sensor (LED or laser) to

detect movement on a surface, providing smoother and more

accurate cursor control.

●​ Wireless Mouse: A mouse that connects to the computer without a

cable, using batteries and wireless signals (like Bluetooth or USB

receiver) for freedom of movement.

Joystick

A pointing device used to move the cursor around the screen is the joystick.

Both the bottom and top ends of the stick have a spherical ball affixed to

them. A socket contains the lower spherical ball. You can adjust the joystick

in all directions. Trackballs became quite popular in laptops and PCs since

they fit neatly inside the case and take up less room when in use. They are

more precise and long-lasting than a mouse, which is why they are still

utilised. It was invented by C.B.Mirick.

Types pf Joysticks
●​ Analog Joystick: A joystick that tilts in any direction for smooth,

variable control, used in gaming controllers for precise movements.

●​ Digital Joystick: A joystick that moves in fixed directions (e.g., up,

down, left, right), giving simple on/off signals, used in old arcade

games.

●​ Flight Joystick: A joystick for flight simulation games or aircraft,

with a stick, throttle, and buttons for realistic flying control.

●​ Paddle Joystick: A simple joystick with limited movement, often

rotating or sliding, used in early games like Pong for basic control.

●​ Handheld Joystick: A small joystick on portable controllers or

devices, used for quick movements in video games or drones.

●​ Industrial Joystick: A strong joystick for controlling machines like

cranes or robots, designed for precise and durable industrial use.

Light Pen

A light pen is a pointing device that has the appearance of a pen. It can be

used to draw on the monitor screen or to pick a menu item. In a small tube, a

photocell and an optical system are housed. The photocell sensor element

determines the screen location and sends a signal to the CPU when the tip of

a light pen is moved across a monitor screen while the pen button is pressed.

Types of Light Pen

●​ Corded Light Pen: A pen-shaped device with a wire connecting to

the computer, used to point or draw on CRT screens without

needing a battery.
 ●​ Battery Light Pen: A wireless light pen powered by a battery, used

for drawing or selecting on digital screens, offering portability.

●​ Design Light Pen: A light pen for artists to sketch or create digital

art and 3D designs with high precision on screens.

●​ LED Light Pen: A light pen with a bright LED tip for clear visibility,

used for pointing, writing, or drawing on digital displays.

●​ Optical Digital Pen: A modern pen with a camera or laser to capture

coordinates, works on tablets or special paper, often wireless.

●​ Active Pen (Smart Pen): An advanced light pen with features like

pressure sensitivity, used for precise digital drawing or design on

modern devices.

Scanner
A scanner is a type of input device that works in the same way as a

photocopier. It's used when there's data on paper that needs to be

transferred to the computer's hard disc for further processing. The scanner

collects images from the source and translates them into a digital version

that can be saved on the hard disk. These graphics can be changed before

they are printed.

Types of Scanner

●​ Flatbed Scanner: A scanner with a flat glass surface where you

place documents or photos to scan. It creates digital images and is

common for home or office use.3

●​ Handheld Scanner: A small, portable scanner you move by hand

over a document or object to scan. It’s useful for quick scans but less

accurate.

●​ Sheetfed Scanner: A scanner that pulls in sheets of paper one by

one to scan, often used in offices for scanning multiple pages

quickly.

●​ Drum Scanner: A high-quality scanner that uses a rotating drum to

scan images or documents, providing very detailed and accurate

results, often used for professional printing.

●​ Photo Scanner: A scanner designed specifically for scanning photos,

offering high resolution to capture fine details and colors for digital

photo storage.
Barcode 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 utilised. 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 barcode printed on

any goods. By impacting light beams on barcode lines, a barcode reader

identifies existing data in barcodes.

Types of Barcode Reader

●​ Pen-Type Barcode Reader (Wand Scanner): A pen-shaped device

you swipe over a barcode to read it with a light sensor, simple but

needs steady hands.

●​ Laser Barcode Reader: Uses a laser beam to read barcodes quickly

and accurately, often handheld or fixed, used in stores.

●​ CCD Barcode Reader (LED Scanner): Uses LED lights to read

barcodes up close, durable and reliable, used in retail or libraries.

●​ Camera-Based Barcode Reader (2D Imager): Uses a camera to

read 1D or 2D barcodes like QR codes, versatile for phones or

scanners.
 ●​ Omnidirectional Barcode Reader: Reads barcodes from any angle

with multiple lasers, very fast, used in busy stores.

Web Camera

A webcam is an input device since it records a video image of the scene in

front of it. It can either be incorporated inside the computer (for example, a

laptop) or connected via USB. A webcam is a small digital video camera that

is connected to a computer. Because it can capture pictures and record video,

it's also known as a web camera.

Types of Webcam
●​ USB Webcam: A webcam that connects to a computer with a USB

cable, used for video calls or online classes, affordable and easy to

set up.

●​ Wireless Webcam: A webcam that works without cables, using

Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, allowing movement but may need batteries or

charging.

●​ Built-in Webcam: A webcam built into devices like laptops or

monitors, convenient for video calls but often fixed and lower

quality.

●​ HD Webcam: A webcam that records in high-definition (720p or

1080p) for clear, sharp video, great for streaming or professional

video calls.

●​ 4K Webcam: A webcam that captures ultra-high-definition (4K)

video for very detailed images, used for professional streaming or

video production.

●​ PTZ Webcam: A webcam that can pan, tilt, and zoom, controlled

remotely, used for flexible video capture in meetings or surveillance.

Graphic Tablets

A graphics tablet, also known as a digitising tablet, is a computer input

device that allows users to draw 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.

Types of Graphic Tablets

●​ Pen Tablet (Non-Display Graphic Tablet): A flat tablet where you

draw with a stylus, and the image shows on a computer screen,

affordable for digital drawing.

●​ Display Tablet (Pen Display Tablet): A tablet with a screen where

you draw directly, seeing the image under the stylus, precise but

costly.

●​ Portable Graphic Tablet: A lightweight, often wireless tablet, easy

to carry for drawing anywhere, connects via Bluetooth or cable.

●​ Smart Graphic Tablet: A tablet with advanced features like touch

gestures and apps, can work as a standalone computer for drawing

or other tasks.

●​ Passive Graphic Tablet: A tablet using a battery-free stylus,

detected by the tablet’s surface, making the pen light and easy to

use.
Touchscreen

A touchscreen is a type of input device that allows users to interact with a

digital display by directly touching the screen's surface. It enables the user to

perform various actions, such as selecting options, typing on a virtual

keyboard, drawing, or manipulating objects, by physically touching the

screen.

Types of Touchscreen
●​ Resistive Touchscreen: A screen with two layers that detect touch

when pressed together, works with fingers or stylus, used in older

devices like ATMs.

●​ Capacitive Touchscreen: A screen that senses touch through the

body’s electrical charge, very sensitive with clear displays, used in

smartphones and tablets.

●​ Infrared Touchscreen: A screen that uses infrared light beams to

detect touch, works without pressure, used in large displays like

interactive whiteboards.

●​ Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) Touchscreen: A screen that uses

sound waves to detect touch, clear and durable but sensitive to dirt,

used in kiosks.

●​ Optical Touchscreen: A screen that uses cameras or sensors to

track touch, supports multi-touch and works on large displays, used

in digital signage.
Output Devices
​ Output devices are hardware that display or produce the results of a computer's
processing. They convert digital data into formats we can see, hear, or touch.
●​ The output device may produce audio, video, printed paper or any

other form of output.

●​ Output devices convert the computer data to a

human-understandable form.

●​ We give input to the computer using input devices, and the

computer performs operations on the data and displays the output

to the user using the output device.

Different Types of Output Devices

The various output devices are as below:

1. Monitor

A computer's principal output device is a monitor, often known as a visual

display unit (VDU). It displays the processed data. It makes images by

arranging microscopic dots in a rectangular pattern, known as pixels. The

sharpness of an image is determined by the number of pixels. There are two

types of monitor viewing screens:

Monitor

●​ Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT): This type of monitor is based on a

cathode ray tube. In which the cathode ray tube generates a beam of

electrons with the help of electron guns they strike on the inner

surface of phosphorescent of the screen to generate images. The

CRT monitor holds millions of phosphorus dotes in three different

 colors, i.e., red, blue, and green. These dots glow when the beam

struck on them and create an image. The main parts of the CRT

monitor are the electron gun, fluorescent screen, glass envelope,

deflection plate assembly, and base.

●​ Display on a Flat Panel Monitor with a Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT):

A flat-panel display is a type of video display with less volume,

weight, and power consumption than a CRT. They can be put on the

wrist or hang on the wall. Calculators, video games, monitors,

laptop, and graphical displays all use flat-panel displays.

●​ Plasma Monitor: It is also a flat panel display but it is based on

plasma display technology. In a plasma monitor, a small cell is

present in between two glass surfaces and these cells contain a

solution of noble gases and mercury. So when the electricity supply

on the gas present in the cell converts into plasma and produces UV

light that creates an image. It is much better than an LCD monitor.

The resolution of this monitor is also high up to 1920 x 1920. It has

a good contrast ratio, high refresh rate, etc.

Characteristics of Monitor:

●​ Resolution pixels: Pixels are the smallest element of any image

●​ Size: The size of the monitor is diagonal measurement of a desktop

screen is typically 14 to 25 inches.

 ●​ Refresh Rate: Total number of times per second that an image on a

display is repainted or refreshed.

2. Printer

Printers are information output devices that allow you to print data on paper.

Or in other words, it is an output device that creates a hard copy of the

processed data or information. Printers are divided into two categories:

●​ Impact Printer: In impact printers, characters are printed on the

ribbon, which is then smashed on the paper. Or we can say that

such type of printer uses a print head or hammer to print the data on

the paper. Here to print the paper the hammer or print head strikes

an ink ribbon against the paper and the character starts printing.

Some of the types of impact printers are:

○​ Dot matrix printer

○​ Daisy wheel printer

○​ Line printer

○​ Chain printer

●​ Impact printers have the following characteristics:

○​ Extremely low consumable costs.

○​ Fairly noisy
 ○​ It's perfect for large-scale printing because of its

inexpensive cost.

○​ Physical contact with the paper is required to form an

image.

●​ Non-Impact Printers: Non-impact printers print characters without

the use of a ribbon. These printers are often known as page printers

because they print a full page at a time. Some of the types of

non-impact printers are:

○​ Laser printer

○​ Inkjet printer

●​ Non-impact printers have the following characteristics:

○​ Quicker.

○​ They don't produce much noise.

○​ Superior quality.

○​ Supports a wide range of fonts and character sizes.

Printer
3. Plotter

A plotter is a device that prints high-quality graphics in a variety of color

formats. It works in a similar way to a printer, although it has more advanced

features. It is used to print large maps, architectural drawings, large-format

printing, and create pictures, 3D postcards, advertising signs, charts, and

various designs of the internal structure of building machines, as well as

create pictures, 3D postcards, advertising signs, charts, and various designs

of the internal structure of building machines.

Plotter

Characteristics of Plotter:

●​ Large size prints can be taken via plotters.

●​ It is slow and expensive.

4. Projector
A projector is a device that allows users to project their output onto a large

area, such as a screen or a wall. It can be used to project the output of a

computer and other devices onto a screen. It magnifies texts, photos, and

movies using light and lenses. As a result, it's an excellent output device for

giving presentations or teaching big groups of people.

Characteristics of Projector:

●​ They are lightweight, and one person can easily take them out of

the box, connect them, and hang an image on the wall.

●​ Projectors can be the most cost-effective option for large-screen

video in your home.

●​ A small projector mounted on a back shelf or bookcase, or mounted

on the ceiling, takes up no area on the floor. It is barely visible when

it is not in use.
5. Speakers

Speakers are connected to computers to allow sound to be output. For the

working of speakers, sound cards are required. From simple two-speaker

output devices to surround-sound multi-channel sets, speakers come in a

variety of shapes and sizes. They take audio input from the computer's sound

card and output sound waves as audio output.

Speaker

Characteristics of Speakers:

●​ Speakers are available in a wide range of qualities and prices.

●​ Small, plastic computer speakers with low sound quality are often

included with computer systems.

6. Headphones

To hear the sound, use earbuds with your computer, laptop, or smartphone. It

enables you to hear the sound without causing any inconvenience to others.

To translate electronic signals into sounds without causing inconvenience to

others. They can be wired or wireless and can be connected to computers,

laptops, mobile phones, etc. They are connected with the devices via

Bluetooth.

Heaphone

Characteristics of Headphones:

●​ Stereo phones and headsets are other names for them.

●​ Earphones or earbuds are the names for the in-ear variants.

 ●​ The term headset denotes a combination of headphones and a

microphone used for two-way communication, such as using a

telephone.

7. Video Card

A video card, also called a graphics card or GPU, is a part of a computer that

creates pictures, videos, and animations you see on the screen. It’s important

for playing games, editing videos, or using apps that need good graphics,

making everything look smooth and clear.

Video Card

Characteristics of Video Card:

●​ Heat sinks are required for video cards with high performance as

they generate a lot of heat.

 ●​ Also known as graphics card and require software installation in

addition to the hardware.

●​ When working with huge files, video cards supply a significant

quantity of video-only memory that frees up CPU resources,

allowing the system to run more effectively.

8. Speech Synthesizer

A speech synthesizer is a computerized device that takes in data, interprets it,

and generates audible words. It might be a computer card, a box connected

by a cable, or software that works with the computer's sound card.

Characteristics of speech synthesizer:

●​ Any text, predetermined input can be translated into audible speech.

●​ For people who are unable to talk or have impaired vision, it can

provide digital verbal communication.

●​ It takes in data, interprets it, and generates sound output.

9. GPS

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a radio-based satellite navigation

system that uses radio signals to pinpoint a specific position. The sender

sends a radio signal to satellites, which collect data such as time, location,
speed, and other variables and deliver it to the reception computer for

analysis. Because this processed data can be evaluated to obtain information,

it is considered as an output device.

GPS

Characteristics of GPS:

●​ GPS satellites constantly communicate their position and time.

●​ Solar storms, high storm cover, and other factors impair GPS

equipment.

●​ The Global Positioning System (GPS) is based on the mathematical

idea of trilateration.

●​ The GPS works independently of telephonic or internet reception

and does not need the user to send any data, however, to improve

accuracy both technologies can be used.

●​