INPUT AN OUTPUT DEVICES

Input devices, such as a keyboard or mouse, send data and instructions to a

computer for processing, while output devices, like a monitor or printer,
display or present the processed information to the user. Some devices,
known as input/output (I/O) devices, can perform both functions, such as a
touchscreen or a USB drive

1. Input Devices
Input devices are the devices that are used to send signals to the
computer for performing tasks. The receiver at the end is the CPU
(Central Processing Unit), which works to send signals to the output
devices. Some of the classifications of Input devices are:
 Keyboard Devices
 Pointing Devices
 Composite Devices
 Game Controller
 Visual Devices
 Audio Input Devices
Some of the input devices are described below.
Keyboard
The keyboard is the most frequent and widely used input device for
entering data into a computer. Although there are some additional
keys for performing other operations, the keyboard layout is similar
to that of a typical typewriter.
Generally, keyboards come in two sizes: 84 keys or 101/102 keys
but currently keyboards with 104 keys or 108 keys are also available
for Windows and the Internet.
Keyboard
Types of Keys
 Numeric Keys: It is used to enter numeric data or move the
cursor. It usually consists of a set of 17 keys.
 Typing Keys: The letter keys (A-Z) and number keys (09) are
among these keys.
 Control Keys: These keys control the pointer and the screen.
There are four directional arrow keys on it. Home, End, Insert,
Alternate(Alt), Delete, Control(Ctrl), etc., and Escape are all
control keys (Esc).
 Special Keys: Enter, Shift, Caps Lock, NumLk, Tab, etc., and
Print Screen are among the special function keys on the
keyboard.
 Function Keys: The 12 keys from F1 to F12 are on the topmost
row of the keyboard.
Mouse
The most common pointing device is the mouse. The mouse is used
to move a little cursor across the screen while clicking and dragging.
The cursor will stop if you let go of the mouse. The computer is
dependent on you to move the mouse; it won't move by itself. As a
result, it's an input device.
A mouse is an input device that lets you move the mouse on a flat
surface to control the coordinates and movement of the on-screen
cursor/pointer.
The left mouse button can be used to select or move items, while
the right mouse button when clicked displays extra menus.
 Mouse
Joystick
A joystick is a pointing device that is used to move the cursor on a
computer screen. A spherical ball is attached to both the bottom and
top ends of the stick. In a socket, the lower spherical ball slides. You
can move the joystick in all four directions.

Joystick
The joystick's function is comparable to that of a mouse. It is
primarily used in CAD (Computer-Aided Design) and playing video
games on the computer.
Track Ball
Track Ball is an accessory for notebooks and laptops, which works
on behalf of a mouse. It has a similar structure to a mouse. Its
structure is like a half-inserted ball and we use fingers for cursor
movement. Different shapes are used for this like balls, buttons, or
squares.
Light Pen
A light pen is a type of pointing device that looks like a pen. It can
be used to select a menu item or to draw on the monitor screen. A
photocell and an optical system are enclosed in a tiny tube. When
the tip of a light pen is moved across a monitor screen while the pen
button is pushed, the photocell sensor element identifies the screen
location and provides a signal to the CPU.

Light Pen
Scanner
A scanner is an input device that functions similarly to a
photocopier. It's employed when there's information on paper that
needs to be transferred to the computer's hard disc for subsequent
manipulation. The scanner collects images from the source and
converts them to a digital format that may be saved on a disc.
Before they are printed, these images can be modified.
 Scanner
Optical Mark Reader (OMR)
An Optical Mark Reader is a device that is generally used in
educational institutions to check the answers to objective exams. It
recognizes the marks present by pencil and pen.
Optical Character Reader (OCR)
OCR stands for optical character recognition, and it is a device that
reads printed text. OCR optically scans the text, character by
character turns it into a machine-readable code, and saves it to the
system memory.
Magnetic Ink Card Reader (MICR)
It is a device that is generally used in banks to deal with the
cheques given to the bank by the customer. It helps in reading the
magnetic ink present in the code number and cheque number. This
process is very fast compared to any other process.
Bar Code Reader
A bar code reader is a device that reads data that is bar-coded (data
that is represented by light and dark lines). Bar-coded data is
commonly used to mark things, number books, and so on. It could
be a handheld scanner or part of a stationary scanner. A bar code
reader scans a bar code image, converts it to an alphanumeric
value, and then sends it to the computer to which it is connected.
 Bar Code Reader
Web Camera
Because a web camera records a video image of the scene in front
of it, a webcam is an input device. It is either built inside the
computer (for example, a laptop) or attached through a USB
connection. A webcam is a computer-connected tiny digital video
camera. It's also known as a web camera because it can take
images and record video. These cameras come with software that
must be installed on the computer toevery broadcast video in real-
time over the Internet. It can shoot images and HD videos, however,
the video quality isn't as good as other cameras (In Mobiles or other
devices or normal cameras).

Web Camera
Digitizer
Digitizer is a device that is used to convert analog signals to digital
signals. It converts signals into numeric values. An example of a
Digitizer is a Graphic Tablet, which is used to convert graphics to
binary data.
Microphone
The microphone works as an input device that receives input voice
signals and also has the responsibility of converting it also to digital
form. It is a very common device that is present in every device
which is related to music.
2. Output Devices
Output Devices are the devices that show us the result after giving
the input to a computer system. Output can be of many different
forms like image, graphic audio, video, etc. Some of the output
devices are described below.
Monitor
Monitors, also known as Visual Display Units (VDUs), are a
computer's primary output device. It creates images by arranging
small dots, known as pixels, in a rectangular pattern. The amount of
pixels determines the image's sharpness.
The two kinds of viewing screens used for monitors are described
below.
 Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT) Monitor: Pixels are minuscule visual
elements that make up a CRT display. The higher the image
quality or resolution, the smaller the pixels.
 Flat-Panel Display Monitor: In comparison to the CRT, a flat-
panel display is a type of video display with less volume, weight,
and power consumption. They can be hung on the wall or worn on
the wrist.
Flat-panel displays are currently used in calculators, video games,
monitors, laptop computers, and graphical displays.
 Monitor
Television
Television is one of the common output devices which is present in
everycan house. It portrays video and audio files on the screen as
the user handles the television. Nowadays, we are using plasma
displays as compared to CRT screens which we used earlier.
Printer
Printers are output devices that allow you to print information on
paper. There are certain types of printers which are described
below.
 Impact Printers
 Character Printers
 Line Printers
 Non-Impact Printers
 Laser Printers
 Inkjet Printers
 Printer666
Impact Printer
Characters are printed on the ribbon, which is subsequently crushed
against the paper, in impact printers. The following are the
characteristics of impact printers:
 Exceptionally low consumable cost.
 Quite noisy
 Because of its low cost, it is ideal for large-scale printing.
 To create an image, there is physical contact with the paper.
Character Printers
Character Printer canto produce print only one character at a time.
It is of two types.
 Dot Matrix Printer
 Daisy Wheel
Line Printers
Line Printers are printers that have the capability to print one line at
a time. It is of two types.
 Drum Printer
 Chain Printer
Non-Impact Printers
Characters are printed without the need for a ribbon in non-impact
printers. Because these printers print a full page at a time, they're
also known as Page Printers. The following are the characteristics of
non-impact printers:
 Faster
 They don't make a lot of noise.
 Excellent quality
 Supports a variety of typefaces and character sizes
Laser Printers
Laser Printers use laser lights to produce. dots which will produce
characters on the page.
Inkjet Printers
Inkjet printers are printers that use spray technology for printing
papers. High-quality papers are produced in an Inkjet printer. They
also do color printing.
Speakers
Speakers are devices that produce sound after getting a command
from a computer. Nowadays, speakers come with wireless
technology also like Bluetooth speakers.
Projector
Projectors are optical devices that have the work to show visuals on
both types of screens, stationary and moving both. It helps in
displaying images on a big screen. Projectors are generally used in
theatres, auditoriums, etc.
Plotter
Plotter is a device that helps in making graphics or other images to
give a real view. A graphic card is mandatorily required to use these
devices. These are the pen-like devices that help in generating
exact designs on the computer.
Braille Reader
Braille Reader is a very important device that is used by blind users.
It helps people with low vision or no vision to recognize the data by
running their fingers over the device to understand easily. It is a
very important device for blind persons as it gives them the comfort
to understand the letters, alphabets, etc which helps them in study.
Video Card
A video Card is a device that is fitted into the motherboard of the
computer. It helps in improvising digital content in output devices. It
is an important tool that helps people in using multiple devices.
Global Positioning System (GPS)
Global Positioning System helps the user in terms of directions, as it
uses satellite technology to track the geometrical locations of the
users. With continuous latitudinal and longitudinal calculations, GPS
gives accurate results. Nowadays, all smart devices have inbuilt
GPS.
Headphones
Headphones are just like a speaker, which is generally used by a
single person or it is a single-person usable device and is not
commonly used in large areas. These are also called headsets
having a lower sound frequency.
3. Input-Output Devices (Hybrid Devices)
Some devices can act as both input and output tools, making them
very versatile. These devices let you send data to a computer and
receive processed results from it. Unlike regular input or output
devices, hybrid devices improve functionality, efficiency, and user
interaction by combining both capabilities
They are commonly used in modern computing for:
 Data storage
 Communication
 Seamless interaction
Here are some key examples of input-output devices:
Touchscreen
A touchscreen is a device that acts as both an input and an output
tool. As an output device, it shows information like a regular
monitor. But it also works as an input device because you can
interact with it directly by touching the screen.
Touchscreens are commonly used in:
 Smartphones
 Tablets
 ATMs
 Kiosks
They let you navigate, select, and control functions without needing
a mouse or keyboard. Advanced touchscreens, like capacitive and
resistive types, can detect multiple touches at once.
External Hard Drive
An external hard drive is a storage device that can both store and
retrieve data. You can save files onto it (output) and access or
modify them later (input). These drives connect to your computer
using USB, Thunderbolt, or other interfaces.
External hard drives are commonly used for:
 Backing up important data.
 Transferring large files between computers.
 Adding extra storage space.
Unlike the storage inside your computer, external hard drives are
portable. This means you can easily move large files between
different computers.
USB Flash Drive
A USB flash drive is a small, portable storage device that can both
send and receive data. When you copy files onto the flash drive, it
acts as an output device, storing the information. When you access
or transfer those files to another computer, it acts as an input
device, providing the data to the system.
USB flash drives are popular for several reasons:
 They are compact and easy to carry around.
 They can store a lot of data.
 They are simple to use.
People commonly use USB flash drives to:
 Transfer files between computers.
 Create bootable operating systems.
 Serve as emergency backup storage.
These versatile devices have made computing more efficient and
convenient. Their ability to act as both input and output devices
enhances productivity across various t
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