Computer Hardware & Networking (Course Code 6043) Semester VI ( Revision 2015)

MODULE I
Power supply and I/O devices

Syllabus : SMPS - block diagram - advantages - voltage levels of various SMPS - AT and ATX
power connectors – I/O Devices - display adapter/display controllers - VGA, SVGA, XGA - pin
configuration - basics of LED, LCD - VGA monitor block diagram - AGP and PCIe - advantages -
matrix keyboard organization - method of encoding a key press - keyboard controllers - keyboard
connectors - 5 pin DIN, mini DIN (ps/2), USB - optical mouse - connectors - serial, PS/2, USB,
wireless - scanners (flat bed, hand held) and digital camera - printers - impact and non impact
printers - dot matrix, inkjet, laser printers – centronics interface and USB interface.

SMPS(Switched Mode Power Supply) : It is an electronic power supply system that makes use of
a switching regulator to transfer electrical power effectively. It is a PSU (Power Supply Unit) and is
usually used in computers to change the voltage to the appropriate range for the computer. It will
provide various DC output voltage like ∓5V, ∓12V, +3.3V. It is digital type power supply. In
conventional analog power supply the efficency is very less due to various power losses. In SMPS a
high frequency transformer is switched ON and OFF with a high frequency(15-20KHz) in contrast
to the 50 or 60 Hz main frequency. At this high frequencies transformer can be much smaller and
power loss is very less.

NOTE: Efficency is the ratio of output power to input power.

Input power = Ouput power + Power loss

Advantages of SMPS :
1. Higher efficiency of 68% to 90%.
2. Less heat generation hence less power wastage.
3. Regulated and reliable outputs regardless of variations in input supply voltage .
4. Small size and lighter.
5. Flexible technology. It have provision for providing the required number of voltages.

Disadvantages of SMPS :
1. Generates electromagnetic interference
2. Complex circuit design.
3. Expensive compared to linear supplies.
4. The noise is present due to high frequency switching.
Q) List any 2 advantages of SMPS ? (2 marks)

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Applications of SMPS : They are used in the motherboard of computers, laptops, HVDC
measurements, battery chargers, central power distribution, motor vehicles, consumer electronics,
security systems, space stations, etc.
Functional block diagram of SMPS : The diagram below outlines how the SMPS operates. An
SMPS’s functionality is more complex than that of a linear regulated power supply. It can be
divided into five stages.
1. In the first stage, the incoming AC power runs through a rectifier and undergoes filtration to
produce DC.
2. The SMPS works at high frequencies, so a high-frequency switch(MOSFET) processes the
DC signal, which creates a high-frequency pulsating DC signal.
3. The power transformer with ferrite core steps down the high-voltage pulsating DC signal to
a pulsating DC signal of the appropriate level. Ferrite core is used in switching transformer
to minimize core losses at high frequencies.
4. The stepped-down DC signal is rectified and filtered to a achieve a steady, constant DC
output.
5. The control circuitry monitors the output voltage and adjusts the high-frequency switch to
ensure a continuous output stream of the desired voltage. The voltage sample from output is
compared with a standard reference voltage and generates an error voltage. If the output
voltage is greater than the reference voltage, the PWM(Pulse Width Modulation) circuit
reduces its duty cycle and thus the average output voltage and if the output voltage is lower
than reference, the PWM increases duty cycle and average output voltage also increases.
This continuous feedback loop keeps the output voltage at constant level.

Q) Explain the block diagram of ATX SMPS ? (8 marks)

Q) Explain the working of ATX SMPS with neat diagram ? (8 marks)
Q) Explain the working of SMPS with necessary diagram ? (10 marks)

Voltage levels of SMPS used in computer :

A) +12 V : It is used to drive the disk drive motors. It is also used by components like fans and
other cooling devices. It is generally not used by the motherboard but still it is passed to the system
bus slots so that the add-on cards if any can use them. The drive have their own separate power
supply connectors from the SMPS.

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B) -12 V : The RS-232C interface of the serial port follows the negative logic. This voltage is
provided to the motherboard to power up the serial port. This voltage is rarely used but is provided
to the motherboard for downward compatibility
C) +5 V : All the integrated components of the motherboard operate with +5V and hence the
motherboard is provided with +5 V power supply. On the new systems the CPU has now designed
to operate with a lower voltage of +3.3V.
D) -5 V : The motherboard is provided with -5V for backward compatibility. The older Floppy disk
drives connected to the ISA slots, the DRAM memory chips in the original PC needed -5V. This
voltage level is now obsolete and is not used by components of recent days.
E) +3.3V : It is the modern voltage level introduced by the ATX form factor. It is not present in the
older form factors. +5V was the lowest voltage level in the older computers. The +5V provided
power to the CPU, memory and all the other integrated components on the motherboard. As the
technology improved, the second generation Pentium chips are designed to operate at reduced
voltage of 3.3V. This would reduce the power consumption as the speed of operation of the chip is
increased. The motherboard manufacturers had to design special voltage regulators on board to
reduce the 5V to 3.3V. As a result, lot of heat was generated by the voltage regulators and this
method of voltage regulation on the motherboard was not efficient. Hence the power supply unit
was itself designed to provide the +3.3V separately for the CPU. The +3.3V power supply is used
by the CPU in addition to the AGP cards, system memory and other circuits.
F) GND / COM(Ground / Common Terminal): The GND pins are used to close the electrical
circuit and provide a common logic reference level throughout your circuit.

NOTE: The form factor of the computer and motherboard refers to its size. This is standardized so
nearly all computers cases can run all motherboards. The most common form factor is the AT &
ATX.

AT (Advanced Technology) & ATX (Advanced Technology Extended) power connectors :

Computer power supply units (PSU) deliver the power to the PC hardware via a number of cables
with connectors. AT (Advanced Technology) and ATX (Advanced Technology Extended) are two
incompatible power supply standards. While both power supplies share some of the same
connectors, the technology behind both of them is quite different, requiring different mother boards
and computer cases. The AT style was used from approximately 1980-1997, while the ATX standard
is current. AT power scheme is the original power scheme that most of the older computers used.

• Main Power Connector : The main power connector on AT and ATX power supplies are
very different, and require different motherboards because of this. The main power
connector on an AT power supply is actually two separate 6-pin connectors(P8,P9) that plug
into the motherboard side by side in a single row. The ATX main power connector is a single
20 or 24-pin connector that places the pins on two rows.

• Power Switch : The power switch of AT style power supplies is integrated directly into the
power supply itself. This is a physical switch that turns the power supply on and off. ATX
style power supplies use a "soft switch" that is controlled by the motherboard. This enables a
computer with an ATX power supply to power off via software. This gives the OS time to
save all information and complete important tasks before turning off the power supply using
a dedicated output signal (PS_ON).

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• Power : Older power supplies provide a lower wattage rating than newer ones. Newer ATX
style power supplies typically provide 300 or more watts, whereas AT style power supplies
typically provide wattage of less than 250.

Power Connectors of ATX Motherboard: Though AT and ATX power supplies share many
connectors, ATX power supplies may have connectors such as SATA and 4-pin ATX 12V, that never
appeared on AT power supplies due to the technology post-dating the AT power supply.
Additionally, an AT power supply has more mini-Molex connectors for devices such as floppy
drives. A computer SMPS primarily provides 5 DC voltages as output, +12V, +5V, +3.3V, -12V and
-5V. In addition to these voltages, ATX SMPS have a 5V standby supply and some signals like
PS_ON and Power_OK.

5V standby supply: Standby supply of 5V_SB is used to enable low power operation of computer
motherboard during standby mode and enables software controlled power OFF of the main SMPS.

PS_ON Signal: The PS_ON signal can be generated physically by the computer's power switch or
electronically by the operating system. PS_ON is an active low signal, meaning that the power
supply voltage outputs are disabled when the PS_ON is high.

Power_OK (Power Good Signal): The PW_OK or Power Good signal is an indication of the
stabilization of all the output voltages. When all the output DC voltages of main SMPS become
stable after turning ON the SMPS, a HIGH (5V) appears on this output and hence the motherboard
identifies that all the voltages are OK and can start the computer. If the power good signal is not
obtained, then the CPU restarts immediately until a stabilized power is generated for driving the
devices present in the mother board.

Q) Why power ok signal is used in ATX power connector ? (2 marks)

Q) Write the function of Power Good Signal in ATX SMPS ? (2 marks)

• 20/24-pin ATX Motherboard Connector (P1) : SMPS uses Molex connectors to connect
to Motherboard, drives and peripherals. Molex connector is the term for a two-piece pin and
socket interconnection. Pioneered by Molex Connector Company, the two piece design
become connector standard.

• 20 Pin Connector : There are several different coloured wires attached to the 20-pin ATX
connector providing several different voltage outputs such as +3.3V, +5V, +12V, -12V, -5V
as well as a number of black ground wires and a couple signal wires.

• 24 Pin Connector : While 24-pin connector follows newer ATX standard. The 24-pin
connector just the 20-pin cable with 4 extra wires to provide additional power to the
computer’s mother board. As long as your power supply can provide sufficient power to the
motherboard, you can still use 20-pin power supply.

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Q) Draw 20 pin ATX power Connector ? (5 marks)

• Drive Connectors : ATX SMPS provides a number of drive and peripheral supply
connectors. Normally +12V and +5V required for different disk drives in a computer
system. Parallel ATA (Advanced Technology Attachment) or IDE (Integrated Drive
Electronics) connector, Serial ATA (SATA) connector and Mini_Molex or Berg or Floppy
Disk connector are used to connect the supply voltages to different disk drives in a
computer.

Input / Output (I/O) devices : It is any hardware that allows a human operator or other systems to
interface with a computer or CPU(Central Procesing Unit). An input device sends information to a
computer system for processing, and an output device reproduces or displays the results of that
processing.
Some examples of Input devices are keyboard, mouse, scanner, microphone, joystick etc.. Some
examples of Output devices are printer, monitor, projector, headphone, plotter etc..

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Q) Write any 4 input devices ? (2 marks)

Display Adapters : It is a plug-in card in a desktop computer that performs graphics processing.
Also commonly called a “graphics card” or “video card”. The display adapter determines the
maximum resolution, refresh rate and number of colors that can be displayed, which the monitor
must also be able to support. On most PCs, these graphics circuits are built into the motherboard's
chipset. A separate plug-in card is required only to greatly enhance rendering for video games or
other fast-motion graphics applications. Video cards also include video RAM (VRAM). VRAM is
dual-ported, that is can send a screenful of data to the monitor while at the same time receiving the
next screen full of data from the CPU. VRAM refers to any type of RAM specifically used to store
image data for a computer display. VRAM's purpose is to ensure the even and smooth execution of
graphics display.

Q) Explain the working of display adapter with suitable diagram ? (9 marks)

Evolution of Display Adapters :

1. Monochrome Display Adapter (MDA)
2. Colour Graphics Adapter (CGA)
3. Enhanced Graphics Adapter (EGA)
4. Multicolour Graphics Array (MCGA)
5. Video Graphics Array (VGA)
6. Super Video Graphics Array (SVGA)
7. Extended Graphics Array (XGA)
8. DVI (Digital Visual Interface)
9. HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface)
10. Display Ports
11. HD Base-T (HD Media over Ethernet cable).

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Video Graphics Array (VGA) :

•  Developed in 1987 by IBM.
•  Resolution – 640 x 480 pixels and 60Hz refresh rate.
•  15 pin D-SUB display connector.

Super Video Graphics Array (SVGA) :

• Super VGA (SVGA) is a display standard developed in 1988, by consortium of monitor
and graphics manufacturers called VESA.
• SVGA is the unofficial successor to VGA.
•  Resolution – 800 x 600 pixels and 60/70Hz refresh rate
• SVGA has 36% more pixels compared to VGA.
• 15 pin D-SUB display connector (Same connector as VGA).

Extended Graphics Array (XGA) :

• XGA is an IBM display standard introduced in 1990.
•  XGA is the official successor to VGA
•  XGA has 60% more pixels compared to SVGA
•  Resolution – 1024 x 768 pixels and 60/70Hz refresh rate
•  XGA can present much finer images compared to SVGA
•  15 pin D-SUB display connector (Same connector as VGA)

Q) List any 2 display adapters ? (2 marks)

Q) List any 3 display adapters. Explain any one ? (2 marks)

Modern display adapters use the PCI Express interface, while earlier cards used PCI and AGP.

PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) : A PCI slot is a built-in slot on a device that allows
for the attachment of various hardware components such as network cards, modems, sound cards,
disk controllers and other peripherals. PCI uses a shared bus topology to allow for communication
among the different devices on the bus. A PCI bus normally runs at a speed of 33 MHz, allowing it
to transfer data at 132 Mbps. It was introduced by Intel in the early 1992. It was replaced by AGP
many years later.

Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP): Originally appeared in 1997. AGP is a point to point channel
that is used for high-speed video output. This port is used to connect graphic cards to a computer’s
motherboard. The primary purpose of an AGP is to accelerate 3D graphics output for high definition
video. It doesn’t share the bus of any PCI slot on the same motherboard, hence it supported higher
transfer rates and faster connectivity than PCI slots. The AGP channel is 32-bits wide and runs at 66
MHz, a total bandwidth of 266 MBps and much greater than the PCI bandwidth(132Mbps). AGP
was started to be replaced by PCI-Express.

Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCI-e) : It was introduced in the early 2004. PCI
Express is the latest version of standard PCI and have double data transfer rates of the standard PCI
interface. PCI Express is a two way (point to point bus) dedicated serial connection which avoids
performance problems that can arise from bandwidth sharing on a common bus. It provides greater
transfer speeds than PCI or AGP. It provides the most bandwidth(64Gbps – latest version) among

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all the graphics cards slots . It is the replacement for AGP for the latest generation of video cards.
This port is also used to connect other hardware components such as network cards, modems, sound
cards, disk controllers.

Q) Describe AGP and their advantages ? (6 marks)

Q) Explain AGP and PCI ? (8 marks)
Q) Enumerate the features of AGP bus architecture ? (5 marks)

LCD(Liquid Crystal Display: LCDs in video display devices are currently available in a variety of
sizes and colours, ranging from a few inches to several inches. LCD display create pictures using
LCD technology. When voltage is applied to an LCD panel, it shines a backlight through a layer of
liquid crystals, twisting the changing amounts of light passing through colour filters to form a
picture on the screen. By carefully filtering white light, LCD televisions generate a black and
colourful image. A series of cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) are generally used to give
illumination at the back of the panel. A grid of millions of individual LCD shutters is used. It will
open and close to enable a specific amount of white light to pass through. Each shutter is coupled
with a coloured filter that removes everything from the original white source except the red, green,
and blue (RGB) components. A single sub-pixel is formed by each shutter filter combination.
Because the sub-pixels are so small, the three sub-pixels with red, green, and blue colour filters are
combined to create a single colour spot known as Pixel.
LED display: It have the same display layer in front but uses hundreds of LEDs as back-light.
When it comes to picture quality, LED monitors are almost always superior to LCD monitors &
have longer life. LED is more expensive & have more power consumption than LCD.

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VGA(Video Graphics Array) Monitor :

The above diagram shows the fundamental block diagram of a VGA monitor. It is the earlier type of
computer monitor. VGA connector is a 15 pin DB connector. Analog signal from computer is
connected to the monitor through a VGA cable. The 3 basic colours (RED, GREEN, BLUE) are use
to generate different colours. A picture tube is used to convert analog electrical video signal to
correcponding optical signal. The colour picture tube is basically a tube which has three electron
guns or cathodes to emit the 3 basic colours. Cathode is used to emit electron beams. Cathode is a
cylindrical structure made from Nickel compounds. For electron emission each cathode is heated
with a heater windings. Magnetic deflection are used to deflect the electron beam horizontally &
vertically. Corresponding their are two deflection windings(Horizontal & Vertical deflection
windings) are present. Scanning cicuits are used to scan the electron beam horizontally & vertically.
The screen of the tube consists of a layer of Phosphorous that produces light when a high-velocity
electron beam strikes it. The electrons shot from the electron guns or cathodes strike special
phosphors on the inside surface of the screen, and these emit light, which thereby re-creates the
images. EHT(Extra High Tension) supply is a high DC voltage to connect the final anode. The final
anode collect the electrons after striking the Phosphorous screen.

Q) Explain the block diagram of a VGA monitor ? (8 marks)

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VGA Connector & Cable : The VGA standard was originally developed by IBM in 1987 and
allowed for a display resolution of 640x480 pixels. A VGA cable is used to connect an analog PC
monitor to a PC or laptop. VGA cables utilize an HD15 connector (male or female depending on the
equipment being attached) to connect the monitor and PC/laptop

Computer Keyboard: A computer keyboard is an input device used to enter characters and
functions into the computer system by pressing buttons, or keys. It is the primary device used to
enter text. A keyboard typically contains keys for individual letters, numbers and special characters,
as well as keys for specific functions. A keyboard is connected to a computer system using a cable
or a wireless connection. Most keyboards have a very similar layout (Mostly 104 keys for Windows
keyboard). The individual keys for letters, numbers and special characters are collectively called the
character keys. The layout of these keys is derived from the original layout of keys on a typewriter.
The most widely used layout in the English language is called QWERTY, named after the sequence
of the first six letters from the top left. Other sets of keys common to almost all keyboards are
entering and editing keys (e.g. Enter, Delete, Insert), modifier keys (e.g. Control, Shift), navigation
keys (e.g., arrows for up, down, left, right) and lock keys (e.g. Caps Lock). Most keyboards also
include a set of function keys at the top (F1, F2, etc.). In 1986, IBM further extended the basic
keyboard with the addition of function and control keys. The function keys typically perform a very
specific task within a particular software application.

Operation of Keyboard: The keyboard has its own processor and circuitry, a majority of which
forms an important component called key matrix. The key matrix is a collection of circuits under
the keyboard, which is broken at a specific point under every key, which results in making the
circuit incomplete. When you press any particular key, it completes this circuit, thus, enabling the
processor to determine the location of the key that was pressed. Beneath each key, there is a little
hole, which is at the top of a long, round bar. When a key is pressed, this bar pushes through the

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hole, thus making contact with the circuit layers below. Inside the hole, there's a little tiny piece of
rubber that prevents the key from moving down and pushes it back up when released.

When a key is pressed, which completes the circuit due to the contact of conductive point to the
circuit layer and allows a tiny amount of current to flow. A processor analyses the position of the
keys pressed and sends this information to the computer. The key matrix has a corresponding chart
or character map that is stored in the read-only memory (ROM) of the computer. When a key is
pressed, the processor looks up the position of the circuit that was closed, or completed, with the
character map, and determines which key was pressed. The keyboard controller inside the computer
processes the information that is sent by the keyboard's processor, and, in turn, sends it to the
operating system (OS).
Matrix Keyboard: Computer keyboards include control circuitry to convert key presses into key
codes (usually scan codes) that the computer can understand. The key switches are connected via
the printed circuit board in an electrical X-Y matrix where a voltage is provided sequentially to the
Y lines and, when a key is depressed, detected sequentially by scanning X lines.

When pressing a
keyboard key, the key contacts may "bounce" against each other for several milliseconds before
they settle into firm contact. When released, they bounce some more until they revert to the
uncontacted state. If the computer were watching for each pulse, it would see many keystrokes for
what the user thought was just one. To resolve this problem, the processor in a keyboard (or
computer) "de-bounces" the keystrokes, by waiting for a short time (usually milliseconds) to
produce one "confirmed" keystroke.

Q) Describe the method of encoding a key press on a matrix keyboard of a computer ?

(8 marks)

Keyboard Connectors: The keyboard connector is the device at the end of the cable that is used to
attach the keyboard to the system. There are 3 types of connectors used for connecting a mouse to a
computer,
1) DIN (5 pin): The older style connector is called the 5-pin DIN keyboard connector. It was used
on the first Pcs, and became the standard connection through about the mid-1990s.
2) Mini DIN or PS/2 (6 pin): The smaller is the 6-pin, socalled "mini-DIN" keyboard connector.
DIN stands for Deutsche Industrie Norm, a German standards-setting organization. The smaller

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connector was introduced on the IBM model PS/2 and is therefore sometimes called a PS/2
connector. It has replaced the larger connector as the standard for modern PCs.
3) USB (Universal Serial Bus): Now days USB connector keyboards are more common in use.

Computer Mouse: A computer mouse is a hand-held pointing device that detects two-dimensional
motion relative to a surface. This motion is typically translated into the motion of a pointer on a
display, which allows a smooth control of the graphical user interface. The first public
demonstration of a mouse controlling a computer system was in 1968.

There are two types of computer mouse:

1. Mechanical mouse or Ball mouse
2. Optical mouse
Mechanical mouse: A mechanical mouse makes use of the motion of a ball inside it, which is
connected to two wheels placed perpendicular to each other. These wheels are responsible for
left/right and up/down movement detection of the ball, and hence send the corresponding motions
to cursor on the screen. Both of these wheels consist of spokes that ‘break’ a thin light beam(Infra-
red) inside the mouse. The number of times the beam breaks helps to calculate how far the mouse
has moved. The mechanical mouse is now largely considered obsolete, replaced by the lightweight
and low-cost optical mouse. They are similar in shape and function, but instead of the ball, they rely
on optical sensors, which tend to be more reliable.

Optical Mouse: An optical mouse is a computer mouse which uses a light source, typically a light
emitting diode (LED), and a light detector, such as an array of photodiodes, to detect movement
relative to a surface. Variations of the optical mouse have largely replaced the older mechanical
mouse design, which uses moving parts to sense motion. Modern surface-independent optical

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mouse work by using an optoelectronic sensor (essentially, a tiny low-resolution video camera) to
take successive images of the surface on which the mouse operates. An embedded powerful special-
purpose image-processing chip enables the mouse to detect relative motion on a wide variety of
surfaces, translating the movement of the mouse into the movement of the cursor and eliminating
the need for a special mouse-pad.

Advantages of Optical mouse over Mechanical mouse:

•  The cursor accuracy of an optical mouse is typically high
•  The optical mouse can be used on almost any surface
•  Light weight and cheaper
•  Long life because of no mechanical parts

Q) Explain the working of optical mouse ? (7 marks)

Q) Explain the principle of optical mouse ? (6 marks)

Mouse Connectors: There are 3 types of connectors used for connecting a mouse to a computer,
1. Serial mouse connector: The serial mouse was connected to the computer via the serial
port. A serial port is a physical communication interface through which information is
transferred in and out of the computer bit by bit. The serial port is a D-type 9 pin male port
(DB9) at the back of the motherboard.
2. Mini DIN or PS/2 connector: The PS/2 mouse is connected to the PS/2 port (green in
colour). The PS/2 mouse connector is a 6-pin mini-din connector designed in 1987.
3. USB connector: Now days USB connector mouse are more common in use.

Q) Explain mouse connectors? (8 marks)

Q) List different mouse coonectors? (2 marks)

Wireless Mouse: This is the latest type of mouse that does not use a cable to connect to the back of
your computer. It is a neat type of mouse to use because it eliminates the clutter of cables on your
desktop. Some of the wireless mouse can connect via a USB receiver while others make use of the
Bluetooth connection. The mouse is powered by a pair of batteries, usually AA type.

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Scanners: A scanner is an input device that is used for capturing & producing an exact digital
image replica of a photo, text written in paper, or even an object. This digital image can be saved as
a file to your computer.

Types of Scanners: There are two types of scanners:

1. Flat bed scanners
2. Hand-held scanners

Flat bed scanners(Desktop scanner): A scanner consists of a flat transparent glass bed under
which the CCD(Charge Couple Device) sensors, lamp, lenses, filters and also mirrors are fixed. The
document has to be placed on the glass bed. There will also be a cover to close the scanner. This
cover may either be white or black in colour. This colour helps in providing uniformity in the
background. This uniformity will help the scanner software to determine the size of the document to
be scanned. The lamp brightens up the text to be scanned. Most scanners use a cold cathode
fluorescent lamp (CCFL). A stepper motor under the scanner moves the scanner head from one end
to the other. The movement will be slow and is controlled by a belt. The scanner head consists of
the mirrors, lens, CCD sensors and also the filter. The scan head moves parallel to the glass bed. As
the scan head moves under the glass bed, the light from the lamp hits the document and is reflected
back with the help of mirrors angled to one another. According to the design of the device there may
be either 2-way mirrors or 3-way mirrors. The mirrors will be angled in such a way that the
reflected image will be hitting a smaller surface. In the end, the image will reach a lens which
passes it through a filter and causes the image to be focussed on CCD sensors. The CCD sensors
convert the light to electrical signals according to its intensity.

Q) Explain the working of Flat Bed Scanner? (7 marks)

Q) With diagram explain the working of Flat Bed Scanner? (8 marks)

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Hand-Held Scanners: They are very small in size which can be held on a hand. These are less
expesive. Inorder to scan a single page multiple passes are required. Hand-held scanners are used to
scan documents by dragging the scanner across the surface of the document. They are available as
document scanners as well as 3-D scanners. This scanning will be effective only if with a steady
hand technique, or else the image may seem distorted. They also have a START button, which has
to be on during the scan duration. The scanner also has LED’s which light up the image to be
scanned. One of the most utilized handheld scanner is barcode scanner.

Printers: Printers are commonly used output devices that produce a hard copy of document stored
in electronic form, i.e they put information from computer on to paper.

Classification of Printers: There are mainly two categories of the printers:

1. Impact Printers
2. Non-Impact Printers

Impact Printers Non-Impact Printers

• Impact printers involve mechanical
components used for printing. It is a type of
printer that works by direct contact of an ink
ribbon with paper.An impact printer has
mechanisms resembling those of a
typewriter.
• Impact printers are older technology.
• The quality is compromised.
• Makes noise while printing.
• Impact printers are usually more affordable.
• Impact printers are low in terms of speed.
• They have no mechanical moving
components used for printing. It is a type of
printer that does not hit or impact a ribbon
to print.
• Non-impact printers are updated technology
printers.
• The quality is better than impact printers.
• They are noiseless.
• Non-impact printers are usually quite
expensive.
• Non-impact printers are comparatively fast
in speed.

Lijo V Jacob, Lecturer, Department of Electronics, GPTC - Vechoochira 15

 Computer Hardware & Networking (Course Code 6043) Semester VI ( Revision 2015)

• Eg. Dot-matrix printers, Daisy-wheel • Eg.Inkjet printers, Thermal printers, Laser

printers printers

Q) Write any 2 non-impact printer ? (2 marks)

Q) Differentiate impact & non-impact type printers with examples ? ( 7 marks)
Q) Distinguish between impact & non-impact type printers ? ( 2 marks)

Daisy wheel printer : A daisy wheel printer is an early type of impact printer invented in 1969 by
David S. Lee at Diablo Data Systems. The printer uses a metal or plastic disk containing each of the
letters, numbers, and other characters it supports. When printing, the printer rotates the disk to each
character and, using a hammer, strikes each character into an ink ribbon to create characters on
paper. Daisy wheel printers were popular in the 1970s and 1980s, but are no longer used today.
They have a low quality of print, are very slow and loud, and were replaced by laser printers as they
came down in cost.

Dot Matrix Printer: The dot matrix printer is another type of impact printer and resembles the
daisy wheel printer. It consists of pins with characters attached to them. These characters are made
of small dots hence the name. These pins are arranged in single or multiple vertical rows. The
pinhead (containing all the pins) moves and strikes against the ink cloth onto the paper. In this
manner, characters get printed. However, unlike at daisy wheel printer, letters are drawn out of a dot
matrix, and thus, varied fonts and arbitrary graphics can be produced. This type of printer is
outdated as well due to low-quality print and high cost. The only advantage of these printers is their
ability to print multiple copies of text at the same time by carbon copying.

Q) Describe the working of Dot matrix printer? (6 marks)

Q) Explain the working principle of Dot matrix printer? (7 marks)

Lijo V Jacob, Lecturer, Department of Electronics, GPTC - Vechoochira 16

 Computer Hardware & Networking (Course Code 6043) Semester VI ( Revision 2015)

Inkjet Printers: Since their introduction in the latter half of the 1980s, inkjet printers have grown
in popularity and performance. The inkjet printers do not get in direct contact with the paper.
Instead, small droplets of ink are shot towards the paper through an orifice and the print head is
moved along the paperback and forth speedily as well. This is how a text or an image is formed on
the paper. Liquid inks are used for printing purposes. There different variations in the inkjet as well
like Piezoelectric Ink-Jet and thermal Ink-Jet. The Inkjets are reasonably faster and have a smooth
application on the paper. The biggest advantage is that they are affordable.

Q) Explain the working of Ink Jet printer? (7 marks)

Q) Describe the working of Ink Jet printer? (6 marks)
Laser Printers: A laser printer is a type of printer that makes use of an electrostatic digital printing
process. The working of a laser printer is quite similar to that of a photocopy machine. It makes use
of static electricity and toner powder in place of liquid ink.
First, the laser printer reads the electronic data that makes up the information or image which are
required to printed and beams this onto a photo-sensitive drum. The information on the drum is then
transferred to paper using static electricity to position tiny particles of powdered toner in the correct
pattern. The toner powder is then permanently fused onto the paper by the heat and pressure from
rollers inside the machine and your finished printout emerges from the tray - hot from the press.
This process may sound complex, but it all takes place at lightning speed inside your laser printer
without you ever knowing.
Laser printers are advantageous as they are comparatively more economical, have a faster rate of
operation, and are more efficient. Also, laser printers do not make noise and are more stable. The
life span of laser printers is considerably high. The limitations of a laser printer include high initial
investment and maintenance costs. The toner cartridge of laser printers is expensive and harmful to
the health of humans. Also, the laser printers release ozone into the environment and cause
pollution. A laser printer is generally suitable for mass printing.

Lijo V Jacob, Lecturer, Department of Electronics, GPTC - Vechoochira 17

 Computer Hardware & Networking (Course Code 6043) Semester VI ( Revision 2015)

Q) Explain the working of Laser printer? (7 marks)

Centronics Interface: The Centronics interface is a standard input/output (I/O) interface designed
in the 1970s for connecting printers and other devices.It was developed by the Centronics printer
company which is now defunct. The Centronics interface, also known as a Parallel Port, became the
standard means of connecting printers to personal computers for decades. The technology required a
25 way connector of which up to 17 wires were used in the specification and bi-directional
communications became possible in the enhanced versions like ECP(Entended Capabilities Parallel)
and EPP(Enhanced Parallel Port). For the most part, many manufactures have entirely omitted the
parallel interface.
However, a USB-to-parallel port adapter is available for PCs without a parallel port. These can be
used for parallel printers and other peripheral devices that have a parallel interface.

USB (Universal Serial Bus) Interface : A Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a common interface that
enables communication between devices and a host controller such as a personal computer (PC) or
smartphone. It connects peripheral devices such as digital cameras, mice, keyboards, printers,
scanners, media devices, external hard drives and flash drives. With this connection, the computer
sends or retrieves data from the device. USB provides a sufficiently fast serial data transfer
mechanism for data communications, it is also possible to obtain power through the connector
making it possible to power small devices via the connector and this makes it even more convenient
to use. USB is faster than older ports, such as serial and parallel ports.
Starting off with a transfer rate of 12Mbps, the port type USB-C can transfer up to 20Gbps. There
are 14 different connector types, with USB-C being the newest. There is also the micro-USB, most
notably known to charge older phones, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, USB type A and B, and several others.

Q) Describe and compare the centronics interface and USB interface ? (6 marks)
Q) Name the pins of USB Connectors ? (2 marks)

Lijo V Jacob, Lecturer, Department of Electronics, GPTC - Vechoochira 18