Lesson 3: Computer Hardware: Input and Output

Lesson 3:
Computer
Hardware
Input and Output
At the end of the lesson, the student should be able to:

 Define input and output devices

 Distinguish between the two categories of input devices
 Describe how keyboard, pointing devices, and scanning devices work
 Describe monitors, printers, and audio output devices
 Describe the various types of printers
 Understand which hardware devices are used for audio output

Input and Output Devices

The computer will be of no use unless it is able to communicate with the outside
world. Input/Output devices are required for users to communicate with the
computer. In simple terms, input devices bring information INTO the computer and
output devices bring information OUT of a computer system. These input/output
devices are also known as peripherals since they surround the CPU and memory of
a computer system.1

Input devices accept user commands or data and send them to the computer
for processing. Typical input devices are keyboard, mouse, scanner and
microphone. On the other hand, output devices accept results or information
generated by the computer, and presents this to the user in a variety of means
(both audio and visual e.g. textual, image, video). Typical output devices are
printers, monitors and speakers. Some special devices can be used for both input
and output, such as floppy disks and hard drives. Computer input and output
devices have undergone remarkable development with advances in technology. 2

Computer Hardware
Computer Hardware is the name given to the tangible electronic components that
are part of a computer system. The key words are “tangible” and “electronic”.

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 Lesson 3: Computer Hardware: Input and Output

Tangible means something that you can physically touch and feel. Electronic refers
to a device that has circuits in it that control its operation.

Computer hardware consists of the components that can be physically

handled. The function of these components is typically divided into: input
devices, output devices, memory, and CPU.

In this lesson, we will discuss input and output devices.

INPUT DEVICES
These are devices that permit the computer user to communicate with the
computer. These are devices that send data to the computer, without any input
devices, a computer would only be a display device and not allow users to interact
with it, much like a TV. These are made into Human Data Entry Devices and
Source Data Automation.

Human Data Entry Devices are devices that need data entered by a user.
These devices allow people to communicate with the computer. Examples are
keyboard, mouse, light pen, and track ball.

Source Data Automation are devices that allow users to input data with
minimal human intervention. These technologies speed up data collection,
reduce errors, and can gather data at the source of a transaction or other
event. Examples are ATM, scanners, cameras, and voice recognition systems.

With all the input devices available today, users may find it difficult to determine
which one is best for entering data into their personal computer. The main function
of input devices is to convert people-readable form of data into a machine-readable
form that the computer can store and process. People readable form of data can be
letters, numbers, visual codes and symbols. Machine-readable forms of data consist
of electronic signals of 0's and 1's. A personal computer is normally equipped with a
mouse and keyboard as standard input devices. In addition to keyboards and mice,
there a wide variety of other input devices. These include pointing, scanning,
image capturing, and audio – input devices.

Keyboard
The Keyboard is the most common type of input device. Ordinary computer
keyboards have their keys arranged in a similar way to those on a typewriter. This
way of arranging the keys is called QWERTY because of the order in which the keys
appear on the first row of letters. This layout was originally designed to separate
common letter pairs, in order to prevent nearby type-bars on a manual typewriter
jamming the mechanism when typing at speed. Keyboards are now available with
different layouts designed help users type more quickly and comfortably. Computer
Keyboards also have extra function keys which can carry out different tasks
depending on the software being used. The most common types of keyboard are:

Traditional Keyboards

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 Lesson 3: Computer Hardware: Input and Output

These are full- sized, rectangular keyboards that include function, navigational, and
numeric keys. There are 101 keys arranged in five groups: alpha numeric keys,
function keys, cursor movement keys, numeric keys, and the modifier keys.

Flexible Keyboards

Flexible keyboards fold or roll up for easy packing or

storage. They are designed to provide mobile users
with full-sized keyboard with minimal storage
requirements.

Ergonomic Keyboards

Similar to traditional keyboards, the keyboard

arrangement is not rectangular and a palm rest is
provided. They are designed specifically to alleviate
wrist strain associated with the repetitive
movements of typing.

Wireless Keyboards

These keyboards transmit input to the system unit

through the air. By eliminating connecting wires to
the system unit, these keyboards provide greater flexibility and convenience.

PDA Keyboards

These are miniature keyboards for PDAs and are used to send e-mail,
create documents, and more.

Pointing Devices
These devices are used to move an on-screen pointer or cursor (usually an arrow).
They are commonly used with graphical user interfaces (GUIs).

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Mouse

A mouse is a pointing device. It is the next most common type of input device after
the keyboard. Mouse is moved around by the user on a flat surface next to the
computer. When a mouse is moved, a small ball underneath turns, which directs the
cursor to move.

A mouse has two or three buttons called Left, Right and Middle button.
Buttons are used to perform different functions. It has a rubber or metal ball inside
its body. Mouse is rolled over a flat surface called mouse pad. The movement of ball
is detected by internal circuits of mouse. These circuits convert this movement into
digital signals, which are sent to computer. Mouse is used in graphical applications.
It is also used for playing video games on computer.

Types of mouse

A mechanical mouse has a rubber or metal ball on its

underside. When the ball rolls in a certain direction, electronic
circuits in the mouse translate the movement into signals that
are sent to the computer.

An optical mouse has gained widespread adoption by

eliminating the need for a special mouse pad. It has no moving
parts; instead it uses light emitting diodes and photodiodes,
that emit and sense light to detect the mouse’s movement. An
optical mouse can be used on nearly all surfaces, is more
precise than a mechanical mouse, and does not require cleaning.

A cordless mo use, or wireless mouse, is a battery-powered

device that transmits data using wireless technology, such as radio
waves or infrared light waves. A cordless mouse uses technology
very similar to that of a wireless keyboard.

Apart from the regular mouse that is operated by the hands, other
mouse variants exist. These cater for people who may feel uncomfortable with
traditional designs

The trackball is sometimes called an upside-down mouse. While a

mouse employs a rolling ball on its underside, a trackball uses an
exposed ball that the user manipulates with his or her fingers. Unlike
a traditional mouse, a trackball does not require a horizontal pad on
which to move. Trackballs are a good choice for those with limited
desk space, large monitors or poor gripping ability.

Touchpad

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 Lesson 3: Computer Hardware: Input and Output

They are often used instead of mouse on portable computers which are laptops.

Joystick

The main use of joystick is to play computer games by controlling the

way that something moves on the screen. Joysticks can be used to
control movement from side to side, up and down &diagonally and
horizontally. A joystick will have few buttons which can be used to
make something happen like making a character in a game jump or
attack or defense etc.

Touch screen

Touch screen can detect exactly where on its surface it has been
touched. There are several ways in which this can be done. One
common type of touch screen uses beams of invisible infra – red
light which shine from top to bottom and side to side in front of
the screen. The beams of light form a grid that divides up the
screen. Touch screens are used mainly because they are easy to
keep clean and re program when changes are to be made.

Light Pen

A light pen is a small “pen - shaped” wand which contains light

sensors. The light pen is used to choose objects or commands on
the screen, either by pressing it against the surface of the screen
or by pressing a small switch on its side. This sends a signal to
the computer, which then works out the light pen’s exact location
on the screen. The advantage of the light pen is that, unlike a
“touch – screen”, it doesn’t needs a special screen or screen
coating.

Stylus

It is a penlike device commonly used with tablet PCs and PDAs. A

stylus uses pressure to draw images on a screen. It interacts with

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 Lesson 3: Computer Hardware: Input and Output

the computer through handwriting recognition software. Hand Recognition

Software translates handwritten notes into a form that the system unit can
process.

Scanning Devices
Scanning devices are devices that use a magnetic or photo-electric source to scan
and convert images into electric signals that can be processed by an electronic
apparatus, such as a computer. Images that can be scanned and converted include
colored or black and white texts, graphics, and pictures.

Optical Scanners

A scanner can be used to input pictures or text into the computer. There are 2 main
types of scanners: hand - held & flat – bed scanners work by passing a beam of
bright light over a nimage. Data about the amount of light reflected by the different
parts of the picture is collected by sensors inside the scanners. This data is used to
produce a digital image of the picture that the computer can display on the screen.
Once the image/text has been scanned it can be saved and changed using some
special software's.

Flatbed Scanner is much like a copy machine. The image to be scanned is placed
on a glass surface and the scanner records the image from below.

Hand – held or portable scanner slides across the image, making direct contact.

Hand-held
Flatbed
Scanner
Scanner

Card Readers

Nearly everyone uses a credit card, debit card, access card, and/or some type of
identification card.

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Magnetic card reader/ Magnetic Strip Reader

This is by far the most common. The encoded information is

stored on a thin magnetic strip located on the back of the
card. When the card is swiped through the magnetic card
reader, the information is read.

Radio frequency card readers

These are not as common but more convenient because they

do not require the car to actually make the contact with the
reader. The card has small RFID (radio frequency
identification) microchip that contains the user’s encoded
information. Whenever the card is passed within few inches
of the card reader, the user’s information is read.

Smart Card / 'Chip' Reader

Modern credit cards and ID cards don’t use a magnetic

strip. Instead they have a tiny ‘chip’ of computer memory
embedded inside them. (These cards are often referred to
as smart cards). Data can be stored in this memory and
read back using a ‘chip’ reader. A card is inserted into th e
reader where metal contacts connect to the metal pads on
the front face of the card. The reader can then access the
memory chip and the data stored on it. Smart cards can
store much more data than magnetic strip cards, e.g. an ID
smart card would store not only the owner’s name and
card number, but might also have a digital image of the person.

Satellite TV decoders use smart cards to store which channels a user has paid
for. The data is encrypted so that it is not easy to alter (you can’t add new channels
without paying!) Many types of card use this system: id cards, phone cards, credit
cards, door security cards, etc.

Barcode Readers

A barcode is simply a numeric code represented as a series of lines. These lines can
be read by a barcode reader/scanner. The most common use of barcode readers is
at Point-of-Sale (POS) in a shop. The code for each item to be purchased needs to
be entered into the computer. Reading the barcode is far quicker and more
accurate than typing in each code using a keypad.

Barcode can be found on many other items that have numeric codes which
have to be read quickly and accurately - for example ID cards.

Character and Mark Recognition Devices

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 Lesson 3: Computer Hardware: Input and Output

All data could be input to a computer using a keyboard, but this would often be a
slow process, and mistakes would be made. Sometimes speed and accuracy is
required.

MICR Reader

Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) is a

technology that allows details from bank cheques to
be read into a computer quickly and accurately. The
cheque number and bank account number are printed
at the bottom of each bank cheque in sp ecial
magnetic ink using a special font. These numbers can
be detected by an MICR reader.

OMR Scanner

Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) is a

technology that allows the data from a
multiple-choice type form to be read quickly
and accurately into a computer. Special
OMR forms are used which have spaces that
can be colored in (usually using a pencil).
These marks can then be detected by an
OMR scanner. Common uses of OMR are
multiple-choice exam answer sheets and
lottery number forms.

Image Capturing Devices

Image capturing devices create or capture original images. These devices include
digital cameras and digital video cameras.

Digital Cameras

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A digital camera can store many more pictures than an

ordinary camera. The storage depends on the memory
space. We can also shoot videos with it. The images &
videos can be transferred using a USB to the computer.
They are other common type of digital camera. Webcams
can take photographs and capture moving images which
can be saved on the computer and can be sent through
internet while chatting. The people who are chatting can
view each other on their screen (live).

Digital Video Cameras

Unlike traditional video cameras, digital video cameras

record motion digitally on a disk or in a camera’s memory.
Most have the capability to take still images as well.
Webcams are specialized digital video cameras that
capture images and send them to a computer for broadcast
over the Internet.

Audio – Input Devices

These are input devices the convert sound into a form that can be processed by the
system unit. By far the most widely used audio – input device is the microphone.
Audio input can take many forms, including the human voice and music.

Microphone

A microphone is used to input sound into a computer system. Microphones are often
used for voice recognition systems, which convert sounds made by a user into text
on the screen or commands the computer can carry out. Systems like this are very
useful for people who can’t use ordinary input devices such as mouse and
keyboard. As computers become more powerful in the future, voice recognition will
be a much more common input method for all computer users.

Sensors
A normal PC has no way of knowing what is happening in
the real world around it. It doesn’t know if it is light or
dark, hot or cold, quiet or noisy. How do we know what is
happening around us? We use our eyes, our ears, our
mouth, our nose and our skin - our senses. A normal PC
has no senses, but we can give it some: We can connect
sensors to it. A sensor is a device that converts a real-
world property (e.g. temperature) into data that a
computer can process.

Examples of sensors and the properties they detect are...

Sensor What it Detects

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Temperature Temperature

Light Light / dark

Pressure Pressure (e.g. someone standing on it)

Moisture Dampness / dryness

Water-level How full / empty a container is

Movement Movement nearby

Proximity How close / far something is

Switch or button If something is touching / pressing it

A sensor measures a specific property data and

sends a signal to the computer. Usually this is an
analogue signal so it needs to be converted into digital
data for the computer to process. This is done using by
an Analogue-to-Digital Converter (ADC). Sensors are
used extensively in monitoring / measuring / data
logging systems, and also in computer control systems.

OUTPUT DEVICES
External devices that transfer information from the computer's CPU to the computer
user. An output device receives information from the computer and translates it
from machine language to a form that humans can read or so that another machine
can read the information. An output device is any piece of computer hardware
equipment used to communicate the results of data processing carried out by an
information processing system (such as a computer) to the outside world.

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Output - Audio / Visual

CRT Monitor

A monitor displays text and image data passed to it by

the computer. A cathode-ray tube (CRT) monitor is the
type that has been around for years and is large and
boxy. CRT monitors are heavy and they take up a lot of
desk space. They have largely been replaced by flat-
screen monitors. However some are still used in the
design industry since the color accuracy and brightness
of CRT monitors is excellent, and designers need to see
true-to-life colors. Also, CRT monitors are generally
cheaper than flat-screen monitors.

Flat-Screen Monitor (TFT or LCD)

Over the past few years, as they have come down in price,
flat-screen displays have replaced CRT monitors. Flat-
screen monitors are light in weight and they take up very
little desk space. Modern flat-screen monitors have a
picture quality that is as good as CRT monitors.

Digital / Multimedia Projector

Digital projectors are used in situations when a very

large viewing area is required, for example during
presentations, for advertising, or in your home for
watching movies. A projector connects to a computer, a
DVD player or a satellite receiver just like a ordinary
monitor. The image is produced inside the device and
then projected out through a large lens, using a
powerful light source.

Loudspeaker

If you want to hear music or sounds from your computer,

you will have to attach loudspeakers. They convert
electrical signals into sound waves. Loudspeakers are
essential for applications such as music editing, video
conferencing, watching movies, etc.

Output - Printing / Plotting

If you want a physical copy of some data on paper (a ‘hardcopy’) you will need a
device that can make marks on paper - a printer or a plotter.

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Dot Matrix Printer

A dot-matrix printer is named after the pattern (a grid or

‘matrix’) of dots used when creating the paper printout.
These dots are formed by tiny pins in the printer’s print
head that hit an inked ribbon against the paper leaving
marks. As the print head moves along it leaves a pattern of
dots behind it which can form letters, images, etc. Dot
matrix printers often use continuous stationary: long,
continuous strips of paper (rather than separate sheet s of
A4 like ink-jet and laser printers use). After printing, the
printout is torn off from the long strip.

Dot-matrix print quality is poor, the printers are noisy, and there are much better
printing systems available today. However, the dot-matrix printers are still used in
certain situations:

Since the pins actually hit the paper, several ‘carbon-copies’ can be printed in
one go. An example of this is airline tickets which have several duplicate
pages, all printed in one go

The print mechanism is very cheap, and the inked ribbons last for a long
time. So, where cheap, low-quality printouts are required, dot-matrix printers
are used. An example is shop receipts.

Inkjet Printer

Cheap, high-quality, full-color printing became available

during the 1980s due to the development of ink-jet
printers. These printers have a similar print-head
mechanism to a dot-matrix printer. The print-head passes
left and right across the paper. However, instead of using
pins to hit inky marks onto the paper, the ink-jet squirts
tiny droplets of ink onto the surface of the paper. Several
colored inks can be used to produce full-color printouts.

The droplets of ink come from tiny holes (the jets) whi ch are less than the
width of a human hair in size. Each droplet creates a tiny dot on the paper. Since
the dots are so small, the quality of the printout is excellent (1200 dots-per-inch are
possible). This is perfect for photographs.

Ink-jet printers are very quiet in use. Since they have so few moving parts
they are also cheap to manufacture and thus cheap to purchase. However, the ink is
very expensive to buy (this is how the printer companies make their profits!) so the
printers are expensive to use.

Laser Printer

Laser printers are very complex devices, and thus

expensive to buy. However they are very cheap to use.
This is because they produce marks on paper using a fine

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 Lesson 3: Computer Hardware: Input and Output

dust called toner which is relatively cheap to buy. A single toner cartridge will often
last for 5,000-10,000 pages of printing.

The laser printer uses a complex system, involving a laser, to make the toner
stick to the required parts of the paper. (This system is very different to a dot-
matrix or ink-jet, and you don’t need to know the details.)

The laser and toner system allows very fast printing compared to other
printers (just a few seconds per page).

Laser printers are very common in offices since they print very quickly, are
cheap to use and are reasonably quiet.

Plotter

Plotters create hard-copy in a very different way to

printers. Instead of building up text and images
from tiny dots, plotters draw on the paper using a
pen. The pens are held in an arm which can lift the
pen up or down, and which can move across the
paper. The arm and pen create a drawing just like a
human could, but much more accurately and more
quickly.

Different colored pens can be used to produce

colored line drawings. Plotters are often used by
designers and architects since they work with huge pieces of paper, far bigger than
anything a normal printer could work with.

Output - Control Actuators

A normal PC has no way of affecting what is happening around it. It can’t turn on
the lights, or make the room hotter. How do we change what is happening around
us? We use our muscles to move things, press things, lift things, etc. (and we can
also make sound using our voice). A normal PC has no muscles, but we can give it
some. In fact we can give it the ability to do lots of things by connecting a range of
actuators to it.

An actuator is a device, controlled by a computer that can affect the real-world.

Examples of actuators, and what they can do are...

Actuator What it Can Do

Light bulb or LED Creates light

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Heater Increases temperature

Cooling Unit Decreases temperature

Motor Spins things around

Pump Pushes water / air through pipes

Buzzer / Bell / SirenCreates noise

Actuators are used extensively in computer control systems.

Motor

Motors can provide movement. For example, the motor in a

washing machine can be controlled by a computer - it is
switched on when the clothes are loaded for washing and
switched off at the end of the wash. Computer-controlled motors
are also found in microwave ovens (to turn the food around) and
air-conditioning units (to drive the fan).

Pumps

A pump is basically a motor attached to a device that can

push water or air along pipes. When the motor is switched
on, water or air flows along the pipes to places it is needed.
Pumps are used in many places: as part of watering systems
in greenhouses, in factories, etc.

Buzzer

Buzzers can provide noise. For example, the buzzer in a

microwave oven can be switched on by the controlling computer
when the food is cooked. Louder noises can be made using a
siren or an electric bell, for example in a burglar alarm system.

Lights

Lightbulbs and LEDs can by used to provide light, or to

indicate something. For example, computer-controlled
lights are used in traffic lights, at music concerts. Lights
are used in car dashboards to show if the any of the
systems in the car have problems.

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Heaters / Coolers

Heaters can provide heat, and coolers can cool things

down. A computer can switch a heater on or off when
needed to keep a room or a greenhouse at the correct
temperature during winter.

A computer can switch a cooling unit on or off to keep a

room at the correct temperature during hot weather, or
to keep food fresh.

Self –Quiz
A. Find the true statement below. Then, rewrite the remaining false statements
so they are true.
A1.
1. A keyboard is an output device that contains keys users press to enter
data and instruction into a computer.
2. A trackball is a small, flat, rectangular pointing device commonly found on
notebook computers.
3. Input is any data and instructions entered into the memory of a computer.
4. An optical mouse has moving mechanical parts inside.
5. PDAs use a pressure – sensitive digital pen, and tablet Ps use a stylus.
A2.
1. A digital camera allows users to take pictures and store the photographed
images digitally, instead of on traditional film.
2. A fingerprint scanner captures curves and indentations of a signature.

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3. After swiping a credit card through MICR reader, it read the information
stored on the magnetic strip of the card.
4. Instant messaging is the computer’s capability of distinguishing spoken
words.
5. RFID is a technology that uses laser signals to communicate with a tag
placed in an object, an animal, or person.
B. True/False.
1. An ergonomic keyboard transmits data using wireless technology.
2. LCD projectors are devices that take the text and images displaying on a
computer screen and projects them on a larger screen so an audience can
see the image clearly.
3. An inkjet printer normally produces a better than a laser printer.
4. Consumer kiosks located in retail stores commonly use touch screens for
input.
5. A keyboard is an example of a pointing device.
C. Fill in the blanks.
1. The common keyboard arrangement is called _________________.
2. A(n) _______________ stores still images on a special memory card, rather
than on film.
3. The pen used with a computer – such as tablet PCs – is also called a(n)
______________.
4. Using a(n) ___________________, you can participate in online video
conferences.
5. _____________ has the ability to identify handwritten characters.

D. Multiple Choice.

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1. What kind of specialized monitor is especially useful for graphic artists,

designers and publishers?
A. Flat-panel monitor
B. CRT monitor
C. High-definition television (HDTV)
D. e-book

2. Which of the following statements is incorrect?

A. Printer resolution is measured in dpi (dots per inch).
B. Printer output is often called hard copy.
C. Memory within a printer is used to store printing instructions and
documents waiting to be printed.
D. Printer speed is measured in the number of words printed per minute.

3. These are the most widely used type of monitor today.

A. Flat-panel monitors
B. CRT monitors
C. Projector monitors
D. E-book readers

4. OMR, OCR, and MICR are all types of

A. Radio Frequency Card Readers (RFID)
B. magnetic card readers
C. bar code readers
D. character and mark recognition devices

5. This reading device is readily used in banks to read the numbers on the
bottom of checks and deposit slips.
A. MICR
B. OCR
C. OMR
D. UPC

E. Review Questions.
1. Define input and output.
2. What are the categories of input devices? Describe each.
3. Describe how keyboard, pointing devices, and scanning devices work.
4. How are OCR, OMR, and MICR different? How is RFID reader used?
5. Describe the various types of printers.

End notes:

1 On Input and Output Devices. (2012). Chapter 9: Input and Output Devices.
Retrieved from http://dce.kar.nic.in/new%20files/Chapter4-9-07.pdf
2 On Input and Output Devices. (September 2, 2010). Input and Output Devices.
Retrieved from
http://vcampus.uom.ac.mu/cse1010e/chapter_3/c3_Section1.htm

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Book References:

O’Leary, Linda & O’Leary, Timothy. (2008). Computing Essentials 2008). McGraw –
Hill International. New York. pages 182 - 197

Parker,Charlesf & Morley, Deborah. (2008). Understanding Computer 11th ed.

Thomson Learning. Singapore. pages 132 - 168

Internet Reference:

Copley, Steve. (2010). http://www.igcseict.info/theory/1/index.html

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Internet Sources:

Copley, Steve. (March 21, 2010). IGCSE: Input – Card Reader. Retrieve from
http://www.igcseict.info/theory/2/card/index.html

On Input and Output Devices. (August 22, 2010). Input and Output Devices.
Retrieved from http://www.scribd.com/doc/17828633/Input-Output-
Devices

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