Input & Output Devices

Input Device
The devices which are used to input the data and the programs in the computer are
known as Input Devices.

Output Device
Output Device can produce the final product of machine processing into a form
usable by humans.

Categories of Input & Output Hardware

Input Hardware Output Hardware

 Input Hardware

Keyboard
 When the key is pressed, the keyboard controller sends the scan code of the “key
Pressed” to the keyboard buffer.
 The keyboard controller sends an
interrupt request to the system software.
 The system software responds to the
interruption by reading the scan code
from the keyboard buffer.
 The system software passes the scan code
to the CPU.

Pointing devices
o Mouse,
o Trackball,
o Joy stick,
o Light pen &
o Digitizing tablet.

Mouse
 It is a pointing device, used to move a graphical pointer on the screen.
 It is used to issue commands by pointing a cursor.

Trackball
 It used to enter motion data into computers
 It is designed with a moveable ball on the top, which can be rolled in any
direction.

Joy Stick
 It is used to control video games.
 It consists of a base and a stick that can be moved in any direction.
Light Pen
 It is a handheld pen-like photosensitive device.
 It allows the user to point to displayed objects.

Digitizing tablet
 A digitizing tablet consists of an electronic tablet and a pen.
 It is a tool used to convert hand-drawn images into a format
suitable for computer processing.

Source Data Entry Devices

 Scanning Devices

 Bar Code Reader- A barcode reader is a hand-held or stationary

input device used to capture and read information contained in
a bar code.

 Mark & Recognition Devices

 MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition) - It reads
characters printed with magnetized ink.
 OMR (Optical Mark Recognition) - It reads pencil
marks and converts them into computer usable form.
 OCR (Optical Character Recognition) - It reads
specific character sets.

 Fax Machine- It is a device that can send or receive

pictures and text over a telephone line.
  Imaging System- It converts text, drawings, and
photographs into digital form.

Output Hardware

Printer

Printer

 Impact Printer

 Line matrix- It is used by mainframes for massive

jobs.
 Dot matrix- Text & graphics are formed from dots.

 Non-impact printer

 Laser- Images are transferred to paper

through laser beams in high resolution.
 Ink-jet- Dots of ink are sprayed onto
the paper to form a high resolution
document.
 Monitor

Monitor

 CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) - Phosphor dots glow

on the screen when struck by electrons.

 LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) - It is comprise of

flat panel monitors uses a transistor for each pixel
or pixels.

Input & Output Hardware

Terminal

Terminal

 Dumb Terminal- It is used to input data & to receive

information, it cannot do processing on its own.

 Intelligent Terminal- It contains processing power

including memory to perform special display
operations.