FIT (Unit – 1) – Remaining Topics Spoorthy Degree College

Input Devices:
 Input devices are used to insert data and instructions into a computer system. Some of the
important input devices are:
1. Keyboard
2. Pointing Devices
a. Mouse
b. Joy Stick
c. Light pen (electronic pen)
d. Track Ball
3. Scanner
4. Voice Recognition system
5. Touch screen
6. Vision Input System (Digital Camera)
1. Keyboard:
 It is called as basic Input device. The data and instructions are given as input to the
computer by typing on the keyboard.
 Generally Keyboards are with 104 keys or 108 keys are available
 The keys on the keyboard are as follows :
a) Typing Keys - include the letter keys (A-Z) and digit keys (0-9) and special character
keys.
b) Function Keys (F1 to F12) - The twelve function keys are present on the keyboard
which are arranged in a row at the top of the keyboard. Each function key has a
unique meaning and is used for some specific purpose.
c) Control keys or Navigational keys- These keys provide cursor and screen control. It
includes four directional arrow keys. Control keys also include Home, End, Insert,
Delete, Page Up, Page Down
d) Special Purpose Keys - Keyboard also contains some special purpose keys such as
Enter, Shift, Caps Lock, Num Lock, Space bar, Tab, and Print Screen, Control(Ctrl),
Alternate(Alt), Escape(Esc).
2. Pointing Devices:
 Pointing devices are used to interact with a computer by moving a cursor or pointer on
the screen.
 Pointing devices are used to point to and select an icon or menu item from the
Graphical User Interface (GUI).
 The common pointing devices are:
1
FIT (Unit – 1) – Remaining Topics Spoorthy Degree College
i. Mouse
ii. Joy Stick
iii. Light pen (electronic pen)
iv. Track Ball
i. Mouse:
 Mouse is the most popular pointing device. It is a very famous cursor-control device
used in Graphical User Interface.
 The mouse is rolled over the mouse pad or flat surface, which in turn controls the
movement of the cursor in the screen. We can click, double click, scroll or drag the
mouse.
 Mouse is classified into 3 types:
(1) mechanical mouse –
It has a round ball at its base which senses the movement of the
mouse and sends signals to CPU on pressing buttons.
(2) Optical mouse –
In place of mouse ball It has LED (light Emitting Diode). LED is an
optical sensor and it uses light to detect the movement.
(3) wireless mouse –
It is a cordless mouse. This mouse uses radio frequency technology
(RF) to communicate with computer. It contains a transmitter that sends
radio signals.
ii. Joy Stick:
 Joystick is also a pointing device, which is used to move the cursor position on a
monitor screen.
 The joystick can be moved in all four directions. It is mainly used in Computer Aided
Designing (CAD) and playing computer games.
iii. Track ball:
 Track ball is an input device that is mostly used in notebook or laptop computer,
instead of a mouse. It contains a ball on top of the device and by moving fingers on
the ball, the pointer can be moved.
iv. Light pen:
 Light pen is another pointing device, which is similar to a pen.
 It is mainly used to draw pictures or lines on the monitor screen.
 It is also used in CAD applications, in architecture design, for digital signatures etc. It
requires specially designed monitor to work with.

2
FIT (Unit – 1) – Remaining Topics Spoorthy Degree College
 It consists of a photocell and an optical system placed in a small tube. When light
pen’s tip is moved over the monitor screen and pen button is pressed, its photocell
sensing element detects the screen location and sends the signal to the CPU.
3. Scanner:
 A scanner is an essential input device that allows us to convert a hard copy document
(printed document) into a digital file (.jpeg, .png, .pdf, etc.) and these files that can be
stored or edited on a computer.
 According to size Scanners are classified into 3 types:
a) Flatbed scanners
b) Sheet-fed scanners
c) Handheld scanners
 Different types of scanners are as follows:
1) OCR (Optical Character Recognition)
2) OMR (Optical Mark Recognition)
3) BCR (Barcode Reader)
4) MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition)
5) Magnetic Card Reader/Scanner
4. Voice Recognition system:
 Voice Recognition System is used to give commands to a computer using human voice or
speech.
 A voice recognition system is a technology that understands and processes what we
speak to a computer or a device. It can also convert spoken words into written text,
perform tasks based on our voice commands. Voice recognition system requires micro
phone.
 Microphone serves as a voice input device. It captures the voice data and gives input to
the computer.
 Voice recognition systems are used in devices like Amazon's Alexa, Apple's Siri, and
Google Assistant use voice recognition to respond to user commands and answer
questions.
 Voice recognition is used in speech-to-text applications, such as transcribing spoken
words into text documents or composing text messages or emails by speaking.
5. Touch screen:
 A touch screen is like a special type of display screen that can sense and respond to our
touch. We can use our finger or a stylus (a special pen) to directly touch the objects on
the screen.

3
 FIT (Unit – 1) – Remaining Topics Spoorthy Degree College
 Touch screen sensors can detect where we touched and what we did on the screen , like
tapping or swiping.
 Touch screen is generally used in applications like ATMs and also used in public
information computers like in hospitals to get information, in airline to buy tickets, at any
malls to order food etc.
6. Vision Input System:
 A vision input system allows a computer to accept input by seeing an object or picture or
video.
 A computer with a vision input system uses a special software, digital cameras or
sensors. The vision input system uses cameras to capture images or videos, and then
specialized software processes this visual data.
 The software analyzes the colors, shapes, and movements in the images, allowing the
computer to understand and interpret the visual information.
 Vision input system in computer can be used for tasks like face recognition, object
detection, or even controlling a self-driving car or in gaming.
*************************************************************************************

Explain Scanner and its types:

 A scanner is an essential input device that allows us to convert a hard copy document (printed
document) into a digital file (.jpeg, .png, .pdf, etc.) and these files that can be stored or edited on
a computer.
 According to size Scanners are classified into 3 types:
a) Flatbed scanners
b) Sheet-fed scanners
c) Handheld scanners
a) Flatbed scanner:
It looks like a flat glass surface with a lid. We place the document or image face down
on the glass, close the lid, and the scanner captures the content from above. And it creates
a digital copy of the document. Commonly used for scanning photos, documents, and
books.
b) Sheet-fed scanner:
It is similar to a flatbed scanner but designed for multiple pages. We can feed a stack of
papers or documents into it, and it scans them one by one automatically. It is often used
for quickly scanning stacks of paper documents, like in an office.
c) Handheld scanner:

4
 FIT (Unit – 1) – Remaining Topics Spoorthy Degree College
It is a portable scanner that we can hold in the hand. We can move it over the item(or
document) that we want to scan, and it captures the image or text. It is useful for scanning
irregularly shaped items or documents in tight spaces.
 Different types of scanners are as follows:
1. OCR (Optical Character Recognition)
2. OMR (Optical Mark Recognition)
3. BCR (Barcode Reader)
4. MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition)
5. Magnetic Card Reader/Scanner
1. OCR (Optical Character Recognition):
OCR scans printed or handwritten text and converts it into digital text that
computers can understand. It's often used for scanning documents, receipts, or books. OCR
software analyzes the shapes of letters and converts them into editable text.
2. OMR (Optical Mark Recognition):
OMR scanners are used to detect and recognize marks such as checkboxes or
bubbles on paper forms. OMR scanners interpret these filled-in circles and convert them
into data. OMR is commonly used for grading multiple-choice test papers, survey forms,
and ballot papers in elections.
3. BCR (Barcode Reader):
Barcodes are the black and white lines, that we often see on products, books, or
tickets. A barcode reader (BCR) is used to read these barcodes. When we scan a barcode
with a barcode reader scanner, it quickly converts those lines into a series of numbers or
letters that a computer can understand.
For example, when we scan a barcode at a store, it instantly tells the computer
what product it is and how much it costs.
It is a super-fast way of entering information without typing it manually.
4. MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition):
MICR is used to read characters and numbers printed with special magnetic ink.
Mostly it used in banking for reading the numbers at the bottom of cheques. Those
numbers represent the bank account and routing information.
5. Magnetic Card Reader/Scanner
A magnetic card reader scans the information stored on the magnetic stripe of
cards, such as credit cards, debit cards , ID cards or other similar cards.
They use magnetic sensors to detect and decode the information stored on the
magnetic stripe, which includes account numbers and other cardholder details.

5
 FIT (Unit – 1) – Remaining Topics Spoorthy Degree College
*************************************************************************************

Output Devices
 The output device displays the results(output) which are processed by computer. The output
devices display the output in different forms such as text, images, hard copies, and audio or
video.
 Output generated by output device classified into two types:
1) Soft-copy output – The electronic form of output which is stored in computer memory is
called as softcopy output. And it can be modified easily.
2) Hard-copy output – The physical form of output which is produced on a paper is called as
hard copy output. They cannot be modified easily.
 The output devices used in a computer are as follows.
1. Monitors
2. Plotter
3. Printer
4. Speakers
5. Projector
1. Monitor:
 A monitor is also called as Visual Display Unit (VDU). Monitor is called as the basic output
device.
 Computer displays the output on the screen is called as Monitor. Monitor is used
to produce the soft copy output.
 Monitors will display the output in the form of text, images, video. It forms the images by
using several dots, called pixels. The quality of the image depends on the number of pixels.
 There are two types of monitor viewing screens:
1. Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT) monitors
2. Flat-Panel Display monitors
1. CRT monitors:
This type of monitor is based on a cathode ray tube technology. A cathode
ray tube is a vacuum tube containing an electronic gun at one end and a fluorescent
screen at another end. These guns generate Red, Green, Blue (RGB) colors which
generate the other colors.
The main disadvantage of CRT monitors are, heavy weight and more power
consumption.
2. Flat-Panel display monitors:
These monitors are less weight and consume less power compared to CRT
monitors. These monitors are 3 types:
a) LCD monitor:

6
FIT (Unit – 1) – Remaining Topics Spoorthy Degree College
These monitors are based on liquid crystal display technology. These are
mostly used in the screens of laptops, desktops, tablets, smart phones, etc.
b) LED monitor:
These monitors use Light Emitting Diode technology. We get better
picture quality in LED monitors than LCD monitors.
c) Plasma monitor:
This monitor is based on plasma display technology. Plasma monitors
provide high resolutions, so they offer a unique viewing experience.
2. Printer:
 Printer is an output device that can print data or information on paper.
 This printed document is often called as a hard copy.
 A document can be of any type such as a text file, image, or the combination of both.
 Printer is connected to the computer either through a USB cable or over Wi-Fi.
 Based on the printing technology, printers are divided into two categories.
 Impact Printer
 Non-Impact Printer

3. Plotter:
 A plotter is an output device that is almost identical to a printer.
 It is used for printing vector graphics with high quality.
 Plotter uses a pen, pencil, or marker to draw continuous lines for creating an image on
the paper.
 Usually, the plotter works with the computer's graphics software to produce an image on
paper.
 Plotter can produce the image with high quality and high-resolution on large sheets.
 Size of the plotters is large and more expensive than traditional printers.
 Plotters are suitable for printing architectural blueprints, CAD drawings, maps,
engineering designs, and diagrams.

7
FIT (Unit – 1) – Remaining Topics Spoorthy Degree College
 Plotters can also print on cardboard, fabric, and many other synthetic surfaces.
Advantages:
o A Plotter can work on the large sheet around 2 feet or more with better quality.
o It can print on sheet, plywood, and any flat sheet material, including paper.
o It can save all templates and patterns on the disk. Thus, it can overcome the
problem to load the same pattern again and again.
o It can draw the same pattern thousand times without any degradation.
Disadvantages:
o The size of a plotter is very large than the traditional printers.
o Plotters are more expensive as compared to a traditional printer.
 There are several types of plotters. Some of them are :
1. Drum plotter:
It is also known as roller plotter. It turns the paperback and forth on a drum
while pens move left and right. With the help of combining these two directions, the
line can be drawn in any direction.
2. Flatbed plotter:
In flatbed plotter, a paper is placed on a large horizontal surface. A traveling bar
moves across the surface and draws the lines.
3. Inkjet Plotter:
It is a type of Plotter, which produces an image with the help of showering little
drops of ink on the paper.
4. Sound Card:
 A sound card is also known as an expansion card. It is responsible for generating and
recording audio.
 It is a type of output device that is usually installed on a motherboard of a computer.
 The main function of a sound card is to control the output of sound signals and enable
devices such as speakers and headphones to function.
 Sound cards usually work with the help of drivers and software.
 Although a sound card is not mandatory for the basic functions of a computer system, it is
added to the computer for listening to audio, playing games, watching movies, listening to
music, video conferencing, and more.
5. Speakers:
 Speakers are one of the common output devices used to produce audio output.
 Computer requires a sound card for the speaker to work. Computer speakers usually receive
signals from the sound card and then convert them to audio.

8
 FIT (Unit – 1) – Remaining Topics Spoorthy Degree College
 These speakers use internal amplifiers that vibrate at different frequencies to
increase/decrease the volume of the sound as per the choice of the user.
 Speaker can be connected with a computer via USB cable or use wireless Bluetooth
speakers.
 For a desktop computer, the speaker is an external component.
 For a laptop, a small speaker is integrated within the laptop.
6. Projector:
 Projector is an output device that can take image or text data from the computer and
projects them on the whiteboard screen, wall, or flat surface.
 Projector displays images or text on a large screen so that everyone in the room or hall can
view the display screen. So Projector can replace a monitor to project images or text.
 Earlier, Projector uses the lens system that produced images. Modern projectors use laser
light to create the image on the screen.
 Projectors have one or two ports such as VGA ports for old devices and HDMI ports for new
devices.
 Some projectors can support Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections.
 Usually, the projector can be placed on the table or fixed on the ceiling so that everyone can
see the screen.
*********************************************************************************

Explain about Impact printers and Non Impact printers.

 Printer is an output device that can print data or information on paper. The data may be in
any form such as a text file, image, or the combination of both.
 Based on the printing technology, printers are divided into two categories.
 Impact Printer
 Non-Impact Printer


9
FIT (Unit – 1) – Remaining Topics Spoorthy Degree College
(I) Impact Printer:
 It consists of one or more printing heads, just like typewriters. Impact printers print the
characters by striking them on the ink ribbon, which is then hitting (pressed) on the paper.
 Characteristics of Impact Printers are the following −
1. These printers come at low cost
2. Very noisy
3. These are useful for bulk printing due to low cost
4. There is physical contact with the paper to produce an image
 These printers are of two types −
1. Character printers
2. Line printers
1. Character printers:
 This printer can print one character at a time, just like a traditional typewriter. It is also
known as serial printers, which are slower than line and page printers.
Examples: daisy wheel printer and dot matrix printers.
a. Dot matrix printer:
o These are the most popular impact character printers. These printers are
popular because of their ease of printing and economical price.
o Dot matrix printers use a pattern of dots to print characters or pictures. The
pattern is structured by striking an inked ribbon on paper with the help of a
hammer or print head.
Advantages
a) These are inexpensive.
b) It is reliable and durable.
c) Low maintenance and printing cost.

Disadvantages

a) Slow printing.

b) Printing quality is low.

c) Makes more noise.

b. Daisy wheel printer:

o This printer is just like a typewriter.
o This printer consists of a wheel or disc with a print head and several pins such as
a Daisy’s petal (a flower) corresponding to the characters. Thus it is called as
Daisy wheel printer.

10
FIT (Unit – 1) – Remaining Topics Spoorthy Degree College
o To make a print, the printer rotates the wheel with its respective characters.
When the desired character reaches the print location, then the hammer strikes
the disc and the ink ribbon. Now the corresponding character is printed on the
paper.
Advantages:
1. Low maintenance.
2. Cost efficient and reliable than Dot matrix printers.
3. Improved print quality as compared to dot matrix printer.
Disadvantages:
1. It can’t print graphics.
2. Printing speed is slow.
3. It makes noise.
2. Line printers:
 Line printers can print one line at a time. These are high speed impact printers and can
print up to 3000 lines per minute. However, this type of printer cannot print graphics
 Examples: chain printers and drum printers.
a) Chain printers:
These printers use a rotating chain with characters printed on their surface. The
chain rotates horizontally with the help of two gears.

Advantages
 Character fonts can easily be changed.
 Different languages can be used with the same printer.
Disadvantages
 Noisy
b) Drum printers:
These printers use a rotating drum covered with characters on the surface of the
drum. As the drum rotates, characters on its surface come into contact with the
inked ribbon, transferring ink onto the paper, creating text or images one line at a
time.
Advantages
 High speed printing
 Drum printers can produce high-quality output
Disadvantages
 Very expensive
 These printers also make noise due to the hammering system.

11
 FIT (Unit – 1) – Remaining Topics Spoorthy Degree College
(II) Non-Impact Printer:
 Non-impact printers work differently than impact printers. Non-impact printers print the
characters without using the ink ribbon hitting mechanism on paper.
 These printers print a complete page at a time, thus they are also called as Page Printers.
 Characteristics of Non-impact Printers
 Faster than impact printers
 They are not noisy
 High quality
 Supports many fonts and different character size
 These printers are of two types −
1. Laser Printers
 These are non-impact page printers. They use laser lights to produce the dots needed to
form the characters to be printed on a page.
Advantages
 Faster as compared to dot matrix and inkjet printer.
 Very high speed
 Very high quality output
 Good graphics quality
 Supports many fonts and different character size
 Makes no noise while printing.
Disadvantages:
 Expensive.
 High maintenance cost.
2. Inkjet Printers
 Inkjet printers are non-impact printers based on a new technology. They print
characters or pictures by spraying small drops of ink onto paper.
 These droplets are passed through an electric field that controls the sprays to print the
appropriate characters and images.
 Inkjet printers produce high quality.
 An inkjet printer can produce both black and white and color prints on paper.
Advantages:
 It is used to print high-quality output.
 It is easy to use.
 It makes less noise compared to other printers.
Disadvantages:
12
 FIT (Unit – 1) – Remaining Topics Spoorthy Degree College
 The cost of cartridge is high.
 Printing speed is slow .
*************************************************************************************

Differences between Impact printers and Non-Impact printers:

Impact Printer Non-Impact Printer
1. These printers physically strike the 1. They use methods like inkjet nozzles or
paper with a print head or pins to print laser beam to print text and graphics on
characters and images paper without striking.
2. Impact printers directly contact with the 2. Non-impact printers do not physically
paper. touch the paper.
3. It makes a lot of noise. 3. They make less noise as compared to
impact printers.
4. Impact printers can produce low-quality 4. Non-impact printers can produce high-
prints. So these are suitable for basic text quality prints. So these are suitable for
and simple graphics text, photos, and complex graphics.
5. These printers are suitable for tasks like 5. These are suitable for tasks like printing
printing invoices or multipart forms documents, photos, and graphics.
where multiple copies are needed.

*************************************************************************************

Terminal and its types:

 A terminal is a device that enables us to communicate with a computer or mainframe to input
commands and see the results.
 There are two main types of terminals:
1. Dumb terminal and
2. Intelligent terminal.
1. Dumb terminal:
A dumb terminal is a basic input and output device that only uses for Input and
output operation. It has no built-in data processing capabilities. So it depends entirely
on a central computer for processing. It can display information and transmit user
input.
Ex:
VT100 Terminal:

13
 FIT (Unit – 1) – Remaining Topics Spoorthy Degree College
It is a dumb terminal widely used in the 1970s and 1980s. It had a
keyboard and a simple text-based screen for interacting with mainframe.
2. Intelligent Terminal:
These terminals are not only input and output devices but they are also used for
processing purposes. Intelligent terminal has its own processor, memory, and
software. So it can perform data processing. It has the capabilities of data formatting
or running simple programs, before communicating with the central computer.
Ex:
 ATMs are intelligent terminals that allow users to perform banking
transactions
 Terminals that are used in retail stores and restaurants for processing
transactions. They often have touch screens, barcode scanners, and the
ability to run software for inventory management and sales processing.
*************************************************************************************

Short answers - 2 Marks

1. Write any 4 characteristics of computers.
2. Write differences between impact and non impact printers.
3. What are impact printers
4. What are non impact printers
5. Define scanner.
6. Dumb terminals
7. Intelligent Terminals
8. Vision Input system
9. Voice recognition system
10. Limitations of computers
11. Characteristics of computers or advantages of computers
12. Monitor and its types.

Long answers - 8 Marks

1. Explain the Generations of computers.
2. Explain about scanners and its types.
3. Explain about Impact printers and its types.
4. Explain about Non impact printers and its types.
5. Explain about input devices.
6. Explain about output devices.
7. Explain block diagram of computer.
8. Explain types of computers.
9. Terminals and its types
10. What are the applications of computers.

14