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INPUT DEVICES
 Outline
 Manual Input Devices
Uses of the input devices stating the advantages and disadvantages of each

Keyboard, Numeric Keypad, Mouse, Touchpad, Trackerball, Remote

Control, Joystick, Touch screen, Scanner, Graphics Tablet, Microphone,
Digital Camera, Video Camera, Light pen.
 Automatic Input Devices
Magnetic Stripe Reader, Chip and PIN Pad, Bar code Reader, OCR,
MICR, OMR
 Sensor
Definition, Types of Sensors, Advantages and Disadvantages of sensors
 Questions & Answers

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 Input Devices
Definition:
Hardware devices that allow data to be input into a computer.
Types of Input Devices:
1- Manual Input Devices - data entered by hand
2- Automatic Input Devices - data entered by a machine/computer
3- Sensors - collect data automatically.
Examples of Different Types of Input
Devices
Manual Input Devices Automatic Input Devices Sensors
Keyboard Numeric Keypad Magnetic Stripe Reader Temperature
Joystick Pointing Device Chip and Pin Reader Pressure
Scanner Remote Control Magnetic Ink Character Recognition Light
Microphon Touch Screen (MICR)
Sound
e Barcode Reader Humidity
Light Pens Graphics Tablet Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) pH
Webcams Digital Camera Optical Character Recognition (OCR) 3
 Keyboards
- The most common type of input device.
QWERTY
- Keyboards are used to enter text into word- *
processed documents numbers into Keyboard
spreadsheet. Ergonomic
- Ergonomic keyboards are designed to to Keyboard
reduce health problems linked with typing.
Concept
(RSI).
Keyboard
- Concept Keyboard uses icons or phrases
instead of standard letters.
Advantages of Keyboard Disadvantages of Keyboard
 Text appears on the screen as you type  It is a slow method for entering large
so can easily be checked for accuracy. amounts of text when compared to
 Most computers come with them so direct data entry (e.g. optical mark
there is no extra hardware to buy. recognition)
 Can be used for other instructions (e.g.  Typing for a long time can cause
Ctrl+P to print). repetitive strain injury (RSI).
 Ideal for applications such as word-  Fairly large and take up desk space.
processing or composing emails where  Users with arm/wrist problems can
you have to create original text.
find keyboards hard to use.
 Numeric keypad
- Used where only numeric data is to be
entered (although some have a function key
to allow input of alphabetic characters)
- Examples: ATM, Telephones, and
Chip and PIN devices to enter PIN and the
amount of money.
- Used at supermarket to enter bar code
number when bar code reader cannot read bar
code.
Advantages of Numeric Keypad Disadvantages of Numeric Keypad
 It is smaller, making it easier to  Small keys might be hard to
carry or move, e.g. at a shop see.
counter.  Keys might be arranged
 Faster than standard keyboards differently, e.g. on a phone.
for entry of numeric  Difficult (but not impossible) to
information. enter text information.
 Pointing Devices
1 Mouse Ball Mouse
Ball detects
- The left mouse button is used to make movement
selections.
Optical Mouse
- The right mouse button is used to display a Light detects
dropdown menu. movement
- A scroll button/wheel is used to help move
quickly through long documents. Wireless Mouse

Advantages of Mouse Disadvantages of Mouse

 Enables fast navigation  Hard to use if the user has limited
through an application, e.g. a wrist/finger movement.
web browser.  Needs a flat surface so can’t be
 Small and take up very little used "on the move".
space.
 Faster to select an option
compared to using a keyboard.
 Pointing Devices (continued)
2 Touchpad Left/Right Button Touchpad

- Used on laptop computers.

Advantages of Touchpad Disadvantages of Touchpad

 Can be used "on the move"  Hard to use if the user has limited
where there is no flat surface on wrist/finger movement.
which to move a mouse.  Controlling the pointer is harder
 There is no extra device to carry compared to using a mouse.
as the touchpad is built into the  They are hard to use for actions
computer. such as "drag and drop".
 Touchpads enable easy  Long use of touchpads could lead
navigation around applications to health problems, e.g RSI
and Internet.
 Pointing Devices (continued)
3 Trackerball
- The pointer is moved on the screen by rolling your
hand overt he ball.
- Used by people with poor motor skills such as the
very young or people with disabilities.

Advantages of Trackerball Disadvantages of Trackerball

 They are easier to use than a mouse  The cost, as trackerballs are not
if the user has wrist or finger normally included with a
problems. computer system.
 They allow faster navigation
compared to a mouse.
 Time is needed to get used to
using them.
 Take up less desk space than a
mouse as they do not need to be
moved around.
 Pointer can be positioned more
accurately on the screen than with a
mouse.
 Remote Control
- Control devices such as TVs, video players/recorders, DVD
players/recorders, satellite receivers, Hi-Fi music systems and
multimedia projectors.

Advantages of Remote Control Disadvantages of Remote Control

 The user can operate a device  Remote control usually uses infra-
wirelessly from a short line of red signals and the signal between
sight distance where a device’s the control and the device can be
controls are difficult to reach easily blocked.
(e.g., a projector positioned on a  People with limited hand/wrist
ceiling). movement can find them difficult to
 Can control devices safely from a use.
distance (e.g. a robot used to  Remote controls need batteries to
investigate a bomb). operate and need constant
replacement.
 Enables people with disabilities to
operate devices at a distance.
 Joystick
- The stick moves on-screen in the same way as a mouse, and
buttons are used to select items.
- Used for playing computer games.
- Used in simulators (e.g. flight simulators) to mimic actual
controls.
- Used in car driving simulators.
Advantages of Joystick Disadvantages of Joystick
 Easier to navigate around a  Entering text is very slow as
screen and play games rather
than a keyboard. you have to select individual
letters.
 They can be used by disabled
people because they can be
 You have to purchase them
operated by foot, mouth, etc. separately from the computer
system.
 Control is in three dimensions.  It is more difficult to control the
on-screen pointer with a
joystick than with a mouse.
 Touch Screens
- Can detect the presence and location of a touch to the screen.
- Touch screens can be found in information kiosks, all-in-one
computers, tablet computers, PDAs, ATMs, Point of Sale
Terminals, satellite navigation systems, Interactive white
boards and smartphones.

Advantages of Touch Screens Disadvantages of Touch Screens

 They are very simple to use so can  The screen can get quite dirty and
be used by almost anyone. this can make items on the screen
hard to see.
 It is easy to choose a particular
option.  On small screens the icons can be
hard to see or select.
 They are ideal where space is
limited such as on a smartphone,
 Using touchscreens too much can
lead to health problems like arm
PDA, etc.
strain or RSI.
 They are tamper-proof so other data  Limited number of options available.
cannot be entered which could
corrupt the system.
 Scanners
- Used to scan in hard copy documents to convert
them into a digital format.
- Used to scan non-digital photographs to be stored
on computer.
Handheld Scanner Flatbed Scanner

Advantages of Scanners Disadvantages of Scanners

 They can be used with software  Flatbed scanners take a lot of
to repair/improve old photos. space.
 They can be used to digitize old  It can take a long time to
documents for archive purposes. digitize all the pages in a long
 Scanners are much faster than document.
having to type in the documents  The quality of the scanned item
again . might be poor depending on
 Images can be stored for editing scanner resolution*.
at a later date.
 Graphics Tablet
- Used to draw or write on using a pen-like device
called a stylus.
- Used for inputting freehand drawings.
- Used for retouching digital photographs.
- They are used in computer aided design (CAD)
work.
The computer-aided design (CAD) is used in the design and development of new
products in a variety of applications both at home and on a commercial/industrial
basis, e.g architecture, car/vehicle design, construction and digital circuits.
Advantages of Graphics Tablet Disadvantages of Graphics Tablet
 It is more accurate to draw  Much more expensive than a
freehand on a tablet rather than mouse or other input devices.
use the mouse to draw.
 Much more natural to draw
using the special pen than it is
using a mouse.
 Microphones
- Used to input sounds/speech into the computer to be
used in different ways (Presentations, Voice
Recording, Special Effects in Movies etc).
- Used in Voice Recognition Software which can
be used to automatically input text into a
document using speech rather than typing.
Advantages of Microphones Disadvantages of Microphones
 Faster to read in text rather than  Background noises can cause
type it in using a keyboard. problems with voice recognition
systems.
 Can be used by disabled to
input data.  Voice recognition is not
completely accurate so mistakes
 Sound input into your computer
may occur.
can be edited using Sound
Manipulation Software.  Sound files, when stored, take up
a lot of disk space.
 Digital Camera
- Produce photos that can be transferred to a
computer or to print out directly.
- Most digital cameras also allow you to capture
short video clips.
- Digital photographs can easily be copied or
edited.
Advantages of Digital Camera Disadvantages of Digital Camera
 No film to develop so quicker  Digital cameras can be very
to produce the photo. expensive (especially for the high
quality ones).
 Images can be viewed  A photographer needs to have
immediately and unwanted computer skills to use digital
images can be deleted. photographs properly.
 Can use software to improve  The photographs may not be as high
photo (e.g. remove red-eye). quality as those produced using film.
 Quality images can be quite large in
 Images can be added to size and can take up a lot of memory.
websites or documents.
 Web Cam
- Can take both still and video images.
- Used to conduct simple videoconferencing.
- Used to allow people to view the traffic in local
road systems.
Built in web cam
- Used for chatting online.
USB web cam

Advantages of Web Cams Disadvantages of Web Cams

 Allow people to have face to  Picture is often of poor quality
face conversations without (Image breaks up).
needing to travel.  They need to be connected to a
 A web cam enables individuals computer and Internet
to monitor their home while connection in order to work.
away .
 Video Camera

- Used for inputting moving pictures, often

pre-recorded into a computer.

Advantages of Video Camera Disadvantages of Video Camera

 Can capture both still and  It is very difficult to produce
moving images. good video without training.
 Easy to transfer video to the  Editing a video can be
computer. complicated.
 Can store many images/videos  Can be expensive to buy.
until later for editing.  The picture quality of the video
is determined by the number of
pixels used (i.e. the resolution)
and this may be low.
 Light Pen

- Used as an alternative input device to a mouse

or graphics tablet.
- used for producing freehand drawings directly
on a screen or editing existing drawings.

Advantages of Light Pen Disadvantages of Light Pen

 Enable users to draw directly on  Using a light pen can be
the screen. difficult for the user as they
 Useful where there is no space have to keep their hand held in
to use a mouse or graphics a similar position for long
tablet. periods while drawing.
 More accurate than touch
screens (Thinner end.. Allows
the pen to touch smaller icons).
 Magnetic Stripe Readers
- The stripe contains data such as card number,
Magnetic Stripe
expiry date and type of card.
- Used for reading data off credit/debit cards by
ATM, EFTPOS (Electronic Funds Transfer Point Of Sale)
terminals.
- Used in ID cards to gain accesst of buildings
and rooms. Magnetic Stripe reader

Advantages of Magnetic Stripe Reader Disadvantages of Magnetic Stripe Reader

 Entering data is very fast and easy.  Magnetic stripes can only store
(You just swipe the card) a small amount of data.
 Avoids possible typing errors  Magnetic stripes can be
which could be introduced by
damaged easily by magnetic
keying in.
fields.
 Stripes are not affected by water so
they are robust.
 Magnetic stripes can be
duplicated relatively easily
 Information held on the Magnetic
(called card cloning) and this
Stripe cannot be read by the eye so
there is no chance of someone leads to card fraud.
being able to read your bank
 Chip Readers and PIN Pads
- The main use of chip and PIN is to read card Card
details (credit card account information) when containing the
Electronic
making purchases for goods where the cardholder Chip
is present to input the PIN to be verified as the true
owner of the card.
- The chip contains data such as card number, expiry
date, type of card, PIN and security number. Chip Reader and the PIN Pad

Disadvantages of Chip Readers & PIN

Advantages of Chip Readers & PIN Pads
Pads
 They have reduced fraud as the  People can forget their PIN.
true cardholder has to input their
PIN.
 People can look when the PIN
is being entered
 Chips are harder to copy
(called"shoulder surfing").
compared to a magnetic stripe.
 The storage capacity for data on a
chip is much higher than that for
a magnetic stripe.
 The card will not be affected by
any magnetic field.
 Bar Code Reader
- Used to look up the item details in a database.
- Item details include: the country of origin, the
manufacturer, the name of the product and the price. Bar Code
- Used in different applications such as supermarkets
where goods are marked with a barcode, warehouse Bar Code Reader
stock control systems, recording books loaned
to members in a library and luggage labelling at
airports.
Barcode readers is at Point-of-Sale (POS) in a shop.

Advantages of Bar Code Reader Disadvantages of Bar Code Reader

 Faster than typing in the number.  Bar codes can sometimes be damaged
– this means having to type in the
 Greater accuracy – compared to
long number underneath manually.
typing in long codes manually.
 Quite an expensive way to gather
 Prices can be changed by altering the
information. Each item needs a
database so you don not have to have
barcode and the computer technology
price stickers on each item.
needed is also expensive.
 Barcodes enable automatic stock
control.
 Optical Character Reader (OCR)
- Works by scanning an image of the text,
image is compared with characters stored in
computer and converted to text.
- Then the text be used in applications such as
word processor, DTP and presentation.
- Used for reading account numbers and details
OCR reads data
on utility (gas, electricity, water or telephone) from a passport
bills. Also used in processing of passports
OCR Software
identity cards, and ANPR*.
Advantages of OCR Disadvantages of OCR
 A fast way of inputting text that has  The system can have difficulty
been printed on paper. reading handwriting.
 Avoids having to type the text in,  It is still not a very accurate
which reduces the risk of RSI. technique.
 Cheaper than paying someone to
manually enter information.
 Since no manual data entry, the
number of errors is also reduced.
 Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR)
- Allows details from bank cheques to be read
into a computer quickly and accurately.

MICR machine

Characters read by MICR on a bank cheque.

Advantages of MICR Disadvantages of MICR

 Greater security than OCR  Only a very limited number of
because the special ink characters different characters can be read.
cannot be changed.  Both Reader and Magnetic Ink
 NO manual input… therefore less are more expensive than other
errors. (User just swipes methods of automatic data entry.
information through the reader).
 Even if somebody writes over the
magnetic ink characters (e.g. with
a signature) they can still be read.
 Optical Mark Reader (OMR)
- OMR is a system which can read marks
written in pen or pencil.
- The OMR reader shines a light onto the form
and Less Light is Reflected where a pencil
mark has been made.
OMR can be used to OMR
- Applications for OMR include: voting forms, mark answer sheets to
lottery tickets, school/college attendance multiple-choice
registers and marking multiple choice questions in exams.
question.
Advantages of OMR Disadvantages of OMR
 If the forms have been filled in  Only suitable for capturing certain data
correctly, then almost 100% accuracy – data needs to be in a form where
can be achieved as there are no there are tick-style or shaded answers.
typing errors.  If the form used is folded it may be
 The computer is fast at reading the rejected or jam the machine.
forms and analysing the results.  The forms need to be carefully
 Less expensive then employing designed to make sure that the
workers to type the answers in. marks/shading are correctly positioned
to gather accurate information.
 OMR is more accurate than OCR.
 Sensors
Definition:
Devices which measure physical quantities such as temperature, pressure,
etc.
Overview of Sensors:
- This data is analogue at the point it is detected.
- Computers don‟t understand analogue data and therefore it is converted
to digital (e.g. 1‟s and 0‟s) using an analogue to digital converter
(ADC). The computer can then read the data.

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 Types of Sensors

Sensor Type Possible Application

Temperature Automatic washing machines, central heating systems, automatic
greenhouses , ovens
Moisture Automatic greenhouses, environmental monitoring, factories
where moisture levels are crucial (e.g. manufacture of
microchips, paint spraying)
Oxygen environment (e.g. measuring oxygen content in a river to check for
pollution)
Light Automatic greenhouses, automatic doors, burglar alarm systems,
street lighting control
Pressure detecting intruders in a burglar alarm system
Sound picks up sound (e.g. burglar alarm system)
detecting liquids moving in pipes (chemical processes)
pH Automatic greenhouses, chemical processes, environmental
Monitoring

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 Advantages and Disadvantages of Sensors

Advantages of Sensors Disadvantages of Sensors

 The readings are more accurate  Cost to purchase.

than those taken by humans.  Dirt and grease may affect
 The readings can be taken more performance.
frequently than by a human.
 They work when a human is not
present so cost less.
 They can work in dangerous
environments (e.g. nuclear
reactors).
 Questions & Answers
Draw five lines on the diagram to match the input device to its most
appropriate use. (Nov 2012 P12)
Input Dvice Use
Mouse to input voiceovers for a presentation
Joystick to input a PIN

Optical Mark Reader to select options from a menu

Microphone to operate a flight simulator

Number pad to input candidate responses on

examination papers

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 Questions & Answers
Computers are used in supermarkets at point of sales terminals.
Tick three input devices which could be used to enter data about an item
when it is purchased. (Nov 2012 P12)

Input Device Tick

Optical character reader
Electronic scales
Sound sensor
Bar code reader
Number pad
Trackerball

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 Questions & Answers
A greenhouse is controlled by a microprocessor. (Nov 2012 P13)
Tick three physical variables that would be monitored.

Physical Variables Tick

Humidity
Temperature
Pressure
Wind speed
Light
Wind direction

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