Section 2.

1
Input Devices

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Key Words
The following words will crop up as part of the following presentation. You should use your notes sheet to log information about them when it is covered. You will be quizzed on these words later.

Manual Input Device Automatic Input Device Keyboards Numeric Keypad Pointing Devices Scanner Digital Camera Microphone Remote Control

Joystick Touch Screen Web Cams Magnetic Stripe Reader Chip and Pin Reader Barcode Reader Magnetic Ink Character Recognition Optical Character Recognition Optical Mark Recognition

NOTE: Sections of the presentation where you see the following symbol contains information about these keywords. This is your cue to make notes.

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Input Devices
Definition:

Hardware devices that allow information to be input into a computer.

Two categories of Input Devices:

1. Manual Input Devices 2. Automatic Input Devices data entered by hand data entered by a machine/computer

NOTE: There are tons and tons of input devices. We will explore some of the more common examples.

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Examples of Manual Input Devices

Keyboard Numeric Keypad Pointing Device Remote Control

Joystick

Touch Screen

Scanner

Graphics Tablet

Microphone

Digital Camera

Webcams

Light Pens

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Manual Input Devices

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Keyboards
The most common type of input device.
Key boards are used to input into the computer: Text Numbers Instructions Most keyboards use the QWERTY layout. The name comes from the keys on the top row which spell out QWERTY.
QWERTY Keyboard

Ergonomic keyboards have recently been developed. These are designed to reduce health problems linked with typing. The hand rest pictured on the keyboard above is standard on an ergonomic keyboard. For example Carpel Tunnel Syndrome and Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI).

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Keyboards (Continued)
Uses:
Keyboards are used to input data into applications (For example text into Microsoft Word and numbers into a spreadsheet). They can also be used to input commands into the computer. For example Keyboard Shortcuts: CTRL + P to print CTRL + S to save Print Screen to take a screenshot of work

Advantages
Enable fast entry of new text into documents Very easy to use Information appears on the screen as it is typed so it is easy to verify (Check for correctness)

Disadvantages
Users with arm/wrist problems can find keyboards hard to use Fairly large and take up desk space Entering data can be slow when compared to direct data entry (Scanning a bank card for example)

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Numeric Keypads

Numeric Keypads are used for entering numbers. (Numeric means Number). Some also have functions to allow text entry.

Uses:
Entering personal identification numbers (PIN) into an automatic teller machine (ATM). They can also be used to select how much money you would like to take out. Telephones have numeric keypads to allow phone numbers to be keyed in.

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Numeric Keypads (Continued)

Uses:
Electronic Point Of Sale (EPOS) terminals have numeric keypads in case the barcode reader fails to read the barcode and the number needs to be keyed in manually. Chip and PIN devices have numeric keypads to enter PIN numbers and amounts of money.

Advantages
Faster than standard keyboards for entry of numeric information Usually small devices (Like Mobile Phones) and are easy to carry around

Disadvantages
Can be difficult to use due to small keys Difficult (but not impossible) to enter text information

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Pointing Devices
Overview:
Pointing devices are pieces of hardware that can be used to move and control a pointer (curser) on a screen. There are 3 main types of pointing device: Mice Touchpad Trackerballs

Pointing Device (Like a mouse) used to move and control a Pointer (curser) around a screen.

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Pointing Device 1 - Mice

2 types of mice are Ball and Optical. A Ball mouse uses a ball underneath the mouse to detect movement. An Optical mouse uses reflected light rather than a ball. This allows the user to control the position of a pointer on a screen.

Ball Mouse
Light detects movement
Ball detects movement

Optical Mouse

An advantage Optical Mice is they have no moving parts and so pick up no dirt. Optical Mice are also often more precise than Ball Mice which makes them useful for fine movements of the pointer for tasks like graphic design.

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Mice (Continued)
Mice have 2 buttons and a scroll wheel with different functions:
Left button used to select things Right button used to bring up a drop-down menu Scroll wheel helps you to move through a document
Scroll Wheel
Right Button

Left Button Menu activated by right click

Cordless Mice are exactly the same as regular mice apart from the fact that they do not need a wire connected to the computer. They are an example of a Wireless Device.

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Mice (Continued)
Uses:
Can be used for Opening, Closing and Minimising programs and files etc. Can used for Grouping, Moving and Deleting files. Useful when Editing Images for example controlling Size and Position of an image.

Can control the position of a pointer on the screen to allow you to select icons or scroll around the page.

Advantages
Faster to select an option compared to using a keyboard. Mice enable easy navigation around applications and Internet. Small and take up very little space.

Disadvantages
People with poor hand movement or disabilities can find mice difficult Easily damaged and Ball Mice can pick up dirt and become clogged. Hard to use without a flat surface.

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Pointing Device 2 - Touchpad

Used in many Laptop computers as a pointing device. Pointer in controlled by the user moving their finger on the touchpad to simulate the movements of a mouse. They also have buttons which have the same purpose as the left/right buttons on a mouse.
Touchpad Left/Right Buttons

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Touchpad (Continued)
Uses:
Touchpads have the same uses as a mouse.

Advantages

Disadvantages

Faster to select an option compared People with poor hand movement to using a keyboard. or disabilities can find touchpads difficult. Touchpads enable easy navigation More difficult to control the pointer around applications and Internet. when compared with a mouse. Included in the laptop so no need More difficult to perform for separate mouse. This helps operations such as drag and drop. improve portability. Can be used even when there are no flat surfaces available. Dont get clogged with dirt as ball mice can.

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Pointing Device 3 - Trackerball

Similar to a mouse except that the ball is on the top of the device. Users control the pointers on the screen by rotating the ball with their hand. Trackerballs usually have two buttons which have the same use as the right/left mouse buttons. Some have a third button which is the equivalent to double click.
Trackerball Left/Right and Third Buttons

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Trackerball (Continued)
Uses:
They have the same pointing/curser control as a mouse. Very comfortable to use even with people with hand/wrist disabilities. Can be faster to use than a mouse.

Advantages

Disadvantages
be more

People with limited hand/wrist Trackerballs tend to movement find them easier to use. expensive than mice.

Pointer can be positioned more Can be quite tricky to get used to. accurately on the screen than with a mouse. Take up less desk space than a mouse as they do not need to be moved around.

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Remote Controls
These are used to control other devices using Infra Red Signals. Buttons on the keypad are used to select options. For example: Television Stations. Volume on an music player. Fast forwarding a DVD player.
Infra Red Signal

Buttons on Keypad

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Remote Control (Continued)

Uses:
Most home entertainment systems use Remote Controls. For example: DVD players Hi-Fis Satellite Systems etc. Used in industry to remotely control machinery etc. Cranes for example can be remotely controlled.

Advantages

Disadvantages

Enable devices to be operated from People with limited hand/wrist any distance. Useful for people with movement can find them difficult mobility disabilities. to use. Useful in chemical plants where Signal between the control and the equipment close to hazardous device can be easily blocked. materials can be operated from a distance.

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Joysticks
Perform similar functions to mice and trackerballs. Moving the stick controls the pointer on the screen and buttons are used to make selections. Most joysticks also have a button on the top of the stick that is used for gaming e.g. to fire a weapon.
Fire button for Gaming

Control Stick Control Buttons

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Joysticks (Continued)
Uses:
Video games are often controlled by joysticks. They are used in simulators to mimic actual controls (Like flight simulators and driving simulators). Can be used to control machinery (Like cranes).

Advantages

Disadvantages

Easier to navigate around a screen People with limited hand/wrist and play games rather than a movement can find them difficult keyboard. to use. Simple to use. More difficult to control a pointer on a screen compared to a mouse.

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Touch Screens

This input device allows users to choose an option by simply touching the button/icon on the screen. The selection is made without the need for a pointing device (Like a mouse). Most joysticks also have a button on the top of the stick that is used for gaming e.g. to fire a weapon. Good for selecting from a limited range of options.

Options chosen by touching the screen

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Touch Screens (Continued)

Uses:
Self-service devices like shopping tills and petrol payment. Some ATMs use touchscreen to allow users to withdraw money. Public information systems at airports and tourist offices also use touchscreen. Point of Sale Terminals (POS) at restaurants and cafes. PDAs, Mobile Phones and Sat Nav systems all use touchscreens. Interactive whiteboards (Used in schools) are basically just large touchscreens.

Some on-screen tests, like Computer Based Training, (CBT) use touchscreens to allow users to answer questions.

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Touch Screens (Continued)

Advantages Disadvantages
Limited number available. of options

Enable fast entry of options. Very easy to choose options.

Using touchscreens too much can lead to health problems like arm strain or RSI.

No training needed to show people Screen can get dirty and covered in how to use touch screens. germs with constant touching.

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Scanners

Scanners are used to enter information on hard copy (Printouts, Photographs) into the computer. The hard copy is scanned by a light source and produces a digital image. The digital image can then be manipulated by a Graphics Editing Package (Like Photoshop). Specialist scanners can be used to carry out different scanning tasks (Like barcode scanners in supermarkets).

Flatbed Scanner
Image scanned on flat surface

Handheld Scanner
Image scanned by hand

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Scanners (Continued)

Uses:
Used to scan in hard copy documents to convert them into a digital format. Old documents (like family photos) can be scanned and stored on a computer. This ensures you still have a copy if the original is lost/damaged.

Advantages

Disadvantages

Images can be stored for editing at a The quality of the scanned images later date. can be limited depending on the quality of the scanner. Scanners are much faster than Images lose quality during the having to type in the documents scanning process again.

You can scan in damaged Images can take up a lot of disk documents then repair using space. Graphic Editing software.

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Graphics Tablet

Used by Graphic Designers and Illustrators. Consists of a flat pad (The Tablet) which can be drawn on with a special pen. Anything drawn onto the pad is transferred to the computer screen. Drawings can then be saved as images on your computer.

Special Pen Tablet

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Graphics Tablets (Continued)

Uses:
These allow designers to produce much more accurate drawings on screen than they could using a mouse.

Advantages

Disadvantages

Much more natural to draw using Not very useful for general the special pen than it is using a selection work like clicking on mouse. icons. You can produce accurate drawings. much more Much more expensive than a mouse or other input devices.

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Microphone

Peripheral that is plugged into the computer. Computers Sound Card converts the Analogue Sound produced by the microphone into Digital Sound (Which the computer understands).
Analogue sound input via Microphone Analogue sound converted to Digital by Sound Card

Digital Sound sent to computer

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Microphones (Continued)

Uses:
Can 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

Disadvantages

Faster to read in text rather than type Sounds files can be quite large and it in using a keyboard. take up a lot of computer memory.

Sound input into your computer can Voice recognition software isnt very be edited using Sound Manipulation accurate and can lead to errors (For Software. example cannot tell the difference between their and there).
Voice recognition software can be used to make tasks safer. (Like using voice to operate a radio in a car)

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Digital Camera

Replacing traditional film based cameras. Photographs are stored digitally in memory and can be transferred to a computer via a Universal Serial bus (USB) connection. Saved images can be edited using Graphics Software. (For example Photoshop could be used to change brightness, image size, crop etc)

Quality of image depends on the resolution (Number of Pixels) the camera has. More pixels = better quality image. Cameras range from 4 12 Megapixels (Millions of pixels in the image).
USB Connection Digital Camera

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Digital Cameras (Continued)

Uses:
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

Disadvantages

No film needed. No developing costs Digital cameras can be very to view the pictures. expensive (especially for the high quality ones) Images can be viewed immediately Quality images can be quite large in and unwanted images can be deleted. size and can take up a lot of memory. Images can be copied edited, enlarged Resolution (quality) of digital images or enhanced. are still not as good as traditional printed images. Images can be added to websites or documents.

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Webcams

Connect to the computer through the USB port. Images are captured by the webcam and sent straight to the computer. Many computers come with webcams attached to top of monitor as standard.

USB cable which attached the webcam to the computer

Front of webcam captures images.

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Webcams (Continued)

Uses:
Input moving pictures into the computer. Allows a more personal chat when having a conversation online. Enable Video Conferencing to take place (Even across continents).

Advantages

Disadvantages

Webcams can be left on constantly. Picture is often of poor quality They only activate themselves when (Image breaks up). you need them.
Allow people to have face to face They need to be connected to a conversations without needing to computer and Internet connection travel. in order to work.

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Light Pens

These contain sensors that send signals to a computer whenever light changes are detected. Light Pens work with CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitors but not TFT (Thin Film Transistor) monitors.

Light Pens rely on the screens images being built up by Electron Beams. The screen is refreshed 50 times every second which allows the computer to figure out where the pen is by recording when each light beam passes the tip of the light pen.

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Light Pens (Continued)

Uses:
Used for selecting objects on CRT Screens. Can be used to draw on screen (Much easier than drawing with a mouse).

Advantages

Disadvantages

More accurate than touch screens Suffers from Lag on screen (Drag (Thinner end.. Allows the pen to effect) touch smaller icons). Small so can be used on smaller Only work on CRT Monitors (Not screens. suitable for Laptop Screens. Very easy to use. Because of lag, they are not very accurate when drawing.

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Automatic Input Devices

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Examples of Automatic Input Devices

Magnetic Stripe Reader Chip and Pin Reader

Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR)

Barcode Reader

Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

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Magnetic Stripe Reader

Used to read information from Magnetic Stripes found on items like Credit Cards, Membership Cards etc. The stripe contains useful information like: Account Numbers Name of Account Holder Expiry Date

The card is read by being Swiped through the Magnetic Stripe Read Machine.
Data that is read is then input into the computer through the machine.
Magnetic Stripe Reader Magnetic Stripe

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Magnetic Stripe Reader (Continued)

Uses:
Used by ATMs and EFTPOS (Electronic Funds Transfer Point of Sale) terminals for easy transfer of money. Security cards for entry to buildings and hotel rooms use Magnetic Stripes. Travel systems (Like train tickets) use Magnetic Stripes.

Advantages

Disadvantages

Entering data is very fast and easy. If the Magnetic Stripe gets damaged (You just swipe the card) then the data is lost. No chance of errors as there is no Magnetic Card Readers need to be in typing. contact with the card.

Information held on the Magnetic Can only store a small amount of Stripe cannot be read by the eye so information. there is no chance of someone being able to read your bank details.

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Chip and Pin Reader

Used at Electronic Funds Transfer Point of Sale terminals (EFTPOS) to pay for goods electronically using a card (Like a credit card). The device has a small slot in which you place the card. A computer chip located on the card is then read. The user will then enter a PIN (Personal Identification Number) using a keypad. The Chip and Pin Reader usually has a small screen which is used to give instructions.
Card containing the Electronic Chip Chip and Pin Reader

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Chip and Pin Readers (Continued)

Uses:
Chip and Pin Readers are for making payments by card in places like: Restaurants Supermarkets Petrol Stations etc

Advantages

Disadvantages

More secure than Magnetic Stripe PINs can be forgotten which means Readers as you also need a PIN to the reader is pretty much useless. ensure that you are the cards owner. Chip and Pin Readers can be PIN can be read as it is being typed portable which means that the in. This increases chance of someone reader can be brought to you (A being able to access your money. waiter in a restaurant for example).

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Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR)

MICR is a system which can read information printed in a special ink (The ink contains iron particles). This special ink is normally used on the bottom of bank cheques. The MICR device reads the information then converts it to a form the computer can understand.

The converted information is then sent to the computer to be used or stored.

MICR machine reading a cheque

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Uses:

MICR(Continued)

Every day millions of cheques are sent to banks for processing. To process the information on these cheques would take far too long if it were done by hand. MICR automatically processes the information on these cheques with 100% accuracy (They can handle 300 per minute).

Used to read the following information: Customer account number Sort code Cheque number and Value

Characters read by MICR on a bank cheque

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MICR(Continued 2)
Advantages Disadvantages

Greater security than OCR because Only a very limited number of the special ink characters cannot be different characters can be read. changed. NO manual input therefor less Both Reader and Magnetic Ink are errors. (User just swipes information more expensive than other through the reader). methods of automatic data entry. Information can still be read even is someone writes over the magnetic ink characters (Like with a signature).

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Barcode Readers/Scanners

Used to read information in the form of a Bar Code using a Visible Red Light which is reflected and translated into Digital Information. A Computer uses this information to read a Database and identify the Product and Price. Barcode holds information about products (Product Code, Manufacturer etc) Barcode Scanners are usually built into POS terminals in Supermarkets.

Handheld scanners are also commonly used to read (Usually if items are too large and heavy to move to the scanner.
Barcode Scanner

barcodes.

Readable Barcode

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Barcode Readers (Continued)

Uses:
Used in supermarkets and other shops where goods are marked with a barcode. Barcodes hold information about the product which enables automatic very fast itemised billing to take place. They are used in libraries to scan in library cards and read ISBN numbers on books to find out which ones are on loan.

Advantages

Disadvantages
to gather needs a computer is also

If an item price is changed only the Quite an expensive way central database needs to updated. information. Each item There is no need to change individual barcode and the prices on each item. technology needed expensive.

Quick and easy way of getting Barcodes can be swapped on items information into a system. which means people pay less for more expensive items. Enables automatic stock control.

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Optical Mark Recognition (OMR)

System which reads Marks made in Pen or Pencil. The places where the pen or pencil marks can be made are shown on the form. The OMR reader shines a light onto the form and Less Light is Reflected where a pencil mark has been made. This allows the reader to tell which options have been chosen and sends the results back to a computer.
OMR Reader Example of shaded areas of a test that OMR reader can read

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Uses:

OMR(Continued)

OMR Devices are used to read the responses on documents like: Questionnaires. Multiple Choice Examination Papers. School Registers Lottery Tickets. Anything else that requires responses to be shaded or coloured in.

Advantages
Very fast way of inputting information. (10,000 forms can be read per hour)

Disadvantages
Forms need to be accurately designed to make sure that the marks/shading are in correct position to be read by the device. If forms have been incorrectly filled in they cannot be read properly. (This means that they have to be manually checked which takes a lot of time and costs a lot) Can only read shaded areas (Cannot input or read text).

100% accurate as documents are fed in automatically and no need for user input.

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Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

This consists of a Normal Scanner and Special Software (OCR Software). Scanner is used to Scan the Text on a document into the computer. The OCR Software then Converts the text into form that the computer can understand. The text can then be used in applications such as Microsoft Word, Publisher and PowerPoint.

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Uses:

OCR(Continued)

Used in the processing of Passports and Identity Cards.

OCR is used when scanning in documents so they can be modified using Word Processing or Desktop Publishing Software.

Advantages

Disadvantages

Much faster way of entering The system can have difficulty information into the computer reading handwriting. compared with using a keyboard. Cheaper than paying someone to Not a very accurate technique. manually enter information. 100% accurate as there is no manual As it is not 100% accurate, entering of information. information needs to be manually (Device does it automatically) checked for errors. This is time consuming.

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Examples of Manual Input Devices

Keyboard Numeric Keypad Pointing Device Remote Control

Joystick

Touch Screen

Scanner

Graphics Tablet

Microphone

Digital Camera

Webcams

Light Pens

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Examples of Automatic Input Devices

Magnetic Stripe Reader Chip and Pin Reader

Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR)

Barcode Reader

Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) Optical Character Recognition (OCR)