What are Computer Input Devices?

Computer input devices are hardware components that help you transfer information, data, etc. to the computer. Without the computer input devices, you computer will be more or less like a television set. These devices help you send data into the computer or even help you retrieve the data into a hard copy. So an input device is any peripheral device that helps provide data and control signals of a computer. The input devices can be classified into the following categories:

Modality of input like audio, video and mechanical devices. A continuous input device like the mouse whose position is fast enough to be considered as continuous. The freedom provided to the user while using the device like a 2 dimensional mouse or 3 dimensional navigator (especially for CAD applications).

Many computer input devices also, are classified according to their pointing ability. These pointing devices are classified as:

Direct input where the pointing is done directly in space where the cursor is seen. For example, touchscreen pointers and light pens. Indirect pointers in case of a trackball or mouse. Pointers for touchscreen where the positional information are absolute or relative where the mouse is lifted and positioned according to need.

Computer Input Devices List Let us now have a look at the various computer input devices list. These input devices help in manipulating various information on the computer. The following are some of the most commonly used input devices. Keyboard: The oldest and most widely used computer input device is the keyboard. It is available with the desktop computers, laptops, etc. The computer keyboard contains all the alphabetical and numerical keys for input of data and commands. The keyboard is generally connected to the computer with a wire but nowadays wireless keyboards are also very common. Mouse: The small hand-held computer device that helps make selection and navigation of the screen easy is the mouse. The computer mouse displays a cursor on the screen that serves as a guide for opening files and folders, and making selections. The mouse, like the keyboard, is either connected with the computer through a wire or has a wireless connection. Graphics Tablets: The graphic tablet uses a pen-like computer input device that is called a stylus. This helps one write on tablets or touchscreens like a pen. Some tablets and stylus have buttons, that help the user use it like a mouse. Many latest tablet models, allow the user to use their fingers instead of a stylus.

Joysticks: If you are an ardent fan of gaming and love to play many advanced games, then you may be aware of a joystick. This is a movable stick with a button or two that helps one control the movements of characters in the game. Many latest joystick models come with different buttons to help you make complex movements with just a push with your fingers. Scanners: Scanners are computer input devices that help you make virtual photocopies of your hard copy document or even a photograph. You can copy a digital image of the document you wish to copy and save it on the computer or take prints. This copy can be edited by running a graphics program. Headsets: The headsets are computer input devices that have an earphone as well as a microphone. This helps you record your voice, dictate data or even commands to the computer. Some headsets help you keep your hands free for working on different tasks. You can even add voice recognition software, so that only your voice will be accepted by the computer to dictate commands. Computer Input Devices Examples There are different devices that help you share information with your computer in different formats. The following are a few computer input devices examples that help you digitize images and videos from other devices into your computer. Computer Input Device Examples for Video Formats

Web cam Image scanner Digital camera Barcode reader Fingerprint scanner 3D scanner Laser rangefinder Video capture hardware MIDI Keyboard

Computer Input Device Examples for Medical Imaging

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Computerized Tomography (CAT Scan) Positron emission tomography Ultrasonography

These are some of the computer input devices that help you store data from other devices into your computer. Technology continues to come up with more advanced modes of transfer of information and data. The computer input devises listed in this article are

some of the commonly used devices today. I hope this article has helped you learn and understand what are computer input devices.

What is a Computer Output Device? In the world of computers, input/output (I/O) refers to the communication between a computer and the user. Input is the data sent to the system, whereas output is the data sent by the system to the outside world. Computer output devices are computer hardware equipment, that are used to communicate the results of data processing carried out by a computer to the user. There are a number of devices, which produce data in different forms, which includes audio, video or hard copy. Output device of computer are types of peripheral hardware connected, that is connected to the computer, either using cables or over a wireless network. Immaterial whether you have desktop computers, laptop computers, supercomputers, etc., you will require at least one computer output device. Which Devices are Computer Output Devices? An output given by the computer can be in the form of a display on the screen or a printed document or a song, that is played. Most of the computer output devices are common to home as well as office environment. At the same time, there are some devices, which are not as commonly available. Having said that, let's take a look at computer output devices list. Monitor A monitor is also called video display terminal (VDT). The visual display of the processed data, which the users can view is got through the monitor. Computer monitors come in a variety of screen sizes and not to forget visual resolutions. There are two types of computer monitors available, namely CRT and flat panel. All monitors rely in a video card, which is located on the motherboard to display the information. It is the video card, which processes the data into images, which is eventually displayed on the monitor. Printer The next of the computer output devices is the printer, which is an external hardware device, which takes processed data from the computer to generate a hard copy of the data. After the monitors, printers are the most used peripherals on computers and they are commonly used to print text data, images, etc. There are three main types of computer printers, namely ink jet, laser printers and dot matrix. Each of these printer type uses a different technology to print the data. Speaker A speaker is a hardware device, that is connected to a computer's sound card, which outputs sound generated by the card. Audio data generated by the computer is sent to the audio card, that is located in the expansion slot. The card translates the data into audio signals, which are then sent to either the speakers or headphones. In the initial phase,

computers had on-board speakers, which generated series of different tones and beeps. When the popularity of multimedia and computer games grew, higher quality computer speakers came into the market. These new speakers were known for higher quality sound effects and music. Projector It is a hardware device, with which an image like a computer screen is projected onto a flat screen. Image data is sent to the video card, by the computer which is then translated into a video image and sent to the projector. A projector is often used in meetings or to make presentations, because they allow for a large image to be shown, with which the display is available for a large audience. Plotter Plotters, like printers, create a hard copy rendition of a digitally rendered design. The design is sent to a plotter through a graphics card and the image is created using a pen. In simple words, plotters basically draw an image using a series of straight lines. This computer output device is used with engineering applications. Discs There are different types of discs, such as CD, DVD and floppy discs, which are output devices, that are also used to store data, hence they are also input devices at the same time. The data is sent to the disc and the data is embedded on the disc, which is retrieved, when required. This is computer output devices information in short. All computers might not have all the computer output devices, but it certainly does have one of the visual output device, namely either a monitor or projector.

Input devices:

Webcam

Typical low-cost webcam used with many personal computers

Animated set of x-ray images of a webcam. Images acquired using an industrial computed tomograph. A webcam is a video camera that feeds its images in real time to a computer or computer network, often via USB, ethernet, or Wi-Fi. Their most popular use is the establishment of video links, permitting computers to act as videophones or videoconference stations. This common use as a video camera for the World Wide Web gave the webcam its name. Other popular uses include security surveillance and computer vision and there are also uses on sites like video broadcasting services and for recording social videos . Webcams are known for their low manufacturing cost and flexibility,[1] making them the lowest cost form of videotelephony. They have also become a source of security and privacy issues, as some built-in webcams can be remotely activated via spyware.

Digital camera
A digital camera (or digicam) is a camera that takes video or still photographs, or both, digitally by recording images via an electronic image sensor. It is the main device used in the field of digital photography. Most 21st century cameras are digital.[1]

Digital cameras can do things film cameras cannot: displaying images on a screen immediately after they are recorded, storing thousands of images on a single small memory device, and deleting images to free storage space. The majority, including most compact cameras, can record moving video with sound as well as still photographs. Some can crop and stitch pictures and perform other elementary image editing. Some have a GPS receiver built in, and can produce Geotagged photographs. The optical system works the same as in film cameras, typically using a lens with a variable diaphragm to focus light onto an image pickup device. The diaphragm and shutter admit the correct amount of light to the imager, just as with film but the image pickup device is electronic rather than chemical. Most digicams, apart from camera phones and a few specialized types, have a standard tripod screw. Digital cameras are incorporated into many devices ranging from PDAs and mobile phones (called camera phones) to vehicles. The Hubble Space Telescope and other astronomical devices are essentially specialized digital cameras.

Barcode reader

A handheld barcode scanner A barcode reader (or barcode scanner) is an electronic device for reading printed barcodes. Like a flatbed scanner, it consists of a light source, a lens and a light sensor translating optical impulses into electrical ones. Additionally, nearly all barcode readers contain decoder circuitry analyzing the barcode's image data provided by the sensor and sending the barcode's content to the scanner's output port.

Laser rangefinder

A long range laser rangefinder is capable of measuring distance up to 20 km; mounted on a tripod with an angular mount. The resulting system also provides azimuth and elevation measurements. A laser rangefinder is a device which uses a laser beam to determine the distance to an object. The most common form of laser rangefinder operates on the time of flight principle by sending a laser pulse in a narrow beam towards the object and measuring the time taken by the pulse to be reflected off the target and returned to the sender. Due to the high speed of light, this technique is not appropriate for high precision sub-millimeter measurements, where triangulation and other techniques are often used.

MIDI keyboard

A close up of one style of MIDI keyboard based on the piano user interface A MIDI keyboard is typically a piano-style user interface keyboard device used for sending (MIDI) signals or commands over a USB or MIDI cable to other devices connected and operating on the same MIDI protocol interface. This could also be a

personal computer running software such as a digital audio workstation (DAW) that listens to and sends MIDI information to other MIDI devices connected by cable or running internal to the personal computer system. The basic MIDI keyboard does not produce sound. Instead, MIDI information is sent to an electronic module capable of reproducing an array of digital sounds or samples that resemble traditional analog musical instruments. These samples or waveforms are also referred to as voices or timbres. Not all MIDI keyboards are based on the piano style user interface. Many MIDI keyboard controllers have pads or buttons that also send MIDI signals, and most pads have a velocity sensing capability so that varying volumes of sound can be played/voiced. Another such keyboard device is the Continuum Fingerboard which is based on a "fretless" type keyboard interface enabling portamento style note changes at will during play.

An illustration of the Continuum Fingerboard. Another MIDI keyboard implementation is the Tonal Plexus keyboard that provides for up to 1266 different tonal pitches possible in the TPX6 1266 Keys (Microtonal MIDI Controller). There are numerous other MIDI controllers that are also not based on the piano style user interface, but on newer interfaces with broader application possible because of computer technology. In the MIDI protocol used in each of these midi controllers, an encoding scheme is used to map a MIDI value to a specific instrument sample. Also, other sound parameters such as note volume (velocity), aftertouch, pitch bend and modulation controls are also included in the MIDI protocol scheme. The keyboard merely acts as a MIDI controller of sound modules and other MIDI devices, including activating sounds by MIDI control within DAW software. MIDI keyboards are a very common feature of a recording studio, and any DAW setup. Most include a transpose function and the ability to set different octaves. Many MIDI keyboards have pitch bend and modulation wheels. Some also have extra sets of assignable rotary knobs and/or buttons for sending custom MIDI messages to the synthesiser, sampler or DAW software. Devices with extra features (also including rhythm input, instrument selection, transport control) are sometimes called keyboard controllers. Other features that some MIDI keyboards might include are:

Input for foot switch (usually used as a sustain pedal)

Input for a foot expression controller Semi-weighted or fully weighted keys Capability of sending aftertouch Direct USB connection for use with computers

MIDI keyboards come in a range of sizes, from 25 keys (two octaves) to full 88-key length. MIDI keyboards with fewer than 61 keys tend not to have weighted keys.

Magnetic resonance imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging
Intervention

Sagittal MR image of the knee ICD-10-PCS B?3?ZZZ ICD-9: 88.91-88.97 MeSH D008279 OPS-301 code: 3-80...3-84

Para-sagittal MRI of the head, with aliasing artifacts (nose and forehead appear at the back of the head) Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI), or magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to visualize detailed internal structures. MRI makes use of the property of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to image nuclei of atoms inside the body. An MRI machine uses a powerful magnetic field to align the magnetization of some atoms in the body, and radio frequency fields to systematically alter the alignment of this magnetization. This causes the nuclei to produce a rotating magnetic field detectable by the scannerand this information is recorded to construct an image of the scanned area of the body.[1]:36 Strong magnetic field gradients cause nuclei at different locations to rotate at different speeds. 3-D spatial information can be obtained by providing gradients in each direction. MRI provides good contrast between the different soft tissues of the body, which makes it especially useful in imaging the brain, muscles, the heart, and cancers compared with other medical imaging techniques such as computed tomography (CT) or X-rays. Unlike CT scans or traditional X-rays, MRI does not use ionizing radiation.

X-ray computed tomography

A patient is receiving a CT scan for cancer. Outside of the scanning room is an imaging computer that reveals a 3D image of the body's interior. ICD-10-PCS B?2 ICD-9-CM 88.38 MeSH D014057 OPS-301 code: 3-20...3-26

X-ray computed tomography or Computer tomography (CT), is a medical imaging method employing tomography created by computer processing.[1] Digital geometry processing is used to generate a three-dimensional image of the inside of an object from a large series of two-dimensional X-ray images taken around a single axis of rotation.[2] CT produces a volume of data that can be manipulated, through a process known as "windowing", in order to demonstrate various bodily structures based on their ability to block the X-ray beam. Although historically the images generated were in the axial or transverse plane, perpendicular to the long axis of the body, modern scanners allow this volume of data to be reformatted in various planes or even as volumetric (3D) representations of structures. Although most common in medicine, CT is also used in other fields, such as nondestructive materials testing. Another example is archaeological uses such as imaging the contents of sarcophagi. Usage of CT has increased dramatically over the last two decades in many countries.[3] An estimated 72 million scans were performed in the United States in 2007.[4] It is estimated that 0.4% of current cancers in the United States are due to CTs performed in the past and that this may increase to as high as 1.5-2% with 2007 rates of CT usage;[5] however, this estimate is disputed.[6]

Positron emission tomography

ICD-10-PCS ICD-9-CM MeSH OPS-301 code: C?3 92.0-92.1 D049268 3-74

Image of a typical positron emission tomography (PET) facility

PET/CT-System with 16-slice CT; the ceiling mounted device is an injection pump for CT contrast agent Positron emission tomography (PET) [1] is nuclear medicine imaging technique that produces a three-dimensional image or picture of functional processes in the body. The system detects pairs of gamma rays emitted indirectly by a positron-emitting radionuclide (tracer), which is introduced into the body on a biologically active molecule. Threedimensional images of tracer concentration within the body are then constructed by computer analysis. In modern scanners, three dimensional imaging is often accomplished with the aid of a CT X-ray scan performed on the patient during the same session, in the same machine. If the biologically active molecule chosen for PET is FDG, an analogue of glucose, the concentrations of tracer imaged then give tissue metabolic activity, in terms of regional glucose uptake. Use of this tracer to explore the possibility of cancer metastasis (i.e., spreading to other sites) results in the most common type of PET scan in standard medical care (90% of current scans). However, on a minority basis, many other radiotracers are used in PET to image the tissue concentration of many other types of molecules of interest.

Medical ultrasonography
Diagnostic sonography (ultrasonography) is an ultrasound-based diagnostic imaging technique used for visualizing subcutaneous body structures including tendons, muscles, joints, vessels and internal organs for possible pathology or lesions. Obstetric sonography is commonly used during pregnancy and is widely recognized by the public. In physics, the term "ultrasound" applies to all sound waves with a frequency above the audible range of human hearing, about 20 kHz. The frequencies used in diagnostic ultrasound are typically between 2 and 18 MHz.