INPUT OUTPUT DEVICE

Input devices are used for data capturing into the computer system. They include

1) KEYBOARD; it is the major and most common input device which has been the standard
input device for a great number of years. It has the standard typing keys which are
arranged thus:

QWERTY: for English keyboard

AZERTY: for French keyboard

QWERTZ: for German keyboard

The naming is derived from the first six letters of the alphabet from left to right found on the
keyboard. The keyboard is classified into two ie standard keyboard covering between 101 and
102 buttons and the enhance keyboard having 105 buttons or more. The cursor also called the
insertion point is the symbol on the display screen that shows where data may be entered next.
The navigation movement keys or the arrow keys are used to move cursor left, right, up and
down. The keyboard has the following parts;

A. Standard typing keys: also called alpha numerical keys used for typing letters, numbers,
punctuation marks etc.
B. Special purpose keys: there are used to move the cursor or insertion point from one
location of the screen to another. they include ;
 Page up and page down: used to move the insertion point one screen up or down the
page.
 Home and end keys: there are used to move the cursor to the beginning or end of a
line.
 Delete keys: used to move characters on the right of the insertion point or is used to
erase selected items.
 Insert keys: it switches some word processing software like Microsoft word, word
perfect etc, it switches them to over mode (OVR).
 Numerical keys: there are located at the right side of the keyboard. They have two
purposes, when num lock light on the keys act as numerical keys and when the light is
off they act as special purpose keys.
C. Specialized keys: they are found all over the key board and are used to perform specific
task. They include
i. Caps lock: It switches all letters to upper cases when switched on and back to
lower cases when switched off.
ii. Shift keys↑: it is used to enter the upper letters on a key that has two
characters or to type a capital letter
iii. Tab key: it is used to indent a sentence or paragraph.
iv. Escape key ESC it is located at the extreme left top corner of the keyboard.
It is used to cancel unwanted operations or used to come out of some
programs
v. Control and Alternate Key(ctrl and alt); they are used in combination with
other keys to perform other operation s. Alt +f4; to activate shut down or close.
vi. Enter key: It is used to complete a command or move the insertion point to
start a new sentence, line, and a paragraph
 vii. Windows key it is used to display the start menu if you don’t want to use a
mouse.
viii. Space bar: it is the longest key and its used to create spaces between words
ix. Back space key : it is used to remove character on the left side on the
cursor or insertion point
D. Functional keys: they are located on the first row and are numbered by form F1-F2. They
used to issue commands
2) Pointing devices : pointing devices are used for issuing commands into the computer
and control the position of the cursor or pointer on the screen example are mouse,
track ball, joy stick, touchpad, light pen, digitizing tablets pen base system.

a. The mouse: it is a device that is rolled on a smooth flat surface and controls the pointer in the
form of an arrow that appears on the computer screen. They are three types of mouse

i. mechanical mouse:{Has a ball underneath}

ii. optical mouse:{Has no ball but light underneath}
iii. wireless mouse;{cordless mouse}

A mouse is use for clicking or selecting from a menu, highlights text or images, drags and drop
images, text, files and folders

b. Touch pad: it is an input which is usually found on a laptop computer. It functions like a
mouse

c. Track ball: it is a movable ball On top of a standing device that is rotated with the finger or
the palm

d. joy sticks : they are mostly used for playing computer games and can move the pointer in 8
different directions on the computer screen

e. light pen : they are used for typing text or drawing on the computer screen

3) Scanning devices:

It converts texts and messages into an electronic form for the computer in the from of
input. The technology involved in scanning include: optical character recognition (OCR), magnetic
ink character recognition (MICR), optical mark recognition (OMR).

4) Image capturing devices: This device captures images and relates them to the computer
in the form of input eg Digital camera
 A webcam: captures images and connects them and converts them electronically
then displaces them over the internet.
5) Audio input device: These are the devices that deals with voice recognition and can
sometimes automatically convert sound into various form of language.
6) Digitalized input devices
i) Graphic tablets: used for sketching images, drawing and ask work directly on the
screen. Mostly used by Artist, Architects and Civil etc.
ii) Digital pens: they are used for inputing data through the screen in the form of
writing.
 7) Concept keyboards: it is a flat board that contains a grid of buttons. Each button can be
programmed to do what you want. An overly sheet with pictures or symbols is placed on
the grid so that the user can know what different areas will do when pressed.

Automatic input devices

This class of devices will input data automatically once the person has presented the data
in a suitable format. They are mostly source data entry devices.

a) Sensors: they are used to detect physical quantities outside or computer such as light,
temperature and pressure. They collect data automatically mostly at regular interval.
b) Magnetic stripe reader: the magnetic stripe reader holds personal details about the card
number contains up to 60 characters, stored magnetically. To read this card, it is “swiped”
through a magnetic stripe reader machine and the data is read and put back into the
computer. they are found at the back of most credit cards and cheques.
c) Optical character recognition (OCR): it consists of a normal scanner and some special
software. The scanner is used to scan the text into the computer. the optical character
recognition software examines the text and changes the letters into a form that can be
edited or [processed by normal word processing package.
d) Optical mark reader [OMR]: it is a scanning device that reads carefully placed Pencil
marks on a special designed form or document which is now detected by measuring the
reflected light. Less light is reflected where a mark has been made. The pattern is now
interpreted and sent to the computer.
e) Magnetic ink character recognition (MICR)

Banks process thousands of cheques each day. A technique called MICR, enables them to
process cheques faster unlike doing it manually. At the bottom of each cheque are series of
numbers which records; the cheque number, the bank, the customer’s account number in a
special ink which can be read by MICR because the special ink contains ion particles.

f) Barcode and barcode readers

Most items that are for sale in shops, have a barcode printed somewhere on the package.
The barcode is a series of vertical bars or varying width that gives information about the country
of the manufacturer, the name of the manufacturer and the product code. The barcode does not
contain the price of the item. The price is held on the company’s database.

 A barcode reader is an automatic input device which is used to scan or read the
barcode by using a visible light. The reflected light is translated into digital data that
is interpreted by the computer to identify the product and the price from the
database. Bar-coding is used in:

The barcode does not contain the price of the item. This is held on the company’s
database.

 SHOP:
To find details on the product and price.
 LIBRARY:
To record the ISBN (International standard book) number of the book and the borrower’s
card number.
  WAREHOUSE:
To check the level on boxes delivered against what is recorded on the delivery sheet.
BIOMETRIC INPUT DEVICES
The characteristics and movement of the human body such as finger prints, voice
intonation, when interpreted by sensors, optical scanner, voice recognition and other
technologies can become forms of input e.g. Retinal identification, identifying a
distinctive network of blood vessel at the back of the person’s eye ball. Other forms of
input include;
 Line of sight system:
They enable a person to use his or her eyes to point at the screen. A technology
that allows user with physical disability to direct a computer. This is accomplished using a
video camera mounted beneath the monitor in front if the viewer. When the user looks
at a certain place in the screen, the video camera and computer translate that location
into the screen co-ordinate.
 Cyber gloves and body suits
Special gloves and body suits often use in conjunctions with virtual reality or the
computer generated simulation of reality use sensors to detect body movement. The
data for this movement is sent to the computer system. Similar technology is used for
human control robot hands which are used in nuclear power plants and hazardous
waste sites.

OUTPUT DEVICES

These are devices that take processed data (information) and display it either as human readable
output or machine readable output in the form of soft copy or hard copy.

 Soft copy:
It is the material that is displayed on the screen of your monitor or saved on a disk or the
sound that comes out from your system. It disappears when the computer is turn off.
 Hard copy:
It is the final copy that is printed on sheets of papers and it is permanent in nature.

I. Monitors:
It is the most common output device that displaces processed material on
its screen. The pictures on the monitor are made up of thousands of tiny coloured
dots arranged in rows and columns. Each dot is called a pixel or a picture
element. The term resolution is used to describe the number of pixel per unit
area of the screen or dot per inch (dpi). If less, we have high vice versa resolution.
Resolution is the clarity or sharpness of the screen. Monitors are classified into:
 CRT: Cathode Ray tube which are becoming outdated and
 FPD: Flat Panel Display or TFT (Thin Film Transistor) which uses
the technology of liquid crystal display (LCD).
II. Printers:
They display processed information, symbols, and graphics in the form of hard
copy which is normally printed on papers. Printers are classified into two;

a. Impact printers:
 The mechanism of this printer resembles those of typing machine. They produce characters
by striking the printer’s hammer against an ink ribbon. They include dot-matrix printer
which is a low quality printer that is used for highly voluminous jobs. Examples are fine
printer, chain printer, and band printer etc.
b. Non-impact printers:
They are faster and quicker than impact printers because they have power moving parts.
Their printing mechanism does not come in contact with papers. They include LASER printer
that prints large number of sheets very quickly of high quality.
 Inkjet printer e.g. HP, desk jet 990C, canon bubble-jet etc.
III. Plotters:
They produce high quality graphics in a variety of colours. Mostly used by
architects for printing plans of buildings and for civil engineering works.
IV. Projectors:
They are used for projecting text and images on the wall for audience to view.
V. Speakers:
They are used for outputting sound. Computers are filled with small speakers to
produce beeping sounds alerting an error and a sound card to enable sound,
come out of the system.