Computer Hardware

Peripherals
Iloilo Doctors College
College of Nursing

COMMONHARDWAREPERIPHERALS

KEYBOARD Is the most common input

device
Sections of keys:
1. Typewriter keys
2. Function keys
3. Numeric keypad
4. Cursor keys
5. Toggle keys
6. Special operation keys

Typewriter key section is the largest and

contains keys that follow the standard

QWERTY arrangement of keys of a
standard typewriter.
Function keys (F1-F12) are software

specific; that is they are programmable,

since their function is dependent on the
software program being process.
Eg. F10 is used to retrieve a file in one
word
processing package and to save in
another.
Shift, Ctrl, and Alt keys expand the
function keys by using in combination with
them carry out other commands.

Numeric keypad

The second set of numeric keys that are

placed differently on the keyboards than
the alphabet keys. It enables the user to
enter numeric data more efficiently.
Num Lock key
Cursor keys
Major toggle keys:
Num lock
Caps lock
Scroll lock
Insert/Typeover

Special operation keys:

Home and end keys bring the cursor to the
beginning or the end of the line.
Print screen print the screen display or saves
it to the clipboard as a snapshot.
ESC (escape) interrupts or cancels a function.
Tab key moves the cursor to predetermined
set tabs.
Del key - delete text.
Space bar inserts blank space in a line.
Enter key performs a variety of function
depending on the context of the program. It
sends information to the computer, such as
during sign-on procedures, in word processing it
creates a new paragraph, and it can be used to
create a blank section in a document.

Monitor
It is a display screen component of a
terminal that allows the user to see
images, programs, commands the user
send to the computer, and results of the
computers work (output).
The resolution or clarity of the monitor
screens is related to the number of dots,
pixels, on the screen. As the pixel count
rises, the sharpness and clarity of
images and colours on the screen
improve.

Mouse
The type of input device that electronically instructs the
cursor to move across the video display screen.
The mouse has at least two button and sometimes a
roller at the top.
The left button is used primarily to:
Select the icon
2. Activate the process
3. Implement the function to be performed
1.

The right button is a special function button, and its

function is dependent on the program.

It requires the certain amount of space on a desk,
often runs off the pad and must be repositioned to
work.
Trackball has the ball on the top, and movement of the
cursor is controlled by the fingers rolling the ball in
place.

Floppy Disk/Diskettes and CD-ROMs

another form of secondary storage or
auxiliary memory which serves as both input
and output media.

Touch Pad and Mouse Button

Touch pad was developed by the makers of

laptop computers for use in place of mouse. It

is flat, rectangular depression on the keyboard
that senses pressure and movement of the
users fingers.

Touch Screens
Uses an electronic visual display that the user
can control through simple or multi-touch
gestures by touching the screen with one or
more fingers.

Touch screens involve the use of a

special filter on a monitor screen that
allows the screen to sense the
pressure of the users finger on a
particular position of the screen. That
pressure can signal the computer to
initiate the action (similar to a mouse
click) or can function to let the user
select a particular item on the screen,
such as on a menu.

Light pen
A light pen is a
photosensitive
device that
responds to light
images when
placed against a
monitor screen.
When the pen in
contact with the
display screen it
highlights the
items and sends

Optical Character Recognition

Is a specialized computer input medium that
allows data to be read directly from a form or
document.
An electronic optical scanning device, a wand
reader, or a bar code reader reads special
marks, numbers, letters or characters.

Magnetic Ink Character Recognition

(MICR)
A medium for reading characters by
computer wherein characters are made
of magnetized particles printed on
paper.

Voice / Speech Synthesizer

Inputs data into the computer by speaking
into a connected microphone.
Imaging
Transforms images from various types of
graphics into digital form which the computer
can accept, represent on screen and process.
Eg. CAT scan, MRI
Digital Versatile Disk (DVD)
Holds more information than a CD-ROM and
contains multimedia features.

Printers
Converts information produced by the
computer system into printed form (hard
copy-paper, microfilm-microfiche, photograph
and graphic).
Modem (Modulating and Demodulating device)
A communication device used to connect a
terminal with a mainframe or another
computer.
It translates digital data into waves for
transmission over communication lines to the
computer system and converts the waves
back to their original digital form for input into
the computer.

Basics of Computer Network

Hardware
Network
A set of cooperative interconnected computers for
the purpose of information interchange. This
includes:
a. Local Area Network (LAN)
Supports interconnected computer needs of a
single company or agency.
b. Wide Area Network (WAN)
Supports geographically dispersed facilities.
Eg. national coverage
c. Internet

Network Hardware- provides

interconnection between computers
Components:
1. Network adapter/
network interface
card
It is a computer
circuit board or card
that is installed in a
computer so that it
can be connected
into a network.

2. Communication
medium (cabling)
It is a means by
which actual transfer
of data from one site
to another takes
place.
Eg. Twisted pair cable,
coaxial cable, fiberoptics, telephone
lines, satellites, and
compressed video.

Essentials of a Communication
Medium:
Distance requirements

Short distance-compressed video and coaxial

cables
Long distance- Fiber-optics, telephone lines
and satellite transmission
Amount of data transfer

Large amount of data (eg. video)- best

handled with coaxial cables and compressed
video and satellite communications
Small amount of data or serial (non-video)can be handled by twisted pair copper wire

 How the transfer is needed

Constant use of limited users- Coaxial

High usage of public networks (internet)telephone wires
Availability

This depends on cost, transmission speed,

number of users, weather conditions, etc.

Telephone Line
Communications
Also called as the Integrated Services Digital
Network (ISDN)
Lines used to carry sets of communication
standards for optical fibers that carry voice,
digital and video signals across phone lines.
Types of ISDN Connections with different
bandwidth (controls how fast the signals can be
transmitted across the phone lines)
1. DS0- Digital bandwidth- zeroth level- 64
kilobytes/sec

2. T-lines- used to handle high-speed transmissions

needed for network communications

Cable Modem
A cable network can achieve speed faster than the
maximum speed of a telephone modem
connection
An external cable modem box is added to the computer
configuration which contains:
a. Tuner- receives signals and passes these to the
demodulator
b. Demodulator- takes radio and analog information
and converts it to digital data, performs data
correction functions, checks for problem transmissions
and passes the signal to the modulator.

c. Modulator- works with upstream traffic to

convert the digital signals into radio frequency
signals
d. MAC (Multiple Access)- acts as an interface
between the various parts of the network
protocols
e. CPU
f. Network hardware

Server
It is a computer program that provides
services to other computer programs in the
same computer or in other computers on a
network.

Architecture
refers to the overall physical structure,
peripherals, interconnections within the
computer and its system software, especially
the operating system
5 Components / Computer subsystems:
1. Input/Output
2. Storage
3. Communication
4. Control
5. Processing

Network Architecture

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Refers to how communication among various

computers in the network is accomplished.
2 Types:
1. Broadcast
Communication is done by transmitting the same
information to all computers in the network that
are expected to respond to it.
Typically used in LANs
2. Point-to-point
The computer for which information is intended is
identified first and the communication is only to
that particular computer.
Typically used in dial-up networking

Topology
This defines how the network computer in a
LAN are interconnected within a physical area
and describes their physical interconnection.
Examples:
1. Bus- structure is decentralized

* If one of the computer fails, other computers

can still access the information

Star- central structure where all computers are

connected into a central computer or the
server

* If the central computer fails, information

cannot be sent or received by any of the
computers connecter to this server.

Token Ring
having the server pass a marker or a
token to the computer that is next in line to
communicate.
No computer can send or receive data
unless it is the target of the token.
Collisions between 2 workstations that wish
to transmit information at the same time are
avoided.