Output devices

The devices that allow data to be output from a

computer.
Monitors
• Cathode Ray tube(CRT) monitor –
least expensive type of monitor.
The angle of viewing is better than with TFT monitors.
They tend to be rather heavy and present a safety hazard.

• Thin film transistor (TFT) monitors – The screen is made up of thousands of tiny pixels,
which are made up of transistors controlled by a microprocessor.
They are light weight and produce less glare and emit less radiation.
The angle of viewing a TFT is fairly critical.
Monitors
• LCD(Liquid crystal display/diode) and
LED(Light emitting diode) monitors –
LCD – The front layer of the monitor is made up of
liquid crystal diodes.
LED – Modern LCD monitors are backlit using light emitting diode(LED) technology.
This gives the image better contrast and brightness.
Multimedia projectors
It receives signals that can be either analogue or digital. The signal source is from a computer, television or
DVD player. The image from the source is magnified and
projected on to a large screen.
Uses
1. Training or advertising presentation.
2. Home cinema systems.
Multimedia projectors
Advantages
1. Enables many people to see a presentation rather than crowding round a small
computer screen.
2. Avoids the need for several networked computers.
Disadvantages
1. Images can sometimes be fuzzy.
2. Expensive to buy
3. Setting up projectors can be a little difficult.
Printers
Laser printer – produce very high quality and hard copy output.

Advantages:
Printing is fast, Quality is high, Handle very large print jobs
Disadvantages:
Color laser printers tend to be expensive to run.
Only really fast if several copies are being made.
Printers Explained - Laser, Inkjet, Thermal, & Dot Matrix - YouTube
Printers
Inkjet printer – used to produce good quality hard copies.

Advantages:
High quality output, cheaper to buy than laser printers,
Lightweight.
Disadvantages:
Slow output if several copies needed, can’t do large print jobs.
Printers
Dot matrix printer – are a type of impact printer where a print head presses against
an inked ribbon.
Advantages:
1. Very cheap to run and maintain
2. Easy to use if continuous stationery is required.
Disadvantages:
3. Very noisy
4. Cost more than an inkjet printer to buy
5. Very slow, poor quality printing.
Printers
3D printers – are used in computer-aided design(CAD) applications.
Based on inkjet and laser printer technology to produce
solid objects. The solid object is built by layer by layer using
materials such as powdered resin, powdered metal,
paper or ceramic.
Binder 3-D printing – made from many layers of powdered metal using a technology known as binder 3-D
printing.
Direct 3-D printing – Uses inkjet technology
Speakers
Digital data from the computer is converted into
Analogue form.
Uses
1. Output sound from multimedia presentations
2. Play downloaded sound files.
Control Applications
Actuators
Used to take signals from a computer and convert them into some form of motion.
It is a transducer.
EG: Operating motors, pumps, switches