Input Devices -Types of Input Devices

INPUT Devices

• Accept data / instruction from the user.

Types of Input Devices

• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Scanner
• Joystick
• Light Pen
• Touch Screen
• Optical Input
• Audio Input
• Video Input

Keyboard

• It is the most common input device.
• It has many keys on it so that’s why it is called keyboard.
• It is just like a typewriter.
• A standard keyboard has following special keys.

1.     Alphabetic (a…..z) or (A…..Z)
2.    Numeric Digits (0……….….9)
3. Functions Keys (F1………F12)
4. Symbols (+, – , *, @, #, $,)
5. Special Keys (Enter Backspace, Spacebar, Tab, Escape, Print Screen, and Pause/Break…

Mouse

• Also known as pointing device
• By using mouse we can perform required task in a quick time.
• It has a rubber ball in its base and two or three buttons on it.
• It is normally used for
•  Picking some option
• Pointing some option
• Drawing

Scanner

• Just like a photocopier
• Used to capture images but only from paper.
• Accuracy is much better than video camera.
• Scanners are widely used to get Drawings, Diagrams and Photographs into computer systems for required task.

Two main types are:

1- Handy Scanner

• Used in past,
• Only scan small image,
• Black & White,
• Low cost
• Result is not good.

2- Flat Bed Scanner

• Used in these days,
• Colored
• Expansive than Handy,
• Good results, Scan full page image.

Joystick

• Kind of Input device
• Used to play only games
• Work like a mouse or keyboard.

Light Pen

• Used to write notes or short messages
• Directly used on screen or on special pad.
• Also used as pointing device, like a mouse
• Not used to enter large amount of text.
• Also use to input signature or messages on graphic images such as a fax

Touch Screen

• Device that allowing the user to place a fingertip directly on the computer screen to make a selection
• Commonly used at
• Fast-food restaurants
• Departmental stores
• Drug store
• Supermarkets etc

Optical Input

Device that can read Numbers, Letters, Special Characters, and Marks

Different Types are

• OMR(Optical mark recognition) Mark Sensing, Bank cheque,etc
• OCR(Optical character reader) Light Source sales tags, creditcard slips
• BCR(Bar code reader) scanned and read, Known as Zebrastrip or UPC

Audio Input

•  Microphones are used to record speech.
• It makes communication (Voice chatting and Phone calls) very easy.
• Microphones are also used in speech recognition (Voice Recognition) programs.
• In speech recognition programs user can dictate to the computer instead of typing.
• Translating voice to text using special software.

Video Input

The common video inputs are:

Video camera

• Used for videoconferencing
• Attached with PC

Digital camera

• Work much like as video camera
• Portable
• Cost depends on type