visual display unit

noun
1. computing a device with a screen that displays characters or graphics
representing data in a computer memory. It usually has a keyboard or
light pen for the input of information or inquiries: Abbreviation: VDU
VDU stands for Visual Display Unit. It is a device that displays text and graphics on a screen. In a computer,
the VDU is also known as a monitor. It is used to display the output of the computer's processing unit, allowing
the user to interact with the computer and see the results of their actions.

Uses of Visual Display Unit

Visual Display Units (VDUs), also known as computer monitors, are used in a wide range of
applications. Some common uses of VDUs include:
Office work: VDUs are commonly used in office environments to display text documents,
spreadsheets, and other business-related information.
Education: VDUs are used in classrooms and educational settings to display educational
materials and videos, and to allow students to interact with educational software.
Entertainment: VDUs are used to display movies, television shows, and video games, and they
can also be used to access streaming services like Netflix or Hulu.
Gaming: VDUs are often used in conjunction with gaming consoles or PC gaming systems to
display video games.
Design and graphics: VDUs are used by designers and graphic artists to create and edit graphics
and other visual content.
Medical and scientific research: VDUs are used in medical and scientific research to display data
and images, such as MRI scans or microscopy images.
Military and aviation: VDUs are used in military and aviation applications to display maps,
navigation information, and other data.
Industrial and manufacturing: VDUs are used in industrial and manufacturing settings to display
production data, machine status, and other information.
Light Pen
A light pen is a type of pointing device that looks like a pen. It can be used to select a menu item
or to draw on the monitor screen. A photocell and an optical system are enclosed in a tiny tube.
When the tip of a light pen is moved across a monitor screen while the pen button is pushed, the
photocell sensor element identifies the screen location and provides a signal to the CPU
Advantages
A light pen is easy to use for any monitor including CRT and LED
Light pen provides an accurate design of high-resolution pixels scanning from the CPU
Light pen ensures the efficiency of measurement by depending upon the probe calibration
1. The light pen helps in the project of 3D printing to scanning all pixels in one single time

Keyboard
The keyboard is the most frequent and widely used input device for entering data into a
computer. Although there are some additional keys for performing other operations, the
keyboard layout is similar to that of a typical typewriter.
Generally, keyboards come in two sizes: 84 keys or 101/102 keys but currently keyboards
with 104 keys or 108 keys are also available for Windows and the Internet.
Types of Keys
Numeric Keys: It is used to enter numeric data or move the cursor. It usually consists of a set of
17 keys.
Typing Keys: The letter keys (A-Z) and number keys (09) are among these keys.
Control Keys: These keys control the pointer and the screen. There are four directional arrow
keys on it. Home, End, Insert, Alternate(Alt), Delete, Control(Ctrl), etc., and Escape are all
control keys (Esc).
Special Keys: Enter, Shift, Caps Lock, NumLk, Tab, etc., and Print Screen are among the
special function keys on the keyboard.
Function Keys: The 12 keys from F1 to F12 are on the topmost row of the keyboard.

Mouse
The most common pointing device is the mouse. The mouse is used to move a little cursor
across the screen while clicking and dragging. The cursor will stop if you let go of the mouse.
The computer is dependent on you to move the mouse; it won’t move by itself. As a result,
it’s an input device.
 A mouse is an input device that lets you move the mouse on a flat surface to control the
coordinates and movement of the on-screen cursor/pointer.
The left mouse button can be used to select or move items, while the right mouse button
when clicked displays extra menus.

Scanner
A scanner is an input device that functions similarly to a photocopier. It’s employed when there’s
information on paper that needs to be transferred to the computer’s hard disc for subsequent
manipulation. The scanner collects images from the source and converts them to a digital format
that may be saved on a disc. Before they are printed, these images can be modified. Scanners
work by using a light source and a photosensitive sensor to capture the content of a document or
image. When you place the document on the scanning bed and initiate the scan, the light source
illuminates the document, and the sensor captures the reflected light. The sensor then converts
the light patterns into digital information, creating a digital representation of the scanned content.

What types of scanners are there?

There are various types of scanners available, each designed for specific purposes. The most
common types include flatbed scanners, sheet-fed scanners, portable scanners, and three-
dimensional (3D) scanners. Flatbed scanners have a flat glass bed where you place the document
or image, while sheet-fed scanners are designed to handle multiple documents in a stack.
Portable scanners are compact and can be easily carried around, and 3D scanners are used to
create digital models of three-dimensional objects.