Chapter 2

Input & Output devices

 Keyboards
 input device on computers, tablets, mobile phones and many other electronic items
 Usb or wireless connection
 Physical or touchscreen virtual keyboard
 When the character on the keyboard is pressed, it is converted into a digital signal
 Frequent use can lead to repetitive strain injury (RSI) in the hands and wrists.
 Use ergonomic keyboard to overcome RSI
Ergonomic keyboard
 How keyboard works
 There is a membrane or circuit board at the base of the keys.
 The CPU in the computer can then determine which key has been pressed.
 The CPU refers to an index file to identify which character the key press represents.
 Keyboard
Uses Advantages Disadvantages
• Input data into software • Fast entry • Difficult for people with limited
• Typing commands (Prnt Scrn, • Easy to use hand use
Ctrl+P to print out) • Easier to do verification checks • Slower than optical mark
(compare wih source docs, recognition (direct data entry)
typewriters don’t) • Takes space
 Numeric keypads
Uses Advantages Disadvantages
• ATM (PIN No) • Faster than standard keyboards • Small keys - difficult to key in
• Phone calls for numbers • The order of numbers – not
• POS terminals (Barcode) • Small, easy to carry around intuitive
• Chip and PIN devices
• Fast entry of numeric to
spreadsheet

Used to enter numbers only

 Mouse
 a pointing device
 Optical mouse – movement detected by reflected light rather than moving ball
 Cordless or wireless mouse – transmits signals to USB wireless receiver plugged into computer
 Modern optical mouse has no moving parts so does not pick up any dirt and robust
 Mouse
Uses Advantages Disadvantages
• Open, close, minimize software • Faster to choose an option than • Difficult for people with
• Grouping, moving, deleting files keyboard restricted hand than keyboard
• Image editing • Quick to navigate apps and • Easy to damage, older type can
• Select menu, icon, scroll internet be clogged up with dirt (bc of
up/down • Take smaller space than tracking ball at bottom)
keyboard • Difficult to use without flat
surface
 Touchpad
 a pointing device in laptop
 controlled by the user moving their finger on the touchpad

Uses Advantages Disadvantages

Same as mouse • Faster than keyboard to choose • Difficult for people with limited
options hand/wrist
• Integrated in laptop so portable and • More difficult to control than mouse
no need flat surface • More difficult to use for certain
operations (Eg. Drag and drop)
 Trackerball

• a ball is on the top or the side of the device

• Control the pointer movement by rotating the ball
• Easier to use for people with limited hand/wrist
• Some have left and right buttons
• Some have third button for double click
 Trackerball
Uses Advantages Disadvantages
• User with disability (RSI) • Easier to use than a mouse • More costly
• Used in control room where for disabled • May need training to use
faster navigation through • More accurate positioning of
process screen the pointer
• Used in luxury cars to select • More robust
functions • Needs less space than
keyboard or mouse
 2.1.3 Remote control
 Control operation of other devices
 Use infrared signal to control
 Used to select options

Uses Advantages Disadvantages

• Tv, satellite systems, dvd, hi- • Can be operated from distance • Difficult to use for limited
fi (sound system) (no cable, no cord) hand/wrist movement
• Control multimedia systems • Hazardous chemical • Signal may be lost because of
• Industrial applications to operations can be done from thick block (wall)
control processes, stop, start distance
machinery (drone, remote
controlled robots, crane
control)
 2.1.4 Joysticks
 Similar functions to mouse and trackerball

Uses Advantages Disadvantages

• Video/computer games • Easier than keyboard • More difficult to control the
• Flight simulators • More realistic than mouse on-screen pointer than a
mouse
 Driving wheel
 Similar to joystick
 Connect through USB
 Realistic experience of driving with sensors which pick up left/right movement so that the user
gets the sensation of steering a car on the road

Uses Advantages Disadvantages

• Video/computer games • Easier than keyboard or • Expensive

• Car driving simulators joystick (more natural) • Too sensitive
• Realistic as in real life
 2.1.5 Touch screens

 The selection is automatically made without the need for any pointing device

Uses Advantages Disadvantages

• Self service tills • Faster entry than keyboard and • Limited options
• ATMs mouse • Straining of arm muscles, RSI
• POS Terminals • Easy method to choose options • Screen got dirty by touching a
• Public info systems at airport • User friendly lot and reduce it’s
• Phone, tablets, satellite • Zoom in screen responsiveness and difficult to
systems read with scratches
• Interactive white boards
• Computer based training
• Used also as output device
 2.1.6 Scanners
 Copy data from hard copy to soft copy (image)
 Flatbed scanner – made of glass panel and lid
 Hard copy (Document, Photo)  Scanned by a light source  Soft copy
(computer readable image)
 Scanners

Uses Advantages Disadvantages

• Scan documents and convert • Images can be stored for • Limited quality depending on
into digital format editing later resolution of scanner
• Archiving (copy original • Faster and accurate than • Fairly slow at scanning if color
books, papers in case loss) typing again mode is on or resolution high
• Scan photos (film photos) • Recover damaged docs and
• Scan barcode at POS photos by scanning, then edit
with software
 2.1.7 Digital cameras
 Replaced traditional film camera
 Store images on memory card (solid state memory)
 Transfer photo to computer by:
 reading the memory card (computer has a memory card reader slot)
 connecting the camera to the computer using a USB port
 wireless data transfer (Wi-Fi or Bluetooth)
 Images can be used in slideshow, print out as photos or import into photoshop to edit
 Digital cameras
Uses Advantages Disadvantages
• Take photos (better than phone • Easier than traditional camera • Need to understand computer
camera) • Easier to transfer to computer basics to transfer, edit photos
• data-capture device (in car, than traditional methods (no • Artistry lost due to software
back camera can see the need scanning) auto correct features
surrounding) • No need to print (save money, • Low resolution
• Dentists use camera to take save environment) • Image need to be compressed
photos of patient’s teeth • Memory card can hold several to save storage
• Virtual reality tour around photos • Smart phones camera are
houses, historical buildings, replacing
industrial plants
 2.1.8 Microphones

 Input sounds
 Built into the computer or external USB mic
 Sound wave  electric current (analogue)  digital signal
 Sound card converts these signals (analogue to digital converter)
 Microphones
Uses Advantages Disadvantages

• Input speech/sounds for apps • Faster to input text than using • Sound files use up a lot of
such as music, film keyboard memory
• Input in voice-recognition • Possible to edit sound in real time • Voice recognition software is not
software (1. speech to text, 2. with voice effects as accurate as typing (‘their’ and
voice commands) • Voice-activation system – safety ‘there’ can be mistaken)
• Mic as a sensor to detect sound for car drivers since they can
(to alarm thief) control with voice while driving
• Video conferencing
 2.1.9 Sensors
 Analogue sensors
 Input data to a computer
 Data is a measurement of physical quantity that is changing (temperature, light, moisture)
 These physical quantities are analogue in nature
 Because computers only understand digital data (1s and 0s), analogue data from sensor is
converted to digital using ADC (Analogue to Digital Converter)
 Used in monitoring and control applications
 When monitoring, data is transferred to a spreadsheet, for example, to record air pollution in
scientific experiment
Sensors
Uses of sensors
 Sensors

Advantages Disadvantages
• More accurate readings than human operators • Faulty sensors  false results
• Readings are continuous • Analogue sensors need to be
• Because of continuous process, warning will be started converted into digital
immediately
• Automatic systems (safe for human in hazardous
environment)
Burglar alarm system

https://
www.youtube.com/
watch?
v=YT26qg5YkZk
Automatic glass house
 2.1.12 Light pens
- Have sensors that signals to a computer when light changes are detected
- Only work with CRT monitors
- Because CRT monitor screen refresh at 50 times per sec, the computer can determine the pen’s position by noting
exactly when the device detected the electron beam passing its tip

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu-Hoj4EIjU
 Light Pens
Uses Advantages Disadvantages

• Select objects on CRT screen • Greater accuracy than touch • Lag while drawing
• Drawing screens • Only work with CRT monitors
• Small (less space needed) • Not that accurate when drawing
• Easy to use tech • Out-dated tech
 Direct data entry (DDE) devices
 Input data into a computer without the need of human interaction
 For example, barcode readers are DDE and the only human involvement is to point a reader at
the barcode.
 The transfer of the data to the computer is done automatically.
 Magnetic stripe readers
 Credit/Debit card has magnetic stripe
 Reader read information from the magnetic stripe
 Information contain account number, sort code, expiry date and start date
 Magnetic stripe readers

Uses Advantages Disadvantages

• Credit/debit cards to use at • Fast data entry than keyboard, keypad • If magnetic stripe gets damaged,
ATMs or POS terminals • Error free (since no typing) data is lost (strong magnetic field
• Security devices for • Secure (non-human readable info and can damage the card)
building, room access since no typing, no one can observe key • Doesn’t work at a distance
strokes) • Since information is not human
• Prevents access to restricted areas readable, disadvantage in some
• Not affected by oil, water, moisture apps
• No moving parts – physically robust
 Contactless card readers
 Contactless debit/credit cards can pay without entering PIN
 Cards have a small chip that emits radio waves
 Card is placed a few cm of payment terminal which picks up the signal from
chip
 Transaction steps:
1. Customers look out for the contactless symbol on the payment terminal.
2. The shop assistant enters the amount for payment.
3. The card reader informs the customer to present their contactless card.
4. The customer holds their card close to the front of the card reader.
5. The terminal display will indicate that the card has been read successfully.
 Contactless card readers

Advantages Disadvantages
• Faster transaction than magnetic stripe • More expensive than normal credit/debit cards
• Secure - 128 bit encryption to protect data • A thief with another reader could steal your card
• No typo error since no PIN needed transaction
• Retailers don’t have access to customer’s card info • Can take money twice – one for contactless, one for
• Card only transmit the encrypted unique number for chip and pin
each transaction, not customer’s account number • Limited to $50 per transaction
• Accidental tap
 Chip and PIN readers
 Use at EFTPOS terminals
 Card is inserted into slot of the card reader and PIN need to be entered to access the card.
 Similar to contactless except need PIN and does not use radio frequency technology
 Chip and PIN readers
Uses Advantages Disadvantages

• Payments at restaurants, • More secure than contactless due • Fraud – ensure no one is looking
supermarkets, etc to PIN is needed while you are typing PIN
• More robust than magnetic stripe
 2.2.2 Radio frequency identification (RFID) readers
 RFID reader use radio waves to read and capture information stored on a tag
 A tag exists inside a card
 A tag can be read from several meters distance
 RFID tag has a microchip and an antenna
 Microchip stores information
 Antenna receive and transmit data/information
 Tags can be passive or battery powered
 Passive tags use reader’s radio wave energy
 Battery powered tags use small embedded batter power
 RFID readers
Uses Advantages Disadvantages

• Livestock tracking (tracking • No line of sight is necessary; can • Tag collision (signals from two or
animals on a farm) be read from a distance (barcode more tags collide)
• Retail (stock tracking, multiple scan needs line of sight) • Radio waves are easy to interrupt
stocks can be read at the same • Very robust and reliable • Easy to hack data from the tag
time) technology • More expensive than barcode
• Admission passes (can be used as • Very fast read rate (less than 100
a park entrance ticket and also milliseconds)
access for the playground rides) • Bidirectional data transfer (allow
• Libraries (check in and out read and write operations)
multiple books at the same time) • Bulk detection possible (detect
• Toll gate car passes several tags at the same time)
RFID Reader
RFID chip
RFID tag
 Useful links
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzPb9QLJu8k
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt2Gn2CoJ74
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IITY2XukZek
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-jJmZlJGnM
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFjCuXJEb0Q
 Optical mark recognition reader (OMR)
 Can read marks shaded by pen or pencil on a form
 Scanner uses light to detect the shaded area where low light(dark) presents
 In this example a pencil mark has been made between the dots on option
1.

 The position of the mark is stored in the computer’s memory after being
read by the OMR device.
 OMR

Uses Advantages Disadvantages

• Questionnaires • Very fast way of input for • Forms need to be carefully

• Multiple-choice papers survey designed to ensure
• Voting papers • No typing > more accurate marks/shading are correctly
• Forms where lines or shaded • More accurate than OCR positioned to gather accurate
areas are needed to fill up info
• If user filled in wrong position,
manual checking is needed,
which is time consuming
 Optical Character Recognition/Reader (OCR)

 Scans and converts the text on hard copy documents into

an electronic form
 Scanned texts are converted into digital format to be able to
use in word processors, presentation, etc.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/
8/81/Portable_scanner_and_OCR_%28video%29.webm/
Portable_scanner_and_OCR_%28video
%29.webm.480p.vp9.webm
 OCR
Uses Advantages Disadvantages

• Processing of passports and id • Faster data-entry than manually • System still has difficulty in
cards keying in reading handwriting
• Converting hard copy documents • Since no manual data entry, errors • Still not a very accurate technique
into electronic form are reduced
• automatic number plate
recognition (ANPR) systems in
car parks
• Digitising historic newspapers and
rare books so they can be archived
and used by researchers
 Comparison of OCR and OMR
OCR OMR
Handwriting  customers can extend their answers Only multiple choices  limited answers
Poor handwriting, reading errors Only marks and shading which are scanned and
compared with the template stored in memory

Converting printed docs to editable text format Simply reads the marks so ideal for multiple-choice
exam papers
Complex recognition system Complex forms to be generated but recognition is
simpler

Fewer “how to fill in” instructions More “how to fill” in instructions are needed but
easier and faster for customers to fill up

Still have problems recognizing handwriting More accurate method for reading data
 Barcode readers/scanners
 Read information by scanning a barcode
 Often built into POS terminals in supermarkets
 Hand-held or wands for portability to scan on large objects
 Barcode reader
Uses Advantages Disadvantages

• Supermarkets and shops to track • Faster than keying in data • Relatively expensive system to
the stock, itemized billing, etc manually and fewer mistakes administer
• Libraries to track books on loan • Improve safety by checking • Not foolproof (barcodes can be
• Safety function to ensure electrical components regularly swapped around on items)
electrical equipment is checked on • Automatic stock control • Easily damaged than RFID tags or
regular basis for safety audit (to • Tried and trusted technology magnetic stripes
check which equipment is
missing)
 Quick response codes (QR)
 A block of small squares (light and dark) known as pixels
 Normal barcode (30 digits)
 QR code (over 7000 digits)
 QR can hold more information than barcode
 Internet access everywhere on smartphone, so QR codes can be scanned everywhere
 Advertising of products on trains, buses, shopping malls
 Use as a boarding passe electronically at airports and train stations
 Built in camera from smartphone can read QR with appropriate apps
 Code contain website link or some other info such as phone number to order pizza
 Advantages – no need user to write down web address, just scan it
- can store web addresses/urls in magazines, trains, buses, business cards >
effective method of advertising
 QR Scanner
Uses Advantages Disadvantages

• Advertising (QR hold business • hold much more information than • More than one QR format is
addresses, phone numbers, email barcode available
addresses and website addresses). • fewer errors than with barcodes • QR codes can be used to transmit
Scanning the QR code gives all (badly printed or damaged malicious codes; known as
the necessary data on the barcodes) attagging. User may scan
smartphone screen, or the user is • Easier and less expensive to read - malicious QR and sent to a fake
sent automatically to the website do not need expensive laser or website which has virus
embedded in the QR code LED scanners like barcodes –
• Contain links to apps only phone camera is used
• Wi-Fi connect • easy to transmit QR codes as text
• Virtual online stores messages or images
 2.3.1 Monitors
CRT monitors
 Cathode ray tube – least expensive monitor
 Becoming rare as TFT monitors have replaced
 Electron gun firing against a phosphor screen
 The picture is composed of tiny dots (red, green, blue)
 Intensity of each colored dots makes up the vast range
of colors interpreted by the eye
CRT Monitor
Uses Advantages Disadvantages

• CAD (computer aided design) – • The screen can be clearly seen at • Heavy, and has a weight hazard
complex diagrams can be drawn a wider range of viewing angles (drop on your feet, etc)
on large screens than with most LCD monitors • a very large footprint on a desk
• Used with light pens to control • Work with light pens in CAD (they cover about ten times the
screen (computer aided design) /CAM area of an LCD monitor).
(computer aided modeling) apps • Hot and can cause fire if left
opened for long
• Consume more power than LCD
• Flicker, causing headaches and
eyesight problems
 LCD screens
 made up of tiny liquid crystals
 tiny crystals make up pixels which are affected by changes in electric fields
 for LCD screens to work, they require backlighting
 Modern LCD screens are backlit using light emitting diode (LED) technology
 The use of LED backlighting gives a very good contrast and brightness range
 Before LEDs, LCD screens used cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL) as the back lighting
method
 LED screens
 Made up of tiny light emitting diodes (LEDs)
 Each LED is either red, green or blue in colour
 By varying the electric current sent to each LED, its brightness can be controlled, producing a
vast range of colours
 Used for large outdoor displays, due to the brilliance of the colours produced
 LED has advanced to OLED (organic LED) screens
 Advantages of LED over older LCD (CCFL)
 reach max brightness immediately (no warmup)
 A whiter light that sharpens the image and vivid color
 a brighter light which improves the colour definition
 Thinner than screens using CCFL technology
 Last long – reliable and consistent product
 consume very little power – less heat, less energy
 LCD
Uses Advantages Disadvantages

• Many LCD screens offer touch- • low power consumption • Inconsistent (colors, contrast)
screen input • Lightweight viewing angles
• Mobile phones, tablets, laptops • Unlike CRT monitors, no screen • Motion blur
and portable video games all use burn-in • weak pixels
LCD screens • large variation of sizes • No uniform back light may result
• No flickering image, unlike CRT in shading over the screen
monitors
• Very sharp image resolution
• low electromagnetic fields
 Touch screen
 Touch screens can work as both an input device and as an output device
 When options appear on the screen, for example a food selection at a fast food outlet, a user can
make a selection by touching the screen (this is the input)
 Another set of options then appear on the screen, such as choosing another drink – this is the
output produced based on the previous input
 Touch screen
Uses Advantages Disadvantages

• Smartphones and tablets • Faster than keyboard and mouse • Limited options
• ATMs at banks • Easy for choosing options • Not good if large amount of data
• Ticket collection machines at • User-friendly – no training needed are being input or output
theatres, cinemas and railway • Can expand the screen size • can get very dirty with constant
stations touching
• Information kiosks at museums or • Security risk (someone may steal
art galleries your credit card details when
you’re entering)
 Multimedia projectors
 Receive analogue or digital signals from Computer, TV, DVD player
 Image is magnified and projected on a large screen
 Work with remote control, mouse and laser pointer
 Input from various types of video format
 Projectors
Uses Advantages Disadvantages

• Training presentations (whole • Enable many people to see instead • Fuzzy(ဝေဝ) images
audience can see images) of crowding at single monitor • Expensive
• Advertising presentations (show • Avoid the need for several • Setup is difficult
products on large screen) computer to browse the video on
• Home cinema systems (from dvd internet while everybody can see
or tv, laptop) it on one large screen with
projector
 Laser printers

 Produce high quality hard-copy output

 Print rate per page is quick for large number of pages
 Large buffer memories (data for whole documents) is stored
before print
 How Laser Printer Prints?
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDiHTK9nwYw
 Printing drum has a positive charge and it rotates
 A laser beam is scanned across the drum and apply negative charged area which exactly match
the text/image to be printed
 Then the drum is coated with toner (powdered ink) and sticks to the negatively charged area
 Paper sheet is then rolled over the drum
 The toner on the drum now sticks to the paper to produce an exact copy of the page sent to the
printer
 The paper finally goes through a fuser, which is a set of heated rollers; the heat melts the ink so
that it fixes permanently to the paper
 Laser printers
Uses Advantages Disadvantages

• Low noise (good for office) • Fast printing for huge volume • Only fast when several copies are
• Fast, high quality, high volume • Handle large print jobs made
printing • Quality is constantly high • Color laser printers are expensive
• Toner cartridges last for a long (four color/black cartridges,
time (cost effective where color diffuser kits are expensive)
outputs are not required) • Produce ozone and volatile
organic compounds which are not
good for health
 Inkjet printers

 Produce good quality hard copies

 Don’t have large buffers so printing is done a bit at
a time
 Printing is sometimes paused to wait for the buffer
from computer to send more data
 How inkjet printers print?
 A stepper motor and belt move the print head across the page from side to side
 A print head nozzle spray droplets of ink on to the paper to form characters
 Ink cartridges, one for each colour (blue, yellow, magenta, black)
 A paper feeder feeds the printer with pages as needed
 Inkjet printers
Uses Advantages Disadvantages

• Low output volumes (high • High quality output • Slow output for several copies
volume used up ink very quickly) • Cheaper than laser printers (little buffer)
• Ideal for high quality printing for • Lightweight and small footprint • Can’t do large print jobs (ink run
small print job (good for photo- (space) out quickly)
quality printouts) • Don’t produce ozone and volatile • Smudge (messy) if user is not
• 3-D inkjet printers are now used organic compounds careful
in industry for prototypes • Expensive if used a lot (original
ink cartridges are expensive to
buy)
 Dot matrix printers
 Type of impact printer
 A print head which has a matrix of pins, presses against an
inked ribbon, making a mark on the paper
 Slow, noisy and low quality output
 Still useful in multi-part stationery (carbon copies) or
continuous rolls of paper
 Dot matrix printers
Uses Advantages Disadvantages

• Noisy or dirty environments (eg. • Dusty/dirty or moist environments • Very noisy – not good for office
Garage workshops) where print where laser or inkjet printers are • Initial cost is more expensive than
quality is not important not suitable inkjet printer
• Multi-part stationery (eg. • Carbon copies or multi-part • Very slow, poor quality printing
Producing wage slips) outputs
• Cheap to run and maintain
• Easy to use for continuous
stationery (long print jobs)
 Carbon paper
Carbon copy or multi-part stationery
 (Graph) Plotters
 Plotters use a pen, pencil or marker pen to draw multiple continuous lines, rather than a series
of dots like a printer
 Paper size can be from A4 to several metres
 Produce vector graphic drawings in conjunction with CAD and CAM (computer aided
manufacturing)
 Plotters are being replaced by wide format inkjet printers at lower cost
 (Graph) Plotters
Uses Advantages Disadvantages

• Architectural drawings • Very high-quality output • Very slow at printing

• Engineering drawings • large, monochrome and colour • Expensive equipment (and
• Drawing animation characters drawings to a high accuracy software) to purchase initially;
(cartoon characters) • print on a variety of materials although running costs are low
(paper, aluminium, cardboard, once purchased
plastic, steel and wood) • a very large physical footprint
(size) compared to a printer
 3-D printers
 Print solid object using computer aided design (CAD)
 Solid object is built up layer by layer using materials such as
powdered resin, powdered metal, paper or ceramic
 3D printer sizes vary from oven size to small car size
 Additive manufacturing – the object is built up layer by layer
to form a whole object (opposite to subtractive)
 Subtractive manufacturing – the whole material is removed
layer by layer to form an object
 Traditional subtractive manufacturing and computer
controlled machine (CNC) works like carving the statue out
of solid stone
 3-D printers
 Direct 3D printing uses inkjet technology – a print head move left to right. In 3D, print head also
move up and down to build layers. Each layer is less than 0.1 mm
 Binder 3D printing is similar to direct 3D but uses two passes for each layer: the first pass sprays dry
powder, second pass, a binder (glue) is sprayed to form a solid layer
 New technologies use lasers and UV light to harden liquid polymers and more diverse products can
be made
 The alloy wheel in Figure 2.36 was made using an industrial 3D printer
 It was made from many layers of powdered metal (0.1 mm thick) using
a technology known as binder 3D printing
 3-D printers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zgKC3853d0
Steps to create solid objects using 3D Printer
 3-D printers
Uses Advantages Disadvantages

• Prosthetic limbs to replace injured • Everyone can create their own • Possible to make counterfeit or
body parts design and print customized fake items that infringe others’
• Reconstructive surgery (facial products copyright
reconstruction) – precise • Rapid prototyping – short amount • Potential to be misused by wrong
technique as it’s made from exact of time to convert design into people printing dangerous or
scanning of skulls working prototype illegal items
• Aeroplane parts such as wings – • Even though 3D is very • Potential for job losses while
lightweight and precision parts expensive, still less than labour companies have benefits of low
• Fashion and art costs and other manufacturing production costs
• Producing rare parts (e.g. Parts for costs in manufacturing factory.
vintage car) The cost is the same for small
scale and mass production
• In medical, artificial organs,
prosthetics, plastic surgery
• Parts that are no longer made in
factories can be produced with 3D
printers. (car body parts)
 Speakers
 The digital data (sound file on a computer) first need to be converted to analogue (an electric
current) using DAC (Digital to Analogue Converter)
 Electric current generated by DAC is very small so it then pass through the amplifier to create a
large current
 This electric current is then fed to a loudspeaker where it is converted into sound
 Speaker
Uses Advantages Disadvantages

• Built into most computers, phones • Sounds amplified through • Loud speaker output can be
• Outputs sound from multimedia speakers can be much louder than disturbing to others
presentations the original sound so more people • To get high-quality sound,
• Helps visually impaired people by can hear expensive speaker is needed
reading aloud text on the screen • Everyone in a conference can hear • take up a lot of desk space
• Plays downloaded sound files the output from a computer
• Create a good atmosphere when
making a presentation
• help visually impaired people
• Very simple technology
 Actuators
 When a computer is used to control devices, such as a
conveyer belt or a valve, it uses an actuator to start/stop
the conveyer belt or open/close the valve
 Actuators take signals from computer and convert them
into motion like muscles in human body to enable
energy to create the movement of the body
 An actuator is a mechanical or electromechanical device.
E.g., Operating motors, pumps, switches and valves
 As control process, digital signals are sent from
computer to actuator to operate a device (conversion of
digital to analogue is done first)
 In computer HDD, actuator move the hard drive head
arm.
 Actuators
Uses Advantages Disadvantages

• Used to control motors, pumps, • Allow remote operation of many • An additional device in the system
switches, buzzers devices (for example, pumps in a that could go wrong
• Allow a computer to control nuclear reactor where remote • Because they are usually analogue
physical devices that normally operation is a big safety factor) devices, computer signals need to
require analogue inputs • Inexpensive devices converted using a DAC to enable
computer control