Input and Output Devices

Input Devices
Keyboard
Mouse
Light Pen
Joy Stick
Scanners
OMR
OCR
MICR
Barcode Reader
Punched Card
Keyboard
The keyboard was one of the first
peripherals to be used with
computers, and it is still the primary
input device for entering text and
numbers. A relatively simple device,
a standard keyboard includes about
100 keys, each of which sends a
different signal to the CPU.
If you have not used a computer keyboard or a
typewriter, you will learn quickly that you can
use a computer much more effectively if you
know how to type. The skill of typing, or
keyboarding, as it is often called today, implies
the ability to enter text by using all ten fingers
and without having to look at the keys. Certainly,
you can use a computer without being able to
type, and many people do. Some people claim
that when computers can understand
handwriting and speech, typing will become
unnecessary. But for now and the foreseeable
future, keyboarding remains the most common
way to enter text and other data into a computer.
The Standard Keyboard Layout
Keyboard for personal computers come in many
styles. The various models differ in size, shape,
and feel, but except for a few special purpose keys,
most keyboards are laid out almost identically.
Among IBM compatible computers, the most
common keyboard layout is the IBM Enhanced
Keyboard. It has 101 keys arranged in five groups-:
The Alphanumeric Keys
The Modifier Keys
The Numeric Keypad
The Function Keys
The Cursor-Movement Keys
The Alphanumeric Keys
The alphanumeric keys, the parts of the keyboard that
look like a typewriter are arranged the same way on
almost every keyboard. Sometimes this common
arrangement is called the QWERTY layout because the
first six keys on the top row of letters are Q, W, E, R, T, Y.
Along with the keys that produce letters and numbers,
the alphanumeric key group includes a few additional
keys, with specific functions. These keys are similar to
those found on a typewriter:
 Tab
 Caps Lock
 Backspace
 Enter
The Modifier Keys
A keyboard’s modifier keys are so
named because they are used to
modify the input of other keys. You
press another key while holding
down one of the modifier keys. On a
PC, the modifier keys are as follows:
Shift
Ctrl
Alt
The Numeric Keypad
The numeric keypad, usually located on
the right side of the keyboard, looks like
an adding machine, with its ten digits
and mathematical operators (+, -, *
and /). The numeric keypad also
features a Num Lock key, which works
like the Caps Lock in the alphanumeric
key group, to force the numeric keys to
input numbers. When Num Lock is
deactivated, the numeric keypad’s keys
perform cursor-movement control and
The Function Keys
The fourth part of the keyboard consists of
the function keys. The function keys (F1, F2,
and so on) are usually arranged in a row
along the top of the keyboard. They allow
you to input commands without typing long
strings of characters or navigating menus or
dialog boxes. Each function key’s purpose
depends on the program you are using. For
example, in most programs, F1 is the help
key. When you press it, a special window
appears to display information about the
program you are using. Most IBM
The Cursor-Movement Keys
The fifth part of the keyboard is the set of cursor-
movement keys. They let you move around the
screen. In many programs and operating systems
there is a mark on the screen where the characters
you type will be entered. This mark, called the cursor
or insertion point, can appear on the screen as a
small box, a vertical line, or some other symbol that
indicates your place in a document or command line.
Most keyboards include the following standard
cursor-movement keys:
 Arrow Keys
 Home/End
 Page Up/Page Down
Special-Purpose Keys: In addition to the
five groups of keys described earlier, all
IBM compatible keyboards feature six
special purpose keys, each of which
performs a specialized function.
Insert
Delete
Esc
Print Screen
Scroll Lock
Pause
Mouse
Today, all new PCs come with a
pointing device as standard equipment,
the pointing device is usually a mouse.
A mouse is an input device that rolls
around on a flat surface and controls
the pointer. The pointer is an on-screen
object, usually an arrow, that is used to
select text; access menus; and interact
with programs, files, or data that
appear on the screen.
The mouse first gained widespread
recognition when it was packaged with
the Apple Macintosh computer in 1984.
Initially, some users scoffed at this simple
tool, but it quickly became apparent that
the mouse is convenient for certain types
of input. For example, a mouse lets you
position the cursor anywhere on the
screen quickly and easily without having
to use the cursor movement keys. You
simply move the pointer to the on-screen
position you want, press the mouse
button, and the cursor appears at the
The advantages of the mouse are so numerous that
it changed the entire personal computing industry.
Instead of forcing you to type or issue commands
from the keyboard, the mouse and mouse-based
operating systems let you choose commands from
easy to use menus and dialog boxes. The result is a
much more intuitive way to use computers. Instead
of remembering obscure command names, user can
figure out where commands and options are located.
A mouse also allows you to create graphics such as
lines, curves, and freehand shapes, on the screen.
With this new capability, the mouse helped establish
the computer as a versatile tool for graphic
designers, starring what has since become a
revolution in the graphic design field.
Mouse Techniques-Using the mouse involves
five techniques:
Pointing: Move the mouse to move the on-
screen pointer.
Clicking: Press and release the left mouse
button once.
Double-clicking: Press and release the left
mouse button twice.
Dragging: Hold down the left mouse button
as you move the pointer.
Right clicking: Press and release the right
mouse button.
Variants of the Mouse
Trackballs
Trackpads
Integrated Pointed Devices
Light Pen
 A light pen is a pointing device. It is used to select a displayed
menu option on the monitor. It is a photosensitive pen-like
device. It is capable of sensing a position on the monitor screen
when its tip touches the screen. When its tip is moved over the
screen surface, its photocell sensing element detects the light
coming from the screen and the corresponding signals are sent
to the processor. The menu is a set of programmed choices by
touching light pen against a desired description of the menu.
The signals sent by the light pen to the processor identify the
menu option. Light pen is also used in handheld PAD type small
devices for writing small messages and sending them on e-mail.
Joy Stick
Computer was originally designed as a device
which was meant for only data processing i.e.
for dealing with informations and
calculations. Later on it was made possible
that computer could be used for
entertainment and training purpose.
Children can play with computers in a simple way
by use of a joystick. While playing video games like
SPACE-INVADERS, the user needs to move the
space craft quickly across the screen. Although
this can be done by pressing a key on the keyboard
but it is neither convenient nor comfortable for
children to use the keyboard. This type of actions
can be better done with the help of joystick which
is not only easier to use but provide a better
control. As you move the stick around in its socket
the movements are translated into binary
instructions with the help of electrical contacts in
base of joystick. When the moment of firing comes,
a button provided at the base is pressed that sets
off an explosive pattern of dots on the screen.
Scanners
A scanner is a little bit like a photocopy
machine, except that instead of copying the
image to paper, it transfers the image
directly into the computer. If the image is on
paper or a slide, a scanner can convert it
into a digital file that a computer can
manipulate. The scanner is an input device
attached to the computer by a cable and
controlled by software. This software may
accompany the scanner or it may be
included with a graphics program. The result
of scanning an image is a bitmap file
OMR (Optical Mark Reader)
It is a device for checking the documents and question
papers. Nowadays it is quite a common practice to judge
the knowledge and I.Q. level of a candidate by a multiple
choice objective type questions. The candidates are
required to write their answers by putting a standard dot
in front of the correct answer with soft pencils. While
evaluating the answer papers, OMR directs a thin beam of
light on the surface of the paper. Lesser amount of light is
transmitted through the dot as compared to nearby
surface due to which answer is recognized by the
computer. The OMR can evaluate only those documents
which are printed with marked positions in the specified
areas. OMR can read about 10000 documents per hour,
and thus can print the result within the same day without
any favoritisms or mistakes.
OCR (Optical Character Reader)
OCR is an improvement over OMR. This can
not only detect a mark but also can also
recognize its shape and identify characters
directly from source documents. The amount of
light reflected differs depending on the shape
of the character and the OCR can detect and
interpret these minor differences. However,
documents have to be filed very carefully and
character shapes have to be fairly precise. This
is often done by using machines to print the
characters. The presence of any other marks
can confuse the device.
Direct reading of document can be done at about 1500
characters per second. No data conversion is required.
These readers are popularly used to process turnaround
documents produced as output and reused as input by
the computer e.g. an electricity bill is printed with all
the information required for re-input on a tear-off
section. If the precise amount stated is paid by the
customer the returned portion is used for direct input to
the computer.
MICR (Magnetic Ink Character
Recognition)
MICR systems use special ink which can be magnetized to
print characters that can then be read and decoded by
special magnetic devices. Detection of characters is a two
step process. The reading station is used to sense and
identify the magnetic characters as they pass through. The
document first passes over a magnetizing coil where the
ink is magnetized by the write head. As the magnetized
characters pass the read head, they induce electric signals
in it that are used to identify the characters. Cheques
which are roughly handled, folded or smeared are also
read with accuracy. Because each character has a rigidly
defined shape, the signals produced in the read head are
unique and can be easily coded into a form suitable for
transmission to the computer.
Documents containing magnetic ink
characters can be read at speeds of up to
2000 six inch documents per minute.
However, the amount of information on each
document is limited and it can only be
located in special predetermined positions.
This system is widely used by banks for
processing cheques. The cheque number,
the bank and branch code and the account
number are printed with ink containing
magnetisable particles of iron oxide. At the
time of processing, the amount of
transaction is also written out in magnetic
ink by the bank. The position of each data
Barcode Reader
Data can be coded in the form of light and dark
bars with coded spacings and thickness. These
are called barcodes which are commonly used
to identify items. Each item is labeled with a
Universal Product Code (UPC). The code is read
by a wand or pen which transmits a laser beam
and receives the reflection from the label. These
pulses are compared with standard codes
stored in the computer. A barcode is commonly
seen on the back of any book published in
recent times. A bar code is a code used by the
Super Marked Industry to identify goods sold in
retail store.
Punched Card
Using punch card is the earliest method of
feeding data into a computer. Punched card
came into existence in 1887. It was introduced
by Herman Hollerith, the father of modern
computer. The design of the card has
undergone many changes since then. The
design of modern card was introduced by IBM
in year 1920 itself.
The punch card is little thicker in size than the
Indian post card with the standard size of 19 cm x 8
cm. It has eighty columns and 12 rows. The top two
rows are given serial number 12 and 11. The next set
of 10 rows follows in which numbers from 0 to 9 are
printed. The first set of two rows is known as zone
punch and next set of ten rows is called zone of
numeric punch. The numbers written on card are
only for identification of rows and column serial
numbers and have nothing to do with quantities
represented in the computer. The card is meant for
punching the instructions. One card can take up an
instruction containing only 80 characters at the
maximum. If any instruction sentence contains more
than 80 characters, the remaining characters are
printed in another card.
Letter Holes in Letter Holes in Numera Holes in Symbols Holes in
the rows the rows l the rows the rows
A 12 & 1 N 11 & 5 0 0 # 2, 8
B 12 & 2 O 11 & 6 1 1 , 0, 3, 8
C 12 & 3 P 11 & 7 2 2 $ 11, 3, 8
D 12 & 4 Q 11 & 8 3 3 . 12, 3, 8
E 12 & 5 R 11 & 9 4 4 + 3, 8
F 12 & 6 S 0&2 5 5 - 4, 8
G 12 & 7 T 0&3 6 6 ) 11, 4, 8
H 12 & 8 U 0&4 7 7 ( 12, 5, 8
I 12 & 9 V 0&5 8 8 & 12
J 11 & 1 W 0&6 9 9 ? 0, 6, 8
K 11 & 2 X 0&7 / 0, 1 “ 7, 8
L 11 & 3 Y 0&8 % 0, 4, 8 ” 7, 8
M 11 & 4 Z 0&9 * 11, 4, 8 = 12, 4, 8

TABLE : Hollerith Code of Characters in Punch Card

The deck of punch cards is fed into a machine called the
Card Reader for transferring the program or set of
instructions into computer’s memory. This machine senses
the holes and converts them into electric signals which are
then stored electro magnetically. An experienced operator
can make about 800 key depressions per hour. Card reader
reads the holes with the help of photocells that emit rays
which pass through the holes punched in the card. Card
reader can have speed ranging from 100 to 2000 cards per
minute. Often card readers have a punching mechanism for
reverse operation i.e. it can scan the punched card and print
the message coded on the card. Thus a card reader can be
used as output device also, or for the purpose of repeater.
Punched cards are still a popular medium of feeding and
storing instructions into computer’s auxiliary memory but
this system on the whole is very slow. Cards are very bulky
and easily perishable. An incorrectly punched card cannot be
corrected but we can easily add, delete, or arrange cards in a
Output Devices
VDU (Visual Display Unit)
Printer
Plotter
VDU (Visual Display Unit)
The Visual Display Unit is a device
used for interactive processing i.e.
data that is being keyed in, is
displayed on the screen or monitor.
Messages and processed information
are also displayed on the screen. The
combination of keyboard and the VDU
is usually referred to as Video Display
Terminal (VDT) which is an
input/output (I/O) device.
Most VDU monitors use a cathode ray
tube (CRT) that looks like a television
picture tube. The depression of a key on
the keyboard causes binary code to be
generated, which identifies the key. The
information typed in goes to the memory
unit of the VDU which is used to refresh
the display. The display is refreshed at a
minimum of 50 cycles per second to
avoid a flicker. The characters are keyed
into the memory of the VDU and then, on
depression of the RETURN key, the entire
contents of memory, or selected parts are
The formation of images is controlled by the video
controller. The video controller along with the
memory is termed as the display adaptor. Most
existing display adaptors are designed to display
alphanumeric data and are only used to enter and
retrieve letters, numbers and special characters in
the text mode.
However, in the graphics mode the display screen
can be divided into thousands of picture elements
or pixels. By turning each pixel on or off, the
processor draws a graphic image on screen. This
image may be a page of text displayed in multiple
typefaces and typestyles, or it may be drawings.
The number of dots (pixels) on the screen is the
measure of resolution of monitor.
For display of characters, the screen
is divided in to a matrix of rows and
columns with each cell in the matrix
being used for one character.
Typically, 80 character positions are
provided on one line with 20 to 25
character lines on a screen.
Display adaptors are of various types
and are normally classified on the
basis of resolution, colour and display
mode.
MGA (Monochrome Graphics Adaptor): The
term graphics is a misnomer since the device
supports text only. Although the option is
monochrome or single colour, it offers various
attributes e.g. the brightness and intensity of
characters which can be changed.
CGA (Colour Graphics Adaptor): CGA
supports both text and graphics mode. It
functions in colour and monochrome modes in
various resolutions. The CGA works with
different types of monitors. However, it gives
poor display quality in the text mode. The typical
resolution is 640 x 200 (i.e. 640 rows x 200
columns) in the graphics mode.
HGA (Hercules Graphics Adaptor): It is a
monochrome adaptor with an additional
graphics display mode which provides high
resolution monochrome graphics. In text mode
it functions like the MGA but in the graphics
mode it offers a resolution of 750 x 350 dots,
even better than the CGA. In the graphics
mode the HGA has no colour although it offers
brightness and intensity variations.
EGA (Enhanced Graphics Adaptor): It was
developed in an effort to unify the variety of
display adaptors. The EGA combines all the
features of other adaptors and provides higher
resolutions using higher quality colour
VGA (Video Graphics Array): It supports 256
colours at a time with a high resolution.
SVGA (Super Video Graphics Array): A set of
graphics standards designed to offer greater
resolution than VGA. SVGA supports 800 x 600
resolution, or 480,000 pixels.
Printers
Printers are the most popular output devices.
They provide information in a permanent
readable form. They are the primary output
devices used for permanent documents in human
readable form. Generally printers can be
classified as:
1. Impact Printers
2. Non-Impact Printers
 Printer

Non-
Impact
Impact
Printer
Printer

Character Line Laser Inkjet Thermal

Printer Printer Printer Printer Printer

Daisy
Dot Matrix Drum Chain
Wheel
Printer Printer Printer
Printer
Impact Printers
The printers that print the character by
striking against the ribbon and on the paper
are called Impact Printers. These printers are
of two types:
a. Character Printer
b. Line Printer
Character Printer
These printers print one character at a time.
These printer are again of two types
i. Daisy Wheel
ii. Dot Matrix Printer
Daisy Wheel Printer
These printers print the characters by a mechanism that
uses a plastic or metal hub with spokes, called Daisy
Wheel. The characters are embossed on the radiating
spokes. A motor spins the wheel at a rapid rate, when
the desired characters spins to the correct position, the
print hammer strike it to produce the output. The speed
of these printers normally ranges from 10 to 50
characters per second.
 Dot Matrix Printer
Dot Matrix Printer: These printers print each
character as a pattern of dots. The print comprises a
matrix of tiny needles, typically seven rows with nine
needles in each (9 x 7 matrix), which hammers out
characters in the form of patterns of tiny dots. The
shape of each character, i.e. the dot pattern, is
obtained from information held electronically in the
printer.
The print quality of a dot matrix printer is inferior
to that of a daisy wheel printer. But dot matrix
printers are generally faster than daisy wheel
printers in the range of 40 to 250 characters per
second. They are also less expensive than a daisy
wheel printer and hence if the quality of output is
not an important factor then the dot matrix printers
is used with most microcomputer systems. There is
an additional advantage of dot matrix printers over
daisy wheel printer in the sense that dot matrix
printers do not have a fixed character font. So they
can print any shape of character that a
programmer can describe. This allows for many
special characters, different sizes of print, and the
ability to print graphics such as charts and graphs.
Line Printer
These printers print one line at a time. The
printing speed is much more than the
character printer. They are again of two types
i. Drum Printer
ii.Chain Printer
Drum Printer
A drum printer consists of a solid, cylindrical drum
that has raised characters in bands on its surface.
There are as many bands as there are printing
positions. Each band contains all the possible
characters. The drum rotates at a rapid speed. For
each possible print position, i.e. opposite to each
band of the drum, there is a print hammer located
behind the paper. These hammers strike the paper,
along with the inked ribbon, against the proper
character on the drum as it passes. One revolution
of the drum is required to print each line. This
means that all characters on the line are not printed
at exactly the same time, but the time required to
print the entire line is fast enough to call them line
Chain Printer
They use a rapidly moving chain called a print
chain. Each link of the chain is a characters font.
Instead of a chain, some models of printers use a
metal band having raised print characters on it.
For each possible print position, there is a print
hammer located behind the paper. As the print
chain or the band rotates, the properly timed print
hammers strike the paper, along with the inked
ribbon, against the proper character on the
chain/band as it passes. In order to enhance the
speed of the chain printers, the character set is
repeated several times on the chain. Hence it is
not necessary to wait for the chain to make a
complete revolution to position the desired
So chain printers that use the 64 set or the
96 set repeat the characters fewer times than
the standard set. This increases the time to
position the desired character and therefore
reduces the effective print speed of the
printer. Speeds of chain printers range from
400 to 2500 characters per minute.
Non Impact Printer
These printers do not use any electro-
mechanical printing head to strike against
ribbon and paper. They use thermal, chemical,
electrostatic, laser beam or inkjet technology
for printing the text. Usually a non-impact
type printer is faster than an impact type.
These printers are of three types:
a. Laser Printer
b. Inkjet Printer
c. Thermal Printer
Laser Printer
Laser Printers scan a laser beam across a positively charged
rotating drum coated with selenium. The areas hit by the laser
beam lose their charge and positive charge remains only where
the copy is to be black. A negatively charged powdered toner is
then transferred to blank paper to form the copy. In color
printer this process is repeated three times, one for each
primary color. Some high speed laser printer give a speed up to
100 pages per minute.
Inkjet Printer
Inkjet Printers create an image directly on the paper by
spraying an ink through tiny nozzles. Inkjet printer use ink
cartridge for printing. Many inkjet printers used one cartridge
for color printing & a separate cartridge for black & white
printing. Color inkjet printers have four ink nozzles cyan
(blue), magenta (red), yellow & black. With the combination of
these colors any color in the visible spectrum can be created.
Thermal Printer
 These printer uses finally spaced (typically 200 per inch) heating
nibs, which transfer pigments from colored wax paper to plain
paper. The wax paper and plain paper are drawn together. Ones the
strips of heating nibs, which are selectively heated to cause the
pigment transfer. For color printing the wax paper is on the roll of
alternating cyan, magenta, yellow and black strips, each of length
equal to the paper size. Because the nibs heat & cool very rapidly, a
single color hard copy image can be created in less than one
minute.
Plotter
A plotter is a special kind of output device. It is
like a printer because it produces images on
paper but the plotter is typically used to print
large format images such as charts, maps,
construction of engineering drawings created in
CAD system or large maps. Plotters are basically
of two types:
1. Drum Plotter
2. Flat Bed Plotter
Drum Plotter
In this the paper is placed over a Drum that rotates back &
forth to produce vertical motion. The mechanism also contains
one or more pen holders mounted horizontally across the drum.
The pen(s) camped in the holder(s) can move to produce
horizontal motion. Under the control of the computer, the drum
& the pen(s) simultaneously to produce the design & graphs.
Since each pen is program selectable, pens having ink of
different colors can be mounted in different holders to produce
multicolored design.
Flat Bed Plotter
Flat Bed Plotter plots on papers that are spread &
fixed over a rectangular flat bed table. In this
mechanism, paper does not move & pen holding
mechanism operating at right angle is designed to
provide all the motions. Normally pens with
different colors are used for multicolored plotting.
Plotters can have the size of A4 or 20ft x 50 ft
long.