- Computer Fundamentals Course
- Computer Fundamentals Tutorial
- Block Diagram of a Computer
- The Generation of Computers
- Types of Computers
- Classification of Computers
- Characteristics of Computers
- Applications of Computers
- Central Processing Unit
- Input Devices
- Output Devices
- Computer Memory and Types
- CD, HD, Floppy, and PenDrive
- Types of Computer Languages
- Types and Language Translator
- Number System with Types
- Decimal to Binary
- Decimal to Octal
- Decimal to Hexadecimal
- Binary to Decimal
- Binary to Octal
- Binary to Hexadecimal
- Octal to Decimal
- Octal to Binary
- Octal to Hexadecimal
- Hexadecimal to Decimal
- Hexadecimal to Binary
- Hexadecimal to Octal
- Algorithm and Flowchart
- Selection Sort
- Insertion Sort
- Bubble Sort
- Linear Search
- Binary Search
- Bitwise Operators
- Binary Number Addition
- EBCDIC & ASCII Code
- BCD, Excess-3, 2421, Gray Code
- Unicode Characters
Computer Input Devices
All of the computer components that are utilized in the act of entering information into a computer system are collectively referred to as input devices. To put it another way, input devices are those components of a computer that are responsible for bringing data into the machine.
The prime purpose of input devices is to translate data and information from a human-readable format into electrical impulses.
Input Devices Examples
The following is a list of some of the most common or widely used input devices:
- Keyboard
- Mouse
- Scanner
- Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR)
- Optical Mark Reader (OMR)
- Trackball
- Light Pen
- Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
- Optical Bar Code Reader (OBR)
- Bar code reader (BCR)
- Voice Input Systems
- Digital Camera
Now let's briefly describe all the above-listed popular input devices.
Input Device: Keyboard
It is by far the most common type of input device utilized for the purpose of feeding information and programs into a computer system. The keypad on your computer has a variety of keys on it, including those for the alphabet (a to z), the digits (0 to 9), special characters, function keys, navigation/arrow keys, and many more keys.
On a keyboard that is attached to a computer system, when a key is pressed, an electric signal is produced and detected by an electronic circuit called a keyboard encoder.
Input Device: Mouse
The mouse is the second most popular computer input device. It is a pointing device. You can also say that it is an electromechanical hand-held device.
The mouse is used in many ways, such as:
- to scroll
- to select
- to draw sketches or diagrams, etc.
- to use the right-click (pop-up menu)
- to change Windows' position
- and many more.
Input Device: Scanner
It is also an important and popular input device nowadays, as it can enter information directly into the computer without the need for typing. Therefore, scanning provides faster and "as-is" data entry, or accurate data entry and exact data entry.
Input Device: MICR
The term "magnetic ink character recognition," or "MICR," refers to a technology that is employed in the process of determining the authenticity of paper documents, particularly checks.
When certain characters are printed on the original documents, a special link that is sensitive to magnetic fields is used. This link is used in the printing process.
The magnetic characters can act as a storage medium for information. The use of MICR has the potential to improve security and lessen the financial impact of certain types of criminal activity.
Input Device: OMR
"Optical Mark Reader" is what "OMR" refers to. The OMR is a system that collects data by employing a hardware device that identifies the presence or absence of a reflection on a card or piece of paper.
OMR makes it possible to automatically process hundreds or even thousands of documents each and every hour.
Input Device: Trackball
The trackball operates in a manner that is analogous to that of an inverted mouse. The user directly controls the movement of the ball, while the device itself remains immobile. The user will move the ball in a variety of directions to produce different effects on the screen.
Input Device: Light pen
This is an input device that allows you to draw lines or figures on a computer screen. You can use it to do a variety of things. It is pressed against the cathode ray tube (CRT) screen so that it can detect the rasters as they move across the display.
Input Device: OCR
It is a device that detects alphanumeric characters printed or written on paper. The text that is to be scanned is illuminated by a low-frequency light source.
The light is not reflected from the areas that are bright but is instead absorbed by the areas that are dark. The photocells take in the light that is reflected back to them.
Input Device: OBR
It is short for optical bar code reader, a device that can read data that is encoded using bar codes. Tags can be read by using this device, which examines a series of vertical bars with varying widths in search of particular data.
A light pen or scanner that is connected to a computer is typically used for reading bar codes.
Input Device: BCR
Bar codes are read by this device, and the information they contain is then converted into electrical pulses that a computer can interpret. A bar code is nothing more than a piece of data that is encoded in the form of alternating light and dark bars.
Input Device: Voice Input Systems
Words that are spoken are translated into the M/C language by this device. In order to convert human speech into electric signals, one needs to use a microphone.
When the signal pattern is compared to a dictionary of patterns that has been previously stored in the storage unit of the computer, it is then sent to a computer for further processing. The word is identified when an extremely close match is discovered.
Input Device: Digital Camera
It performs a direct conversion of graphics into digital format. Although it has the appearance of a regular camera, it does not use film but rather a CCD, which stands for changed coupled divide, which is an electronic chip.
When light passes through the lens and hits the chip, it causes the chip to transform the light waves into electrical waves.
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