Input Devices:
Keyboard :
Keyboard (wired / wireless, virtual) is the most common input device used today. The individual keys for letters, numbers and special characters are collectively known as character keys. This keyboard layout is derived from the keyboard of original typewriter.
Mouse:
Mouse (wired/wireless) is a pointing device used to control the movement of the cursor on the display screen.
Types of Mouses:
1. Mechanical Mouse
2. Optical Mouse.
3. Laser Mouse
Scanner :
Scanners are used to enter the information directly into the computer’s memory. This device works like a Xerox machine. The scanner converts any type of printed or written information including photographs into a digital format, which can be manipulated by the computer.
Track Ball :
Track ball is similar to the upside – down design of the mouse. The user moves the ball directly, while the device itself remains stationary. The user spins the ball in various directions to navigate the screen movements.
Retinal Scanner :
This performs a retinal scan which is a biometric technique that uses unique patterns on a person’s retinal blood vessels.
Light Pen :
A light pen is a pointing device shaped like a pen and is connected to a monitor.
The tip of the light pen contains a light-sensitive element which detects the light from the screen enabling the computer to identify the location of the pen on the screen. Light pens have the advantage of ‘drawing’ directly onto the screen, but this becomes hard to use, and is also not accurate.
Optical Character Reader :
It is a device which detects characters printed or written on a paper with OCR, a user can scan a page from a book. The Computer will recognize the characters in the page as letters and punctuation marks and stores. The Scanned document can be edited using a word processor.
Bar Code / QR Code Reader :
A Bar code is a pattern printed in lines of different thickness. The Bar code reader scans the information on the bar codes transmits to the Computer for further processing. The system gives fast and error free entry of information into the computer.
QR (Quick response) Code :
The QR code is the two dimension bar code which can be read by a camera and processed to interpert the image
Voice Input Systems :
Microphone serves as a voice Input device. It captures the voice data and send it to the Computer. Using the microphone along with speech recognition software can offer a completely new approach to input information into the Computer.
Digital Camera :
It captures images / videos directly in the digital form. It uses a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) electronic chip. When light falls on the chip through the lens, it converts light rays into digital format.
Touch Screen :
A touch screen is a display device that allows the user to interact with a computer by using the finger. It can be quite useful as an alternative to a mouse or keyboard for navigating a Graphical User Interface (GUI). Touch screens are used on a wide variety of devices such as computers, laptops, monitors, smart phones, tablets, cash registers and information kiosks. Some touch screens use a grid of infrared beams to sense the presence of a finger instead of utilizing touch – sensitive input.
Keyer :
A Keyer is a device for signaling by hand, by way of pressing one or more switches. Modem keyers have a large number of switches but not as many as a full size keyboard. Typically, this number is between 4 and 50.
