The document discusses various input devices and their functions. It identifies keyboards, mice, touchpads, trackballs, joysticks, touch screens, magnetic stripe readers, chip readers, PIN pads, scanners, digital cameras, microphones, sensors, graphics tablets, MICR, OMR, OCR, barcode readers, video cameras, webcams, and light pens. For each device it provides examples of uses, advantages, and disadvantages. Students are asked to contribute their thoughts on certain devices and design or make a model keyboard for an assignment.

1. Input devices
Thursday, October 13, 2016

2. Learning outcomes:
At the end of the lesson, i should be able to do
the following:
a. Identify the device from a picture of the
device
b. Suggest a suitable use for the device
c. State advantages of the device
d. State disadvantages of the device

3. The keyboard
Is used to enter user created text in applications.
Advantages
1. Most people know how to use it so specialist
training not required
2. It is cheap
Disadvantages
1. Easily collects dust and dirt so not suitable for
dirty environments
2. Requires significant desktop space

4. Functions of the keyboard
Functions of the Keyboard include:
1. For typing texts
2. Controlling the cursor
3. Entering numbers
4. Giving the computer commands
5. For playing games
6. Calculating
7. For scrolling
8. For Highlighting

5. Numeric keypad
Examples of numeric keypads are found on:
1. Bank ATM machines
2. PIN PADS for entering a Personal Identification
Number when using a bank card to pay in a shop
Advantages
1. Rapid operation for experienced users
2. Smaller footprint so good in working environments
with reduced space such as an EFTPOS terminal
Disadvantages
1. Only allows numeric data to be entered

6. The Mouse
Is a pointing device used to control a pointer or cursor.
It is used to select items on a GUI (Graphical User
Interface) e.g. clicking on an icon to run a program.
Disadvantages
1. May be difficult to use by people with physical
disabilities
2. Requires desktop space to use
3. Picks up dust and dirt easily - ball may become
stuck
Advantages
1. Most people know how to use it

7. Functions of the mouse include:
1. Selecting items
2. Opening items
3. Scrolling
4. Highlighting
5. Drag and drop
6. Moving items
7. Pointing

8. Touch Pad
Commonly found on laptop computers. It has the
same functionality as a mouse. Cursor is controlled
by the movement of a finger over a sensitive pad.
Advantages
1. It does not require desktop space to useful in
reduced space applications
2. It has a sealed unit so it has less problems with
malfunction due to dust and dirt
Disadvantages
1. Can take time to become familiar with its
operation

9. Tracker ball / Track ball
It has the same functionality as a mouse. The cursor
is controlled my moving a ball with fingers or palm.
The ball protrudes from the top of the device.
Disadvantages
1. Not common and needs time to become
aquatinted with its operation
Advantages
1. Easier to use by people with physical disabilities.

10. Remote control
Is a device used to control the operations of devices such
as:
1. T.V's
2. Video Recorders and players
3. DVD Recorders and players
4. Satellite decoders/ receivers
5. Music Systems
6. Multimedia Projectors
Advantages
1. It makes it easier to control device without having to
be right next to it
Disadvantages
1. Often small and portable so easily lost

11. Joystick
Is a device used to control movement on a screen in
applications such as flight simulators, driving
simulators and computer games etc.
Advantages
1. Allows simulators to be more realistic e.g. flight
simulators
Disadvantages
Students’ contribution

12. Touch Screen
Touch Screens are touch sensitive screen that enables
a user to select from a limited list of items.
Used in applications such as:
1. Point-Of-Sale terminals,
2. tourist information kiosks and
3. systems to find out about public transport.
Advantages
1. Combines output device (screen) with input
device so reduced space requirements
2. Less prone to malfunction due to dust and dirt.
Disadvantages
1. Operators will require training to use it effectively

13. Magnetic Stripe Reader
Is a device to read the magnetic stripe on the back
of bank cards and some types of identification cards
for security systems.
Found in bank ATM machines, EFTPOS terminals in
supermarkets and entry systems for secure
locations.
Advantages
1. Easy operation by untrained users
Disadvantages
1. Can become unusable by too much dust and dirt

14. Chip Reader
Is a device used to read the chip found on bank
cards. It is used in shops to pay for purchases.
Advantages
1. Secure way of storing banking and personal data
2. Easy operation for untrained user
Disadvantages
1. Less common than magnetic strip readers so
may not always be available

15. PIN pad
Is a numeric keypad used together with magnetic stripe
readers and chip readers to confirm the person is the
rightful owner of the card by typing in a PIN (4 digit
Personal Identification Number).
Advantages
1. Easy operation for untrained user
2. Small footprint on shop counters
3. Enable PIN entry without others seeing what is typed
Disadvantages
(Students would suggest here)

16. Scanner
It is used to convert hard copy documents into
digital form so that it can be stored on a computer.
Advantages
1. Allows rapid entry of images and text into a
digital form for storage on a computer
2. Can be used with OCR to enter large amounts of
text data rapidly
Disadvantages
1. Expensive and may require extra software to be
useable

17. Digital Camera
Camera which captures an image on a light sensitive digital
sensor (also called a CCD or Charge Coupled Device)
instead of a piece of film.
Advantages
1. Reduced cost of processing and buying film
2. Easy to upload images to a computer
3. Often more compact than a comparable film camera
4. Less chance of dust and dirt entering it; as it does not
need to be opened to change film
Disadvantages
1. More expensive than comparable film camera

18. Microphone
Is used to record audio such as voice for input
into a computer
Advantages
1. They convert analogue signals into digital
2. [More Students’ contribution]
Disadvantages [Students’ contribution]

19. Sensors
Are devices that respond to a
certain physical property and
convert it into an electrical
signal. Can be connected to a
computer often via an
analogue to digital converter.
Examples of the physical
properties that can be sensed
and the applications in which
they are found include:

20. A. Temperature sensor
Finds use in:
1. Automatic washing machines
2. Automatic cookers
3. Air conditioning controllers
4. Central heating controllers
5. Computer-controlled greenhouses
6. Monitoring and recording scientific experiments
7. Environmental monitoring and recording

21. B. Pressure sensor
Finds use in:
1. Burgular alarms
2. Automatic washing machines
3. Robotics
4. Production-line control
5. Monitoring and recording scientific experiments
6. Environmental monitoring and recording

22. C. Light sensor
Finds use in:
1. Computer-controlled greenhouses
2. Burglar alarms
3. Robotics
4. Production-line control
5. Monitoring and recording scientific experiments
6. Environmental monitoring and recording

23. Graphics Tablet
Device used to convert free-hand drawings into
digital form that can be sent to a computer.
• Advantages [Students’ contribution]
• Disadvantages [Students’ contribution]

24. MICR
(MICR)Stands for Magnetic Ink Character
Recognition. It is a device used to read the
special magnetic ink that banks use to print
details on the bottom of a cheque.
• Advantages [Students’ think and write]
• Disadvantages [Students’ think and write]

25. OMR
(OMR)Stands for Optical Mark Recognition. It
relies on a specifically designed paper form that
has certain regions where a mark can be placed
by a person using a pen or pencil.
• Advantages [Students’ think and write]
• Disadvantages [Students’ think and write]

26. OCR
(OCR)Stands for Optical Character Recognition.
It is a device that enables a computer to
recognise written or printed characters. Used
together with a scanner it enables a page of text
to be scanned and entered into a computer as
editable text (for use in a word processor)
instead of just an image of the text that cannot
be changed.
• Advantages [Students’ think and write]
• Disadvantages [Students’ think and write]

27. Barcode Reader
A barcode is a series of black lines on a white background
used to identify products.
Each number is represented by a line with a different
thickness. The barcode reader passes a beam of light over
the barcode to detect the lines and their thickness and
converts this into a number.
Used in supermarkets at EPOS terminals to connect a
product being purchased with the correct price stored in
the supermarkets database.
• Advantages [Students’ think and write]
• Disadvantages [Students’ think and write]

28. Video Camera
A digital video camera works in a similar way to
a digital still camera but enables moving images
to be captured as a series of still digital images.
• Advantages [Students’ think and write]
• Disadvantages [Students’ think and write]

29. Web cam
It is often mounted on a computer or built into
the screen of laptop computers. It enable to
capture of moving images in the same way as a
video camera.
• Advantages [Students’ think and write]
• Disadvantages [Students’ think and write]

30. Light pen
Is used to control the movement of a cursor or
to select items from a screen in situations where
space is limited so the use of a mouse or
graphics tablet would be difficult.
• Advantages [Students’ think and write]
• Disadvantages [Students’ think and write]

31. Assignment
Design or make a model of a keyboard [you are
free to use cardboards, papers and styrofoam
etc.]

32. Word list