Input devices

Input devices

1. Keyboard

   • Used to enter characters such as letters, punctuation marks, numbers and symbols.

2. Specialist keyboard

   • Designed for disabled users, e.g. Braille keyboards for the visually impaired
   • Engineering keyboards for specialised character entry

3. Mouse

   • Used to move a pointer on screen and has one or more buttons that are clicked to choose items from an on-screen menu and select items by clicking

4. Microphone

   • Converts sounds to electrical signals which can be digitised
   • Mobile phone, videoconferencing or audio chat

5. Key pad

   • Has fewer keys than an ordinary keyboard
     • Often only numbers

6. Touch pad

   • Touch sensitive panel that responds to fingers
   • Can be used instead of a mouse

7. Remote control

   • Remote controls input commands or instructions into computer systems or equipment and can be wired or wireless sending command signals to devices such as TVs or wheelchairs
   • In business, they are used to control training equipment and TV displays

8. Scanner

   • Reflect light from documents or photographs to capture a digital version of a document or image which can then be used in software applications such as word processors

9. Bar code reader or scanner

   • Scan the lines or matrix of a bar code and convert them for input into a computer system
   • Can be used to look up the details of an item in a database

10. Chip and PIN reader

    • The chip in the card is read in a slot and there is a key pad for entering the PIN

11. Magnetic stripe reader

    • Reads the data from a magnetic stripe on the card when a card is 'swiped' through a slot in the reader

12. MIDI

    • Special interface for connecting musical instruments to computer systems and for storing and transmitting music data

13. Sensors

    • Covert physical variables, such as temperature, pressure or light, into electrical signals

14. Camera

    • Use light sensitive receptors to covert light into electrical signals that are digitised and stored as still moving images
    • Used for taking photographs, capturing video or for video surveillance in CCTV