IGCSE ICT - Input and Output Devices - Input Devices and Their Uses - Ajiro Tech - Part 1

2.1 Input devices and their uses
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• Identify input devices and their uses, e.g. keyboard, numeric keypad, pointing devices
(such as mouse, touchpad, tracker ball), remote control, joystick/driving wheel, touch
screen, scanners, digital cameras, microphone, sensors (general), temperature
sensor, pressure sensor, light sensor, graphics tablet, video camera, web cam
A J I R O N D I
Ajiro Tech – Best IGCSE ICT YouTube Channel
Chapter
2:
Input
and
output
devices

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Input Devices
A J I R O N D I
Chapter
2:
Input
and
output
devices
2
Device Uses Advantages Disadvantages
Keyboard
❖ most common method used
for data entry.
❖ They are used as the input
device on computers,
tablets, mobile phones and
many other electronic
items.
❖ Input of data into
applications software (e.g.,
text into word processors,
numbers into
spreadsheets).
❖ Typing in commands to the
computer (e.g., Prnt Scrn,
Ctrl+P to print out).
❖ Fast entry of new text into a
document.
❖ Well-known method.
❖ Easy to use for most people.
❖ Easier to do verification
checks as data is entered
(can immediately compare
the source document with
typed data on the screen).
❖ Can be difficult to use if the
user has limited arm/wrist
use.
❖ Slow method when
compared to direct data
entry (e.g., Optical Mark
Recognition)
❖ Fairly large device that uses
up valuable desk space.
Numeric keypads
❖ used to enter numbers only
❖ Automatic teller machines
(ATMs), where the
customer can key in their
PIN, amount of money, etc.
❖ Mobile phones to allow
phone numbers, etc. to be
keyed in.
❖ Point of sale terminals (POS)
❖ Chip and PIN devices when
paying by credit/debit cards
❖ Faster than standard
keyboards when entering
numeric data.
❖ Because many are small
devices (for example, mobile
phones) they are very easy to
carry around.
❖ Can be difficult to use if the
user has limited arm/wrist
use.
❖ Slow method when
compared to direct data
entry (e.g., Optical Mark
Recognition)
❖ Fairly large device that uses
up valuable desk space.

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Input Devices
A J I R O N D I
Chapter
2:
Input
and
output
devices
3
Pointing devices: Mouse
❖ The mouse is an example of a
pointing device
❖ The user controls the position
of a pointer on the screen by
moving the mouse around.
❖ opening, closing and
minimising software
❖ grouping, moving and
deleting files
❖ image editing, for example,
controlling the size of a
drawing
❖ controlling the position of a
pointer on the screen
❖ Faster method for choosing
an option rather than using a
keyboard.
❖ Very quick way of navigating
through applications and the
internet.
❖ Does not need a large desk
area when compared to a
keyboard.
❖ Can be more difficult for
people with restricted
hand/wrist movement
❖ Easy to damage, and the
older type of mouse quickly
becomes clogged up with
dirt.
❖ » Difficult to use if no flat
surface readily available
❖ used in many laptop
computers. controlled by
the user moving their finger
on the touchpad
❖ Their uses are the same
as those of a mouse.
❖ Same as the mouse (faster than
a keyboard for choosing
options, used to
❖ navigate applications)
❖ no need for a separate mouse –
this aids the portability and is a
big advantage if there are no
flat surfaces available.
❖ People with limited hand/wrist
movement find the device
difficult to use.
❖ Can be more difficult to
control the pointer
❖ More difficult to use when
doing certain operations such
as drag and drop
Pointing devices: Touchpad
Pointing devices: Trackerball
that a ball is on the top or
the side of the device; the
user controls the pointer
on the screen by rotating
the ball with their hand
❖ Can be a good alternative to a
mouse for people with
conditions such as RSI.
❖ Used in an industrial control
room environment where it is
faster than a mouse to
navigate through process
screens.
❖ Does not need the same fine
control as a mouse.
❖ More accurate positioning of
the pointer on screen than a
mouse.
❖ Needs less desk space than a
mouse or keyboard.
❖ Not supplied with the
computer as standard,
therefore more costly.
❖ User may need training
because it is not standard
equipment.

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Input Devices
A J I R O N D I
Chapter
2:
Input
and
output
devices
4
Remote control
❖ A remote control is used for
the operation of other
devices using infrared
signals.
❖ The buttons on the keypad
are used to select options
(such as television
channels).
❖ Televisions, satellite systems,
DVD/Blu-ray players all use
remote controls to alter
functions such as sound
volume, on/off
❖ Used to control multimedia
systems.
❖ Used in industrial applications
to remotely control processes,
stop and start machinery, etc.
❖ Can be operated from any
reasonable distance, unlike,
for example, a wired mouse
which is restricted by the
length of the wire. Some
industrial processes are
hazardous, so it is a big
advantage to be able to
select operations from a
distance.
❖ Difficult to use if the operator
has limited hand/wrist
movement.
❖ It is easier to block the signal
if, for example, the walls in the
building are very thick.
Joystick
❖ By gripping the stick, a pointer
on the screen can be
controlled. Buttons are used to
make selections. Often they
have another button on the
top of the stick that is used for
gaming purposes for example
to fire a weapon.
❖ Used in video/computer
games.
❖ Used in simulators (for
example, flight simulators) to
mimic actual controls.
❖ Easier than a keyboard to
navigate the screen.
❖ Control is more realistic for
some applications than, for
example, using a mouse.
❖ More difficult to control the
on-screen pointer than with
other devices, such as a
mouse.

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Input Devices
A J I R O N D I
Chapter
2:
Input
and
output
devices
5
Driving wheel
❖ It connects to a computer (or
games machine), usually
through a USB port.
❖ The wheel allows you to
simulate the turning of a
steering wheel, and there are
associated devices (such as
buttons or pedals) which allow
you to accelerate and brake.
❖ Used in video/computer
games (for example, car racing
games).
❖ Used in simulators (for
example, car-driving
simulators) to mimic actual
vehicle controls.
❖ Easier than a keyboard or
joystick to control steering
movements; it is more natural.
❖ The ‘driving experience’ is
nearer to how an actual steering
wheel and other
❖ controls operate in real life.
❖ It can be a rather expensive
input device compared to
mouse or joystick.
❖ Movements in the steering can
be too sensitive, giving an
unrealistic ‘feel’.
❖ Unless it is an expensive
simulator, feedback to the
driving wheel is non-existent.
Touch screens
❖ With a touch screen the user
can choose an option by
simply touching a button/icon
on the screen.
❖ The selection is automatically
made without the need for any
pointing device.
❖ Mobile phones, tablets and
satellite navigation systems
❖ Automatic teller machines
(ATMs) to choose from on-
screen options
❖ Point of sale terminals such as in
restaurants
❖ Public information systems at
airports, railway stations, tourist
offices
❖ Interactive white boards in
education
❖ Faster entry of options than
using keyboard or mouse.
❖ Very easy method for choosing
options.
❖ User-friendly method – no
training necessary in its use.
❖ Option to expand the size of the
display if necessary.
❖ Limited number of input
options available.
❖ Can lead to problems if an
operator has to use the
system frequently (straining
of arm muscles, RSI, etc. are
all possible).
❖ The screen can get very
dirty with constant touching
(reduce its responsiveness
which makes it more
difficult to read in strong
sunlight).

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Input Devices
A J I R O N D I
Chapter
2:
Input
and
output
devices
6
Scanners
❖ used to enter information from
hard copy (for example, text
documents, photographs) into a
computer.
❖ Scan in documents and
convert into a format for use
in various software packages.
❖ Scan in old/valuable
documents/books
❖ Scan in photographs
❖ Scan in barcodes at POS
terminals
❖ Images can be stored for editing
at a later date.
❖ When used with OCR, much
faster and more accurate (no
typing errors) than typing in
documents again.
❖ Recover damaged documents
and photographs by scanning
❖ Quality can be limited
depending on how good a
resolution the scanner is
capable of
❖ They can be fairly slow at
scanning, especially if the colour
scanning mode is chosen or if
the chosen scanning resolution
is high.
Digital Cameras
The images are stored on a
memory card (solid-state
memory) and can be transferred
to a computer by:
❖ directly reading the memory
card (slotting it into a card
reader attached to a computer
or a printer)
❖ connecting the camera to the
computer using a USB port
❖ using wireless data transfer
(Wi-Fi or Bluetooth).
❖ Taking photographs; they still
take better photographs than
smartphones or tablets due to
the use of expensive lenses and
dedicated software.
❖ Used as a data-capture device;
e.g., as a reversing aid in a car
where small cameras (in the
bumpers) help the driver to see
their immediate surroundings.
❖ Dentists use digital cameras to
take photos of a patient’s teeth
to help them diagnose any
problems
❖ Easier to produce better-quality
photographs than with a
traditional camera.
❖ Easier and faster to upload
photographs to a computer
rather than having to scan in
hard copies when using
traditional methods.
❖ No need to develop film and
print out photographs anymore
❖ Memory cards can store many
thousands of photographs.
❖ Need to be computer literate to
use the cameras properly; also,
the transferring, storing and
manipulating of the images via a
computer requires some
understanding of how
computers work.
❖ There is some artistry lost
because clever software now
corrects errors in the
❖ Photographs
❖ Images often need to be
compressed to reduce the
amount of memory

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Input Devices
A J I R O N D I
Chapter
2:
Input
and
output
devices
7
Microphones
Microphones are either built into
the computer or are external
devices connected through the USB
port or using Bluetooth
connectivity
❖ To input speech/sounds to be
used in various applications
❖ Input in voice-recognition
software
❖ Microphones can also be used
as a sensor to pick up sound
❖ Used in video-conferencing or
Voice over Internet Protocol
(VoIP) applications.
❖ Faster to read in text than to
type it in using a keyboard.
❖ It is possible to manipulate
sound in real time
❖ If used in a voice activation
system, it has the advantage of
improving safety
❖ Sound files can use up a lot of
computer memory.
❖ Voice-recognition software is
not as accurate as typing in
manually
Light pens
They contain sensors
that send signals to a computer
whenever light changes are
detected
❖ Selecting objects on CRT
screens.
❖ Drawing on screen (for
example, with CAD packages)
❖ Greater accuracy than touch
screens.
❖ Small (can be used where space
is an issue).
❖ Easy-to-use technology.
❖ Problems with lag when
drawing on screen.
❖ Not that accurate when
drawing.
❖ Rather dated technology.
Sensors ❖ More accurate readings taken when compared to human operators.
❖ Readings are continuous – no break in the monitoring.
❖ Because it is a continuous process, any necessary action (control
system) or
❖ warning (monitoring system) will be initiated immediately.
❖ » Systems can be automatic, removing the need for human
intervention
❖ (very important if the process is hazardous or needs precise control/
❖ monitoring).
❖ Faulty sensors can give spurious
results – for example, sensors
on the rear bumper of a car that
monitors obstacles; if these
become dirty, they may either
not identify an obstacle
❖ Most sensors are analogue,
therefore they require
conversion using an ADC.

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Input Devices : Sensors
A sensor is a device that inputs data to a computer; the data is a measurement of some physical quantity that
is continuously changing (example, temperature, light, moisture, etc.)
These physical quantities are analogue in nature. Because computers only understand digital data (1s and 0s),
the information from the sensors needs to be converted; this is done using an analogue to digital converter
(ADC).
A J I R O N D I
Chapter
2:
Input
and
output
devices
8
Type of sensor Applications
Temperature Used in automatic washing machines, central heating systems, automatic glasshouses,
ovens
Pressure Used in intruder alarm systems, washing machines, robotics, environmental monitoring
Light Used in automatic glasshouses, automatic doors, intruder alarm systems, street lighting
control
Sound/acoustic Used in intruder alarm systems, monitoring liquid and powder flow in pipes
Humidity/moisture Used in automatic glasshouses, environmental monitoring, in factories where moisture
levels are crucial (for example, manufacture of microchips, paint spraying)
pH Used in automatic glasshouses, chemical processes, environmental monitoring

IGCSE ICT - Input and Output Devices - Input Devices and Their Uses - Ajiro Tech - Part 1

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