CAT Module 1.7 - Extended Hardware Concepts

Input Devices

• These devices allow users to enter data into a computer system.
• Examples include:
  • Mouse: A common pointing device with buttons and a scroll wheel. Gaming mice often feature various shapes and RGB lighting.
  • Touchpad: Pressure-sensitive surfaces built into laptops. Some include buttons for clicking. They track finger movement.
  • Pointing Stick: A small button between the keys on laptops. Less common than other pointing devices, except in business laptops.
  • Pen Input: Pressure-sensitive input device for digitising tablets. Called a stylus (Apple's is the Apple Pencil).
  • Trackball: A device with a large ball for users to move a pointer on the screen. Often used by people with disabilities.
  • Touchscreen: Used on smartphones and tablets. Users interact with the system using gestures.

Sensors

• These devices detect and respond to changes in their environment.
• Examples include:
  • Accelerometer: Detects movement. Allows devices to change screen orientation and act as game controllers.
  • Temperature Sensor: Found in many devices. Protects electronics from overheating in hot environments (e.g., car dashboards). Can switch the device off until it cools down.
  • Light Sensor: Adjusts screen brightness, automatically lowering for your surroundings. Used to turn off the screen when holding a cellphone to your ear to prevent accidental actions like opening apps.
  • Electronic Compass: Works like a compass, showing the direction the device is pointing.

Gaming Devices

• These devices are specifically designed for controlling games.
• Examples include:
  • Joystick: A controller for video games.
  • Complete Driving Seat: Includes steering wheels for games.
  • Controller: Generally used for playing video games.

Other Devices

• These devices serve a variety of functions.
• Examples include:
  • Digital Camera: Easy and cheap to use.
  • Flatbed Scanner: A larger scanner that scans larger items such as magazines or books.
  • Sheetfed Scanner: A smaller scanner that scans individual pages (not entire books).
  • QR Code Readers: Codes that allow you to quickly access information from a mobile device camera.
  • Barcode Readers: Shining lasers through black and white lines (barcodes) to determine the item they are associated with in POS systems.
  • Biometric Scanners: Measure unique biological traits like fingerprints or eye patterns (used for security).
  • Card Input: For bank cards; modern cards have a chip instead of magnetic strips to prevent copying.
  • RFID (Radio Frequency Identification): Small radio devices to store and transmit data (e.g., microchipping pets, building access).
  • OMR (Optical Mark Recognition): Computerised marking devices used to scan and mark tests (used in educational settings).
  • MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition): Bank cheques use special ink and this technology is used to quickly process them.
  • OCR (Optical Character Recognition): Converts scanned documents into editable text documents.

Video & Audio Input

• These devices allow users to input video and audio data into a computer system
• Examples include:
  • Video input devices enable transferring video from
    • Webcams, Smart Devices, cameras by:
    • Plugging USB or FireWire cable into computer
    • Removing storage cards
• Audio input devices allow the user to input sound into a computer system
  • Examples include: microphones.

Video & Audio Output

• These devices convey processed video and audio data from a computer to the user
• Examples include:
  • Audio Output devices for use with:
    • Speakers, headphones and headsets.
  • Data Projectors: Projecting the computer's display onto another surface.

Storage Devices & Media

• These devices and materials allow users to store data.
• Examples include:
  • CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays
    • Store large amounts of information
    • Read by optical readers
  • Memory Cards
    • Store digital photos, files, apps and videos for devices such as phones, tablets, and digital cameras.
    • Use card Readers to access information.

Processing

• These are the components responsible for executing tasks.
• Examples include:
  • Motherboard
  • CPU (Central Processing Unit)
  • RAM (Random Access Memory)
  • ROM (Read Only Memory)