UNIT 4: INPUT AND OUTPUT DEVICES (Notes)

Vocabulary flashcards covering terms and concepts from CS 120 Unit 4: Input and Output Devices, including I/O units, input/output devices, and port types.

Input-Output Unit

A computer component consisting of the input unit and output unit; handles data flow to and from the computer.

Input Unit

Part of the I/O unit that provides data and programs to the computer from input devices.

Output Unit

Part of the I/O unit that receives processed data and sends it to output devices.

Peripheral Device

External devices attached to the computer (I/O devices) called peripheral devices.

Input Interface

The part of an input device that translates input data into machine-readable form.

Output Interface

The part of an output device that translates machine-readable data into human-readable form.

Input Device

Any device used to input data into the computer, such as keyboard, mouse, scanner, etc.

Keyboard

A human data entry device used to input text; commonly uses the QWERTY layout and displays typed data on screen.

Cursor

A vertical indicator on the monitor showing where the next character will be displayed.

QWERTY Keyboard

The standard keyboard layout whose top row starts with Q, W, E, R, T, Y.

Keyboard Buffer

Temporary storage in the keyboard controller that holds keystrokes before the system reads them.

Keyboard Controller

Reads codes of pressed keys from the keyboard buffer and passes them to software.

Human Data Entry Devices

Input devices that require manual data entry (typing, pointing, etc.).

Pointing Device

A device used to move the cursor to a location on the screen and perform actions like click or drag.

Mouse

A common pointing device with buttons (and sometimes a wheel) that moves the cursor.

Optical Mouse

A mouse that uses LED light and a sensor to detect movement; no moving parts.

Trackball

A stationary device with a ball whose rotation moves the cursor.

Joystick

A stick-based input device used to control cursor position and speed, common in games.

Digitizing Tablet

A CAD input device with a flat tablet and pen; maps pen position to screen coordinates.

Pick Devices

Point-and-select input devices that directly point to objects on the screen (e.g., light pen, touch screen).

Light Pen

A pen-like input device that detects light to determine screen position.

Touch Screen

A screen that accepts input when touched with a fingertip to select items.

Source Data Entry Devices

Devices that input data from source documents or media rather than keyboard input.

Audio Input

Input of sound via microphone; can be translated by speech recognition or stored as audio.

Microphone

Device that converts sound into electrical signals for the computer.

Speech Recognition

Software that translates spoken words into text or commands; part of a voice recognition system.

Audacity

Open-source software used for recording and editing audio.

Video Input

Input from video cameras or digital cameras; images can be digitized and stored.

Video Camera

Device that captures full-motion video; images are digitized for computer use.

Webcam

Video camera mounted on a computer to capture user image or video.

Video Capture Card

Expansion card to connect video devices to a computer.

Digital Camera

Camera that captures still images in digital form for storage and transfer.

Optical Input Devices

Devices that use light to capture input, including scanners, MICR, OMR, OCR, and barcode readers.

Scanner

Input device that digitizes documents into bitmap images; hand-held or flat-bed.

OCR

Optical Character Recognition; translates scanned images into editable text.

MICR

Magnetic Ink Character Recognition; reads magnetized ink characters on checks.

OMR

Optical Mark Recognition; detects marks on forms by darkness.

Barcode Reader

Device that reads barcodes using reflected light and decodes the information.

Hand-held Scanner

Portable scanner used for small documents or labels.

Flat-bed Scanner

Scanner with a glass platen that scans full-page documents in one pass.

Printer

Output device that prints text/graphics onto paper; print quality described by DPI.

Dot Matrix Printer

Impact printer printing one character at a time; uses ink ribbon; lower quality.

Daisy Wheel Printer

Impact printer producing high-quality text output; slower and costly.

Drum Printer

Line printer; high speed but lower output quality; prints lines.

Non-Impact Printer

Printers that do not strike a ribbon; include ink-jet and laser printers.

Ink-jet Printer

Non-impact printer that sprays ink; high resolution for text/graphics.

Laser Printer

Page printer; prints an entire page at once; high quality; fast and expensive.

Plotter

Output device for vector graphics that draws continuous lines using pens.

COM - Computer Output on Microfilm

Storing computer output on microfilm; high-speed, low-cost archiving.

Soft Copy

Intangible output such as text, graphics, audio, or video viewed on a display.

Monitor

Visual output device; can be monochrome or color; displays computer output.

Monochrome Display

Monitor displaying a single color.

Color Display Monitor

Monitor capable of displaying multiple colors depending on the adapter.

CGA/EGA/VGA/XGA/SVGA

Different display standards with varying color and resolution capabilities.

Resolution

Number of pixels in horizontal and vertical directions; affects image sharpness.

Pixel

The smallest picture element on a display.

Dot Pitch

Diagonal distance between adjacent pixels on a display.

Refresh Rate

Number of times per second the display is refreshed.

CRT Monitor

Cathode Ray Tube monitor; older technology, bulky.

LCD Monitor

Liquid Crystal Display monitor; flat, high-resolution screens.

Visual Display Terminal (VDT)

Monitor and keyboard combination; basic display unit.

Dumb Terminal

Terminal with no processing or storage capabilities.

Smart Terminal

Terminal with built-in processing but no standalone storage.

Intelligent Terminal

Terminal with both processing and storage capabilities.

Video Output

Display of computer output on a screen or projector.

Audio Response

Audio output from the computer; playback or speech synthesis.

I/O Port

External interfaces for connecting input/output devices (serial, parallel, USB, Firewire, MIDI).

Parallel Port

Interface transmitting eight or more data wires in parallel; high-speed.

Serial Port

Interface transmitting data bit by bit over a single wire; slower.

USB Port

Universal Serial Bus; plug-and-play; supports many devices; up to 127 devices per port.

Firewire (IEEE 1394)

High-speed interface for multimedia devices (e.g., cameras); up to 400 MB/s.

MIDI Port

Interface for connecting musical instruments and related devices.

PC Card Slot

Expansion slot on portable computers for PC Cards.

Plug and Play

USB feature allowing devices to be used without rebooting the computer.