GCSE INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
HOMEWORK
Input & Output
These are peripherals that are used to capture data and send it to a computer system.
Whatever data they capture, they have to convert it to electrical signals. There are endless examples.
Manual Input – when flexibility is required
Keyboard – to enter words and figures, often copied from paper documents
Concept keyboard – where pictures represent some item of data. Fast food restaurants use them on their tills – one key press represents an item. Easy to use with little training.
Touch screens – people make selections by touching the screen. Useful when looking up a train timetable. No problems with keyboards getting dirty.
Mouse – to select icons to run programs or select items from a menu. Useful for very simple drawings.
Keypad – where only a limited amount of input is required. Examples include cash machines for PIN entry, telephone keypads, security devices, and microwave ovens.
Microphone – voice input is likely to become more important.
Automated input – quicker than manual methods & fewer mistakes too.
Bar code reader – bar codes store an item’s identity number. Scanners or light pens can read them.
OMR – Optical Mark Recognition. Marks on a piece of paper are read by machine.
Examples are lottery ticket entry forms and exam mark sheets.
OCR – Optical Character Recognition. Special letters are used for gas bills that can be read by humans or machines.
Scanners – Flat bed scanners can be used to input pictures or text. OCR software can convert a scanned image into a word-processed document.
Infrared detectors – useful in burglar alarm systems to detect body heat.
Pressure sensors – also in burglar alarm systems and many control applications.
Light sensors – can be used in microprocessor-controlled cameras to adjust exposure.
Card Readers – cards such as credit cards have data enclosed in a magnetic strip.
Others such as satellite viewing cards are called smart cards and have more data stored in a microchip.
MICR – Magnetic Ink Character Recognition. Used for numbers on cheques. Cannot be fraudulently altered.
Output Devices
These peripherals pass data back from a process. The output may be intended for humans to see or for devices to respond to.
VDU (visual Display Devices) or monitor – the most well-known output device. Good for quality colour and moving picture display.
Plotters – Architect and technical drawings can be output by plotters onto very large paper.
Motors – When computers control devices such as robots or paint spraying machinery, electric motors are often the output device.
Loudspeakers – computers can make sounds ranging from warning bleeps to high fidelity sound and speech.

Printers
Type
Laser
Uses
Most purposes, letters, reports, invoices
Cost
Moderate to expensive. Toner
(powdered ink) can be expensive
Cheap, not economic for big print runs
Other Comments
Very good quality, quiet operation
Ink Jet
Dot Matrix
Low volume all purpose
Wage slips, garage and other bills
Cheap
Good quality and affordable colour output
Works by impact therefore useful when copies required. Noisy
Needs special paper Thermal Supermarket till receipts
Cheap
Questions
1
2
3
4
5
Suggest two sensors useful in a burglar alarm system.
What type of data input is useful to collect answers to a multiple choice test?
What two input devices are needed at a bank cash machine?
What type of printer would be suitable to produce a high quality image for publication?
What output device would be suitable for a computer controlled burglar alarm?