Introduction to Computing

Assignment (CS-113)
NED University of Engineering and Technology
Department Of Electrical Engineering

Batch 2020-21 (Section D)

Backlog from Section A

By: Muhammad Saad Bhatti (EE-20302)

 Task

Q) Explain the purpose, types and working mechanism of each of the following
peripheral devices.

• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Microphone
• Fingerprint or Biometric Machine
• Speakers
• Printer
• Monitor
• Headphone

Peripheral Devices

A peripheral device is an internal or external device that connects directly to a

computer or other digital device but does not contribute to the computer's
primary function, such as computing. It helps end users access and use the
functionalities of a computer.
Since it’s not a core device for the system, the computer can still function
without the peripheral, which simply provides extra functions. However, some
peripherals such as a mouse, keyboard, or monitor tend to be pretty much
fundamental to the interaction between the user and the comp uter itself.
A peripheral device is also called a peripheral, computer peripheral, input -
output device, or I/O device.
Input devices convert incoming instructions or actions from the user into viable
information that can be interpreted by the computer. For example, a keyboard
will convert keystroke into characters that appear on the computer’s display,
while a monitor will transform hand movements into movements of a cursor
that can be used to interact with the operating system’s programs. Other input
peripherals include joysticks, microphones, webcams, optical scanners, etc.
Output peripherals translate digital signals into information that can be
interpreted or utilized by the end user. For example, a monitor or display screen
will show the operating system’s desktop, while a laser printer will translate
information saved in a word file into printed material.
Storage peripherals are used to store and record data, and include internal and
external hard drives, CD-ROM and DVD drives, and flash memory drives.
Keyboard

A computer keyboard is a peripheral input device modeled after the typewriter

keyboard which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys to act as mechanical
levers or electronic switches.

Purpose: The main purpose of a keyboard is as an input device used to send

data into a computer so applications can function as the user desires. A
keyboard can also be used for gaming and to give commands to the computer’s
operating system. A keyboard uses keys that are engraved with distinct
characters that when pressed, a letter, number or sign is produced. These
characters include letters of the alphabet, numbers 1 through 9 and punctuation
symbols. A standard keyboard type has 105 keys.

Types:
• QWERTY Keyboards
• Wired Keyboards
• Numeric Keypads
• Ergonomic Keyboards
• Wireless Keyboards
• USB Keyboards
• Bluetooth Keyboards
• Magic Keyboards
• Backlit Keyboards

Working Mechanism: The keyboard has its own processor and circuitry, a
majority of which forms an important component called key matrix. The key
matrix is a collection of circuits under the keyboard, which is broken at a
specific point under every key, which results in making the circuit incomplete.
When you press any particular key, it completes this circuit, thus, enabling the
processor to determine the location of the key that was pressed. When you type
or press any key, a switch is pressed, which completes the circuit and allows a
tiny amount of current to flow. A processor analyzes the position of the keys
pressed and sends this information to the computer, where it is sent to
something called the ‘keyboard controller’. This controller processes the
information that is sent by the keyboard’s processor, and, in turn, sends it to the
operating system (OS).
Mouse

A computer mouse is a hand-held pointing device that detects two-dimensional

motion relative to a surface.

Purpose: A mouse is used to point at objects you see on the screen. It controls
the cursor in a GUI and can move and select text, icons, files, and folders. By
pointing at an object, you tell the computer that you want to do something with
that object. For example, say you wanted to start a program. There's a small
icon, on the computer screen that represents that program. You would use the
mouse to point at the icon and then click a button on the mouse. This tells the
computer to launch the program.

Types:
• Wired Mouse.
• Wireless Mouse.
• Bluetooth Mouse.
• Trackball Mouse.
• Laser Mouse.
• Comparing Trackball,
• Magic Mouse.

Working Mechanism: How does a mechanical mouse work? Well, when you
move the mouse, the ball rolls beneath it, pushing the two plastic wheels/rollers
linked to it in the process. One of those wheels detects side-to-side movement
(x-axis wheel) and the other (y-axis wheel) detects movement in the up -and-
down direction. Both of these wheels consist of spokes that ‘break’ a thin light
beam inside the mouse. The number of times the beam breaks helps to calculate
how far the mouse has moved.
Let’s talk about how an optical mouse works, it shines a bright light down onto
your desk from an LED (light-emitting diode) mounted on the bottom of the
mouse. The light bounces straight back up off the desk into a photocell
(photoelectric cell), also mounted under the mouse, a short distance from the
LED. The photocell has a lens in front of it that magnifies the reflected light, so
the mouse can respond more precisely to your hand movements. As you push
the mouse around your desk, the pattern of reflected light changes, and the chip
inside the mouse uses this to figure out how you're moving your hand.
Microphone
A microphone, colloquially called a mic or mike, is a transducer that converts
sound into an electrical signal.

Purpose: The purpose of a microphone in a computer is to pick up or take

sound as an input, just like a microphone used by a singer on stage, and convert
the audio sound waves into electrical signals. From there, these electrical
signals travel to the sound card, where they are converted into digital signals,
able to be processed by the computer.

Types:
• Liquid Microphone
• Carbon Microphone
• Fiber Optic Microphone
• Dynamic Microphone
• Electret Microphone
• Ribbon Microphone
• Laser Microphone
• Condenser Microphone
• Microelectromechanical Microphone
• Crystal Microphone

Working Mechanism: Condenser (or capacitor) microphones use a lightweight

membrane and a fixed plate that act as opposite sides of a capacitor. Sound
pressure against this thin polymer film causes it to move. This movement
changes the capacitance of the circuit, creating a changing electrical output.
Dynamic microphones are similar to conventional loudspeakers in many
respects. Both have a diaphragm (or cone) with a voice coil (a long coil of wire)
attached near the apex. Both have a magnetic system with t he coil in its gap.
The difference is in how they are used. A dynamic microphone operates like a
speaker in reverse. The diaphragm is moved by changing sound pressure. This
moves the coil, which causes current to flow as lines of flux from the magnet
are cut. So, instead of putting electrical energy into the coil (as in a speaker) you
get energy out of it.
Fingerprint or Biometric Machine

A biometric device is a security identification and authentication device. Such

devices use automated methods of verifying or recognizing the identity of a
living person based on a physiological or behavioral characteristic.

Purpose: A fingerprint scanner is a type of technology that identifies and

authenticates the fingerprints of an individual in order to grant or deny access to
a computer system or a physical facility. It is a type of biometric security
technology that utilizes the combination of hardware and software techniques to
identify the fingerprint scans of an individual.

Types: There are four types of fingerprint scanners: optical scanners,

capacitance scanners, ultrasonic scanners, and thermal scanners. The basic
function of every type of scanner is to obtain an image of a person's fingerprint
and find a match for it in its database.
• Optical scanners take a visual image of the fingerprint using a digital
camera.
• Capacitive or CMOS scanners use capacitors and thus electrical current to
form an image of the fingerprint. This type of scanner tends to excel in
terms of precision.
• Ultrasonic fingerprint scanners use high frequency sound waves to
penetrate the epidermal (outer) layer of the skin.
• Thermal scanners sense the temperature differences on the contact
surface, in between fingerprint ridges and valleys.

Working Mechanism: The way an optical scanner works is by shining a bright

light over your fingerprint and taking a digital photo. The light -sensitive
microchip makes the digital image by looking at the ridges and valleys of the
fingerprint, turning them into 1’s and 0’s, and creates the user’s own personal
code.
The capacitive fingerprint scanner uses tiny capacitor array circuits that track
the detail of a fingerprint. It uses the ridges of your fingerprint that is placed
over the conductive plates which changes the charge stored in the capacitor,
while the valleys (air gaps) leave the charge on the capacitor unchanged. An
operational amplifier integrator circuit tracks these changes that ca n then be
recorded by an analog-to-digital converter, where this digital data can be
analyzed.
Speakers

Computer speakers, or multimedia speakers, are speakers sold for use with
computers, although usually capable of other audio uses, e.g. for an MP3 player.

Purpose: A computer speaker is an output hardware device that connects to a

computer to generate sound. The signal used to produce the sound that comes
from a computer speaker is created by the computer's sound card. External
speakers are connected to a computer or another device to give the sound more
amplification (make it louder), add more bass with a subwoofer, or create
surround sound. If you have a laptop, smartphone, or another device with built -
in speakers, you do not need external speakers unless you need louder sounds,
more bass, or surround sound.

Types:
• Loudspeakers
• Bluetooth Speakers
• USB Speaker:
• Dynamic Speaker
• Electrostatic Speaker
• Computer Speaker
• Satellite Speakers

Working Mechanism: The most important function of the speaker is to convert

the electromagnetic waves into sound waves. The speaker receives electrical
input from a computer or audio device, it sends current through the causing it to
move back and forth. This motion then vibrates the outer cone, from which the
sound is produced.
There are two types of input analog and digital, analog speakers can easily
convert analog electromagnetic waves into sound waves. But the digital speaker
converts the digital signal into an analog signal, then leaves analog sound
waves.
Printer

Purpose: A printer is an external hardware output device that takes the

electronic data stored on a computer or other device and generates a hard copy.
For example, if you created a report on your computer, you could print several
copies to hand out at a staff meeting. Printers are one of the most popular
computer peripherals and are commonly used to print text and photos.

Types: An Inkjet printer is a non-impact printer that places extremely small

droplets of ink onto paper. These printers are mainly used for creating an image.
These printers are popular because their cost is less.
An Electrostatic Printer has many print head, actually covering the entire 36
media width. So, instead of a single print head moving across the width of the
media. The electrostatic printer prints an entire width of the page at one time.
A laser printer is a popular type of computer printer that uses a non-impact
photocopier technology where there are no keys striking the paper. When a
document is sent to the printer, a laser beam "draws" the document on a
selenium-coated drum using electrical charges.

Working Mechanism: Printers work by converting digital images and text into
physical copies. They do this using a driver or specialized software that has
been designed to convert the file into a language that the printer can understand.
The image or text is then recreated on to the page using a series of miniscule
dots. The only real difference that separates the various types of machines
available is the method in which the dots are transferred onto the page.
Inkjet printers each feature a print head containing thousands of tiny holes.
These tiny openings drop microscopic droplets of ink onto the paper in the
printer at a speed.
Laser and LED machines work in a similar way to inkjet in that the image is
made up of lots of tiny dots, which, when viewed as a whole, appear to be a
solid image. However, the method in which is adopted in creating those tiny
dots is vastly different. So, where an inkjet uses liquid dots, a laser machine
uses dots made up of toner – a fine powder of solid particles.
Solid ink printers perform in a way that combines the printing methods of both
inkjet and laser printers. Solid wax is melted and sprayed onto a large drum unit
using a print head similar to that found on an inkjet printer. The image is created
onto a large metallic roller that then transfers directly to the page. Once dry, you
are left with an image made of a crayon-like substance.
Monitor

A device used for observing, checking, or keeping a continuous record of

something.

Purpose: A monitor is a display device like a TV screen that interprets and

displays the graphical output signal from your computer’s graphics card and
displays it on the screen. This enables you to view the display interface to
interact with the computer using various peripherals like a mouse or keyboard
from output devices like graphics cards.

Types:
• Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) Monitors.
• Flat Panel Monitors.
• Touch Screen Monitors.
• LED Monitors.
• OLED Monitors.
• DLP Monitors.
• TFT Monitors.
• Plasma Screen Monitors.

Working Mechanism: Monitors work by displaying information processed by

the computer’s video card. The result of the processing displayed by the
monitor is called output. The output provides instant feedback by showing you
text and graphic images as you work or play.
Older computer monitors used cathode ray tube (CRT) technology. A CRT tube
type monitor utilizes an electron beam to generate images on the screen.
The viewing end of the tube is coated with phosphors, which emit light when
struck by electrons. In color monitors, CRT has three separate guns, one for
each phosphor color. The combinations of red, green, and blue phosphors can
create the illusion of millions of colors.
When it comes to monochrome monitors, each phosphor is a single dot that
varies in intensity. This creates a grayscale image using a series of single
monochrome phosphors. To darken a phosphor dot, we apply fewer electrons to
it. But if we want to have a lighter phosphor, we do the opposite; we apply a
high-intensity electron stream to it.
Headphone

Headphones are a pair of padded speakers which you wear over your ears in
order to listen to a radio or recorded music.

Purpose: Headphones are a hardware device that can be plugged into a

computer, laptop, smartphone, mp3 p layer or other device to privately listen to
audio without disturbing anyone in the vicinity. They are plug-and-play devices
and do not require any sort of installation before use.

Types:
• Closed-Back Headphones are a great type of headphones for those who
want to block out any peripheral noise when using their headphones,
regardless of your intended application.
• Open-Back Headphones aren’t “closed” and instead have “open” ear cups
that allow some sound to escape into the environment (on purpose!).
• On-Ear Headphones go over the head and rests on top of the ears.
• Over-Ear Headphones fit on the top of head and “over” (on, as well as
around, our ear cartilages so the entire ear is “cupped”) to focus on sound
isolation.
• In-Ear Headphones
• Earbuds.
• Bluetooth Headphones.
• Noise-Cancelling Headphones.

Working Mechanism: In principle, headphones work the same as speakers,

and the opposite of microphones, that’s to say, they essentially turn electrical
energy into sound by using magnets to vibrate the air, which creates sound.
Digital audio is stored in a device in the form of data, 1’s and 0’s. When you hit
play on that device, those 1’s and 0’s, which represent the sampling of an actual
sound that was recorded with a microphone, are sent through a digital to analog
converter, or DAC, which converts those 1’s and 0’s to electrical signals. That
signal is sent through your headphones’ wires, and into the headphones
themselves.