The main input device of information. Devices intended for information input

Personal computers have become really common relatively recently. Today, a PC or laptop is perceived as a necessary household equipment, and the degree of user awareness of the basics of their work is negligible.

Simply put, many modern "users" are confusing the simplest questions that once did not cause any excitement. For example, what is the main input device? This term looks terrible, there can be several interpretations at once, and therefore needs more detailed analysis and comments. However, for this, this article was created.

Basic concepts

It is known that the processor of any computer has a lot of ports for input / output, through which the "stone" exchanges data with peripheral devices. However, we will recover: some ports are really designed to exchange information with the periphery, but many are needed for contacts with many internal "hardware" (video card, RAM, etc.). The latter play a particularly important role, since without them the normal functioning of the machine is simply impossible. However, school computer science tells all this. The input devices also work through ports.

What are they like?

You should know that the ports are divided by types. They are parallel (more commonly known as LPT1-LPT4), as well as serial asynchronous ones (which have the designation COM1-COM3). It should be noted that the first category has already sunk into oblivion: these ports were faster, but had a lot of difficulties with the operation. In addition, the COM-version is available not only in physical form (connector), which is almost no one uses, but also as a "virtual" port. Through them, in particular, connect USB-modems, printers and the like peripherals.

But the main port to date is USB. They are very fast (especially the latest specifications), provide a seamless interaction with a huge number of devices.

Why did we tell all this?

How all of the above will help to understand what is the main input device? The thing is that you have to imagine approximately in what ways this very device communicates with the computer. Now, when all the "formalities" are settled, it's time to begin the main topic of our article.

Input devices are those that are designed to "translate" human languages or gestures into machine code, which is understandable to the computer. Therefore, the input devices are:

• Keyboards and similar input devices.
• Scanning technology.
• Cameras and video cameras (digital, of course).
• Microphones.
• Mice, trackballs.
• Devices for touch input.

Keyboards

Do you know the most basic input device? The keyboard is a device for entering text and numbers, based on keys. In addition, it can be used to feed certain coded signals (hotkeys). There are also devices that have additional keys. As a rule, the latter serve for certain specific multimedia functions, and they can (often) be independently assigned.

Despite all the efforts of the adherents of touch screens, it is the keyboard - the main input device of information. It is simple, does not require special skills in the study, allows you to inform the computer information in any existing human language. It is possible that with the development of technologies, something more convenient and universal will be invented, but for the time being it is far away. Today, it is the keyboards that are a mandatory input device on any computer equipment.

If you list the input devices, but forget about the keyboard, an unsatisfactory rating will be provided.

Manipulators (mice, touchpads, trackballs)

These devices are most often connected to the serial port of the computer. To control the computer, the cursor is used, which moves along the monitor or the display synchronously with the movements of the mouse or finger on the touchpad. Almost all devices of this kind have buttons that are used to fix a certain cursor position. These devices are divided into two categories - relative and absolute.

Until recently, almost all manipulators were delivered with their own set of drivers, but today this only applies to gaming mice that have a huge number of additional keys, which can often be "tied" independently written by the user macros.

Mice

Despite all the above (regarding the keyboards), many users tend to think that the main input device is the mouse, which in the old Soviet times was called a "kolobok". Douglas Engelbart invented this wonderful device back in the 70s of the last century, so that "mouse" is only a little younger than keyboards.

We can say with certainty that in the Windows system without it you can not work: the user will instantly get bogged down in dozens of windows and submenus. With Linux, the situation is somewhat different, since there almost everything can be done from the console, but with graphic editors without a mouse you can not do anything sensible. Not so long ago, the classification was widespread, according to which "rodents" were divided into models with two and three keys. Today this method of typing is clearly outdated: classical three-button mice are found only in museums and organizations with very limited funding. Game models can have 20 (!) Buttons, and in place of the third key today there is almost always a wheel.

As we already said, the functionality of the buttons can be changed. In addition, today you can find many utilities that greatly simplify such actions. It is considered that the main indicator of the quality of the mouse is its resolution, which is measured in the number of points per inch (DPI).

Classification of mice

• Mechanical devices designed to enter information. Today, almost do not occur. A distinctive feature of such a mouse is a rubberized ball located at the bottom of the mouse. Older users perfectly remember that for normal cursor positioning it was often necessary to wipe it with alcohol. In addition, if there were cats or dogs in the house, the mechanism often jammed from the hair caught in it.
• Optical and mechanical varieties. In principle, the design has the same ball, but its movement is monitored with the help of LEDs.
• Optical mouse. Moving the cursor is controlled only by optical sensors and LEDs. The light that they radiate, fulfills the functions of the same ball.
• Wireless mouse. The signal to the computer is transmitted not by wire, but through the infrared port or the "Blue tooth".

Touchpad

The touchpad came from the trackball. The latter was a "mouse on the contrary," when the cursor was controlled by a single ball. The touchpad is built on a slightly different principle, when the cursor moves after the movement of the fingers along the sensor surface.

Here again it is necessary to make a digression and again to mention the trackballs: unlike mechanical mice, such devices are still used in some types of computer technology, since they provide an ideal positioning of the cursor.

Unlike mice, touchpads in most cases are quite primitive: equipping them with additional keys (and not only the "right" and "left" button), as well as the scroll bar - solely on the conscience of the manufacturer. Until recently, touchpads were not very fond of people whose profession is related to typing and similar work, since the number of false positives (from light touch of hands) was prohibitively large. Modern models from this shortcoming are almost completely spared.

Scanning technology

Scanners are needed to digitize images, photos, texts and drawings. They are indispensable in archives and libraries, where often it is necessary to perform a huge amount of work related to digitization. Simply put, such devices are inputting graphic information.

Scanning technology can be handheld (such a device is very similar to reading scanners in supermarkets), rolls and tablets. Sometimes come across projection models. Again, in the aforementioned archival institutions, it is not so rare to see slide scanners designed to digitize filmstrips. Like mice, this technique is estimated by the number of pixels per inch, only in this case the DPI characteristics are crucial: a scanner with poor performance, even a quality text on absolutely white paper can easily turn into an unreadable "mess".

Digital Photography and Camcorders

Strangely enough, but to the input devices are also digital cameras. However, there is nothing unusual in this: such cameras and video cameras translate the image and video into a "figure", which is so nice to computer processors. Unlike scanning, this approach leaves no room for errors and interferences, allowing you to immediately begin to process high-quality materials in graphic editors.

Typically, to connect the camera itself to the computer requires a whole package of drivers, which the manufacturer delivers with the device. However, such complexity is not so often needed: it is enough to remove the memory card and read the information from it directly.

Microphones

A microphone is a device for inputting audio information that converts sound vibrations into electrical (or digital) pulses that a computer can understand. The scope of use is incredibly wide: they are used not only in theatrical and television, but also in science. Especially sensitive microphones can fix even the sound of growing grass, so scientists use them very actively.

As we have already said, the principle of action is to transform acoustic vibrations. Since on this way there are many obstacles in the form of numerous jams and inaccuracies in coding, a quality microphone must meet a number of mandatory requirements:

• The microphone's own electrical noise level should not interrupt the recordable acoustic signal. Especially it concerns sensitive scientific models.
• The resulting record must contain a minimum amount of distortion.
• All acoustic information should be transmitted practically without distortion, which practically eliminates the use of wireless communication channels (interference is possible) in particularly complex equipment of this class.

There are many types of microphones, but today one can often find semiconductor and electrostatic models. Such an input device of sound information allows to provide the highest quality sound.

Touch devices

In recent years, this technology has unfolded "to the fullest." Smartphones with touch controls are almost every second first-grader, so explaining all the advantages and disadvantages of this technique does not make much sense. Therefore, we will concentrate on the description of devices that are actively used today.

Digitizer

So, information input devices include digitizers. This device is intended for input of graphic information, and therefore a special recognition was received among professional designers and artists. As a rule, these devices are performed in the form factor of well known to all tablets. That is why they are often called graphic tablets.

They are constantly used in computer graphics, animation and development of three-dimensional models. Just note that just in case of constructing complex geometric models the digitizer is far from the best solution. But for artists it is in most cases irreplaceable. And what input devices of this type can still be found in a professional environment?

Touchscreens

Touch screens, as we already said above, are extremely common today. In the thickness of this display is a lot of sensors that in real time track the location of the finger. The controller processes the received information and sends it to the processor for final processing.

Advantages of touch screens

Theoretically, you can do without a mouse and keyboard. But if this is indeed the case with respect to mice, then the long-term use of the touch-sensitive keyboard can cause any fingers to beg for mercy. More importantly, even older people get used to the same tablets without problems, for which the use of the mouse was akin to sophisticated torture.

In some industries and medicine such screens are sometimes the only right choice, since they can work in an aggressive environment (it's easy to protect them from moisture and other factors by placing them in a cover). In addition, today there are a lot of especially strong varieties (for terminals and ATMs) that can work in public places. And what is the name of the input device, which is often used in conjunction with graphics tablets?

Light pen

Another kind of manipulators. At first glance it looks like an ordinary pencil or a ballpoint pen, a wire connected to a computer. To adjust the parameters for the re-there are several buttons, the functionality of which allows you to flexibly "adjust" the instrument to a specific situation. In the pen tip there is a photocell that performs the same function as its "colleagues" in a conventional optical mouse. Currently, this technique is found only as an element of digitizers. Of course, the light feathers were most widely distributed among professional artists and designers.

These devices make it possible to create a practically reliable simulation of the use of an ordinary pencil, which is extremely important for many specialists.

Conclusion

Simply put, any input devices for textual information, graphics or sound are not only irreplaceable helpers of any user, but also tools that allow us to work productively with a computer. Not having the same keyboard, you can hardly do something worthwhile without spending an unreasonably large amount of labor resources.

At present, quite a lot of work is being done to create new input tools. Some devices are relatively successful, and others are sent to wait in the wings. Whatever it was, this process does not stop, and therefore it is possible that already our grandchildren will remember some of the devices listed in the article as an eerie anachronism.