Syllabus Detail
- Hardware for input, output, processing, storage. 11 GEN, 11 ATAR, 12 GEN
Overview
- The flow of data in an information system requires specific hardware for each phase
- This includes hardware for input, output, processing and storage
- Read The Computing Teacher's article on the Flow of Data here
Input Hardware
Input hardware exists in many different shapes and sizes, and are tailored specifically for particular systems. Below is a list of common input devices.
- Keyboards
- Touch screens
- Pointing devices
- Mouse
- Touchpad / trackpad
- Joystick
- Composite devices (capable of multiple abilities such as movement and clicking)
- Game controllers
- Light pen
- Graphics tablet
- Imaging input devices
- Digital cameras
- Webcam
- Image scanner
- Fingerprint scanner
- Barcode reader
- Audio input devices
- Microphone
- MIDI Keyboard
- Drum machine
Processing Hardware
- Processing in a computer system is handled by the Central Processing Unit (CPU)
- Read The Computing Teacher's article on Central Processing Units here
- The motherboard of a computer is essential to this process as it houses the CPU, RAM and other integral components
- Random access memory (RAM) allows for the data being processed to be stored temporarily
- Data can be processed in a number of ways
- Read The Computing Teacher's article on Processing Types here
Output Hardware
Output devices are continuously changing as technology advances. Various types of display outputs as well as printers and audio devices continue to evolve daily. These devices are responsible for transmitting data in to a form that we as humans are able to interpret, e.g. text, images, audio, and even events we can feel (see: haptic feedback).
- Monitors
- Printers
- Haptic sensors (for example, mobile device vibrations upon touch input)
- Sound cards and speakers
Storage Hardware
Often data that has been processed is stored for later processing or reading. Many devices are capable of storing such information.
- Hard disk drives (HDDs)
- Solid-state drives (SSDs)
- Optical drives (CDs / BluRay / DVD)
- Flash storage devices (USB storage disks)
- Floppy disk drives (obsolete in today's world)
- Network-attached storage devices (NAS)
- Read The Computing Teacher's article on Primary and Secondary storage here
- Read The Computing Teacher's article on Storage Capacities here
Further Research
- Hardware, Input, Processing and Output Devices on Slideshare here
- Hardware Devices: Input and Output Devices on WikiBooks here