Information and Communication Technology.
Topic: Input and Output devices
3D Inkjet Printers
• Uses inkjet technology to build 3D models layer by layer with thin powders
(plaster, resin, starch).
Uses:
• Creating prototypes from CAD designs.
• Making scale models before manufacturing.
• Potential to produce organic objects (like organs) in the future.
Advantages
• Cost-saving for prototypes.
• Produces physical models with working parts.
• Reusable powders.
Disadvantages
• Expensive.
• Slow output.
• Models may require additional finishing.
Dot Matrix Printers
• This is an impact printer with a printhead of pins pressing against an inked
ribbon. Low-quality output but useful for continuous printing.
Uses:
• Suitable for noisy environments and low-quality applications.
• Producing multi-part forms and carbon copies.
Advantages
• Durable in harsh environments.
• Cheap to run and maintain.
• Suitable for continuous stationery.
Disadvantages
• Noisy.
• Costly compared to inkjet printers.
• Slow and low-quality output.
Plotters
• Devices for large, highly accurate hard copies. Often used for detailed
drawings.
Uses:
• Making large blueprints or technical drawings.
• Printing on special materials (e.g., plastic-coated paper).
• Can be adapted for cutting.
Advantages
• Excellent print quality.
• Capable of producing very large prints.
Disadvantages
• Slow and expensive to operate and maintain.
Speakers
• Convert digital data into sound, using a DAC to play audio.
Uses:
• Outputting sound in multimedia and entertainment systems.
• Assisting visually impaired users by reading screen text aloud.
• Playing downloaded audio files.
Advantages
• Enhance multimedia experiences.
• Useful for audio accessibility.
Multimedia Projectors
• Projectors that receive signals (analog or digital) to display images from
devices like computers or DVD players onto large screens.
Uses:
• Training presentations for large audiences.
• Advertising presentations (e.g., showcasing products at exhibitions).
• Home cinema systems (projecting video from DVDs or TV).
Advantages
• Allows large groups to view presentations.
• Reduces the need for multiple networked computers.
Disadvantages
• Images may be fuzzy.
• Expensive and sometimes difficult to set up.
Control Devices
These are output devices that control processes, often using actuators to
operate machinery.
Actuators
• Transducers that convert computer signals into motion, operating
devices like motors and pumps.
Motors
Uses:
• Found in home appliances (e.g., washing machines, fans).
• Used in industrial settings for robotics.
• Operate drives (e.g., disk drives) in computers.
•
Buzzers
Uses:
• Alerts in microwaves, cookers (signal when cooking is complete).
• Security alarms (warn of intruders).
Lights
Uses:
• Security lighting.
• Controlling lighting in greenhouses.
Heaters
Uses:
• Used in appliances like washing machines and cookers.
• Control temperature in greenhouses and central heating systems.
Storage devices and media (Ch. 3)=>(nxt lesson)
