Miami Beach Senior High School



NAF Principles of Information TechnologyLesson 6PeripheralsStudent ResourcesResourceDescription Student Resource 6.1Investigation: Input and Output at the MallStudent Resource 6.2Reading: Learning about PeripheralsStudent Resource 6.3Reading: Overview of PeripheralsStudent Resource 6.4Reading: Cables, Connectors, and PortsStudent Resource 6.5Project Planner Page 2: Planning a Dream Personal Technology SystemStudent Resource 6.6Descriptive Paragraph: Must-Have Peripherals for My Group’s Personal Technology SystemStudent Resource 6.1Investigation: Input and Output at the MallStudent Name:________________________________________________ Date:_____________Directions: The table below gives some information about different types of computer input and output devices that you might find at a large shopping mall. In addition to naming the type of business and the type of device, describe how these devices are used to make businesses more efficient and to keep you, the customer, happy. To add other types of devices, use the back of this page or another sheet of paper.Type of BusinessType of Input / Output Device(s)Benefit(s) of DeviceGame arcadeBar code readers (input)Monitors/screen displays (output)Touch screen (input)Gift card/credit card reader (input)Restaurant with karaokeConvenient and fast way to get cashDocument-processing business such as FedEx Kinko’sKiosk with touch screen (input and output)Student Resource 6.2Reading: Learning about PeripheralsThis presentation introduces many of the peripherals available to consumers today.A peripheral is any device that is not an essential part of the computer but can be added to expand the input and output functionality of the computer. Input is information that you put into the computer (for example, when you type, or click a mouse). Output is information that the computer puts out for you (like what it displays on the monitor). A third type of peripheral is storage devices.Examples of peripherals are monitors, printers, keyboards, mice, scanners, and disk drives. Storage peripherals include external hard drives or flash drives. Peripherals are important because we need them to enter data into a computer (using a keyboard or a mouse, for example), and we need them to get output from a computer (by looking at a screen or a printed document, for example). And in the case of storage peripherals, they easily and quickly increase our storage capabilities.Despite the development of alternative input devices, such as mouse, touch screen, pen devices, character recognition, and voice recognition, the keyboard remains the most commonly used and most versatile device for direct (human) input into computers.Keyboards are also used for computer gaming. Gamers can use either regular keyboards or keyboards that have special gaming features that speed up frequently used keystroke combinations. The mouse is a form of pointing device. You control the cursor on the screen by moving the mouse, and make selections by clicking, double-clicking, or right-clicking objects on the screen or by dragging objects around the screen.Optical mouse: Uses a tiny camera to measure movement and position of an optical light. Inexpensive, reliable, able to process information quickly. Laser mouse: Uses a tiny camera to measure movement and position of a laser light. Reliable, fast, precise, more expensive than optical mice.Trackball mouse: Has a ball on top of the mouse that’s used to move the cursor. The advantage of this mouse is that it can stay in a single place, so it works well for people with small desks or limited space.Mechanical mouse: Uses a tiny rubber ball to calculate distance and position. These are no longer in use because dirt easily obstructs the mechanical parts, and they process information much more slowly.Many mice are wireless like the one on the left side here. Instead of a cable, they use radio frequencies (RF) to transmit information. Such mice require two components: a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter, inside the mouse, sends a signal to the receiver, which usually connects to the computer through a USB port. The receiver can also be an expansion card or can be built in. The receiver on this slide looks like a USB flash drive. Other pointing devices include a TrackPoint, a stylus (in older computers, this was called a light pen), and a joystick or similar game controller.LCD monitors are just like LCD televisions: images are displayed by liquid crystal display. CRT (cathode-ray tube) monitors are an older style that is less common today. Just like older TVs, they have a CRT that displays the image. Both monitors work well, though LCD monitors have a brighter, crisper picture, are much lighter weight, use less power, and take up considerably less room than CRT monitors. Some modern LCDs also support touch-screen input, using technology similar to that of an iPad or a smartphone.LED monitors look almost exactly the same as LCD monitors but are lighter and brighter than LCD displays. This makes them useful for displays panels in places where there is a lot of light.CRTs are bulky and heavy. The CRT operates by sending an electron beam to the inner surface, which is coated with a special phosphor substance. The impact of the beam causes the screen to “flare” at that point. As this flare is caused by the release of a small amount of radiation, there were some health concerns about sitting too close to a CRT.The detail (resolution) of a picture improves as the number of pixels increases, as you can see in the illustration. The monitor’s resolution can be changed through operating system settings.Image retrieved from on June 6, 2012.Printers and scanners add enormous value and utility to any computer system. After all, everyone needs to print sometime.Many consumers and small offices choose multifunction printers, shown on the left. An all-in-one multifunction machine can print, scan, copy, and fax documents. People who do not need or want all of the functions of a multifunction machine often choose separate printers and scanners. The printer shown on the right is an inkjet printer. Inkjet printers are usually inexpensive, which makes them attractive to many buyers. They print by spraying tiny droplets of ink (usually around 600 dots per inch) onto paper.Laser printers are another printer option. They print by using heat to transfer and attach toner from a drum to paper. Color inkjet printers are less expensive than black-and-white laser printers and far less expensive than color laser printers.Scanners (see middle picture) are used to digitize two-dimensional objects, like photos and documents.In the past, floppy disks were the main way users could store and load software. The picture on the top left shows an old 3?-inch floppy drive (which replaced the even older 5?-inch floppy disks). In time, the CD-ROM drive replaced 3?-inch floppies. A CD-ROM was read-only; you could not write to it. These early CD-ROM drives were replaced with CD drives that had a powerful enough laser to both read from and write to a disc. Now, CD drives have largely been replaced by DVD drives. Blu-ray drives, the latest technology, are designed for high-definition audio and video.This is all good news for computer users. A 5?-inch floppy can hold only 800KB. A 3?-inch disk can hold 1.4MB. A CD-ROM can hold 737MB. A DVD can hold 4.7GB if one-sided or 8.5GB if double-sided. And a Blu-ray disc can hold five times the amount of data that a traditional DVD can hold, from 50GB to more than 200GB. External disk drives give users many options for storing data. The drives shown on this slide are (clockwise, from upper left):An external hard drive. It works just like an internal hard drive, but is portable. An external DVD drive. This optical drive uses optical light to read DVDs and to write (or “burn”) DVDs full of data. A USB drive (also called a thumb drive or flash drive). This is a tiny device that can hold up to 256GB of data. USB drives that hold 16GB or 32GB can be purchased for under $20.DVD drive image retrieved from and reproduced here under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Original photograph taken by Felipe La Rotta in March 2009. Wireless technology has become popular for many types of peripherals. You can link together speakers, headphones, and external cloud storage for your computer, all without a single wire. Bluetooth has become a standard brand name when talking about wireless pairings, particularly with smartphones and other mobile devices. Newer cars often have Bluetooth installed in their stereo and speaker systems. You can just sync your phone with your car and you don’t even need a wireless headset. Bluetooth technology can also be found in gaming consoles, tablets, and televisions.Different sized bays are designed to hold different types of equipment, including DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD-RW, and Blu-ray drives. Most desktop computers have a DVD drive as the primary optical drive; the ability to read and write to the DVD can be optional. Blu-ray drives are often the secondary optical drive. Use what you learned in this presentation to start thinking about what peripherals are essential for the personal technology system of your dreams, and what would be nice to have. Remember that all computers need peripherals to input and output data.Student Resource 6.3Reading: Overview of PeripheralsWhat Is a Peripheral?A peripheral is a device that is attached to a host computer but is not part of the computer and is more or less dependent on the host computer. Often peripherals attached to desktop computers are outside the case and connected via cables or a wireless connection. Laptop computers usually have peripherals such as the keyboard, touchpad, and monitor already built in. Peripherals are commonly divided into two groups: input devices and output devices. An input device is any piece of hardware that is used to enter data into a computer. An output device is any piece of hardware that “plays back” the result of computer processing in the form of text, graphics, video, or audio. Standard Input DevicesThe most common types of input devices are keyboards and pointing devices (such as a mouse or a touchpad). With a keyboard, you can type text, select commands, and move around in a document. Most English-language keyboards use the QWERTY layout, which gets its name from the order of the keys in the upper-left portion of the keyboard.A mouse is used to perform tasks such as starting programs, selecting text, and moving and resizing items. You can point, click, double-click, and drag items on the screen with a mouse. Mouse designs may differ slightly between manufacturers, but most mice for Windows computers have two buttons. Mice for Macintosh computers usually have one button. You can even purchase mice operated by remote control, which are useful for giving presentations.Most mice on the market today are either optical or laser. They have an optical or laser light on the bottom of the mouse, and a tiny camera that takes hundreds of pictures to track the position of the light. Some mice also have trackwheels, a wheel mounted on the mouse that allows users to scroll up and down within a selected window. Variations of pointing devices include the trackball and the touchpad. A trackball has a ball on the top of the mouse. You move the on-screen pointer by rolling the ball. A touchpad is activated by moving your finger around on the pad. Buttons below a touchpad are used for clicking. Specialized Input DevicesInput devices for specialized uses can be grouped into several categories: devices that allow people to use their hands to input data, optical devices that allow computers to use light as an input source, and devices that relate to audiovisual technologies.Input Devices Designed for the HandA game controller such as a joystick or game pad is a special input device used when playing computerized games. The joystick is a lever that can be moved in many directions to move objects on the computer screen. Game controllers in the shape of steering wheels provide users with the sensation of driving or flying through space. Some controllers, such as those for the Nintendo Wii, allow people to work the controller in a way that mimics the action on the screen. Touch screens accept information directly through the monitor. By touching pressure-sensitive areas on the screen, people can input data commands.Many portable computers use special “pens” as input devices. Instead of using ink, this type of pen (sometimes called a stylus) sends electrical signals through a touch screen. This pen can be used as a pointing device and, if the computer contains handwriting recognition programs, as a data-entry device. Handwriting recognition software enables the computer to change writing into digital characters.Optical Input DevicesMany businesses use scanning devices to input data. One of these, a bar code reader, works by scanning in a bar pattern called a universal product code (UPC). Bar codes are used on the packages or labels of products you buy. Each product has its own unique pattern. This enables the computer to match UPC information with product data stored in the computer (such as the item’s price) and display it on the cash register. Bar code readers are also used to track and locate packages quickly.Audiovisual Input DevicesExamples of audiovisual input devices include microphones, digital cameras, and digital video cameras. Microphones permit audio input, whether spoken words or ambient sound. (But if you want your computer to understand your speech, you will need a speech-recognition program.) Digital cameras capture images electronically on special memory disks instead of using film as regular cameras do. This means that digital cameras can capture and hold a lot more images at one time, and you don’t need to spend time and money having someone else develop your pictures. Digital photos can be transferred to your computer where they can be edited, stored, printed, added to documents, or easily sent to another person. One way that digital video cameras are used is for videoconferencing. People in different locations can see each other and discuss business matters as if they were in the same room. Videoconferencing saves companies a lot of time and money that would otherwise be spent on travel.Output Devices: MonitorsA monitor is a hardware device that displays information on a screen. Most monitors on the market today are flat-panel liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors. The older monitors that are much larger and heavier are cathode-ray tube (CRT) monitors.How Monitors WorkLCD monitors are used in both portable computers and desktop models. In an LCD, two transparent surfaces are located on both sides of a layer of cells containing tiny crystals. These crystals form images on the screen surface when electrical signals are sent to them.LED monitors look almost exactly the same as LCD monitors but are lighter and brighter. A light-emitting diode produces a colored light without the need for a glass surface. This makes LED panels useful for display in places where there is a lot of light. LED monitors became available in 2009. A CRT monitor is built around a vacuum tube that receives electrical signals from the computer. The signals cause a magnetically guided stream of electrons to shoot at the back of the screen. These electrons strike materials called phosphors, which glow and appear as points of light on the screen.Factors That Affect Image QualityThe quality of an image displayed on a monitor depends on a number of factors, including resolution, color depth, and screen size.Resolution refers to the sharpness of a displayed image. A monitor’s resolution is measured in pixels; the term pixel combines the words picture and element. Resolution is expressed with two numbers: the number of pixels that the monitor can display across the screen (horizontal) and the number of pixels that the monitor can display down the screen (vertical). The lowest possible resolution is the video graphics array (VGA) standard, 640 x 480. Most of today’s monitors use Super VGA (SVGA) resolution, which is 1280 x 768, or high definition (HD), which is 1920 x 1080.The amount of video memory your computer has affects the monitor’s color depth, which is the number of colors it can display at one time. The more video memory your computer has, the more colors it can display. This is because more memory allows for more data bits per pixel to be used. For example, with 4 bits per pixel, the monitor can show up to 16 colors. But with 32 bits per pixel, the monitor displays more than 16.7 million colors. Color depth is particularly important when it comes to viewing video.Screen size is measured from one corner to the opposite corner. Common sizes are 17-inch and 21-inch monitors. On CRT monitors, the area that can actually display images is an inch smaller than the listed size.Output Devices: PrintersMost printers in use today are nonimpact printers. They do not strike the page in any way but instead use a variety of other methods to place ink on paper. Two common types of nonimpact printers are inkjet printers and laser printers. Inkjet printers contain cartridges of liquid ink that is squirted onto the page. They offer a good mix of quality and affordability. Inkjet printers offer the least expensive way to purchase a color printer. Keep in mind, though, that output can sometimes smear if it is touched or dampened shortly after printing.Laser printers work in a similar manner as copy machines. As the paper is rolled around a drum, toner from the drum is applied to the paper using heat. Although this printer type may be more expensive than a comparable inkjet printer, it is dependable, durable, and high quality. You can also purchase color laser printers, but they are more expensive than black-and-white models and cost much more than color inkjet printers.Types of specialized, high-quality printers include photo printers, dye-sublimation printers, and plotters. Photo printers are popular among people who own digital cameras, because they are used to print color photographs. Dye-sublimation printers (or dye-diffusion thermal transfer printers), often used by professionals such as graphic artists and desktop publishers, create extremely sharp images by transferring colored ink to paper with heat. Though they are extremely high quality, they can be slow and expensive. A specially coated paper is required for both photo printers and dye-sublimation printers.A plotter is an output device that uses robotic arms to draw or print large documents such as architectural blueprints or engineering drawings.Older printers were called impact printers because they produced output by physically striking the surface of the page with some form of typewriter-like key or small pins emitted from a type head. Criteria for Evaluating PrintersWhen evaluating printers for purchase, you should consider the following:The print quality The speed (pages per minute)Whether you need to be able to print in color or just in black and whiteWhether you need to print on both sides of a sheet of paper (called duplexing)The initial cost of the printer and the cost of operating the printer (replacing ink or toner cartridges)The cost of a printer is related to its print quality and speed. You can find printers that start at around $50 and range upward to several thousand dollars. Print quality is measured by the number of dots per inch (dpi). Each character or illustration that gets printed is made up of many tiny dots. The more dpi, the higher the quality. Speed is measured by the number of pages per minute (ppm) that a printer can produce. As speed and quality increase, so does the cost of the printer. Also keep in mind that inkjet printers use ink cartridges, while laser printers use toner cartridges; replacements are needed when ink or toner runs low. Color toner can be extremely expensive compared to black-and-white toner or color ink.Devices That Input and OutputCombination or multifunction printers can act like a printer, a fax, a scanner, and a copy machine. Multifunction printers are especially designed for small businesses and home offices since they are relatively inexpensive.Touch screens combine an LCD monitor for output with a touch-sensitive surface for input. The touch-sensitive surface serves as a type of pointing device. However, while the pointing device is usually controlled by a “point and click” approach, the touch screen responds to gestures like swipes, taps, and pinches. A kiosk is a freestanding device with a touch screen that people can use to input requests for information; the information then displays on the screen.Student Resource 6.4Reading: Cables, Connectors, and PortsWireless Technology Goes PortlessAlthough ports and connectors are featured in almost all computer systems, wireless technology has reduced the need for cables, connectors, and ports in many situations. Wireless keyboards and mice are available, as are wireless networks. Wireless technology is convenient, and it obviously reduces the clutter caused by too many cables. The tradeoff is that if a wireless network is not properly secured, unauthorized users can consume the network’s bandwidth or visit questionable sites. Wired technology will continue to serve certain purposes, such as providing extra security and reliability.How Ports Are UsedWith wired technology, peripherals need to be connected to the computer so that data can be transferred back and forth. Peripherals are sometimes joined to a computer case using a cable—a group of wires inside a protective tube. Each cable has a plug, called a connector, on the end. This connector is inserted into a slot, called a port, which is usually located in the back or on the side of the computer. Ports are also referred to as interfaces. In other words, a port is a place where a connection is made between two devices so that they can work together and exchange information.Types of PortsThere are four main types of ports: serial, parallel, multidevice, and monitor ports. Serial ports move data one bit at a time. Although most newer systems have completely done away with the serial port in favor of USB connections, serial ports were often used to access the Internet by connecting the computer to telephone lines via a dial-up modem.Parallel ports allow the transmission and reception of data bits at the same time. Although most newer systems have also done away with the parallel port in favor of USB connections, parallel ports used to be the most common method of connecting a printer to a computer. As you would expect, a parallel interface can handle a much higher volume of data per second than a serial interface.Multidevice ports can connect several peripherals to a computer through a single port. An example of this type of port is small computer system interface, or SCSI, which is pronounced “skuzzy.” Universal serial bus, or USB, is another example of a multidevice port that works in a similar manner. A third variety is IEEE 1394, commonly known under the brand name FireWire, a port originally found on camcorders and now common on a few types of peripherals such as cameras and phones. Many devices that used to use FireWire because of its high data transfer speed abandoned it when USB became faster (USB 1.1 went to USB 2.0 and now to USB 3.0). A USB 3.0 port on your computer is usually labeled SS-USB.Instead of forcing the user to plug multiple expansion cards into the computer’s expansion slots, a SCSI or USB adapter extends the computer’s bus outside the case via a cable. Think of a multidevice adapter as an extension cord for the data bus. This enables you to plug one peripheral into another to form a chain—a process called daisy-chaining. Some SCSI, USB, and FireWire devices can link more than 100 peripherals in this way. If you need to link even more USB or FireWire devices together, you can do so by using a hub. Adapters also exist to convert USB to FireWire or vice-versa.Monitor ports send the video signal from the computer to the monitor. A digital visual interface (DVI) port sends digital video data between a computer and a monitor. Some computers use the high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) instead of DVI to send uncompressed digital data from a computer to a monitor or a digital television. Many computers, particularly desktops, also have a “phono jack” output port (colored red and white for audio and perhaps a yellow for video). Most computers also have a microphone input and speaker output for recording and playing music or sounds. Devices connected to these newer types of ports (FireWire, SCSI, USB) are usually plug-and-play devices. This technology allows the operating system to recognize a newly added device without requiring that the computer be rebooted. An Ethernet port is used for a different type of connection. It is used to connect to an Ethernet cable to make a wired connection to the Internet.The following pictures identify the ports on a desktop computer and a laptop computer. Can you find these same ports on your school computer and your home computer?Image courtesy of Managing and Maintaining your Computer blog, , included under fair-use guidelines of Title 17, US Code. Copyrights belong to respective owners. Image courtesy of Laptop-Computer-, , included under fair-use guidelines of Title 17, US Code. Copyrights belong to respective owners.Types of CablesAs mentioned previously, SCSI, USB, and FireWire ports enable users to connect many kinds of devices, not only to CPUs but also to each other. The cables used to connect these devices are named for the type of port they connect to (SCSI cables, USB cables, and FireWire cables). Although all of these cables move data from one device to another, they do not do this at the same speed.USB was introduced in 1995 and has become the standard interface for connecting peripheral devices such as smartphones and flash drives. Even the mouse, keyboard, printer, and external hard disk drives can be connected via USB ports. USB 3.0 is the latest specification and is 10 times faster than the previous USB transfer speed. USB was designed to provide a simple, low-cost connection, while FireWire was designed for high performance. USB connectors also provide power to a device while it is being used. This means that devices connected by USB may not need their own source of electricity.Some USB ports are high-speed combination ports that let you connect an external storage device such as a portable hard drive. These ports accept a USB or an external serial ATA (eSATA) connector.Although SCSI was once a common way to transfer data quickly on Macintosh computers and was one of many ways to transfer data on Windows computers, it is slow by today’s standards and is no longer used on new hardware.Types of ConnectorsThere are two basic kinds of connectors: male and female. A male connector has one or more exposed pins. A female connector has one or more sockets designed to accept the pins on the male connector. Most connectors are shaped so that they fit in only one direction. An RJ-45 network connector is another type of connector. Also known as an 8P8C, it is used to connect an Ethernet cable to a computer to provide a wired network connection.A good pictorial resource for this information can be found here: Resource 6.5Project Planner Page 2: Planning a Dream Personal Technology SystemStudent Names:_____________________________________________ Date:_______________Directions: This is the second part of the project planner that you will use to help plan your group’s dream personal technology system. In future lessons, you will add items such as operating system, productivity software, and software you need for activities such as creating graphics or listening to music. Fill in the spaces below to identify and plan for the peripherals you will buy for your dream system. List what you would buy and why you have chosen each item for your system. Remember to include all peripherals you will need, from the most basic to the most highly specialized.When telling about the peripherals you would choose, don’t worry about specifics such as model numbers, the exact keyboard you’d choose, or monitor size. You will be able to return to this later and make specific decisions about these elements as your other plans for the system take shape.What our system will be used for. What specific set of needs will our system address:Primary peripherals and use:Secondary peripherals and use:Reasons for these choices (you will be allowed to change your mind as you work):Student Resource 6.6Descriptive Paragraph: Must-Have Peripherals for My Group’s Personal Technology SystemDirections: This assignment gives you a chance to demonstrate what you have learned about peripherals and explain which peripherals you think your group’s system must have. Choose at least three peripherals (other than the keyboard, mouse, and monitor) that you think are essential, and explain why they are important and/or how they could be used in your group’s system, given the system’s purpose. Feel free to review your readings and notes (especially Student Resource 6.5, Project Planner Page 2: Planning a Dream Personal Technology System) when writing this paragraph. Think carefully about the different types of peripherals when making your choices. Be sure that you give reasons and examples explaining why these are the most important peripherals to include in the system.Make sure that your work meets or exceeds the following assessment criteria:The paragraph begins with a topic sentence that is interesting and provocative.The paragraph describes at least three peripherals that are essential to the system. Make your descriptions specific and relevant, use examples, and explain why each peripheral is needed.The writing maintains complete topic focus throughout the paragraph and ends with an insightful concluding sentence.The writing exhibits skillful use of new vocabulary in a way that is precise and purposeful.The completed assignment is neat and uses proper spelling and grammar. ................
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