Index:
UPDATED ✅ Do you need to know all the input devices and peripherals of your PC? ⭐ ENTER HERE ⭐ And learn all the complete information
We have already seen on other occasions what a peripheral is. This time we will delve deeper into one of the types that we find: the peripherals or input devices of a computer.
These who they make it easier for a team to have information from abroadare increasingly numerous and sophisticated and, without a doubt, they have served to make it very convenient for us to interact with computers, making their use much simpler, more comfortable and more efficient.
In these lines that you will see below we detail what are they, what are these devices for and we will classify them for yougiving you a number of examples so that you understand how each one works with respect to the user and also with respect to the equipment to which they connect and send the information.
What are the input peripherals of a computer and what are they for and what functions do they have?
A peripheral is defined in computing as an additional device, that is not considered essential. However, it is clear that, with the way we interact with computers, we can say that some of them are necessary, extensions of the main system. Can you imagine using a computer without a keyboard or without a monitor? How would we give orders and see what we are doing?
Definition
An input peripheral on a device that connects to a computer and is capable ofwith it, and making use of different detection techniques, to transfer different data, taken from the outside and related to the user, to the equipment in question.
Thus, any element that we plug into a computer (or other device) and that serves to enter data into it would be an input peripheral. After that, the computer processes that information in different waysalways depending on the software that we use for it, which depends, in turn, on the type of information that we are entering.
A) Yes, we have that they are a form of communication of the team with the external environment, being essential for the internal hardware to know what the user wants. Therefore, it allows unidirectional communication.
Functions
- We have already seen the function capture all kinds of information from an external medium. However, this information is very diverse, as are the different ways in which it is captured and processed. Thus, we have that the capture function is carried out in different ways, including the reading of key presses or buttons, pinches, gestures, phonemes, recognition…
- On the other hand, we have to not only capture data. These are also digitized; that is, they are transformed from their original form to one that can later be read, interpreted, and used by the computer or equipment it reaches.
- Finally, and continuing in the same process, we have that these peripherals, after capturing and digitizing data, They are also responsible for sending these and their arrival at the corresponding system..
In other words, although we are talking about something that is done in a thousandth of a second, the device fulfills three different functions, although these are part of a process with a single purpose.
Types and examples of computer input peripherals
We can create a categorization to encompass the many input peripherals that exist. Thus, we would have keyboards, pointing devices, composite devices, sound input devices, image and video input devices, and great freedom.
Keyboards
These devices include keys that allow you to digitize graphics such as letters, symbols and numbers. Additionally, other command keys are also included that allow you to give orders in relation to the configuration of the equipment and other functions such as working on brightness, volume, forward and backward, etc. These may differ in various aspects such as the way the keys are marked, the flexibility of the device itself, its connectivity, special for video game players…
basic keyboard
Includes the keys that are considered basic todaythese being those of letters, numbers and certain symbols as well as basic functions for efficient use on a computer (Start, Caps Lock, arrow keys, Escape…).
extended keyboard
In addition to the 104 basic keys other different variables have been included and that cater to functions not so related to writing, for example, buttons to skip songs, activate Airplane Mode, Macro keys for video games, Play/Pause…).
keyboard with touch pad
It would be considered a peripheral of freedom for combine two peripherals of different use such as the keyboard and the pointer.
pointing devices
These devices used to point or point, just as its name suggests. This allows us to precisely specify the position we want to mark.
These are divided into:
- direct relationship. We have an exact match between the exhibition space and the entrance space. This means that the device works in a space identical to that of the computer.
- indirect relationship. The work space is not the same as the exhibition space.
compounds
They are the ones combine what could be various peripheral input devices, including levers, buttons and more. seek to perform different functions within the same procedure.
sound input
They take care of capture the ambient sound to send it to the computer and digitize it. Said sound can be recorded momentarily to make the transit or be saved in the form of a file, which could be executed later.
Image and video input
Identical to the previous ones in operation, with the exception of capture, in this case, video and/or images.
of great freedom
Are those that cause other types of information to enter the computer and, at the same time, we also talk about input peripherals with great freedom to those who include a single device input functions that are diverse and would not usually correspond to the same type or when modifications and improvements are included.
Biometrics
They work analyzing biological parameters to identify people. Once we have seen a way to classify them, We will finish by giving you several examples of each of the types that we have just seen.
Mouse
The mouse is the quintessential example of an indirect pointing peripheral. East it connects to the computer and we can see in this the path we are making when moving the device. With the, we point to the points we want to selecteither to open them, drag them or simply rest the pointer on them.
Optical pencil
It is another pointer element that acts as a mouse, but working on touch screens. Its conductive tip emulates the electrical charge of our finger while not leaving a residue of natural oil from our hands on the screen.
Gun
The operation is similar to the mouse, so it is an indirect pointer peripheral. The touch point can remain visible (usually with a dot or crosshair) or appear only when the trigger is pulled.
Touch screen
It is a direct pointing peripheral. The touchscreen reflects the entire logical set of the equipment, so that when we point at one of its parts we repeat the exact movement on the identical logical part.
Joystick
It is a game controller. Due to their characteristics, the most conventional would fall into the category of composite peripherals, since include both push buttons and levers that work for the same purpose.
game pad
If we go one step further we have the gamepads, which are authentic wonders provided with all kinds of elements that determine various functions, from the classic 4-way movement to the choice of macros. In this case, due to the versatility of the activities that are carried out, we would be facing a device with high freedom.
paddle
It’s a very rudimentary control (and still considered composite) that includes a wheel to emulate movement from side to side and buttons to perform action and/or selection.
Steering wheel
The steering wheel that is used to improve the experience in racing video games that we run on the computer. Despite having various functionalities, it is considered composite and not high freedom because all its functions have a common objective, driving. A separate case would be those that include other commands, then, yes, becoming freedom commands.
Wii Remote
if you have seen the Wii remote you will know that it includes everything, including memory chip; in fact, it is the console’s only controller. Of course, this would be a high freedom element. It is not a computer peripheral but it is worth mentioning so that you clearly understand how it works and what we mean when we talk about this type.
MIDI
There are MIDIs (so called also the instruments that include the homonymous system Musical Instrument Digital Interface) that do not require a connection to a computer as we know it today. Others, however, they connect to the computer to be used, sending, with our actions, musical information in multiple channels.
Microphone
It is a device capable of capture our voice and the rest of the elements of the medium (being, therefore, sound input) and send them to the equipment once these waves have been digitized. Once on the computer, you can save a copy or not of what has been captured, although this is no longer the role of the peripheral.
Speech recognition
This acts, obviously, also using a microphone. What is achieved is that the linked assistant recognizes the words we sayso that we can do a large number of things, among them, some that we would already do with other peripherals such as searching, opening folders… etc.
In this case, it is an input element because it collects information from the outside like a microphone, although it does not physically exist as such; it would be software that requires hardware to function.
Webcam
Cameras or webcams are devices that collect video information (usually they also take snapshots) to digitize it and broadcast it at the moment or, using some software, to store this information as video (or image).
fingerprint sensor
Although it is usually used in other devices, the truth is that there are also some computers that include a fingerprint sensor on their touch screen. East works by memorizing your digital mark and comparing it with the one you enter every time you want to access the device or any of its functions that are blocked with this security system. It is therefore a peripheral biometric
gesture recognition devices
They are essentially used for games but are also starting to appear in other scenarios. They are biometric devices that analyze the gestures we make and, if they match those stored in a database, the function they are related to is carried out.
Scanner
The scanner is a device that allows you to make a 2D digital copy of real 2D or 3D elements. What it does is digitize what we want to later send the result to the computer, using simple software, in image file formats.
graphic palette
It is one of the high freedom peripherals because, although its base is pointing device (the pencil is used to point), the truth is that it includes the palette itself, which acts as a second pointing device that we could consider direct, although it is not quite so either, since it does not reflect the content of the system. Furthermore, this last It generally has some command buttons that facilitate interaction.
For this reason, and because of the number of actions that can be performed, we can consider it with a free peripheral, which allows us, in addition to designing (which is its main function), to perform other actions (although it is usual that we do not do them the possibility is there).
Hardware