In computingThere are many terms that you may not be very identified with but that you have used over time. A clear example of this are the peripherals. In simple words, they are just external elements to the computer that allow improving the use of such equipment.
Is considered peripheral to any set of devices that do not belong to the fundamental core of the PC. There are different peripheral ratings and each of them plays an important role in the use of a PC it means.
If you want to know what are peripherals, what are they for and even their different classifications, you should keep reading.
Index:
What are computer peripherals and what are they for?
In more detail, peripherals are all those devices with which a computer communicates with the outside and they also allow you to store information, serving as auxiliary memory of the main.
This type of external devices are totally independent from a computer and its use is so common, which are already considered part of it. An important point to note is that the connecting door or link of peripherals with your equipment, is through USB, COM, etc.
A clear example of peripherals is the mouse, camera, keyboard, flash drive and many other devices that we usually work with in conjunction with a computer.
How are computer peripherals classified and how are they different?
The term peripheral was implemented to refer to any device external to the computer that is optional to use but not essential. However, this has changed over time, since many of these elements have been become essential to a computer system.
So that you know in depth about them, next we will explain the five classifications of peripherals:
Input
The input peripherals are all those that are responsible for capturing and digitizing the data if necessary. They are entered by the user or by another device, and are sent to the computer to be processed.
The most common are:
- Keyboard: serve to enter orders and data into the computer. There are physical (the most common) or virtual keyboards (on-screen or touch keyboards). They come from the typewriter and each key corresponds to one or more characters.
- Mouse (mouse): is of use Handbook and it serves as data input or control device. It is used with one of the user’s two hands and the actions carried out through it are reflected with a pointer or arrow on the monitor.
- Scanner: It is used for turn into, through the use of light, images or any other document printed in a digital file. These files are processed with an optical character recognition program (OCR).
- Touchpad (touchpad): arose from use of mouse. As its name implies, it is a touch panel that allows the user to control a cursor or facilitate navigation on the computer. They are usually located at the bottom of keyboards.
- Fingerprint sensor: they are also known by the name of fingerprint sensor and are able to read, save and identify a user’s fingerprints to perform different tasks in the computer. For example, they serve as a security mechanism for unlock computer, an app, etc. Many computers include it.
- Webcam (webcam): is a small digital camera that connects to computers to capture images and transmit them on the Internet. Previously they were shown as independent devices that you could connect, however, today they come incorporated on many computers.
- Microphone: with the help of microphone, I know They record all the audios or sounds that you want to record with the help of a computer application.. In addition, it supports the use of speech or voice recognition to perform different tasks on the computer, such as browsing the web.
Outbound
For its part, the output peripherals they are in charge of receiving the information processed by the computer and reproducing it, so that it can be perceived by the user. There are many types of them, subdivided according to their functionality. For example, there are peripherals of visual, auditory and tactile outputs.
Next, we indicate some of the most used:
- Monitor: the screen or monitor is one of the main parts of the computer and on it project images, videos and all content that are handled on your computer. In more technical words, it is responsible for displaying the results or the graphics of a PC. There are different types of monitors: CRT, PDP, LCD, OLED, etc.
- Printer: with it you can produce copies of texts, graphics, documents, and all kinds of files stored electronically in physical. That is, with the help of the printer can be reproduced documents from the computer to the physical world, through paper or other printing materials.
- Speaker: It is used for listen to all the sounds emitted by the computersuch as music, sounds or error alerts, conferences, etc. The sound is transmitted by sound waves.
- Headphones: also known by the term “headphones”And it can be said that they are devices whose purpose is to allow the user both listen how to make sounds for two-way communication. One is used in each ear and they are detachable, that is, they can be connected and disconnected from a device whenever necessary.
In / Out
The input and output peripherals are those devices that allow both sending and receiving information from a computer. Their main function is store or save all the information made on the equipment.
Among the main peripheral input / output devices are:
- Touch screen: it’s just a screen that with a direct touch on its surface, allows data and command input to the device. In addition to that, it also shows the results that were previously entered. Contact with the touch screen can be established directly with your fingers or with styluses.
- Virtual helmet: are mostly used in video game and collect data from the computer to show them to the user. In turn, the user can make a movement that is picked up by the device and captured in the equipment to be used within the game or app. In this classification, the holographic glasses.
Storage
When referring to storage peripherals, you could say that they are all those that save the data used by the CPU once it is removed from main memory. This type of peripherals can be internal, portable or removable.
Some of the most common are:
- Flash memory: flash memory allows both the reading like writing multiple memory locations in the same operation. It is a technology used in USB sticks and solid state drives.
- HDD: is a device storage which is built into computers. In their origins they were removableHowever, nowadays they usually come sealed. They can be found from different recognized brands such as Toshiba, Seagate or Western Digital.
- Optical disc: they are not as fast as hard drives, but are characterized by encode, save and store information using lasers. Its price is usually lower to that of hard drives and provide even higher Storage capacity.
Communication
Finally, there are the communication peripherals. The main function of them is facilitate and allow interaction between two or more computers. They also allow communication with a peripheral external to the computer.
In summary, some communication peripherals are:
- Router: this device send and receive data, so you can current as a input and output peripherals. Many routers on the market have a built-in modem, so that only the router can establish an Internet connection.
- Network cards (NIC): also known as network interface boards or cards. It is responsible for connecting a computer to a wireless network. It also allows resources to be shared between two or more computers. They may be built into the motherboard or connected through expansion slots.
- Bluetooth: it is a feature that has become popular over time. Thanks to this technology, you can wirelessly stream files of all kinds from one device to another. Many computers today include this feature within their computers.
What are the main failures with peripherals and their possible solutions?
Like any device, peripherals can have failures for different reasons. Some are much more dangerous than others, so we want to list some of the main flaws along with possible solutions.
Let’s see below:
- Mouse failure: a very common problem that occurs with the use of mouse, is the difficult movement of the cursor. If the mouse is mechanic, there may be dust adhering inside the device, so the best solution is to try clean it very carefully.
- Keyboard failure: sometimes it may jam one or more keys while working on the computer keyboard. This is a response to a failure in the mechanical device, that is, to a failure with said key. The best solution is to clean it carefully.
- Failure with the modem: loss of Internet signal is one of the most common mistakes when we talk about modem. It can happen for multiple reasons such as the network being weak. In these cases, the best solution is contact the internet server.
- Headphone malfunctions: many times when we connect headphones to the computer, they may not be heard. The reasons for this failure are varied, but one of the most common is that have not connected correctly. To fix it, check that they are in the correct entry and, in case it doesn’t work, probably they have been damaged and you must replace them with new ones.