Input and Output

Camera lens

A camera component that focuses the light that enters it into a point. Behind the point, the light spreads out again, eventually creating an upside-down image of the light that entered.

Camera shutter

A camera component that sits between the lens and the sensor, allowing light to enter for a short time.

Universal Serial Bus (USB)

A common interface used to connect peripherals, such as mice, keyboards, printers, and digital cameras to a computer.

Infrared

A communication technology that uses light waves to transmit information through the air.

Photosensitive material

A light sensitive surface used to capture the image focused by the lens.

Inkjet printer

A printer that sprays small dots of ink from an ink reservoir onto a sheet of paper.

Laser printer

A printer that uses electrical charges and heat to fuse tiny plastic particles (called toner) to the paper.

Bluetooth

A short-range wireless communication technology used to connect peripherals such as wireless headphones, speakers, keyboards, mice, smart watches, printers, and game controllers to a computer, including smartphones.

Speakers

Another type of output is audio. Modern computing devices can send audio output to a set of speakers that can be integrated into the device itself or plugged into an external connector.

Digital Camera

Digital cameras and webcams can be connected to input digital images and video into the system. These devices are commonly connected to desktops and laptops using a USB, FireWire, or wireless connection.

DisplayPort/Mini DisplayPort

DisplayPort connectors have 20 pins and come in two sizes: the standard DisplayPort and a smaller Mini DisplayPort. These interfaces are used to send high-quality, digital video and audio signals.

Micro USB

Micro USB connectors are the smallest type of USB connector. They are commonly used for connections to mobile devices, such as tablets and phones.

RJ-45

Most computers provide a Registered Jack 45 (RJ-45) connector that allows you to connect the system to a network.

FireWire

Some computers provide a FireWire connector. FireWire is an IEEE 1394 interface standard for a serial bus for high-speed communications and isochronous real-time data transfer. It's connectors are rectangular in shape with a bevel on one end to keep you from inserting them the wrong way.

HDMI

The High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connector uses digital signals and is now available on a wide variety of devices such as computers, monitors, TVs, Blu-Ray players, etc. It requires a royalty to use. As the name implies, cables using an HDMI connector are used to transfer high-definition signals and supports both audio and video data.

USB Type C

The USB Type C specification was introduced in 2014. It is simpler than the previous types. Both ends of a Type C connector are the same and the cord allows bi-directional power flow, so a host device can charge a peripheral and a peripheral device can charge a host.

VGA Video

The Video Graphics Array (VGA) connector is designed for analog signals and has 15 pins. It is used to connect older or legacy monitors to a computer. You can identify this connector by its blue color and three rows of pins. VGA is not efficient at supporting high resolutions.

USB

USB devices are hot-swappable. This means you can plug and unplug USB peripherals while the system is running. The system will automatically detect the addition or removal of a device and make the necessary configuration changes..

High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connector

A connector now available on a wide variety of devices such as computers, monitors, TVs, Blu-Ray players, and more. HDMI is used to transfer high-definition signals. It supports both audio and video data.

Registered Jack 45 (RJ-45) connector

A connector used to connect a computer to a wired network.

Digital Visual Interface (DVI) connector

A connector, typically white with three rows of eight pins, designed to connect digital monitors to a computer.

Scanner

A device that scans paper documents and converts them into digital files.

Peripheral

A device, usually external to a computer, that is plugged into a computer's communication port or is connected wirelessly. Common peripherals are keyboards, mice, monitors, speakers, and printers.

Touch screen

A display device that allows a user to interact with a computer by touching, tapping, and swiping areas on the screen.

Keyboard

A keyboard allows you to send alphanumeric information to the system by pressing keys. When you press a key, the corresponding character is sent to the computer hardware. The software running on the system then does whatever it has been programmed to do with that keystroke.

Thunderbolt

An interface primarily used on Apple computers that connects a monitor to a computer and can also provide DC power.

FireWire

An interface used to connect peripherals such as digital cameras and external hard drives to a computer. It is no longer commonly used.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a short-range wireless communication technology used by many devices. It uses radio waves that operate between 2.4 and 2.485 GHz. Most Bluetooth devices have a range of about 30 feet. Bluetooth is able to operate without a direct line of sight between devices. This means there can be an obstruction between devices such as thin walls.

Digital Projectors

In today's world there is often a need to project images from a computer to a larger output, such as a wall or screen. These are often used a team meeting or for training purposes. The devices used to do this are called digital projectors or video projectors.

Infrared

Infrared (IR) communication technology uses light waves to transmit information through the air. The light used by IR devices is just beyond the visible red light spectrum, so it's invisible to us.

Inkjet

Inkjet printers spray small dots of ink from an ink reservoir onto a sheet of paper. Inkjet printers can produce high-quality output and are relatively inexpensive to purchase. However, they have several disadvantages.

Laser

Laser printers use electrical charges and heat to fuse tiny plastic particles (called toner) to the paper. Laser printers have the following advantages over other types of printers: They produce higher-quality print output. They can print documents much faster. They are ideal for large volume print jobs. Replacement toner cartridges are more economical than inkjet cartridges. They are better suited for sharing over a network. The ink is waterproof and doesn't fade. The output doesn't bleed into the paper.

Mini USB

Mini USB connectors are a smaller type of USB connector. They are commonly used for digital cameras and sometimes external hard drives. Cables with a Mini USB connector usually use a Type A connector on the other end of the cable to connect to the computer.

Scanner

Scanners can be connected to a computer to allow you to scan paper documents into digital files.

Thunderbolt

The Thunderbolt (TB) interface is compatible with DisplayPort and is primarily used on Apple computers. Thunderbolt ports can also provide DC power. They are mainly used for external displays, but they can also be used to connect other peripheral devices.

Monitor

The most common type of output device is the monitor. Information is usually displayed on a monitor screen as it's being processed by the computer. Laptop and mobile devices use an integrated screen, while most desktop systems use an external monitor connected to a video port.

Microphone

To record audio, a microphone can be connected to a desktop system using a USB connector, an audio jack, or a wireless connection.

USB Type B

USB Type B connectors have a square shape with a bevel on one edge to keep them from being plugged in the wrong way. They are designed for devices that are usually left plugged in for long periods of time

Self-powered USB devices

USB ports can provide power over the connection. USB devices can receive up to 500 milliamps of power from a USB 2.0 port and up to 900 milliamps of power from a USB 3.0 port. If a device can operate on this much power, it's considered a bus-powered device. This means the USB port provides 100 percent of its power.

USB Type A

Universal Serial Bus (USB) Type A connectors are rectangular in shape. One end is typically plugged directly into the computer. The other is plugged into a peripheral device. They are designed for devices that may be plugged in and out frequently

Printer

You use a printer to create a hard copy of the information processed by the computer. Data is sent through a wire or over radio waves to a printer. The printer receives the data, formats it, and transfers it onto a piece of paper.

DVI Video

he Digital Visual Interface (DVI) connector is designed to connect digital monitors to a computer, typically flat-panel. It is typically white with three rows of eight pins.

Mouse

The hardware within the mouse can keep track of its physical location on a hard surface. Using this information, it can determine how far you have moved the mouse and in what direction. This information is sent to the computer that moves the cursor on the screen accordingly.

Drivers

For some peripheral devices, you may need to load drivers before connecting the device for the first time. Drivers contain software instructions that the computer needs in order to communicate with the device.

Network

If a computer has access to a local network, either wired or wireless, you might install and configure peripherals to be accessed over the network.

Touch Screen

Touch screens are commonly used by mobile devices. A touch screen uses a special material overlaid on the top of the device's regular screen that can detect when you have touched it and where. As with a mouse, you can use touch screens to send data and commands to the device.