Unit 3 – External Hardware Peripherals

Items In This Unit
Computer Monitor / TV
- Printer
- Plotter
- Scanner
- USB Memory Sticks
- USB WIFi Network Adapters
- SD Cards & Readers
- External Drives
- Pointing Devices
- Keyboard
- Gaming Devices
- Webcam
- Speakers / Headphones
- MIDI Keyboard
- Network Router
Computer Monitor / TV
Computer monitor projects computer-generated images and videos.
- Computer monitors come in various sizes anywhere from 5” to over 50”
- Modern monitors support various screen resolutions including include: 1280×720 (720p), 1920×1080(1K), 2560×1440(2K), 3840×2160(4K)
- Modern TVs can also be attached to computers and act like computer monitors
Printer
A printer is a peripheral device that creates a paper copy of computer text, images and graphics.
- 3 types of printers still dominate the computing world
- Dot Matrix printer applies ink via tiny rods striking an ink ribbon.
- Ink-Jet printer recreates a digital image by propelling droplets of ink onto paper and plastic substrates.
- A laser printer is a type of printer that produces high-quality text and graphics by repeatedly passing a laser beam
Printer Comparison
The following table provides a comparison between various printer types.
Printer Type
Metric |
Dot Matrix Printer |
InkJet Printer |
Laser Printer |
3D Printer |
Cost |
High |
Low |
Medium |
Highest |
Size |
Big |
Various |
Various |
Various |
Res. |
60 to 90 DPI |
300 – 720 DPI |
300 – 2400 DPI |
Smallest – High |
Speed |
Slow 100 – 400 cps |
Faster 2-20ppm |
Fastest 4-100ppm |
30 min to |
Utilizing |
Ink Ribbon |
Ink Cartridge |
Toner |
Plastic |
Popularity |
Popular in the 90s |
Very Popular |
Popular |
Gaining Traction |
Plotter
A plotter produces vector graphics drawings.
- Plotters draw lines on paper using a pen.
- Plotters use very large paper to plot engineering, architecture and other types of sophisticated drawings
- Plotters are typically used by engineers, and architects utilizing AutoCAD or other computer-aided design software.
Scanner
An image scanner or just scanner is a device that optically scans images, printed text, handwriting or an object
- The scanner converts what it sees to a digital image or to text files using the OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software
- Scanners are typically integrated into modern printers
USB Memory Sticks
A USB memory stick (or USB flash drive) is a data storage device that includes flash memory with an integrated USB interface.
- Compared with floppy disks or CDs, they are smaller, faster, have significantly more capacity, and are more durable due to a lack of moving parts.
- Most weigh less than 30 g (1 oz).
- USB memory sticks come in various sizes up to 2 TB
- Typically allow up to 100,000 writes/erase cycles.
- Often used for storage, data back-up and transfer of computer files.
USB WIFi Network Adapters
The USB WIFI Network adapters:
Provide WIFI network connectivity
- Useful when a wired connection is not possible
- Can get a better WIFI signal than internal WIFI adapters
- Portable
- Can be used by multiple computers
SD Cards & Readers
Secure Digital (SD) is a proprietary non-volatile memory card format developed by the SD Card Association for use in portable devices as well as computers with the help of SD card readers
- SD cards can store a similar amount of memory as their USB flash card counterparts (up to 2TB)
- There are three main types in the SD memory card family. SD, SD High Capacity (SDHC™), and SD Extended Capacity (SDXC™)
Card readers come either as an internal or external peripheral
External Drives
External drives comprise devices that store information outside a computer.
- External devices may be permanently attached to the computer, maybe removable or may use removable media.
- External drives or devices include:
- CD, DVD & Blue-ray external drives
- IDE External Hard Drives
- SSD External Drives
SSHD External Drives (hybrid SSD & IDE drives)
Pointing Devices
- One of the most popular pointing devices is a computer mouse
- Another common pointing device is a laptop touchpad
- Trackballs are another popular pointing device
- With the rise of mobile devices touch
the screen has become the most popular
pointing device
Keyboard
A computer keyboard is a typewriter-style device that uses an arrangement of buttons or keys to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches.
- Desktops typically have more keys than their laptop counterparts
Most keyboards use a “QWERTY“ key arrangement
Gaming Devices
A game controller is an input device used with video games or entertainment systems to provide input to a video game, typically to
control an object or character in the game.- Game controllers used with personal computers work the same way as game input devices for video game systems.
Game controllers are typically connected to a personal computer using the USB port
Webcam
A webcam is a video camera that feeds or streams an image or video in real-time to another computer either on a local network or the Internet.
- Webcams are typically small cameras that sit on a desk, attach to a user’s monitor, or are built into laptops.
New webcams come in 720p, 1k, 2k and higher quality
Speakers / Headphones
Computer speakers are typically a must-have peripheral to output computer sounds and music as most desktop computers do not come with speakers.
- Laptops already come with built-in computer speakers but are typical of low sound quality.
- Standard stereo headphones can be used with personal computers instead of computer speakers.
MIDI Keyboard
MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface
- MIDI is a standard adopted by the electronic music industry for controlling devices, such as synthesizers and sound cards, that create music.
- A MIDI representation of a sound includes values for the note’s pitch, length, and volume.
- MIDI keyboards allow musicians to create songs using a combination of computer programs along with an external MIDI keyboard attached to the USB port.
Network Router / Hub
A router is a networking device that connects computers to at least 2 networks and various computers.
- A network hub is similar to a network router but it only operates on a single typically home or office network
- The most common type of routers are home and small office routers
- Most modern routers allow you to connect by a network cable or by WIFI.
- Some internet routers provided by your internet provider also function as cable modems.
Unit Quiz:
Answer the following questions:
- What is the name of a peripheral that creates engineering drawings?
- What kind of keyboard device can be attached to a computer to create music?
- Can a hard drive be attached externally?
- Can you name one type of computer port that can help you store pictures on a particular external device?