What is peripheral hardware device in a computer system?

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Peripheral devices are those devices that are linked either internally or externally to a computer. These devices are commonly used to transfer data. The most common processes that are carried out in a computer are entering data and displaying processed data. Several devices can be used to receive data and display processed data. The devices used to perform these functions are called peripherals or I/O devices.

Peripherals read information from or write in the memory unit on receiving a command from the CPU. They are considered to be a part of the total computer system. As they require a conversion of signal values, these devices can be referred to as electromechanical and electromagnetic devices. The most common peripherals are a printer, scanner, keyboard, mouse, tape device, microphone, and external modem that are externally connected to the computer.

The following are some of the commonly used peripherals −

Keyboard

The keyboard is the most commonly used input device. It is used to provide commands to the computer. The commands are usually in the form of text. The keyboard consists of many keys such as function keys, numeric keypad, character keys, and various symbols.

Monitor

The most commonly used output device is the monitor. A cable connects the monitor to the video adapters in the computer’s motherboard. These video adapters convert the electrical signals to the text and images that are displayed. The images on the monitor are made of thousands of pixels. The cursor is the characteristic feature of display devices. It marks the position on the screen where the next character will be inserted.

Printer

Printers provide a permanent record of computer data or text on paper. We can classify printers as impact and non-impact printers. Impact printers print characters due to the physical contact of the print head with the paper. In non-impact printers, there is no physical contact.

Magnetic Tape

Magnetic tapes are used in most companies to store data files. Magnetic tapes use a read-write mechanism. The read-write mechanism refers to writing data on or reading data from a magnetic tape. The tapes sequentially store the data manner. In this sequential processing, the computer must begin searching at the beginning and check each record until the desired data is available.

Magnetic tape is the cheapest medium for storage because it can store a large number of binary digits, bytes, or frames on every inch of the tape. The advantages of using magnetic tape include unlimited storage, low cost, high data density, rapid transfer rate, portability, and ease of use.

Magnetic Disk

There is another medium for storing data is magnetic disks. Magnetic disks have high-speed rotational surfaces coated with magnetic material. A read-write mechanism is used to achieve access to write on or read from the magnetic disk. Magnetic disks are generally used for the volume storage of programs and information.

There are some peripheral devices found in computer systems including digital incremental plotters, optical and magnetic readers, analog to digital converters, and several data acquisition equipment.

Updated on 27-Jul-2021 13:40:55

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Paul's passion for technology and digital media goes back over 30 years. Born in the UK, he now lives in the US.

What is a peripheral device? Here are 10 examples.

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What Is a Peripheral Device?

A peripheral device, also sometimes called an auxiliary device, is any connected device (internal or external) that provides a computer with additional functionality.

Peripheral devices fall into three main categories:

• Input devices, which send data to the computer.
• Output devices, which receive data from the computer.
• Input/output devices, such as storage devices.

10 Examples of Peripheral Devices

1. Mouse
2. Keyboard
3. Webcam
4. Microphone
5. Monitor
6. Speakers
7. Projector
8. Printer
9. USB Flash Drive
10. External Hard Drive

I go into more detail regarding each example below.

1. Mouse

A mouse is an input device that allows you to use point-and-click technology to interact with a computer. Modern mice usually have two buttons with a scroll wheel between them. This device was named a "mouse" because the inventors thought that the wire that connects the device to the computer resembled a mouse tail. Nowadays, mice often connect to the computer using wireless technology.

2. Keyboard

Keyboards are the most common input device. The user enters letters, numbers, and other symbols to give the computer information and instruction. Using a keyboard to enter a lot of information is called typing.

The keyboard works through push buttons or mechanical switches known as keys which, when pressed, send a signal to the computer. In the past, keyboards used to connect to the computer via a DIN connector, but nowadays they are more likely to connect via a USB port or be wireless.

3. Webcam

These input devices are video cameras that connect to a computer. They can be external or built-in. Webcams are most often used to enable people to see each other when communicating over the internet, or for recording video blogs, or making other videos.

As well as computers, webcams can also be built into mobile phones. The first webcam was developed in 1991 at the University of Cambridge. It was pointed at a coffee pot so that researchers from around the Computer Science Department could see if it was full before they got up from their desks.

4. Microphone

Microphones are audio input devices. The microphone feeds a sound signal to the computer, where it can be recorded, or streamed across the internet. Microphones are often built into laptops, webcams and mobile phones nowadays.

The earliest microphones were telephone transmitters invented in the latter half of the 19th century. Various designs were tried, but the first to have reasonable sound quality were (loose-contact) carbon microphones that were developed independently by David Edward Hughes in England, and Emile Berliner and Thomas Edison in the US.

5. Monitor

The most common output device, monitors enable users to interact with a computer more easily. The monitor essentially displays a signal sent by the computer in a visual format.

Monitors look similar to televisions in outward appearance, but typically have a higher display resolution than televisions, enabling greater visual detail, plus they lack a tuner to change channels. As with televisions, modern computer monitors use flat screen technology and have fallen in price in recent years.

6. Speakers

A computer speaker is another common type of output device. They typically come in pairs to provide stereo sound and sometimes with a subwoofer unit too in order to enhance bass frequency. Computer speakers usually have built-in amplifiers and therefore require a power supply, either from the mains, batteries, or via a USB port.

In the past, speakers normally received their audio signal via a 3.5 mm jack plug, but it's increasingly common nowadays for computer speakers to be wireless and use Bluetooth technology. Altec Lansing claim to have produced the first commercially available computer speakers in 1990.

7. Projector

Projectors are optical output devices that enable a roomful of people to see visuals generated by a single computer. As their name suggests, projectors "project" still or moving images onto a screen, blank wall, or other surface.

Digital projectors first came onto the market in the early 2000's and have now almost completely replaced older, pre-digital models. They are typically used for presentations, watching movies, or as a teaching aid, and usually connect to the computer via the HDMI port.

8. Printer

Printers are another common form of output device. They are used to generate hard copies of electronic data stored on a computer, most often text or images onto paper. The first electronic printer to be invented was the EP-101, released by the Japanese company Epson in 1968.

Inkjet and laser printers are two of the most common types of printer found today, with modern printers connecting to the computer via the USB port or WI-FI. The rise of other technologies such as email and data storage devices have somewhat diminished the importance of printers in recent years.

9. USB Flash Drive

Also called a thumb drive, gig stick, flash stick, pen drive, USB stick, jump drive, flash-drive, memory stick, or USB memory, the USB flash drive is a data storage device that consists of flash memory with an integrated USB interface. Small and light, USB storage drives are usually removable and rewritable.

Since their appearance in the year 2000, these storage devices have gradually increased their storage capacity, while falling in price. They are commonly used for transporting and transferring information and are durable, thanks to a lack of moving parts.

10. External Hard Drive

External hard drives are input/output storage devices that usually connect to a computer via USB. They hold relatively large amounts of data and plug and play drive functionality enables them to be easily used with a variety of different computers.

There are two categories of external hard drives: portable and desktop. Portable external drives are more compact, usually powered by USB and designed for transportation, whereas the desktop version is usually larger and needs external power bricks for power.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2019 Paul Goodman

Ahmed on March 04, 2020:

Thank u man :)

Stephen Daniel on February 18, 2020:

Awesome!!!!

anetu Mohammed on January 19, 2020:

This helped a lot

Kofi on November 27, 2019:

I was staying in USA.