Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
A1: Function and uses of Digital Devices, A2: Peripheral devices and media…
A1: Function and uses of Digital Devices
Digital Devices
IT System
An IT system refers to all the hardware and software used for a particular purpose
Multifunctional Devices (MFD's)
Desktop vs Laptop
Desktop
Generally have more powerful processors for a lower price
Easier to expand, modify and upgrade
Screen is at eye level and user can work with a better posture
Less easy to steal and carry away
Have powerful GPUs (Graphics Processing Unit) for manipulating and editing images
Laptop
Originally less powerful and more expensive but becoming more powerful and cheaper
Have batteries and can be used where there is no power supply
Incorporate peripherals such as speakers and microphones which don't have to be bought separately
Portable and can be used in different locations
Used for a multitude of different functions (an office or school environment)
Servers
A server is a fast, powerful computer with extensive storage capacity. In a small network, the server will not look much different from the main processor box, containing the CPU and disk drive, supplied with a powerful PC. In a large network, the file servers could occupy acres of space for data storage.
Entertainment Systems
May refer to:
A home cinema that reproduces a movie theatre experience, using video and audio equipment
A desktop computer with software applications supporting video and music playback and games software
PC allows a user to:
watch cable and satellite television stations
record, pause and play back digital content
watch videos
listen to music
play games
Set top box
A set top box can receive television or Internet data by cable, satellite or telephone connection. It also provides two-way communication, allowing for interactive features
Television programmes can be recorded to a hard drive, allowing users to set series recordings, pause and restart programmes.
A video games console is a specialised computer system designed for playing interactive video games using a monitor, television or projector as a display.
Most consoles allow more than one player – this is often difficult to set up on a laptop.
Games consoles have many other uses such as browsing the web, playing DVDs and CDs, streaming movies and editing videos. Online games allow users to play against players from around the world.
Consoles use motion sensors for hands-free gaming and allow the use of virtual reality headsets for more realistic games
Digital Cameras
Digital cameras store images as a collection of pixels. The more pixels in the image, the better the quality of the photo, up to a certain point
Bluetooth connectivity on many cameras makes it easy to transfer images to another device.
The latest mobile phone cameras take images of between 7 and 12 megapixels.
Digital Devices that form part or all of IT systems:
multifunctional devices
personal computers
mobile devices
servers
entertainment systems
digital cameras – still, video
navigation systems
data capture and collection systems
communication devices and systems
Is an electronic device that can receive/ input, store, process data and/ or transfer/ output information
Data Capture Devices
Biometric Scanner
hardware used to capture the biometric for verification of identity
Example: Fingerprint recognition, especially as implemented in Apple's Touch ID for previous iPhones
Voice Recognition System
let consumers interact with technology simply by speaking to it, enabling hands-free requests, reminders and other simple tasks. Voice recognition can identify and distinguish voices using automatic speech recognition (ASR) software programs.
Example: Virtual assistants. Siri, Alexa and Google virtual assistants all implement voice recognition software to interact with users
Electronic funds transfer at point of sale (EFTPOS)
An electronic payment system involving electronic funds transfers using a debit or credit card, at payment terminals located at points of sale.
Example: Contactless payments
Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR)
It's a technology that reads vehicle registration plates to create location data. This information is captured by scanners or cameras then cross-referenced for a range of traffic and law enforcement purposes.
Example: Car parks
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
A wireless system comprised of two components: tags and readers. The reader is a device that has one or more antennas that emit radio waves and receive signals back from the RFID tag
Example: Barcode Scanners
Barcode Scanners
A hand-held or stationary input device used to capture and read information contained in a barcode
Example: laser scanners
Optical mark recognition (OMR)
An electronic method of gathering human-handled data by identifying certain markings on a document
Examples: paper tape and punch cards
Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
The process that converts an image of text into a machine-readable text format
Example: it scans and reads number plates and road signs in self-driving cars
Wearable Technology
Any kind of electronic device designed to be worn on the user's body. Such devices can take many different forms, including jewellery, accessories, medical devices, and clothing or elements of clothing.
Examples: Smart watches, VR headsets
Sensors
detect and respond to some type of input from the physical environment
Example: A thermostat in a house central heating system
Uses
Personal use: Black box car insurance
Young drivers who have recently passed their driving test often receive an extremely high, unaffordable quote for car insurance
young and newly qualified drivers are statistically more likely to be involved in an accident than any other group
the driver’s car is fitted with a small “black box” device about the size of a smartphone, which records speed, distance travelled, driving style while braking and cornering, type of road and time of day the driver most often travels, to build a comprehensive driver profile
Retail
The great majority of retail stores use digital technology to take cash and card payments at the till, including contactless payments
Many stores use handheld or fixed barcode scanners to scan items and adjust stock
quantities.
Most large supermarkets use self-service checkouts which allow the customer to scan the barcodes on products they have picked up off the shelves.
Barcode scanners are used in retail warehouses. Barcode technology is used to keep track of goods received or replenished and for picking, packing, shipping and returns.
RFID technology can be used on expensive products. In some stores the shopper can take an item into the fitting room and RFID technology identifies the item in your hands. It then provides you with a list of the available colours and sizes on a screen, answering your question before you’ve even asked.
Organisational use
Organisations typically use networked PCs for business systems, accounting, management information systems and internal and external communication. Laptops and tablets may be used by employees working from home or travelling
Creative tasks
Computers are used in hundreds of creative tasks from creating a simple PowerPoint presentation to creating a feature-length animated film, to designing the tallest building in the world.
Educational, personal and social use
Education
By 2014, it was reported that, according to research, around 70% of primary and secondary schools in the UK were using tablet computers.
There was some evidence that the tablets helped to motivate pupils who might otherwise be
disengaged, and when pupils took the tablets home, this increased the involvement of families.
Many classrooms are equipped with projectors which can be used to project the image from the
teacher’s computer screen.
In many classrooms, interactive whiteboards have largely replaced blackboards and whiteboards. They are said to increase the involvement and collaboration of the students in the classroom.
The use of mobile phones in schools has become a controversial issue.
Virtual learning environment (VLE)
A VLE allows students to access their documents from home on a PC or from anywhere on a mobile device
They can view department webpages, find and use important resources for their homework or coursework and view the latest school notices.
VLEs can be used successfully to deliver university and college courses remotely, and there are many
different implementations.
A2: Peripheral devices and media
Input and Output Devices
Input Devices
Barcode Readers
Two different kinds of barcode. Linear barcodes can be read using a handheld barcode scanner or a laser scanner, as for example at a supermarket checkout.
2D barcodes, such as the Quick Response (QR)
can hold more information than the linear
barcode and are commonly used, in ticketless entry to events.
They can be read with a QR barcode
reader or camera-enabled smartphone with QR reader software.
A QR code is able to hold information in both
the vertical and horizontal directions.
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
RFID tags use electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects, clothing or animals.
Most RFID tags must be read within a few centimetres of the reader. Some RFID tags can be read without line of sight from up to 300 metres away, and pass information from the stored data on the tag to the receiver and vice versa.
An RFID tag is comprised of two parts: an antenna for transmitting and receiving signals, and an RFID chip (integrated circuit) which stores the tag’s ID and other information.
A separate RFID antenna is necessary in any RFID system. This is a dumb device which uses power from the reader to transmit and receive signals from the RFID tags.
An RFID reader can be fixed or handheld. Most fixed readers require an Ethernet cable in order to send and receive data
A fixed reader typically
has two, four or eight port readers to support two, four or eight antennas.
The smallest tags are about the size of a grain of rice and can be injected under the skin for the identification of a pet.
Microphone
Voice input and output is becoming increasingly common. It can be used for giving commands, for example to a car navigation system or an Amazon Echo device.
The device can be trained to recognise what its owner is asking when they say any of a collection of phrases such as “Alexa, switch on the lights!”
Output Devices
Printers
Laser printers and inkjet printers are the most common types of printer used in routine office or school work, or at home.
The major expense, after purchasing a printer, is the cost of the ink for an inkjet printer or toner for a laser printer.
Speakers
Speakers are used to output music, beeps, alarm or warning signals and also voiced commands and
explanations.
. Spoken text and voiced descriptions of images on screen can make a website more accessible to
a blind person or someone with low vision.
Monitors
Some users may have multiple monitors on their desks with different orientations so that they can, for example, view a page of text in portrait view and at the same time, work on an image or search the Internet on another screen on their desk
Manual Data Processing
Manual data processing typically involves entering data, processing it either manually or using software, and generating output. Processing survey results, for example, may be done partly automatically and partly manually.
Automatic Data Processing
Data entered by an operator responding to a telephoned order from a customer
Once a telephone order has been entered, Sales Order Processing software can automatically
generate all the relevant paperwork such as picking lists, delivery notes, and invoices.
Decision-making Algorithms
Thousands of decisions, from navigating self-driving cars to selecting candidates for job interviews or deciding on the length of a custodial sentence are performed entirely automatically
using complex algorithms.
Automated Meter Reading (AMR)
Accurately measure a customer’s energy use and send readings directly to the energy supplier.
For the supplier, this eliminates the need to send someone round to every customer’s house to read the meter every few months.
For the customer, it means they no longer have to read the meter themselves and send the reading to the supplier, or receive estimated bills. They receive an accurate bill every month.
Payment may be made by Direct Debit, another example of automatic data processing. The correct
payment is automatically taken from the customer’s designated bank account
Data processing : Manual and Automatic
Manual
Manual data processing typically involves entering data, processing it either manually or using software, and generating output. Processing survey results, for example, may be done partly automatically and partly manually.
Data entered by an operator responding to a telephoned order from a customer
The entire process of data collection, filtering, sorting, calculation, and other logical operations are all done with human intervention and without the use of any other electronic device or automation software.
Automatic
Automated data processing is using a workflow automation platform to collect, process, organize and store data as per requirements. Automatic Data Processing eliminates the manual requirements of handling data and handles all manual data processing tasks easily
Examples of automated data processing applications in the modern world include emergency broadcast signals, campus security updates and emergency weather advisories.
Communication Devices
FFTC- Fibre to the Cabinet
An internet connection that runs along fibre optic cables from the telephone exchange to the (usually green) roadside cabinet
It is known as a reliable, high quality connection with superfast speeds up to 80 Mbps for downloads and 20 Mbps for uploads.
FTTP- Fibre to the Premises
Equipment used in fibre access deployments where fibres extend all the way to the end-user premises and the equipment is designed and optimized for use in residential applications
Router
A device that connects two or more packet-switched networks or subnetworks. It serves two primary functions: managing traffic between these networks by forwarding data packets to their intended IP addresses, and allowing multiple devices to use the same Internet connection.
Switch
A network switch connects devices in a network to each other, enabling them to talk by exchanging data packets. Switches can be hardware devices that manage physical networks or software-based virtual devices.
NIC- Network Interface Card
A circuit board or card that is installed in a computer so that it can be connected to a network
WiFi
A wireless networking technology that uses radio waves to provide wireless high-speed Internet access
WAP- Wireless Access Point
Helps in accessing wireless data through all the communication networks. It is a communication protocol and helps maintain the connection of mobile devices in the network and the internet.
LAN- Local Area Network
A collection of devices connected together in one physical location, such as a building, office, or home. A LAN can be small or large, ranging from a home network with one user to an enterprise network with thousands of users and devices in an office or school.
WAN- Wide Area Network
A computer network that connects smaller networks. Since WANs are not tied to a specific location, they allow localized networks to communicate with one another across great distances.
Leased lines
A dedicated data connection with a fixed bandwidth. It enables small, medium, and large businesses to connect to the internet in a secure, reliable, and highly efficient manner, with maximum download capacity, resilience, and uptime.
Satellite Internet Connection
A wireless connection spread across multiple satellite dishes located both on earth and in space, they provide remote areas of the planet with valuable access to core networks. This keeps them connected, providing them with access to up-to-date information and communication systems.
Mobile Broadband
Wireless Internet access delivered through cellular towers to computers and other digital devices using portable modems.
Bluetooth
A telecommunications industry specification that describes how mobile devices, computers and other devices can easily communicate with each other using a short-range wireless connection
PAN- Personal Area Network
Connects electronic devices within a user's immediate area. The size of a PAN ranges from a few centimetres to a few meters. One of the most common real-world examples of a PAN is the connection between a Bluetooth earpiece and a smartphone.
Infrared Connection
A wireless mobile technology used for device communication over short ranges. IR communication has major limitations because it requires line-of-sight, has a short transmission range and is unable to penetrate walls. IR transceivers are quite cheap and serve as short-range communication solutions.
Accessibility Devices
Touch Screens (Motor)
An electronic display screen that is also an input device. A user interacts with the computer, tablet, smartphone or touch-controlled appliance by using hand gestures and fingertip movements to tap pictures, moving elements or type words on the screen.
Adapted keyboards (Motor)
commercial keyboard that has been modified to allow a user with special needs accessibility to their computer system. Modifications could include: bright coloured keyboard, easy-to-read labels, ABC layouts, and customized overlays.
Keyboard overlays (Motor)
Often used as a quick and easy way to input items with just two buttons. Overlay keyboards generally consist of a flat grid of unmarked buttons. A sheet called an overlay is placed on the keyboard to identify each key, after the keyboard is programmed.
Head pointers (Motor)
lets you move the pointer on the screen using the movement of your face or head, as detected by the camera that's built into or connected to your Mac. For example, if you move your head to the left, the pointer follows in that direction on the screen.
Eye tracking sensors (Motor)
A sensor technology that can detect a person's presence and follow what they are looking at in real-time. The technology converts eye movements into a data stream that contains information such as pupil position, the gaze vector for each eye, and gaze point.
Braille keyboard (Visual)
A specific type of keyboard for people who use braille.They look a lot like standard computer keyboards, but the keys have raised braille dots on them.
Braille Embosser/Printer (Visual)
Prints Braille documents from a computer, and is used by those who are blind, or anyone needing to produce Braille documents for the blind.
Braille Display (Visual)
A piece of hardware that turns text on a screen into Braille, generally connecting to a computer or cell phone via USB or Bluetooth. The display uses a system of raising and lowering pins in order to create Braille characters.
Foot mouse (Motor)
A type of computer mouse that gives the users the ability to move the cursor and click the mouse buttons with their feet.
Sip and puff device (Motor)
A form of switch system that sends signals through air pressure by having users sip (inhale) or puff (exhale) through a tube, straw or wand.
Trackballs (Motor)
Computer cursor control device used in many laptop computer keyboards and older versions of computer mice. The device comprises a ball held by a socket containing sensors to detect a rotation of the ball
Noise cancelling headphones (Auditory)
Helps people with auditory impairments by removing or reducing unwanted noise which could help them hear better
Vibrating/Haptic Feedback (Auditory)
the use of advanced vibration patterns and waveforms to convey information to a user or operator
Flashing Light/Indicator (Auditory)
used to indicate the correct operation of an application, failure or simple status of machinery
Assistive Technology and Software
Speech recognition software
Converts words spoken into a microphone into machine-readable format. Speech recognition products can provide an appropriate computer input method for some individuals with a wide range of disabilities
Screen magnifiers
For people who have impaired vision but still have some sight, a screen magnifier can help them to access and interact with digital content such as websites or documents. Screen magnification works by zooming in on the whole screen or sections of a screen as if you are looking through a magnifying glass.
Screen readers
A technology that helps people who have difficulties seeing to access and interact with digital content, like websites or applications via audio or touch. The main users of screen readers are people who are blind or have very limited vision.
Modified user interface
Enhances the colour contrast of text, buttons, and other elements so they are more distinct and easier to identify
Text to speech software
A computerized, algorithmic process that converts digital text to audio output resembling human speech, such as the audio generated by screen readers
OCR software
OCR stands for "Optical Character Recognition." It is a technology that recognizes text within a digital image. It is commonly used to recognize text in scanned documents and images.
Storage
Primary Storage
RAM (Random Access Memory
Volatile
Faster than secondary storage
Always on the Motherboard
DRAM
Standard
SRAM
Fast
Near processor
Storing apps / files in use
Secondary Storage
Magnetic Media
HDD (Hard Disk Drives)
Internal / External
Cloud storage
On HDD
Magnetic Tape
Backup media
Optical Media
DVD
11.7 GB
Blu-Ray
25.30 GB
CD
700 MB
Transistor based Media
SD Cards
Cameras
Phones
SSD (Solid State Drive)
High reliability
Expensive
Flash memory drive
