Scanner Devices

5 uses of scanner devices

 The scanners are used to scan documents to the computer for further modifications and use.
 The documents are converted into a digital format which can later be shared via Google drives,
emails or uploaded online on other websites.
 In modern competitive exams, the answers can be scanned with the help of an optical card reader.
 The OMR [Optical Mark Reader] is an input device of a computer that is primarily utilized in the
examination for solving multiple-choice questions.
 The OMR converts these solved questions into machine-readable form.
 They are extensively used in libraries where scanners scan all important information related.
 They are used in malls, all the product-sensitive information can be captured using them like
product cost, manufacturing date, expiry date, batch number, etc.
 One scanner is available in the markets which is capable of scanning, and printing.
 Modern scanners can be connected to the computer system using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Infrared,
LAN, USB cables, TWAIN, parallel port, SCSI, etc.
 They are widely used as the qualities of scan documents are never compromised.

5 Benefits and Advantages of Scanners in Points

 The speed of modern scanners is pretty impressive, they can carry out multiple operations
simultaneously, without affecting another important working process.
 They are capable of storing and handling huge files and documents as they possess enough
memory to execute any operation and tasks given to them.
 As they work with tremendous speed they do not compromise the quality of scanned documents
they present therefore it is considered the major advantage of scanners.
 They are compact in size and hence can be installed in small spaces.
 They are highly portable and can be transferred from one location to another.
 They are extremely easy to use and handle.
 For further modification and viewing additional editing software is used on computers and
laptops.
 They can be easily connected to other devices like laptops, desktops, and notepads using USB
cables or parallel ports, or Wifi.
 The qualities produced by scanners are never compromised and hence widely used and accepted.

5 Drawbacks and Disadvantages of Scanners Computer Devices

 The major disadvantages of scanners are they are expensive and the latest model is not readily
available in the market.
 The scanned sizes of documents are huge and hence eat a lot of space in the hard disk drive.
 They are heavy on maintenance and a professional person is needed for repair.
 Some scanners take time for scanning documents.
 Low-quality scanners reduce the quality of scanned images.

Types of printers
A printer is a device that accepts text and graphic output from a computer and transfers the information to
paper. Printers vary in size, speed, sophistication, and cost. In general, more expensive printers are used
for more frequent printing or high-resolution color printing.

1. Laser Printers: A laser printer is a type of printer that uses a laser and electrical charge model
instead of the traditional printing of ink onto paper. Laser printers have increased the neatness
and sophistication of print projects, with typical resolutions of 600 dots per inch or higher. In a
laser print operation, a laser beam fires on a mechanical cylinder known as a photoreceptor. This
results in a pattern on the photoreceptor that gets coated with toner. Because of electrical charges,
the toner sticks to the paper in patterns that are dictated by the software used to print. Finally, the
paper is heated in order to fuse the toner to the paper. One of the biggest differences with laser
printers is that instead of liquid ink, they use a powdered toner element for printing. While laser
printers have brought higher capability to printing, they have also introduced new cost elements.

Pros of Laser Printer

 Performance: Laser printers are designed for printing large volumes. They are able to print
multiple pages without experiencing jams and other problems. In the future, it is expected to
see more performance while the reduction in the price.
 Speed: The laser beam which the laser printer uses is known to move at a very fast rate, thus
making the printing process faster. Compared to an inkjet or a dot matrix printer, laser
printers are way faster. Especially if you need to print high volumes of paper, then laser
printers will be the best option. Even the slowest versions of laser printers are able to print
around 20 sheets of paper per minute. High speed in essence can lead to more productivity
and efficiency as well.
 Reliability: Even though laser printer is a mechanical devices, they are more reliable and
durable. Unlike ink cartridges, toners are free from drying out and evaporating. They are by
default built to last. The toners can generally last for printing 1500-60,000 pages. If used with
proper care, a laser printer can last for many years.
 Overall Cost: Although the initial cost of a laser printer is higher, a laser printer can print
more papers for a cheaper price. Unlike inkjet printers, there are no ink cartridges used here.
The laser printers use toners that can print more paper than an ink cartridge of the same price.
 Quality: In terms of sharpness and quality, there is nothing that can beat a laser printer.
Especially texts can be seen more sharp and precise. This is mainly due to the usage of laser
technology that uses toners to get fused into the paper directly. Hence, it is completely free
from smears and smudges.
 Noise Emission: Most of the time while in operation, a laser printer produces no noise. It is
optimized in such a way that rarely emits noises. However, unless it is a quiet room the
noises are barely noticeable. While working these noises can be disturbing and distracting.
Cons of Laser Printer

 Implementation Cost: Laser printers involve high implementation costs. The average price of
a laser printer is almost 3 times that of an inkjet printer. That is the reason why inkjet printers
are more often preferred for home and personal use where there are lower levels of printing.
Especially for those that are color printers since they come with all-in-one functions.
 Paper Options: Not all types of paper can be utilized on a laser printer. There are specifically
designed laser papers for this purpose. If any low-quality papers are used, you will get at risk
 of damaging your printer. And also heat sensitive media are known to cause jams on a laser
printer.
 Physical Size: Generally laser printers are much heavier and bulkier compared to inkjet
printers. They contain imaging drums and other delicate components that make them larger.
Therefore, this limits their portability making them discourages to carry around.
 Graphics Handling: Although laser printers are able to produce simple color prints, they
cannot handle high-quality graphics images. This makes them not recommended for printing
photographs and other complex graphics materials. The only preferred option here is the
inkjet printer.
 Power Consumption: Laser printers consume a high amount of power even when it is idle.
This is because the fuser element inside the printer can get hot releasing heat. Eventually,
your room may get very warm. That is the reason why laser printers are not preferred use in
hot and humid climate conditions. However, the latest models of laser printers come with a”
Power Saver ” mode that helps printers save some power.
 Health Issues: Toners that the laser printer uses are dangerous to humans. This toner contains
powder particles that can be inhaled causing some health risks including respiratory diseases.
Additionally, since a high amount of voltage is required for the printer to function, there is
also ozone released constituting ozone layer depletion.

2. Inkjet Printers: Inkjet printers are a category of the printer in which printing is done with the help
of inkjet technology. The technology works by spraying ionized ink directed by magnetic plates
onto the paper, which is fed through the printer. As inkjet printers are more affordable than other
types of printers, they are commonly used as home and business printers. Inkjet printers are also
known simply as inkjets. An inkjet printer consists of a print head, ink cartridges, paper feed
assembly, belt, and stabilizer bar. Inkjet printers are capable of creating high-quality images and
high-resolution photos with vivid colors. They can work with most types of papers, although they
work best with high-quality papers.

Inkjet printers have many advantages. Compared to most printers, they are affordable and easy to
use. Similar to laser printers, inkjet printers are inherently quiet. They are great image printers
and are quick starters. They are ready to print and do not require any warm-up time. They are also
compact, generally requiring less space. With these features, they are more popular as home
printers.
There are certain disadvantages to inkjet printers. The print head is less durable in most cases.
Inkjet printer ink is expensive and can potentially dry up, causing not only wastage of ink but also
blockages within the printer. Also, compared to laser printers, they are slow to work and thus are
not considered suitable for high-volume printing.
Pros of Inkjet Printer

 More cost-effective than inkjet printers

 Increase productivity
 High printing speed
 Larger paper capacity
 Often expandable with paper trays, finishers, etc.
 Grow with your business
 Cons of Inkjet Printer

 May require short ‘warm-up times’

 largest footprint
 Using high voltage leads to little carbon emissions

3. Dot Matrix Printers: A dot matrix printer (DMP) is a type of printer which uses pins impacting an
ink ribbon to print. These printers are generally considered outdated, as they cannot create high-
quality prints and are costly as well. However, they have a certain specialty that other printers
like inkjet and laser printers do not have: as they use impact for printing, they can be used to print
multiple copies of text at the same time with the help of carbon copying. Therefore, they are
mostly used in places where multipart forms are required. A dot matrix printer is a type of impact
matrix printer. In a dot matrix printer, the characters and letters are formed by a matrix of dots. A
print head, which has many pins in it, moves in the required direction and strikes against a cloth
ribbon that is soaked in ink, making a mark on the paper. The dots are spaced closely in a
particular shape to make the intended character.

This looks quite similar to the printing mechanism of typewriters and

daisy-wheel printers. However, dot matrix printers are different in the
sense that many different characters and graphics can be printed. A
character printed by a DMP is actually an accumulation of many such
dots on a small area of the paper.
Pros of Dot Matrix Printer

 Can print on multi-part forms or carbon copies

 Low printing cost per page
 Can be used on continuous form paper, useful for data logging
 Reliable and durable
Cons of Dot Matrix Printer

 Noisy
 Limited print quality
 Low printing speed
 Limited color printing

Chip and pin device

• Smart card reader, but tend to be used only at EFTPOS terminals.

• Used to read cards with a chip
• Come with a keypad for entering the PIN and a small display to show instructions and indicate
progress of the transaction.
• Some chip and PIN readers have a separate magnetic strip reader slot. either down one side or
across the top or bottom of the reader.
Types of cards and their pros and cons

Advantages:

• • They allow secure transactions to take place, as without the PIN the transaction cannot proceed.
• • They save time in the transaction compared with using cash or cheque.
• • Chips are more robust than magnetic strips.

Disadvantages:

• • If the customer forgets their PIN, tlle transaction has to be cancelled.

• • The card holder needs to be very careful to protect their PIN when using their card.

HOMEWORK in your notebook on storage devices: magnetic storage, solid state, optical hard drives &
magnetic tape drives.

ADVANCE STORAGE APPROCHES project-learn

RAID- REDUNDENT ARRAY OF INDEPENDENT DISKS from nb

GPS: The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a space-based radio-navigation system consisting of a
constellation of satellites broadcasting navigation signals and a network of ground stations and satellite
control stations used for monitoring and control. Currently 31 GPS satellites orbit the Earth at an altitude
of approximately 11,000 miles providing users with accurate information on position, velocity, and time
anywhere in the world and in all weather conditions.

Miniaturization: Miniaturization is the trend to manufacture ever smaller mechanical, optical and
electronic products and devices. Examples include miniaturization of mobile phones, computers and
vehicle engine downsizing. Miniaturization in electronic devices involves fitting more transistor nodes on
a smaller integrated circuit (IC). The IC is then interfaced within its intended system or device so that,
once assembled, the system can carry out the desired function. The technology is made tinier yet mightier.

What is RFID?

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags
attached to objects. An RFID system consists of a tiny radio transponder, a radio receiver and transmitter.
When triggered by an electromagnetic interrogation pulse from a nearby RFID reader device, the tag
transmits digital data, usually an identifying inventory number, back to the reader. This number can be
used to track inventory goods.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) refers to 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. Tags, which use radio waves to communicate their identity and other
information to nearby readers, can be passive or active. Passive RFID tags are powered by the reader and
do not have a battery. Active RFID tags are powered by batteries. RFID tags can store a range of
information from one serial number to several pages of data. Readers can be mobile so that they can be
carried by hand, or they can be mounted on a post or overhead. Reader systems can also be built into the
architecture of a cabinet, room, or building. It uses radio waves to transmit signals that activate the tag.
Once activated, the tag sends a wave back to the antenna, where it is translated into data. The transponder
is in the RFID tag itself.

What is near field communication (NFC)? How does it work?

Near-field communication (NFC) is a set of communication protocols that enables communication

between two electronic devices over a distance of 4 cm (1.57 in) or less. NFC offers a low-speed
connection through a simple setup that can be used to bootstrap more capable wireless connections. Like
other "proximity card" technologies, NFC is based on inductive coupling between two so-called antennas
present on NFC-enabled devices—for example a smartphone and a printer—communicating in one or
both directions, using a frequency of 13.56 MHz in the globally available unlicensed radio frequency ISM
band using the ISO/IEC 18000-3 air interface standard at data rates ranging from 106 to 424 kbit/s.

Near-field communication (NFC) is a short-range wireless connectivity technology that uses magnetic
field induction to enable communication between devices when they're touched together or brought
within a few centimeters of each other. This includes authenticating credit cards, enabling physical
access, transferring small files and jumpstarting more capable wireless links. Broadly speaking, it builds
on and extends the work of existing ecosystems and standards around radio frequency ID tags

NFC is part RFID (radio-frequency identification) and part Bluetooth. Unlike RFID, NFC tags work in
close proximity, giving users more precision. NFC also doesn’t require manual device discovery and
synchronization as Bluetooth Low Energy does. The biggest difference between RFID and NFC is the
communication method. RFID tags have only a one-way communication method, meaning an RFID-
enabled item sends a signal to an RFID reader.

NFC devices have a one- and two-way communication capability, which gives the NFC technology an
upper hand in use cases where transactions are dependent on data from two devices (e.g., card payments).
Mobile wallets like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Android Pay, and other contactless payment solutions are
all powered by the NFC technology. So in essence, RFID tags are great for inventory tracking and NFC
tags work well for enhanced communication.
What are QR codes?

Basically, a QR code works in the same way as a barcode at the supermarket. It is a machine-scannable
image that can instantly be read using a Smartphone camera. Every QR code consists of a number of
black squares and dots which represent certain pieces of information. When your Smartphone scans this
code, it translate that information into something that can be easily understand by humans.

Quite simply, a QR code is an encoded piece of data. The data in a QR code can be alphanumeric,
numeric, binary or Kanji (Kanji is a form of Chinese characters that are used in the modern Japanese
writing system)

Although that is the technical explanation of how a QR code works, something much more important to
focus on is the fact that QR codes can be scanned at the touch of a button by the hundreds of millions of
people around the world that use a Smartphone on a daily basis. This makes them great for marketers.

Characteristics of embedded systems

 They are usually small, sometimes tiny and very light so they can be fitted into many products.
 The computer system in an embedded system is usually a single microprocessor.
 The microprocessor has been designed to do a limited number of very specific tasks in a product
very quickly and efficiently.
 The microprocessor can be mass-produced very cheaply.
 They require a very tiny amount of power compared to a traditional computer.
 They are very reliable because there are no moving parts.
 Because the computer system is usually printed onto one board, if it does break down, you just
swap the board; it is very easy to maintain.
 Wired / wireless internet connectivity – so that they can be monitored, controlled and updated
over the internet.
 They have a number of input ports, so that they can be connected to buttons and sensors.
 Potential problems

If the microprocessor inside the embedded system breaks down, the whole system or product is likely
to stop working. You'll then have to either send it away to get it replaced by a specialist or throw it
away and buy a new one.

Embedded systems can deliberately be made expensive to replace in products by manufacturers,

forcing consumers to buy completely new products. This leads to unnecessary waste. Microprocessor
design is a specialist area so experts are needed to design them and to maintain or replace them.

Advantages over general purpose computers:

 Their limited number of functions means they are cheaper to design and build.
 They tend to require less power. Some devices run from batteries.
 They do not need much processing power. They can be built using cheaper, less
powerful processors.

FIRMWARE

Firmware is an integral part of the computer and manages data flow between the computer's operating
system and attached devices such as the hard disk, video adapter, keyboard, mouse and printer.

THE TWO BASIC EXAMPLES FIRMWARE:

1. ROM

2. BIOS- runs when a system starts up before the operating system starts.

Firmware:
  Firmware is usually coded into a hardware device when it is created in a factory.
 The user of the computer does not usually interact with the firmware directly.
 All hardware components in a computer have firmware

Firmware is a type of software that is embedded directly in a piece of hardware to make the hardware
work as intended. Firmware is programmed by the manufacturer and is installed on a digital device right
in the factory. All computing devices have firmware.

Firmware microcode comes in various complexities and can be found in simple digital devices, like
keyboards and more complex devices like connected vehicles.

When a device is powered on, firmware sends instructions to the device's processor to execute. If the
device is as simple as a keyboard, the firmware continues to execute as there is no software to replace it.
However, in more complex devices, such as PCs, laptops and tablets, multiple firmware sets interact to
achieve a common goal; load the operating system.

 Firmware is the software that runs on the device.

 Its is a type of software that is etched directly into a piece of hardware.
 More complex devices, such as PCs, laptops, and tablets, there are often multiple firmware sets
that interact to achieve a common goal; load the operating system.
 Firmware can only work with a basic or low level, binary language known as machine language.
While the firmware's code could be written in a high level language.
 A driver is the software that tells your operating system how to communicate with the device.

BIOS – MICROPROCESSOR USED FOR START UP

Four main functions:

 Power-on self-test (POST). This tests the hardware of the computer before loading the OS.
 Bootstrap loader. This locates the OS.
 Software/drivers. This locates the software and drivers that interface with the OS once running.
 Complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) setup. This is a configuration program that
enable users to alter hardware and system settings. CMOS is the name of BIOS' non-volatile
memory.-stores the date and time of the system

The Importance of Updating the BIOS

1. Hardware updates—Newer BIOS updates will enable the motherboard to correctly identify new
hardware such as processors, RAM, and so on. If you upgraded your processor and the BIOS
doesn’t recognize it, a BIOS flash might be the answer.
2. Security updates—The latest BIOS updates come with security updates that help your BIOS to
resist tampering, and increase awareness of boot sector viruses (if your motherboard supports
boot sector scanning).
3. Increased stability—As bugs and other issues are found with motherboards, the manufacturer will
release BIOS updates to address and fix those bugs. This can have a direct impact on the speed of
data transfer and processing.
Refer to Rom notes in nb

Types of ROM include:

PROM (programmable read-only memory) - manufactured as blank ROM. PROM chips can be bought
cheaply and programmed directly by a programmer. They are not rewritable so they can only be
programmed once.

EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory) - popular in PCs and smartphones as
the firmware can be easily updated by the manufacturer. This is similar to a rewritable CD in that the chip
can be reprogrammed.

Differences between software, embedded software, and firmware: