•I/O devices or computer peripherals provide the path for
communication between the computer system and the real world. Three main types:
–Mass Storage Devices (Hard disk, magnetic tape, CD-ROM,
etc.)
–Human Interface (Keyboard, mouse, joystick, CRT,
printer, speaker, etc.)
–Control/Monitor devices (Phototransistors, sensors, thermistors, switches, motors, relays, etc.)
•Control devices are outputs, or actuators, that can affect the world around them when supplied with a voltage or
current.
•Monitoring devices are inputs, or sensors, that are stimulated by
temperature, pressure, light, motion, etc. and convert this to voltage or current read by the
computer.
•The interface circuitry converts the voltage or
current to binary data, or vice versa.