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Output Devices

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Functional Skills check

Student task accompanies this slide Printable activity Video

Commonly used output devices.

The differences in functionality between the main varieties of printer.

Outputs that are audible or take the form of signals which control devices.

This lesson will cover:

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Output devices

Output devices allow us to harness the processing power ofcomputers to produce the products we require.

Can you think of

any output devices

that have an impact on your

daily life?

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When a computer has finished processing information, the information needs to be output so that it can be used.

Monitors:are screens or Visual Display Units (VDUs)display the effects of what the user is doingcan vary in size and resolution.

Sometimes we just need to see the information on screen or on

paper. We can use a monitor or

a printer.

Printers:produce a paper copy of the user’s work: a ‘hard copy’come in three main types: laser, inkjet and dot matrix. Some businesses also use plotters.

Output devices

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Visual output – light

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Inkjet and laser printers

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PlottersTraditional plotters work by moving pensover the surface of a page.They were originally used for printing technical drawings made up of lines.Modern plotters tend to be big inkjetprinters that can print up to A0 in size.They are expensive to buy and run, and they tend to be used by architects, design firms and engineers.

This small plotter is fitted with a blade rather than a pen. It can cut letters and nets for 3D shapes like boxes. It is used mostly for craft purposes.

Plotters

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3D printing

3D printers are increasingly being used in many industries. They can produce rapid prototypes or models in very short periods of time.

Look at the following video. What uses for 3D printers are there in modern business?

3D printers are quite expensive, but if they become cheaper they could become a common place household item.

What uses could 3D printers have in the home?

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Speakers:are used to output sound, whether it is music or voicevary a lot in qualityare built into some monitors.

Sometimes we need to hear information, so we use audible output devices.

Headphones:work in the same way as speakerscan be cordlessare used for personal listening.

Audible output – sound

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Sometimes we want to control something, so we send a signal to a motor or to a switch that is part of another device, like a robotic arm or a computerized sewing machine.

Can you think of any other output devices in your home and school that are controlled by

sending electronic signals?

Signal output – control

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What can you remember?