input device

hardware A peripheral used to transfer data from the

outside world into a computer system. Some input devices are

operated directly by the user, e.g. keyboard, mouse,

touch screen, joystick, digitising tablet, microphone;

others are sensors or transducers which convert external

signals into data, e.g. using an ananlog to digitalconverter (this would also be true of a microphone). Other

kinds of inputs are really one half of a bidirectional link

with another computer or storage device, e.g. serial line,

SCSI interface.

(1996-11-03)