Peripheral Devices
Name: Laser Printer
Software/How it works: A laser printer uses raster image processing technology which is usually encoded into the laser printer. Each horizontal strip of dots are called a raster line which goes into storage as a set of binary instruction which each raster line. Computer software which goes into the RIP (raster image processing) is broken out into 3 different categories the PCL (HP Page Control Language), Adobe Postscript© and
Uses in Multimedia: The main use of a laser printer in multimedia is to print folios and advertisements for your software. But it not mean that its limitation lay to those restrictions, there is many things a laser printer can be used for.
History: The first laser printer was produced by researcher Gary Starkweather in 1971. The first profitable achievement of a laser printer was the IBM model 3800 in 1976, used for high-volume printing of documents. While large, it was designed for an entirely different purpose. The first laser printer designed for use with an individual computer was released with the Xerox Star 8010 in 1981. Although it was original, it was an expensive system that was only purchased by a small number of institutions. After the spread of personal computers, the first laser printer was the HP LaserJet, released in 1984, using a Canon Inc engine and controlled by HP software. The HP LaserJet printer followed other laser printers from Brothers Industries and IBM’s
Name: Bubble jet printer
Software/How it works: The head of the printer (usually a disposable head) slides across the paper spraying dots creating an image, The two types of head disposable and fixed allow the user to choose between an refillable ink head or a disposable ink head.
Description: The bubble jet printer uses moving heads which squirt out the ink in each position the colour is used to fire extremely small dots of ink, the dots are really small between 10 and 30 dots a millimetre and in colour printers the dots can vary in colour.
Uses in Multimedia: The main use of a Bubble Jet printer in multimedia is to print folios and advertisements for your software. But it not mean that its limitation lay to those restrictions, there is many things a laser printer can be used for.
History: The first laser printer was produced by researcher Gary Starkweather in 1971. The first profitable achievement of a laser printer was the IBM model 3800 in 1976, used for high-volume printing of documents. While large, it was designed for an entirely different purpose. The first laser printer designed for use with an individual computer was released with the Xerox Star 8010 in 1981. Although it was original, it was an expensive system that was only purchased by a small number of institutions. After the spread of personal computers, the first laser printer was the HP LaserJet, released in 1984, using a Canon Inc engine and controlled by HP software. The HP LaserJet printer followed other laser printers from Brothers Industries and IBM’s
Name: Scanner
Software/How it Works: There are four ways the scanner can connect to the computer. These are through USB (Universal Serial BUS), parallel connection, FireWire and small computer systems interface (SCSI). To connect to the computer the scanner needs recognition software (also known as a driver). Most scanners are programmed with a universal communication protocol called TWAIN however there are also many other protocols.
Description: A scanners uses are to communicate with the pc and transfer stored images within the scanner, software may be installed on the scanner or computer to further process or compress these images. A scanner may be used to scan documents or images and convert them into digital format. The main objective of a scanner is to digitalise a hard copy.
Uses in multimedia: Different types of scanners have different scanning methods. For example, a hand scanner needs to be manually dragged across the document. Other scanner types include drum scanners, hand scanners, bio-metric scanners and 3d modelling scanners.
History: The flatbed scanner was developed in the early 1970’s by Kurzweil Computer Products. The creation of this product was in accordance to high demand for character recognition devices starting off as a CCD integrated chip, a 500 sensor linear array the scanner invented was name the Kurzweil reading machine.
Name: Video Capture Card
Software/How it Works: Video capture cards use specialised software and drivers to view and manipulate the hardware to capture analogue input and retune. The demodulation process allows the video card to display the captured signals in form of video and sound.
Description: The main use of a video capture card is to convert analogue video and sound signals into digital form, this allows the user to watch T.V, play from a video source and connect a console to the computer.
Uses in multimedia: A VCC is used in multimedia to help capture video from mediums to use as cut scenes or back drops.
Name: Modem
Software/How it Works: A modem is used to modulate analogue signals so the computer can interpret signals into data. It also works as a demodulator allowing upload as well as download
Description: Modems are used to access the internet and configure remote files on servers and routers, usually defined as an auxiliary connection the modem.using
Uses in multimedia: A modem is used mainly to access the internet however it may be used to connect to a remote server to upload files for others to share with
History: Starting of as a 56k connection through a dialup auxiliary point the humble modem has developed to capabilities of 300K for T1 connections.
Name: Digital Camera
Software/How it Works: Image is saved on to a secondary memory device (hard drive, flash disk etc.) Driver software on the computer allows the transfer of images to the computer allowing the user to burn or view images on different mediums.
Description: Physically consisting of a screen to view where the viewer is located and the button allows for the user to take a snapshot of that location.
Uses in multimedia: Digital cameras are used to create skins, take photos of work being done and maintain a journal.
History: the Digital camera has developed from a lens orientated film camera allowing the user to waste less resource when printing pictures. The camera’s conceptual history is quite long, but the basic concept is the capturing of light which converts to pixel which can be digitally viewed.
Name: Burner
Software/How it Works: Burner uses “native” software to create images which are recognised by CD drives, it can also burn DVDs to be used on DVD players.
Description: Basically looks like a normal CD drive with a tray to read and write DVD’s
History: The concept of secondary storage is allowing data to be portable the burners development began with this concept creating a medium on which portability could be maximised, the use on burners in the modern home were not as cheap as they are today and only a handful would have the privilege of using one, however nowadays burners that burn DVD’s are common with every new home PC.
