Output Devices Lecture-4

Standard Methods of Output

The Monitor The Printer

Monitor
Monitors are categorized by the technology they use:
Cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors Flat-panel displays

And by the way they display colors:

Monochrome One color on a black background Grayscale Shades of gray on a white or off-white background Color From 16 to 16 million unique colors

CRT Monitors
Near the back of monochrome or grayscale monitor housing is an electron gun, which shoots a beam of electrons through a magnetic coil, which aims at the front of monitor. The back of the monitors screen is coated with phosphorous, chemical that glow when they are struck by the electron beam. The screens phosphor coating is organized into a grid of dots. The smallest number of phosphor dots that gun can focus on is called a pixel (for, picture element). Actually the electron gun doesn't just focus on a spot and shoot electrons at it. It systematically aims at every pixel on screen, starting at the top left corner and scanning to the right edge. Then it drops down a tiny distance and scans another line. Electron beam follows each line of pixel across the screen until it reaches the bottom of screen. Then it starts over again.

A color monitor works like monochrome, except that there are 3 electron beams instead of one. 3 guns represent the primary additive colors (red, green and blue), although the beam they emit is colorless. In a color monitor, each pixel includes three phosphors red, green and blue, arranged in a triangle. When the beams of each of these guns are combined and focused on a pixel, the phosphorus lights up. The monitor can display different colors by combining various intensities of three beams.

Flat Panel Monitors

Most flat-panel monitors use liquid crystal display (LCD) technology. LCD monitors create images with a special kind of liquid crystal that is normally transparent but becomes opaque when charged with electricity. One disadvantage of LCD monitors is that, unlike phosphor, liquid crystal doesn't emit light, so there is not enough contrast between the images and background to make them legible under all conditions. Another disadvantage of LCD is their limited viewing angle i.e. the angle from which the displays image can be viewed clearly. In most CRTs you can see the image clearly even when standing at an angle to the screen but in LCD the viewing angle shrinks as you increase your angle to the screen, the image becomes fuzzy quickly. The user must face the screen nearly straight on to see the image clearly.

Two main categories of LCD: Passive matrix LCD uses a transistor for each row and column of pixels, thus creating a grid that defines the location of each pixel. The color displayed is determined by the electricity coming from the transistors at the end of the row and top of column. Less expensive than active matrix but have a narrow viewing angle and don't refresh the pixel very often. If the pointer is moved quickly it seems to disappear an effect known as sub-marining. Animated graphics appear blurry Active matrix LCD uses a transistor for each pixel on the screen. Thin-film transistor displays use multiple transistors for each pixel.

Comparing Monitors
When comparing monitors, four features are considered: Size A monitor's size is the diagonal measurement of its face, in inches. Resolution Resolution is the number of pixels on the screen, expressed as a matrix (such as 600x800). A 17" monitor offers resolutions from 640x480 up to 1280x1024. Resolution (image sharpness) is important.

Refresh rate The number of times each second that the electron guns scan the screen's pixels. Electron gun scans from left to right and top to bottom Fast scanning = Quick refresh (less flicker) Refresh rate is measured in Hertz (Hz), or cycles per second. Look for a refresh rate of 72 Hz or higher. A slower rate may cause eyestrain. Dot pitch Dot pitch is the distance between the phosphor dots that make up a single pixel. In color monitors, three dots (red, green, and blue) comprise each pixel. Look for a dot pitch no greater than .28 millimeter.

Devices that Output Hard Copy - Printers

Printers fall into two categories: Impact printers use a device to strike an inked ribbon, pressing ink from the ribbon onto the paper. Non-impact printers use different methods to place ink (or another substance) on the page.

Evaluating Criteria
When evaluating printers, consider four criteria: Image quality Measured in dots per inch (dpi). Most printers produce 300 600 dpi. Speed Measured in pages per minute (ppm) or characters per second (cps). Initial cost Consumer printers cost less, but professional printers are costly. Cost of operation This refers to the cost of supplies used by the printer.

Dot Matrix Printers

Dot matrix printers are a common type of impact printer. A dot matrix printer's print head contains a cluster of pins. The printer can push the pins out to form patterns in rapid sequence. The pins press an inked ribbon against the paper, creating an image.

Inkjet Printers
Ink jet printers are an example of non-impact printers. The printer sprays tiny droplets of ink onto the paper. Ink jet printers are available for color and black-andwhite printing.
Ink jet printers offer speeds of (2 4 pages per minute ppm) and resolution (300 600 dots per inch dpi), comparable to low-end laser printers. Ink jet printers are inexpensive and have low operating costs.

Laser Printers
Laser printers are non-impact printers. They use heat and pressure to bond particles of toner to paper. Laser printers are available for color and black-and-white printing. Laser printers provide resolutions from 300 1200 dpi and higher. Black-and-white laser printers usually produce 4 16 ppm. Laser printers produce higher-quality print than ink jet printers, but are more expensive.