Input/output
In computing, input/output (I/O, io, IO, etc.) is the communication between an information processing system (such as a computer) and the outside world, possibly a human or another information processing system.
Contents
Description
I/O consists of:
- Inputs are the signals or data received by the system.
- Outputs are the signals or data sent from it.
The term can also be used as part of an action; to "perform I/O" is to perform an input or output operation.
I/O devices
I/O devices are used by a human (or other system) to communicate with a computer.
For instance, a keyboard or mouse is an input device for a computer, while monitors and printers are output devices.
Devices for communication between computers, such as modems and network cards, typically perform both input and output operations.
Duality of input/output relationship
The designation of a device as either input or output depends on perspective.
Mice and keyboards take physical movements that the human user outputs and convert them into input signals that a computer can understand; the output from these devices is the computer's input.
Similarly, printers and monitors take signals that a computer outputs as input, and they convert these signals into a representation that human users can understand.
Human-computer interaction
From the human user's perspective, the process of reading or seeing these representations is receiving input; this type of interaction between computers and humans is studied in the field of human–computer interaction.
See also
External links
- Input/output @ Wikipedia
