Computer Maintenance and Technical

Support
Mettu University, Department of
Information Technology
3rd Year
Chapter - 8
CHAPTER 8 – I/O CONTROLLERS
MONITOR
 Monitor
• It is a most common output device
• A monitor or display (also called screen or visual
display unit) is an electronic visual display for
computers.
• Originally, computer monitors were used for data
processing while television receivers were used for
entertainment.
Monitor
 Monitor
• Quality of picture we see on monitor depends upon,
– Monitor quality itself
– Video controller.

• From the 1980s onwards, computers (and their monitors)

have been used for both data processing and
entertainment.
 Technologies
• Different image technique have been used for computer
monitors.
• Until the 21st century most monitors were CRT but they
have been phased out for LCD monitors.
• They are categorized by color output.
• Monitors connects to the video card of a computer
system.
 Monitors Types

• Different types of monitors exists, which are;

– Monochrome
– Grayscale
– Color
 Monochrome Monitor
• A monochrome monitor is a type of CRT computer display
which was very common in the early days of computing.
– From the 1960s through the 1980s, before color
monitors became popular.

• They are still widely used in applications such as

computerized cash register systems.
• Green screen was the common name for a monochrome
monitor.
• They are abandoned in early-to-mid 1980’s.
Monochrome Monitor
 Grayscale Monitors
• A special type of monochrome monitor capable of
displaying different shades of gray.
• They are also known as black-and-white, are composed
exclusively of shades of gray, varying from black at the
weakest intensity to white at the strongest.
• Early grayscale monitors can only show up to sixteen
different shades
Grayscale Monitor
 Color Monitors
• A display monitor capable of displaying many colors.
• Color Monitors works like a monochrome one, except that
there are three electron beams instead of one.
• The three guns represent additive colors (red, green and
blue) although the beam they emit are colorless.
• Each pixel includes three phosphors, red, green and
blue, arranged in a triangle.
• When the beam of each of these guns are combined and
focused on a pixel, the phosphors light up.
 Color Monitors
• The monitors can display different colors by combining
various intensities of three beams.
Mixing of Colors
What is being used today?
• The most popular display today remains Color
monitors CRT.
• It has been available for more than 70 years.
• CRT is used.
• Cost less than LCD monitors.
 History of the Cathode Ray

• 1855- Heinrich Geissler creates the mercury pump, the

first good vacuum tubes. Sir William Crookes uses these
to produce the first cathode rays.
• 1858- Julius Plücker bends cathode rays using a magnet
• 1869- J.W. Hittorf establishes that the “rays” travel
in straight lines
• 1883- Heinrich Hertz concludes incorrectly that cathode
rays are not made up of particles because they are not
deflected by electrically charged metal plates
• 1895- Jean-Baptiste Perrin shows that cathode rays are
particles because they deposit a negative charge where
they impact
• 1897- J.J. Thomson discovers electrons using cathode
rays
 How Monitor Works?
• Most use a cathode-ray tube as a display device.
• CRT: Glass tube that is narrow at one end and opens to a
flat screen at the other end.
How Monitor Works?
• Electrons travel through a vacuum sealed container from
the cathode (negative) to the anode (positive).
• Because the electrons are negatively charged, they are
repelled away from the cathode, and move across the tube
to the anode.
• The ray can be affected by a magnet because of its
relation to positive and negative charges
 Some Anatomy of the CRT
• Anode- Positively Charged, Ray travels towards this
• Cathode- Negatively Charged, Ray travels away from this
 Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)
Monitors
• A CRT monitor contains millions of tiny red, green, and
blue phosphor dots that glow when struck by an electron
beam. Electron beam travels across the screen to create
a visible image.

• In a CRT monitor tube, the cathode is a heated filament.

• The heated filament is in a vacuum created inside a

glass tube. The electrons are negative and the screen
gives a positive charge so the screen glows.
 Basic Cathode Ray Tube

 Electrons excite phosphor to glow

 Electrons fired from the back
 Phosphor is arranged in dots called pixels
 Dot mask ensures proper pixel is lit
 Phosphore
• It is a semi-conductor material which emits visible
radiation in response to the impact of electrons.
(i.e. when it absorbs energy from some source such as an
electron beam, it releases a portion of this energy in
the form of light).
• In response to a sudden change in the electron beam(from
on to off), the light emission does not fall
instantaneously, there is a gradual reduction challed
‘fluorescence’ .
 Advantages of CRT

• The cathode rayed tube can easily increase the

monitor’s brightness by reflecting the light.
• They produce more colours
• The Cathode Ray Tube monitors have lower price rate
than the LCD display or Plasma display.
• The quality of the image displayed on a Cathode Ray
Tube is superior to the LCD and Plasma monitors.
• The contrast features of the cathode ray tube monitor
are considered highly excellent.
 Disadvantages of CRT

• They have a big back and take up space on desk.

• The electromagnetic fields emitted by CRT monitors
constitute a health hazard to the functioning of living
cells.
• CRTs emit a small amount of X-ray band radiation which
can result in a health hazard.
• Constant refreshing of CRT monitors can result in
headache.
• CRTs operate at very high voltage which can overheat
system or result in an implosion
• Within a CRT a strong vacuum exists in it and can also
result in a implosion
• They are heavy to pick up and carry around
CRT Monitor
 Liquid Crystal Display - Monitor
• It is a flat panel display, electronic visual display,
or video display that uses the light modulating
properties of liquid crystals (LCs).
• LCs do not emit light directly .
 LCD History
• Liquid crystals were first discovered in 1888 by
Austrian botanist Friedrich Reinitzer.
• RCA, an American Laboratory made the first experimental
LCD in (1968).
• Manufacturers have been developing creative variations
and improvements since on LCDs.
• In 1997, manufactures began to offer full size LCD
monitors as alternatives to CRT monitors.
• Until recently, was only used on notebook computers and
other portable devices.
 LCD Technology
• Used for displays in notebooks, small computers,
pagers, phones and other instruments.
• Uses a combination of fluorescent-based backlight,
color filters, transistors, and liquid crystal to
create and illuminate images.
• Until recently, was only used on notebook computers and
other portable devices.
 From CRT to LCD
• CRT
– Bulky, heavy, use vacuum tube
technology.
– Using technology that was
developed in the 19th century.
• LCD
– First LCD laptop monitors were
very small due to manufacturing
costs but now are available in a
variety of sizes.
– Light, sleek, energy-efficient,
have sharp picture.
LCD Screen
 Advantages of LCD

• The sharpness of a LCD display is at maximum tweak

ness.
• High peak intensity produces very bright images. Best
for brightly lit environments.
• Screens are perfectly flat.
• Thin, with a small footprint. Consume little
electricity and produce little heat
• The LCD display unit is very light and can be put
anywhere or moved anywhere in the house.
• Lack of flicker and low glare reduce eyestrain.
 Disadvantages of LCD
• After a while the LCD display the some of the pixels
will die you will see a discoloured spot on a black spot
on the display.
• The cost of a LCD is considerably at a high price.
• The LCD display will have slow response times.
• The LCD display has a fixed resolution display and
cannot be changed.
• The viewing angle of a LCD display is very limited.
 Other types of Monitors
• Paper-white displays
– High contrast between fore and background
• Electro-luminescent displays (ELD)
– Similar to LCD
– Uses phosphor to produce light
• Plasma monitor
– Gas is excited to produce light
Paper White Display
NASA -Electroluminescent displays
Plasma Monitors
 Monitor Specifications
• Monitor Specifications can be judged through,
– Size
– Resolution
– Refresh rate
– Dot pitch
 Size
• A monitor’s size affect how well we can see images.
• With a larger monitor, we can make the objects on the
screen appear bigger.
• Monitors are measured diagonally, in inches, across the
front of the screen.
• A 17 inch monitor measures 17 inches from the lower left
to the upper right corner.
• CRT monitors viewing area is smaller than the monitor’s
overall size.
 Resolution
• The images you see on your monitor are made of tiny dots
called pixels.
• The term resolution refers to the sharpness and clarity
of an image.
• A monitor resolution is determined by the number of
pixels on the screen. It is expressed as a Matrix.
• The more pixels a monitor displays, higher will be its
resolution. Clearer will be images appear.
– For example 640 X 480 resolution means that there are 640
pixels horizontally across the screen and 480 pixels
vertically down the screen.
 Resolution

• Actual resolution is determined by the video

controller.
– Most monitors can operate at several different
resolutions. They are
– 640 X 480
– 800 X 600
– 1024 X 768
– 1152 X 864
– 1280 X 1024
• As the resolution increases, image on the screen gets
smaller.
Resolution Settings
 Standards
• There are various standards for monitor resolution.
– Video Graphics Array standard is 640 X 480 pixels.
– Super VGA is 800 x 600 and 1024 x 768.
• Today, nearly all color monitors can be set to higher
resolution.
 Refresh Rate

• Monitor refresh rate is the number of times per second

that the electron guns scan every pixel on the screen.
• Refresh rate is important because phosphor dots fade
quickly after the electron gun charges them with
electrons.
• If the screen is not refreshed, it will appear to
flicker.
• Refresh rate is measured in Hz or Cycles per second.
– If the monitor refresh rate is 100 Hz, it means that
it refreshes its pixels 100 times every second.
Refresh Rate
 Dot Pitch
• It is the distance between the same color dots
• Ranges between .15 mm and .40 mm
• Smaller creates a finer picture
• Should be less than .22
Dot Pitch
 Trouble shooting Monitors
Symptom Check
No picture • Check if power switch and computer power switch ar
e in the on position
• Check if the signal cable is correctly
connected to the video card
• Check if the pins of D Sub connector are not bent.
• check if the computer is in the power saving mode.
Power is not lit • check if power switch is in the on position
• check if the power card s correctly connected.
Image is not stable • check if the signal cable is suitable to the video card
Image is not centered, too • Adjust H & V center to get the proper image
small or too large
Picture is blurred • Adjust contrast and brightness
Edges of available area • Adjust Geometry control (Pincushion, Trapezoid)
On the screen are not straight
BIOS
 Introduction
• Bios is software that contains hundreds of programs that allow
for communication between the CPU and devices
• Bios is stored on ROM, which is a permanent chip on the
motherboard
• Bios is software, ROM is hardware
• A basic software program containing all BIOS functions is
permanently stored in the ROM.
• This software functions as a basic operating system.
• Is responsible for starting the PC.
• This hardware integrated with software is also referred to as
firmware.
• It is stored on nonvolatile memory called a ROM chip (Read Only
Memory)
• The Newer Flash ROM enables users to change this ROM
• Phoenix and AMI are most common brands
 Three kinds of BIOS software for
Hardware devices
• Permanent never changing BIOS for permanent hardware
– stored on the ROM chip
– example-keyboard
• Hardware that changes occasionally
– requires extra volatile information so it must be
stored on a separate chip called the CMOS
– example- RAM, hard drives, floppy drive
• The other devices- 2 options
– BIOS is stored on the devices(example-sound card)
– or device drivers are installed to ensure
communication between CPU and device
 CMOS
• CMOS- Complimentary metal-oxide semiconductor
• Configuration program which allows you to configure,
hardware settings including system settings such as
computer passwords, time, and date.
• Enter CMOS by pressing F1 or some other combination of
keys
• Powered by separate 3 volt battery, usually a lithium
rechargeable
 Functions of the BIOS
• When you first turn on your PC
– Your PC requires information
• to detect PC components
• To find the operating system(floppy disk, hard
drive, or a CD-ROM)
– This information is stored in the BIOS
Flow Chart of BIOS Functions
 POST
(Power On Self Test)
• Takes place right after you power on.
• Contains diagnostic routines for
– initializing the hardware and peripherals
• the video card, the main memory, the processor,
the keyboard, etc.
– Checking their functions
• Error message on screen if an error is detected. If
monitor cannot be detected, the beep codes are output by
the system loud speaker.
 Plug and Play
• Bios next looks for additional BIOS memory chips – might
be on a Plug and Play card such as video card or a SCSI
controller.
– If present, they run their routines and supplement or
replace some functions of the system BIOS.
• If components no longer match the data stored in the
CMOS (i.e. hardware change), message appears on screen
to update.
• After all hardware components have been found and
checked, Plug and Play goes to work.
• Interrupts and DMA channels of the plug-in cards in the
ISA and PCI buses are queried and distributed.
• Onboard hardware, located on motherboard and in its
ISA/PCI slots, are configured for operation.
 Bootstrap Loader
• BIOS next accesses the first sector of the hard drive,
also termed the boot sector, and starts the “bootstrap
loader”
– A small program that knows the file structure of the
storage medium and can call the operating system’s
start routine.
 Operating System Kernel
• Next, the operating system kernel is read into main
memory and control of the hardware passes onto the
operating system.
 BIOS Updating
• The BIOS is manufactured on FLASH technology. It is
easily updated.
• In the old days, you had one option when your mother
board simply couldn’t handle the game-remove the old
system ROM and put it in a new one purchased from the
manufacturer.
• Current mother boards have EEPROM or flash ROM chips
holding the system BIOS and CMOS setup utility and thus
enable you to upgrade or Flash the BIOS entirely. You
need to record your CMOS settings before doing any kind
of BIOS upgrade, so you can reset your settings on the
new BIOS after the upgrade.
 Flashing the BIOS
• Flashing the BIOS requires your system to have a flash
BIOS or EEPROM chip. Flash BIOS chip can be upgraded
electronically with a special disk provided by the
manufacturer of the BIOS. To flash your BIOS, follow
these steps.
– Obtain the flashing program from the manufacturer’s
web site.
– Turn your system off.
– Insert the disk containing flash program and new BIOS
in to the floppy/CD drive.
– Run the flashing program; make sure to back up the
old BIOS. Most flashing programs automatically prompt
you to back up this file. Do it
– Restart your system.
PRINTER
 What is a printer?
• An external hardware device responsible for taking
computer data and generating a hard copy of that data.
• Printers are one of the most commonly used peripherals
and they print text and still images on the paper.
 “Print Quality”
(1) Near typeset quality:
– A Lower quality print similar to the output of
a type-writer.
(2) Letter quality:
– Print made up by fully formed (solid line)
characters.
(3) Near letter quality:
– A print of high quality formed by multiple passes
of print head over the same letter.
(4) Standard quality:
– A high quality print formed by a single pass of the
print head.
(5) Draft quality:
– A print formed with minimum number of dots or lines
and are smaller than the standard quality
characters.
 “Factors affecting print quality”
• (1) DPI:
– It is a measurement of printer’s resolution
indicating how many ink dots can be placed by the
printer in one square inch. The higher the DPI, the
sharper is image.
• (2) Type of printer:
– Each type of printer has its own capabilities of
printing. Some types of printers produce high
quality print while other produce low quality print.
• (3) Print Mode:
– The printing mode may also affect the quality. For
example the draft mode increases the print rate but
quality is reduced.
• (4) Toner:
– The quality and amount of toner also affects print
quality.
 “Impact Printer”
• These printers have a
mechanism that touches
the paper to create an
image.
• These printers work by
banging a print head
containing a number of
metal pins which strike
an inked ribbon placed
between the print head
and the paper.
An impact printer showing details
of print head.sss
 “Non-Impact Printers”

• These printers create an

image on the print medium
without the use of force.
• They don’t touch the
paper while creating an
image.
• Non-impact printers are
much quieter than impact
printers as they don’t
strike the paper.
A non-impact printer
 “Dot Matrix Printer”

• The term dot matrix refers

to the process of placing
dots to form an image.
• Its speed is usually 30 to
550 characters per second
(cps).
• This is the cheapest and the
most noisy printer and has a
low print quality. Dot
Matrix were 1st introduced by
Centronics in 1970.
 How Dot-Matrix works?
• The dot matrix forms images one character at a time as
the print head moves across the paper.
• Uses tiny pins to hit an ink ribbon and the paper much
as a typewriter does.
• This printer arranges dots to form characters and all
kinds of images.
• 9 to 24 vertical column pins are contained in a
rectangular print head. When print head moves across
the paper, pins are activated to form a dotted
character image. These printers can produce carbon
copies along with the originals.
“A typical dot matrix output”
 “Advantages/Dis-advatages of
Dot-Matrix”
• Advantages:
• (1) In-expensive.
• (2) Low per page cost.
• (3) Energy efficient.
• Dis-advantages:
• (1) Noisy
• (2) Low resolution
• (3) Limited fonts flexibility
• (4) Poor quality graphics output.
 “Daisy Wheel Printer”

• A daisy wheel printer is

basically an impact printer
consisting of a wheel and
attached extensions on
which molded metal
characters are mounted.
• A daisy wheel printer
produces letter quality
print and it can’t produce
graphics output.
 How Daisy wheel printer works?
• In a daisy wheel printer, a hammer presses the wheel
against a ribbon which in turn makes an ink stain on the
paper in the form of a character mounted on the wheel
extensions.
• These printers are very noisy as there occur great
movement during the printing. Its printing speed is also
very slow ,i.e. less than 90cps.
 “Ink-Jet Printer”
• It is a non-impact printer
producing a high quality
print. A standard Inkjet
printer has a resolution of
300dpi.
• Newer models have further
improved dpi. Inkjet
printers were introduced in
the later half of 1980s and
are very popular owing to
their extra-ordinary
performance.
 How Inkjet Printer works?
(1) Print head having four ink
cartridges moves .
(2) Software instructs where to
apply dots of ink, which color and
what quantity to use.
(3) Electrical pulses are sent to
the resistors behind each nozzle.
(4) Vapor bubbles of ink are formed
by resistors and the ink is forced
to the paper through nozzles.
(5) A matrix of dots forms
characters and pictures.
Color cartridge showing inkjet nozzles .
 Inside an Inkjet Printer?
• (1) Print head Assembly:
– Contains a series of nozzles
• (2) Ink Cartridge:
– Depending on the model &
manufacturing of printers, ink
cartridge come in various
combinations.
• (3) Print head stepper motor:
– A stepper motor moves the
print head assembly back and
forth across the paper.
 Inside an Inkjet printer?
• (4) Stabilizer bar:
– The movement of print head
is controlled and made
precise by a stabilizer
bar.
• (5) Belt:
• A belt is used to attach
print head assembly to the
stepper motor.

Here you can see stabilizer bar and belt

 Inside the Inkjet Printer?
• (6) Paper tray/feeder:
– It enables the user to load the
paper into the printer.
• (7) Rollers:
– Control the movement of the
paper.
• (8) Control circuitry:
– control all the mechanical
aspects of the operation as well
as decode the information sent to
the printer from the computer.
 Advantages/ Dis-advantages
• Advantages:
(1) High resolution output.
(2) Energy efficient.
(3) Many options to select.
• Dis-advantages:
(1) Expensive.
(2) Special paper required for higher resolution output.
(3) Time consuming in case of graphics printing.
 Thermal Printer

• Thermal printers are in-

expensive printers mostly
used in fax machines. The
Thermal printers are further
classified into two types.
• (1) Electro thermal
printers:
• (2) Thermal Wax printers:

A fax machine using a thermal printer

 How thermal printer works?
• Thermal printers use heated pins and ribbons with
different color bands. These printers contain a stick of
wax like ink.
• The ribbon passes in front of a print head that has a
series of tiny heated pins. The pins cause the wax to
melt and adhere to the paper and when temperature
reaches to a certain level, it is hardened.
 “Laser Printer”

• Laser printers use

very advanced
technology and produce
a high quality output.
Laser printers can
also produce high
quality graphics
images.
• Resolution is 600 to
1200dpi.
 How Laser printer Works?
• (1) Paper is fed and the drum rotates.
• (2) A laser beam conveys information from the computer
to a rotating mirror and thus an image is created on the
drum.
• (3)The charges on the drum are ionized and the toner
sticks to the drum.
• (4)Toner is transferred from drum to paper.
• (5)Heat is applied to fuse the toner on the paper.
 “Multi-function printer”

• A multi function printer

abbreviated as MFP is an
all purpose device that
prints, faxes, copies and
scans.
• A single multi function
printer can replace
several bulky devices.
• A multi function printer
is also known as AIO.
These printers use inkjet
technology and provide
high quality print but at
slow speed.
 “Plotter”
• A large scale printer which
is very accurate in
producing engineering
drawings and architectural
blueprints.
• Two types of plotters are
flatbed and drum.
• Flatbed plotters are
horizontally aligned while
drum plotters are vertically
positioned.
 “Printers for different users”
• To choose a printer from a printer’s family following
considerations are to be made.
(1) What’s the budget?
(2) Is color needed or just black& white?
(3) What is the Volume of the output?
(4) How important is the quality of the output?
(5) What special features are needed?
(6) Is the printer is to be used by a single user or a
whole network?
 “Printer for Home users”
• For home users, the quality of the print and the price
of the printer both matter. So a better choice in such
case is a portable color Inkjet printer.
• If the budget of the user is good enough then the best
choice is a personal laser printer which enhances both
the speed and quality of the print.
 “Small and medium offices”
• For small and medium scale offices a better option is a
multi-function printer which is an integrated device
fulfilling various requirement of the office.
• For better output, a laser printer is the best choice.
 “Printers for banks, large business
organizations and companies”
• In banks, large size business environments and companies
printers with networking capabilities should be
preferred which can increase productivity and reduce the
cost without compromising on the quality. Of course
laser printer is quite suitable choice but multi-
functional printer and inkjet printer can also play
vital role.
Thank You