input/output
[′in‚pu̇t ′au̇t‚pu̇t] (computer science)
Pertaining to all equipment and activity that transfers information into or out of a computer. Abbreviated I/O.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
input/output
(programming, operating system)(I/O) Communication between a
computer and its users, its storage devices, other computers
(via a network) or the outside world. The devices the
computer uses to do this are called "peripherals". What
actually counts as I/O depends on what level of detail you are
considering, e.g. communication between processors would not
be considered I/O when considering a multiprocessor as a
single system.
Important aspects of I/O are throughput, latency, and whether the communications is synchronous or asynchronous (using some kind of buffer).
Important aspects of I/O are throughput, latency, and whether the communications is synchronous or asynchronous (using some kind of buffer).
This article is provided by FOLDOC - Free Online Dictionary of Computing (foldoc.org)
I/O
(1) See information operations.(2) (Input/Output) The transfer of data between the computer's CPU and a peripheral device. Every transfer consists of input and output operations; hence the term "I/O." A transfer is either output from the CPU and input to the peripheral or output from the peripheral and input to the CPU. See PC input/output.
PC input/output
Every peripheral device (keyboard, modem, monitor, etc.) requires a control circuit that interfaces with the computer's processor (CPU). These circuits are either built into the chips on the motherboard or are contained on plug-in cards. See chipset.On the Motherboard
A fully equipped PC motherboard has built-in controller circuits for all the basic peripheral devices. It has sockets for the internal drives (hard disk and CD/DVD) and ports for external devices: keyboard, mouse, speakers, etc. The motherboard typically also provides built-in circuitry for the monitor and network.
Via Plug-In Cards
Additional input/output can be added by plugging in controller cards into the motherboard's PCI or PCI Express slots. For example, a higher-quality graphics card can be plugged in, and the built-in circuit can be disabled. See PCI and BIOS.
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| Peripheral Drivers |
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| All peripherals require driver software, which enables the OS to command the hardware. When a peripheral device is added that is new to the computer, a controller card is plugged in, and a driver is installed. |
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| Peripheral Drivers |
|---|
| All peripherals require driver software, which enables the OS to command the hardware. When a peripheral device is added that is new to the computer, a controller card is plugged in, and a driver is installed. |
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| Legacy Interfaces |
|---|
| These peripheral interfaces were found on earlier PCs. If a device requires a mouse, keyboard or serial port, adapters are available that convert them to USB. See legacy port. |
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