Practice question · Sort into groups
Sort each peripheral by the direction in which data mainly flows.
Groups: Mainly input · Mainly output · Both directions
- Keyboard
- Disk
- Display
- Printer
- Network card
- Mouse
Hints
- Ask whether the machine reads from the device, writes to it, or genuinely does both.
- Two of these are storage or communication devices, which are read and written equally.
Show the answer
Mainly input: Keyboard, Mouse
Mainly output: Display, Printer
Both directions: Disk, Network card
Why
Keyboards and mice only deliver data in; displays and printers only take data out; disks and network cards do both, which is why they are the devices that most need DMA. Filing the disk as input only, because 'loading a file' is the familiar case, is the usual slip.
Practise Input-Output and Peripheral Communication
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More questions on Input-Output and Peripheral Communication
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