2.2 direct data entry devices

Notes to support the CIE IGCSE IT (4017) course

1. 2.2 Direct data entry And associated Devices

2. Topics Magnetic stripe readers Chip and PIN Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Magnetic Ink Character recognition (MICR) Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Bar codes

3. Information is held in the magnetic stripe Widely used – simple and easy to use Easily readable by a variety of devices Not very secure these days Limited storage capacity Data can be destroyed by strong magnetic fields 1. Magnetic Stripe

4. 2. Chip AND PIN Modern cards now contain an embedded microchip Information can be encrypted or password protected for extra security More secure than magnetic stripe

5. 3. RFID R adio F requency I dentification Acts as a transponder – a device that sends out a radio signal RFID Tags are attached to objects so that they can be tracked automaticaly The information is stored in databases and so can quickly and efficiently be accessed, updated etc Tags include: an embedded microchip for storing information an antenna for sending and recieving signals

6. RFID Uses Race timing Passports Transport payments Product tracking Transport Libraries

7. 4. MICR Banks use MICR ( m agnetic i nk c haracter r ecognition ) readers to read the account details off the bottom of cheques The process is very quick and accurate Cheques with magentic ink are difficult to forge

8. 5. OMR (optical mark recognition) This system reads marks on certain places on specially made forms Very fast Problems if the marks aren’t clear Only suitable for some types of data entry – eg multiple choice questions

9. 6. Optical character recognition ( Ocr ) Can turn a scanned image back into editable text Can be time consuming to do The image to be scanned needs to be very clear The finished document must be checked for accuracy

10. 7. Barcodes Barcodes are a set of lines that represent numbers Widely used Often used for prices The data is not held in the bar code but in the database the code refers to Very fast and accurate

11. Advantages and disadvantages of direct entry Advantages Quick to enter data Very accurate Very reliable Removed human error if done properly Disadvantages Relatively costly to set up the equipment Training of staff required