The conduit through which data and instructions enter a computer. For example, the keyboard, a mouse, a joystick.

Hardware devices that accept data in a form that the computer can utilize; they send the data or instructions to the processing unit to be processed into useful information. hard disk An internal disk, a metal platter coated with magnetic oxide that can be magnetized to represent data. machine cycle Four steps performed by the central processing unit in carrying out the instructions of a program. megaflop One million floating-point operations per second.

Devices such as limit switches, pressure switches, push buttons, etc., that supply commands or data to a robot controller. (R15.02)