Microprocessor-Based Peripherals for Computer Input-Output in Indian Languages
S Raman · IETE Technical Review · 1987
The widely used computer output peripherals are Visual Display Units and Printers. In contrast with the size and shape of the characters of English language, those of the Indian languages are more complex. This, coupled with the fact that the basic script form of a consonant undergoes modification depending on the vowel context, precludes the direct use of commercially-available displays and printers where Indian languages are concerned. The peripherals must have built-in intelligence to take care of these variations, if one desires better presentability of these characters. In the case of displays, one shifts the focus from ROM-based character generation to bit-mapped display. A similar approach for the printer implies the use of printers with graphics capability or of units having similar facilities. The data input to these units is after some pre-processing which is usually carried out by a microprocessor. With the use of a microprocessor, additional features such as text-processing capability also become possible.On the input front, speech and vision are the most obvious forms of sophisticated communication. The present-day state of technology and the status of research in the respective area of application have resulted in a few commercial products which may be used in a restrictive manner.The availability of more processing power per unit cost in the form of microporcessors has been the chief reason for this state of development. But these have not been developed specifically for applications in Indian environment. Hence more research from the viewpoints of speech in Indian languages and of character recognition for mechanised vision may throw light on better solutions, implementable with the present-day technology itself. Further advances in VLSI design resulting in special-purpose processors, based on possibly innovative architectures, hold promise for expansion of these applications.This paper discusses certain aspects of on-going microprocessor based activities aimed towards the development of sophisticated input-output peripherals in Microprocessor Laboratory at IIT Madras.