Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: All of the above
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
Terminals are the human–machine interface points of an information system. In industrial control, retail point-of-sale, banking kiosks, or help-desk environments, terminals play multiple roles: gathering inputs, presenting outputs, and relaying decisions to the process or system being controlled.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
A terminal’s function spans three directions: input (data capture), output (information display), and control (issuing actions). Good systems design recognizes that the same device often supports all three to close the decision loop: sense → decide → act, with humans in the loop as needed.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Identify terminal input role: entry of sensor readings, transactions, or form data.Identify terminal output role: dashboards, alerts, reports for managers/operators.Identify terminal control role: applying setpoints, approvals, or commands that alter the process.Since terminals routinely serve all three, select the inclusive choice.
Verification / Alternative check:
Consider a warehouse terminal: workers scan barcodes (input), supervisors view stock and KPIs (output), and managers authorize reorders or dispatches (control). The terminal thus participates in collection, communication, and action.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Collect only / Provide only / Communicate only: each is a partial view of a terminal’s capability; modern systems integrate all three.
Common Pitfalls:
Treating terminals as “display-only.” In practice, terminals are bi-directional endpoints in socio-technical workflows.
Final Answer:
All of the above
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