A light pen is a computer input device in the form of a light-sensitive wand used in conjunction with a computer's CRT display.
It allows the user to point to displayed objects or draw on the screen in a similar way to a touchscreen but with greater positional accuracy. It was long thought that a light pen can work with any CRT-based display, but not with LCDs (though Toshiba and Hitachi displayed a similar idea at the "Display 2006" show in Japan) and other display technologies. However, in 2011 Fairlight Instruments released its Fairlight CMI-30A, which uses a 17" LCD monitor with light pen control.
Since light pens operate by detecting light emitted by the screen phosphors, some nonzero intensity level must be present at the coordinate position to be selected, otherwise the pen won't be triggered.
Famous quotes containing the words light and/or pen:
“To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.”
—Victor Hugo (1802–1885)
“He loved to sit silent in a corner of his club and listen to the loud chattering of politicians, and to think how they all were in his power—how he could smite the loudest of them, were it worth his while to raise his pen for such a purpose.”
—Anthony Trollope (1815–1882)