In computing, peripheral is the generic name for the auxiliary and independent apparatus or device connected to the central processing unit of a computer.

Peripherals are the hardware units or devices through which the computer communicates with the outside, as well as the systems that store or archive information, serving as auxiliary memory for the main memory.

A peripheral is considered to be a set of devices that, without belonging to the fundamental core of the computer, formed by the central processing unit (CPU) and the central memory, allow input/output (I/O) operations to be carried out complementary to the data processing carried out by the CPU. These three basic units in a computer, CPU, central memory and the I/O subsystem, are connected to each other by three buses or communication channels:

• Addresses, to select the address of the data or device to be accessed
• Control, basically to select the operation to be performed on the data (mainly reading, writing or modifying)Data, through which the data circulates

Classification of peripherals

1. Input Peripherals
   1. Keyboard
   2. Touch Panel
   3. Microphone
   4. Scanner
   5. Digital camera
2. Output Peripherals
   1. Monitor
   2. Printer
   3. Speaker or speaker. Headphones
3. Input/output peripherals
   1. Touch or multi-touch screen
   2. Multifunction printer
   3. Virtual helmet
4. Storage Peripherals
   1. Secondary memory
   2. Hard disk
   3. Solid State
   4. Network Storage
5. Communication peripherals
   1. Network cards (NIC)
   2. Modems
   3. Hubs
   4. Network switches
   5. Routers
   6. Wireless communication