An input device which can read characters directly from an ordinary piece of paper is

The correct answer is: A. OCR

An optical character recognition (OCR) scanner is a device that can read characters directly from an ordinary piece of paper. It does this by using a light source to illuminate the text, and then using a sensor to detect the reflected light. The sensor converts the light into electrical signals, which are then processed by a computer to recognize the characters.

OCR scanners are often used to digitize documents, such as invoices, receipts, and business cards. They can also be used to create searchable PDFs or e-books.

Here is a brief explanation of each option:

• B. OMR (optical mark recognition) scanners are used to read marks that have been made on a piece of paper, such as on a test or survey.
• C. MSI (magnetic stripe reader) scanners are used to read data from magnetic stripes on credit cards, debit cards, and other cards.
• D. POS (point-of-sale) terminals are used to process credit and debit card payments.
• E. None of the above.