Need help with arcade trackball hookup.

[newbielife5]

First I'd like to say hi to everyone i just joined this forum, but have been lurking for a while.
I have a problem trying to find a good mouse to hook up my trackball, I bought one and hooked it up
but now when I plug it in the mouse goes straight to the side and jumps around when moved, still staying on the sides.
I'm guessing this is the mouse? Can anyone recommend a specific mouse to use? Also I'm using a laptop with no PS/2 inputs
so i have to use USB. Please help thanks.
-Bryan

[mgb]

Hi and welcome,
 I'm sure someone will be able to give you some guidance here.
But first can you clarify alittle maybe post some pics.
What I think you're explaining is that you have a USB trackball for games and you also have a Usb mouse. when you plug in the mouse, the cursor kicks to the side of the screen and stays there just jumping a bit.
Is that whats going on?

[newbielife5]

thanks, sorry let me explain. I bought a trackball and am trying to do the mouse hack to hook it up, i tried with one mouse already but when plugged in it does the weird jumpy thing. So I don't know what to do, is it the trackball or mouse?

[mgb]

I've never done a trackball to mouse hack, but I'd guess that you have something crossed or generaly hooked up wrong.
Here's another thread about a mouse hack
http://arcadecontrols.com/files/Miscellaneous/Mouse_to_Trackball_Instructions.pdf

[mgb]

Heres another very old post about power issues with a mouse hack
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=23.0

[BobA]

If it is a used trackball that has not been cleaned and lubed then chances are it is the TB.  If the mouse had power problems it would probably show on both axes and if the hack was wrong then it would probably not register at all on the problem axis.   Just a guess.

[newbielife5]

Alright I finally had time to do some more testing. It seems that the power was part of the issue, it made one axis sort of work but the other continue to stick to the sides. After doing this im pretty positive its the mouse. Does anyone know of a mouse that will work?

[newbielife5]

can anyone help?

[boardjunkie]

I have done this hack several times using a cheap USB ball mouse and Wico home model trackballs. You need to know how these things work before you set out to make this happen.

There's 4 wires to the slotted opto. 5v (thru current limiting resistor matched to the opto type), gnd, speed, and direction. You need to identify all of these connections with a meter and/or a scope. Pwr and gnd should be self explanitory. Speed will show a pulse train proportional to the rate you spin the shaft with the encoder disc on it. The direction is just a high or low pulse. You see it change when you reverse the direction (tells the hardware which way the disc is turning). The trackball type should be identified via its manual (or the manual for the game it was used in) and the connections will be detailed. Its up to you to identify the connections at the mouse optos. So really, you need to do this before taking the opto's out of the mouse board.....