GGG Turbo Twist Spinner

[GregD]

Can anyone tell me if I can use the interface board included with the GGG Turbo Twist Spinner to connect the Groovy-TB 3" Trackball as well?  The info on the site is a little ambiguous to me.  It does sound like there are two additional axes available on the board since you can connect two additional spinners.  First build so having difficulty determining what I need to order.

[drventure]

From the site description, it sounds like when you buy a "master" unit, you get a board that can control up to 2 additional "slave" spinners, and those spinners can be set ot be the Y or Z axis, by connecting them in certain ways.

That means the board probably looks like a single HID joystick, with x y and z axis, but they just report 0 values unless you hook up the slave spinners.

In that case, i'd doubt it would work to connect a trackball to it.

But shoot GGG an email to confirm. They're usually pretty good about responding.

[flashlight]

Off the top of my head from memory, i want to say no. The board for the spinner has a 4 or 5 wire ribbon coming off of it that goes to the spinner.

The board for the trackball has 3, pairs of 2 pin each connectors, and 2, pairs of 2 pin connectors for ground/5volt connector.

Both boards however have the same 4x1pin connector for 3 mouse buttons, plus ground.

heres the spinner board, though mine just ordered from GGG has a solid gray ribbon coming off of it, not bare pins



and the trackball board

[GregD]

Thanks for the help.  I guess I will just look for a USB trackball so I can avoid another interface board.

[ids]

...But shoot GGG an email to confirm. They're usually pretty good about responding.

That's what I'd do, as I think it could easily be made to work.  Best to go to the authoritative source, however.

[drventure]

I've really liked the HAPP usb trackballs. They're a bit $$$, but they're solid, and you just plug and play.

[GregD]

Anyone have any experience with the x gaming trackball.  Looks like a Betson Imperial clone and it is only $40 right now.  No lighting options but $40 is pretty cheap for a usb trackball.

[flashlight]

I havent had any experience with any other trackballs than the GGG one, but i was extremely impressed with how well it evenly blends/diffuses color from the rgb leds. It glows in such a way that you would swear the trackball itself was always/molded from a bright uniform solid color, not that it was ever being backlit. It needed a little bit of a break in period, maybe a few hours of use to spin freely though.

[ids]

I havent had any experience with any other trackballs than the GGG one, but i was extremely impressed with how well it evenly blends/diffuses color from the rgb leds. It glows in such a way that you would swear the trackball itself was always/molded from a bright uniform solid color, not that it was ever being backlit. It needed a little bit of a break in period, maybe a few hours of use to spin freely though.

Exactly the same for me (mine are Betsons, but with all the GGG upgrades).  After they break in they are awesome (they're great out of the box as well).

[GregD]

Are you referring to the electric ice trackballs?