Happ Trackball mouse hack help

[Hunk_4TH]

I just came across a Happ Trackball for a buck (yeah a buck lol) at my local flea market. It has the red optical boards and not the green (not sure if that makes a difference?

Anyway I was curious if it's possible to hack a laser optical mouse instead of an old ball mouse? As that's all I have laying around atm.

I've Googled countless times and always come across a guide that uses a ball mouse. Which leads me to believe it isn't possible? Please let me know. I can post pictures of the mouse and Trackball if that helps?

[chopperthedog]

Not possible. Find an old ball type if you want to do the hack.


good day.

[Hunk_4TH]

I figured as much lol. Well thanks!

[Hunk_4TH]

My cousin gave me an HP ball mouse model number hp n8rbp-02. I'm having some trouble finding how where I would solder the two 5v wires,ground wires etc.. I've found guides but they were no help. Would anyone be able to chime in on this? I have some decent soldering skills. I just need to know where to solder to. I know what wires ware what. Only camera I have atm is my phone and it sucks or I would definitely take a pic.

[pbj]

Eh, not completely true re optical mice.  You may be able to mount the mouse circuit board close to the ball and get decent performance.  I've done it.  Won't really work if the ball is shiny and white.

Anyway, the sensors on your trackball have 5V/Ground and two signal wires.  You should be able to find power and ground off your mouse PCB.  The signal inputs are coming off the transistor near your mouse axis.

Simple google search for "mouse trackball hack" reveals:

http://mamewah.mameworld.info/mousehack.htm

 

[Hunk_4TH]

Thanks man! I actually already have that page bookmarked lol. They do help! I also read you can supply the 5v/ground using a Y splitter. I have a multi meter around somewhere.  Some guides mentioned removing  opto-transistors and IR emitter. Is this really necessary? Or is it just for saving power?

[pbj]

You remove them to expose solder points and eliminate interference.

[Hunk_4TH]

I gotcha. About to give it a quick test.

[Hunk_4TH]

No luck with 5v/ground via the Y splitter. Gonna have to find out where it is on the mouse board I guess.

[severdhed]

on my mouse hacks, i've never pulled power or ground from the mouse..i've always just taken it directly from the pc power supply (red and black wires) and it has worked well. 

[Hunk_4TH]

Hmm when I tried that, the PC would shut off after a few seconds :/

[pbj]

You can pull 5VDC and ground off the circuit near the axis inputs.  It's also on the cable running from your PC to your mouse. 

Good lord, man, this is very simple and extremely well documented.

[severdhed]

Could it be that there is something wrong with the trackball that is shorting somewhere and causing it to shut down...maybe that is why it was so cheap?

Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk 2

[Hunk_4TH]

You can pull 5VDC and ground off the circuit near the axis inputs.  It's also on the cable running from your PC to your mouse. 

Good lord, man, this is very simple and extremely well documented.

I know. Are you saying I could also splice in the 5V/GND wires to the cable itself? Or is it best to just solder it to the circuit?

Could it be that there is something wrong with the trackball that is shorting somewhere and causing it to shut down...maybe that is why it was so cheap?

Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk 2

It could be why. He had a few more too. I might stop by there this weekend and get the others if he still has them. I just figured he didn't know what he had as it in a box full of various stuff,

[pbj]

Your computer is shutting down as a defense mechanism because you are shorting out the 5V with ground.

[Hunk_4TH]

That's what I figured.

[Hunk_4TH]

Well the trackball definitely works! Looking through a few more guides I finally found where I connect the 5V and GND wires. I just have to reverse one of the wires as the mouses goes down instead of up lol.

[Slippyblade]

Congrats! 

So does that mean you are now the proud owner of a box of trackballs?

[Hunk_4TH]

Thanks Nah, but I'll finally get to play some of those trackball games with an actual trackball