How to Wire Happ Trackball to Mini-Pac?

[benarcade]

I've read just about every post on the subject, but I'm still not sure how this goes.

I have a Happ Trackball with red circuit boards. The two circuit boards have a Molex 4-pin plug on both boards. The wires are then connected to a single 6-pin Molex plug. I can't say for sure, but I think I can see a 1 for the first pin on the board, and the layout is:

Board 1:
1. Yellow
2. Red
3. Black
4. Green

Board 2:
1. Purple
2. Red
3. Black
4. Blue

If I understand the diagrams correctly, I have to splice into each of the boards separately. Is that correct? so both boards are connected, independently, to the Mini-Pac? I can't use the 6-pin Molex?

And here's the correct pin layout:
https://www.ultimarc.com/images/Minipac_wiring.pdf

Does this look correct?

Board 1:
1. Yellow => 5v [J7]
2. Red => [J5]
3. Black => [J5]
4. Green => [J7 Ground]

Board 2:
1. Purple => 5v [J7]
2. Red => [J5]
3. Black => [J5]
4. Blue => [J7 Ground]

I would expect the red wires on the Happ to be 5vDC.

Also, there's a giant ground wire on the Happ. Can I connect that to the MiniPac's ground (Pin 1 [of J1])? or do I have to find a different ground?

Thanks!

[PL1]

I've read just about every post on the subject, but I'm still not sure how this goes.

I have a Happ Trackball with red circuit boards. The two circuit boards have a Molex 4-pin plug on both boards. The wires are then connected to a single 6-pin Molex plug. I can't say for sure, but I think I can see a 1 for the first pin on the board, and the layout is:

Board 1:
1. Yellow
2. Red
3. Black
4. Green

Board 2:
1. Purple
2. Red
3. Black
4. Blue

If I understand the diagrams correctly, I have to splice into each of the boards separately. Is that correct? so both boards are connected, independently, to the Mini-Pac? I can't use the 6-pin Molex?

The boards can share 5v wires and ground wires or you can run separate wires for each -- both ways work as long as both boards get 5v and ground.

You can make a molex to .1" harness if you don't want to hack the trackball and minipac harnesses.

The easiest way is to cut off the molex and minipac connectors and use a euro-style terminal strip to connect the wires.



The red wires are 5v.

The black wires are ground.

Yellow and green are data lines.

Blue and purple are data lines.

If an axis is moving backward to what you expect, swap the green and yellow, blue and purple, or brown and orange data lines as needed.

Also, there's a giant ground wire on the Happ. Can I connect that to the MiniPac's ground (Pin 1 [of J1])? or do I have to find a different ground?

Connect the big green ground wire to frame ground/power supply case to bleed off the static electricity generated by spinning the trackball.


Scott

[PL1]

Does this look correct?

Board 1:
1. Yellow => 5v [J7]
2. Red => [J5]
3. Black => [J5]
4. Green => [J7 Ground]

Board 2:
1. Purple => 5v [J7]
2. Red => [J5]
3. Black => [J5]
4. Blue => [J7 Ground]

Don't do it that way -- your data lines and power lines are reversed.   


Scott

[benarcade]

Thanks! Ok - so it looks like I can still use the 6-pin Molex out, because the two red (5vdc) and black (ground) are combined.

So it would look like:

6-Pin Molex:
1. Yellow => [J5]
2. Black x2 => [J7 Ground]
3. Red x2 => 5v [J7]

4. Green => [J5]
5. Blue => [J5]
6. Purple => [J5]

[PL1]

6-Pin Molex:
1. Yellow => [J5]
2. Black x2 => [J7 Ground]
3. Red x2 => 5v [J7]

4. Green => [J5]
5. Blue => [J5]
6. Purple => [J5]

Looks good. 


Scott

[benarcade]

Thanks, Scott! I wired it up and it works. Here's how I wired it.

Both X and Y axis PCBs share a Ground and 5vdc.

[benarcade]

One last clarification - I did actually hook up the big, green static ground wire to my PC chassis,  but I'd rather not do that for the finished product.

Is there any danger of just grounding it to one of the MiniPac grounds? Wouldn't that ground via the USB then? I'd rather do it that way than have a separate ground wire from the controller to the PC.

BTW - I've read several accounts of 1) Green ground (static wire) isn't grounded at all, and it's no problem 2) It's grounded to a spare ground on the interface board (MiniPac), and it's no problem.

Of course, the best ground would be the PC chassis (or Earth), but I'd rather not do that.

[PL1]

The green frame ground wire is there to bleed off the static electricity charge when you first touch the mounting plate and any charge that builds up when you use the trackball.

If you don't ground that wire (usually to AC line ground or the PC power supply metal case), static charges can zap the encoder as described in this thread.

Per RandyT, Static charges also attract dust/dirt which can collect on the rollers and eventually affect performance.

I'm not saying you can't ground it to the Mini-Pac, but the traces of an encoder are far more succeptible to damage and possible latent defects caused by ESD than the case of your power supply.   




Scott