Ultimarc Question

[JRChristenson]

I'm trying to make a game controller with just a trackball and four or five buttons. I'm using an ultimarc U-Trac trackball. Since this I freestanding controller rather than a CP I would rather not have a separate cord for the buttons and the trackball. Is there an interface board that can accomadte both? I've been looking at the ultimarc website but I can't figure out which one (if any) might work.

Thanks.

[PL1]

I'm trying to make a game controller with just a trackball and four or five buttons. I'm using an ultimarc U-Trac trackball. Since this I freestanding controller rather than a CP I would rather not have a separate cord for the buttons and the trackball. Is there an interface board that can accomadte both? I've been looking at the ultimarc website but I can't figure out which one (if any) might work.

I-Pac2 has pins for the U-Trak, make your own button harness.
https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/i-pacs/i-pac2/

Mini-Pac Opti has pre-fabbed harnesses for trackball and buttons.
https://www.ultimarc.com/control-interfaces/mini-pac-en/mini-pac-opti/

Both use a single USB cable.

You may also want a Neutrik USB feedthrough to make the USB cable removable.




Scott

[Zebra]

Yes, the Uhid which is also sold by Ultimarc.

I just started using the Uhid nano and they are fantastic. You just use their software to designate functions to each pin. Any pin can be designated as an optical device (like a trackball or mouse), an analog axis, a digital button, a keyboard button, an output (such as a lamp) or 5v. It's the best arcade PC input device I have used. You can even designate pins for macros.

Each optical axis uses 2 pins so you would need 4 for a trackball. If you used a Uhid nano you'd only be able to hook up 4 buttons so I'd suggest investing in the big Uhid if you want to connect a trackball and 5 buttons to once device.

[PL1]

U-HIDs are great, but not for this application.

Each optical axis uses 2 pins so you would need 4 for a trackball. If you used a Uhid nano you'd only be able to hook up 4 buttons so I'd suggest investing in the big Uhid if you want to connect a trackball and 5 buttons to once device.

U-HID Nano doesn't have enough pins for trackball + 4-5 buttons unless OP uses shifted functions and blocking diodes for 1-2 of them.
- Shifted functions are almost certain to cause problems for this application. (NOT recommended)

4 - data lines for trackball (2X + 2Y)
1 - 5v for trackball
1 - Ground for buttons and trackball
----
6 pins, leaving 3 pins for buttons.

Full-size U-HID costs the same as the Mini-Pac Opti, but doesn't include the harnesses.


Scott

[Zebra]

The Uhid nano has 8 pins plus a ground pin (so 9 total).

It's been a while but the last trackball I used only output 4 pins (2 for each axis). It didn't need an additional 5v pin. The Uhid board takes power from the USB port like all Ultimarc interfaces. The power for the 5v high / low for the optical axis movement is taken through the 4 pins you allocate to X and Y.

I haven't seen every trackball that ever existed though. If there are some that need a separate 5v input on top of what the board provides via the 4 X Y pins it wouldn't have to come from the Uhid.

I'm fairly sure it can be used for a trackball plus 4 buttons but if you wanted 5 or more buttons then you want the big Uhid or just take the 5th button from elsewhere as mame less you mix and match.

I wish I would have just bought the big Uhid board instead of every other arcade pc interface. It can replace all the Apacs, Ipacs, Pacdrive and Optipac boards with a single device. With 60 inputs (or outputs), I'm fairly sure it could replace all my input devices including my keyboard and mouse.

Having inputs and outputs on one device with software to control it makes everything more intuitive. Trying to make a Pacdrive output happen in response to a button from an Optipac or Apac is a nightmare. It's all there on drop-down menus on the Uhid. It's amazing.

but, to each his own. There is obviously a few options for trackball connection. Everyone should choose based on their own needs and budget. A lot depends on what other types of input you need and what interfaces you already have.

[PL1]

It's been a while but the last trackball I used only output 4 pins (2 for each axis). It didn't need an additional 5v pin. The Uhid board takes power from the USB port like all Ultimarc interfaces. The power for the 5v high / low for the optical axis movement is taken through the 4 pins you allocate to X and Y.

If optical circuits get the 5v operating voltage via the data lines . . .

  1. Why is there a separate 5v pin on the Happ Optical "Red Board" and every other optical circuit I've ever seen?

  2. How can the data lines forward bias the IR LEDs when both lines are at a logic low? (Phase 1)

 

Your assertion that data lines provide power to the optical circuits is absolutely 100% factually and electronically wrong.   

The four data lines (outputs from the trackball optical circuits) DO NOT and CAN NOT supply the 5v (input) to power the IR LEDs and photodiodes/phototransistors in the optical circuits.

Every trackball that uses optical circuits and encoder wheels needs six connections:
- 5v / operating voltage
- Ground
- Four data lines (2X, 2Y)

it wouldn't have to come from the Uhid.

You're correct that you can get the 5v from another source, but that hack would be unnecessary with a more suitable encoder like the I-Pac, Mini-Pac, or full-size U-HID.

I'm fairly sure it can be used for a trackball plus 4 buttons

As previously stated, the only non-hack way to do 4 or 5 buttons with just the Nano is to use shifted functions, which will almost certainly cause problems for this application.
- A standalone trackball controller needs at least 3 player buttons if you want to play Missile Command.
- Unless you manage to hack into 5v at the USB connection, the U-Hid Nano will only have 3 button inputs.
-- To do 4 or 5 buttons, at least one of the three player buttons will have to be either the designated shift button or a shifted function(s).
-- There is no way to keep the shift button and the shifted functions separate from the player buttons.
-- Hitting more than one player button at the same time can trigger a different output than desired.

As stated earlier the U-HID series encoders are great, but they are not the best choice for OP's specific application.

Use the right tool for the job.


Scott

[Zebra]

You're right. The device I had was an old analog encoder which didn't need the extra 5v. The optical encoders do need it.

To get 4 buttons on the nano you'd have to take and extra 5v line from the USB port or share the UHID's 5v on the board to do it all with one cable. The big Uhid would be a lot easier as no soldering would be needed. I'm certainly not a fan of soldering, especially on boards as tiny as the nano.

I'm going to order the big Uhid as my new cab has 6 button fight sticks, two positional guns with recoil output, Sega type 2 guns (also with recoil), trackball, spinner, pedals and a flight stick. It will be nice to be able to connect all that to one board with pins to spare. It's definitely not the right option if you only want to connect optical devices though. But, who only uses trackballs?