Trackball Newbie - Install Help

[Richardgregory]

Hi everyone,

I've decided to build another control panel and would like to put in a trackball - the one I'm looking at is a 2 1/4" HAPP trackball.  My CAB currently is using a I-PAC2 controller.  Can someone please let me everything that I need to know on how to hook the trackball up?  Ie. do I need a separate controller for the trackball, etc. 

Is there a USB version of a trackball out there of arcade 'centipede' quality?

Thank you

[PL1]

I've decided to build another control panel and would like to put in a trackball - the one I'm looking at is a 2 1/4" HAPP trackball.  My CAB currently is using a I-PAC2 controller.  Can someone please let me everything that I need to know on how to hook the trackball up?  Ie. do I need a separate controller for the trackball, etc. 

Is there a USB version of a trackball out there of arcade 'centipede' quality?

Ultimarc's 3" U-Trak is easier to install, but Happ trackball hardware quality is a bit higher.

There's a dedicated USB optical (mouse) encoder available for it . . .



. . . or you can plug the Dupont pins from the U-Trak onto the IPac pin header, assuming you have a 2015 or newer IPac like this.



One product line to avoid is Happ trackballs with the USB & PS/2 green boards -- a number of users have complained about backspin.
- If you choose to get a Happ trackball, get one with red boards and a molex harness.

There are two types of "green boards":

1. The old optical board. (P/N A052-1010-00)
- Obsolete due to problems with backspin.
- Replaced by the "red board". (P/N A052-1011-00)
 

2. The newer USB & PS/2 encoder kit (P/N 56-0113-00K) has the main PCB (P/N 55-0301-00) with the encoder and a satellite optical PCB. (55-0302-00)
- Not obsolete, but not recommended.


GGG carries a plug-and-play Trackball Cable for Opti-Wiz™ "No-Solder" that replaces the molex harness on the arcade-style Happ trackballs with green or red boards.

You can use this cable with the IPac header pins if you remove the 2-wire ground pin from the Dupont housing since 5v and ground pins aren't next to each other on the IPac.

All related pins are labeled on the IPac.
- Ground is black.  It's OK to have both ground wires on a single ground pin.
- 5v is red.  It's OK to have both 5v wires on a single 5v pin.
- X1 is purple.
- X2 is blue.
- Y1 is yellow.
- Y2 is green.




Scott

[Richardgregory]

Thanks for the response and all the information.  I'll perhaps reconsider the 3" version of a trackball and stick with an Ultimarc one as it does seem easier to install. 

HAPP has a direct to USB version of their trackball too, so I could consider that.  I'm using the newer version of the IPAC-2 as per your picture.   If I stick with HAPP and don't get the USB version one, I would need to get the 'red' colored board and what else?  Sorry, I'm not following what things I need to connect the trackball to - assuming I'm not going to be connecting to the IPAC-2 or do I have to?

[PL1]

HAPP has a direct to USB version of their trackball too, so I could consider that.

That's the one I warned you about.   

The not-so-good Happ USB encoder is on this green board.

I'm using the newer version of the IPAC-2 as per your picture.   If I stick with HAPP and don't get the USB version one, I would need to get the 'red' colored board and what else?  Sorry, I'm not following what things I need to connect the trackball to - assuming I'm not going to be connecting to the IPAC-2 or do I have to?

1. Get a Happ trackball with a Molex harness. (far right of this pic)
- New Happ trackballs with a Molex harness will come with the red boards. (P/N A052-1011-00)

2. Get a Trackball Cable for Opti-Wiz™ "No-Solder" from GGG. (center left in this pic)
- This cable replaces the Molex harness.
- The two white housing connectors go to the two red boards.
- The three black housing (Dupont) connectors go to the encoder.

3. You already have an IPac with pins for a trackball so that's what I'd recommend using.
- Extract the ground pin with the two black wires from the Dupont housing. (see vid below)
-- If you don't have an extra Dupont housing for that pin with two ground wires, just use a bit of electrical tape or leave it bare.
- Connect the 6 Dupont pins (X1, X2, Y1, Y2, 5v, and ground) to the corresponding pins on the IPac header.





4. Connect the Happ trackball's ring terminal with two green ground wires to frame ground.  (metal PC case, metal power supply case, etc.)
- These wires bleed off the static electricity generated by the acrylic trackball rolling on the steel rollers.



5. Fire up the system and play some Centipede.   


Scott

[Richardgregory]

Thanks PL1!  You've gone above and beyond in helping me out and I appreciate that.  Sorry that I put you in the zone...I was so caught up in reading your details and trying to determine what I need or don't need that I got mixed up. I'll be staying away from the Happ USB trackball 

This all makes sense right now, so time to go spend some $$!  Again, I appreciate the help and hopefully this post will help other Trackball newbies like moi.

Have a great day!

[PL1]

No worries.  Glad to assist.   


Scott

[Richardgregory]

Hi PL1:  I posted on a new separate thread, but wanted to reach out to you here in this thread - I did receive the U-Track trackball, and the USB board, but it is not working - only moves on the X axis and not the Y.  I noticed that the USB board isn't the same as on the Ultimarc site, so not sure if they sent me the correct board.

Needing some help to hook it up to the IPAC2 directly to see if it's maybe the USB board that's toast.

Attached here is the board itself, which looks different.

Thanks

[PL1]

I noticed that the USB board isn't the same as on the Ultimarc site, so not sure if they sent me the correct board.

Looks like an updated board.   

Another Ultimarc board that looks like that one is the U-HID Nano.
- The Nano can be programmed to handle trackball inputs.

Needing some help to hook it up to the IPAC2 directly to see if it's maybe the USB board that's toast.

All related pins are labeled on the IPac.
- Ground is black.  It's OK to have both ground wires on a single ground pin.
- 5v is red.  It's OK to have both 5v wires on a single 5v pin.
- X1 is purple.
- X2 is blue.
- Y1 is yellow.
- Y2 is green.

I did receive the U-Track trackball, and the USB board, but it is not working - only moves on the X axis and not the Y.

Several things could cause this.

Wobbling back and forth 1 step.
- One opto/data line is OK and the other is burned out or stuck high/low.
- One opto is always blocked and the other isn't.
- If data line A is stuck low and data line B alternates high and low, the encoder will see it as going back and forth between phase 1 and phase 2 and the encoder will move the cursor up and down 1 step.



No motion at all.
- Both optos are always blocked.
- Both optos are burned out or stuck high/low.
- The encoder wheel broke off or is not in the gap of the optos or is wedged in place so it does not turn with the roller.

Testing the optical circuits.
If you want to check if the optos are working properly, use a straight pin as a probe for each data line.
(Slide the straight pin into the back of the Dupont housing until it makes contact with the Dupont pin.)
- When you *slowly* move the trackball you should see the data line voltages alternate between logic high and low.
-- If you move too fast, your digital multimeter won't keep up.

- If a data line is always high or always low, the problem is likely the optical circuit.

- If all 4 data lines alternate between high and low, the problem is likely the encoder.




Scott