Mouse Hack

[Minwah1959]

A week or two ago I added a section to my site which shows how to hack a mouse to a Happ Trackball.  I realise this has been done before but my way was a bit different to others I found (I think easier?)

Check it out at http://mamewah.mameworld.net/Controls.html

It also shows how to add extra buttons to a HotRodSE (OK, OK I didn't build my own controller, but I hadn't realised I would be mad enough to build a cabinet when I bought it).

[gnat3y3]

sweet!

thanx! do you (or anyone) have any odea how close the happs trackball is to the atari millipede trackball? thats what i have.

is the intellimouse your using usb? what version/model do you use in this hack? so i can find the same one?

is that mac compatible? would this same hack work with an oscar spinner?

i know a bunch of questions, but im still waiting for my usb optipac and am dying to play some tempest and millipede!

so any help would be great!

thanx again.

gnateye

[Minwah1959]

I'm afraid I know nothing about your Atari trackball.  Does it have a wiring harness coming from it?  If so you could guess the power (red + black?), and see what's left.  Or you could try tracing the tracks on the board(s).  Maybe.

I used a PS/2 IntelliMouse.  I can't remember the exact version (I'll find out & post when I get home if you like).  I think it was an early version tho.  It is not Mac compatible afaik as it is not USB.

I guess the hack would work with an Oscar spinner (I presume you're talking about a Model 2?).  Maybe Oscar could confirm?

Hope this helps...

[u_rebelscum]

thanx! do you (or anyone) have any odea how close the happs trackball is to the atari millipede trackball? thats what i have.

Happs licensed the design from Atari.  I'm not sure about the optical circut boards (these might be a little different now), but the happs trackballs and the old Atari trackballs can exchange parts, no problem, including the circut boards, AFAIK.

[OSCAR]

I have an Atari Games optic board from '87.  I'm not sure if it came from a trackball or spinner, but since the back of the board says '87, it's a pretty good bet it didn't come out of a Centipede or Millipede.  I might guess Blasteroids, since that was circa '87.

Here's pics of the parts side and solder side.  I flipped the board about the vertical axis to take the pics, so keep that in mind if you want to compare the traces to the components.  

I followed the traces quickly, and it looks like the pins are (from left to right) on the parts side:  X1, +5V, GND, X2.  You would just have to reverse the X1 & X2 wires if the cursor moves in the opposite direction that it should when you are finished.  Hope that helps some.  

[u_rebelscum]

I have an Atari Games optic board from '87.  I'm not sure if it came from a trackball or spinner, but since the back of the board says '87, it's a pretty good bet it didn't come out of a Centipede or Millipede.  I might guess Blasteroids, since that was circa '87.

Here's pics of the parts side and solder side.  I flipped the board about the vertical axis to take the pics, so keep that in mind if you want to compare the traces to the components.  

I followed the traces quickly, and it looks like the pins are (from left to right) on the parts side:  X1, +5V, GND, X2.  You would just have to reverse the X1 & X2 wires if the cursor moves in the opposite direction that it should when you are finished.  Hope that helps some.  

The happs optic board has the same pin lineup and optic sensor location, but the board wiring is a little different now.  Probably the same output signals, though, so you should be able to swap them if you want, and treat them the same (ie, any howto hack happ trackballs should also work for the original atari, but no garantees).