Trackball Mousehack

[oldskoolcade]

okay, so after a whole lot searching for an old microsoft mouse, I finally took the plunge and tried my hand at a mousehack for my neighbour's new used Happ Trackball.   Keep in mind that I'm so not good with soldering tools or the like.   So, I followed Minwah's example, and sure enough after all was said and done, I somehow managed to get it to work, and on the first attempt no less (WHOO HOO!).  So here's my question...

I don't have a multimeter, and it's an old Ps/2 mouse.   What I'm trying to do is run the 5v and the ground off the actual mouse board (instead of running leads from the trackball to my Keywiz Max).    I just don't know which is the 5v, or which is the Ground.  Is there anyway to tell simply from the colour of wire running from the mouse input cable into the board itself?  I'm thinking that the black is ground, and the one right next to it is the 5v, but without a multimeter I can't know for sure.   If anyone out there has done a hack with a microsoft mouse, and has any insight, I'd love to know!

Cheers!
Mike

[Chris]

okay, so after a whole lot searching for an old microsoft mouse, I finally took the plunge and tried my hand at a mousehack for my neighbour's new used Happ Trackball.

[Stormy151]

Don't know about Microsoft mice, but sometimes there will be a trace on the board marked +5V.

[Grauwulf]

Personally I wouldn't bother guessing at which wire it is, I would just go buy a cheap multimeter. If you're going to be playing with arcade stuff you're going to need one anyhow.

Guessing and trial and error tends to let the 'magic smoke' out of electronic components and then they don't work so well anymore.

[SirPeale]

I agree with Gozur.  Besides, if you're going to be doing much more of this kind of thing, a multimeter is one of those 'must-have' tools. 

Do a google: PS/2 pinout and determine which wire is the 5V that way.  Or do a board search, I know I've posted that info at least once.

[cholin]

Well, since you know it is +5v, get a LED and resistor or something like that and try to hook it up to what you think are the right ports, this way, the worst that will happen is the LED not turning on.  Maybe buy a cheap dollar store fan and connect the motor to the ports.  What you should do is look at which port from the USB or PS2 has the +5 and just follow that wire onto your board.

[SirPoonga]

FYI, if you get to the point you want to give up, just buy a prehacked mouse from oscarcontrols.com.