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Will a minipac help me out here?

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unclet:

I have two spinners which I hacked (via the Twisty Grip design) to two USB mice, both on the X-axis. 

I would like to get both mice working at the same time for multiple mice games in Mame.   I was told if I simply changed one of my mouse hacks to use teh Y-axis optics instead, then everything would work in Mame like I want.

Problem is.... the mice I used for my hack does not allow hacking to the Y-axis nicely, so that is not an option.    Also, I realize Mame Analog XP+ would be an option as well, but I was told I would have to issue the Mame analog options manually (ie: at the control prompt) to initiate multiplemice, etc... 

I came across someone in this forum mentioning a "MiniPac" from ultimarc.   Would this allow me to attach my two USB mice hacks to it, thus allowing me to specify one being X-axis and the other being Y-axis ..... if so, what would I need to do.   I mean I would assum I would need to cut my USB wire for each mouse and attach them to the minipac, but how?

Thanks for any info ....

cholin:

If you have two spinners, why do you want a Y-axis one?

The minipac wiring diagram allows for one spinner and one trackball.  I'm not sure, but it would make perfect sense that you could hook up your spinner for one and the other spinner could go on the X-axis of the trackball.  Im not sure if the Minipac requires a Y-axis, but this seems logical.

So mousehack1 -> Spinner
mousehack2 -> Tracball X

EDITED for picture go to http://ultimarc.com/images/Mini-Pac%20wiring.jpg

Kremmit:

A Mini-Pac (or an Opti-Pac would work, too) is used in place of your mouse hacks.  You just connect the signal from the optic boards on your spinners to the minipac inputs, and forget about USB mouse hackery.

But why can't the Y-axis on your mice be hacked?  Pictures?

unclet:

Can an Optipac be used without an Ipac?   

As for the mouse hack question (see my mouse hack picture).   Using the Twisty Grip hack method of hacking a mouse, there is a little retangular white plastic part which is glued next to the optics so the flywheel point (at the tip) can fit in it.  This holds the flywheel into position between the optics (see white plastic piece in the photo).   Now look at the other set of optics which I am not using and you will notice there is no place to glue the white rectangular piece to hold the flywheel in position.

Since I do not have two real "spinners" , then I do not have wires which typically come out of a spinner to hook into a Minipac (or Optipac),.  All I have is the USB wiring coming off of the mouse PCB board (see red/green/white and black wires in top/left of photo), so how would I connect the USB wires to the minipac ?   Basically, if I cut the USB head adapter off the end of the wires which come from the PCB board, then which of those wires would I connect to the minipac .... if this is possible?



cholin:

You would have to cut the traces from the encoders on your mouse and solder a new wire leading to the minipac.

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