Connecting both a trackball & spinner to single mouse

[OSCAR]

I've put together a page that explains how to connect a spinner and trackball to a single USB mouse interface, as I have had quite a few email requests for info on this.

http://www.oscarcontrols.com/DPDTswitch.shtml.

This "How-To" doesn't go into actually hacking a mouse, as that is already well documented on Minwah and BobA's webpages (which are linked to on my page).  Let me know if there are any questions or if something isn't clear.

[RacerX]

That's why you da man!  You see a need and fill it!

 

[Tiger-Heli]

First class write-up, as usual, OSCAR.

Quick question.  I notice you mention +5V and GND wires connecting to the PC Power Supply.  I was hoping that a single trackball could connect to the USB interface and use the USB port for power.  Will this work or do I need a separate +5V source?

Thanks again!!!

[OSCAR]

Yes, it should be possible.  I say should because I didn't actually try that, but based on my previous experience with USB mice, the +5V for each optic board needs to be taken from different places on the mouse if it isn't taken directly from the incoming power source on the USB cable.

I used one of my mouse boards in my example, and since the USB mice boards I sell take the +5V from the original phototransistor locations, if taken from those locations they don't give enough "juice" to power simultaneous optic boards.  I take the power from those locations because it makes the wire harness simpler with fewer connections.  So, rather than re-hack a mouse to power all three boards, I opted to source the power directly from the PC power supply.

I realize that for your specialized controllers the method I used isn't very desirable, but my example is geared more towards a typical MAME cab setup.

When I get a few spare minutes, I'll rewire the harness to see if it will work all from the mouse.

[isugoat]

i'm clueless on the whole trackball/spinner scene.  would this hack work as well as an optipac?  I'm gonna grab a trackball and throw it in a panel over xmas and i want to get the most accurate recreation of a golden tee machine.
are there any major advantages for either the optipac or mouse hack(aside from havin to do the hack yourself)? is one more accurate?

[OSCAR]

The Opti-PAC is seen by Windows as a standard mouse and uses the same native drivers as a generic mouse.

I've had trackballs connected to both an Opti-PAC and a mouse, and I can't tell the difference between them performance-wise.

The Opti-PAC is an out-of-the box solution that allows multiple devices to utilize a single port, but it is still seen by your system as a mouse.

[isugoat]

ah, thats kinda what i was assuming.  thanks for verifying

[OSCAR]

Yes, it should be possible.  I say should because I didn't actually try that, but based on my previous experience with USB mice, the +5V for each optic board needs to be taken from different places on the mouse if it isn't taken directly from the incoming power source on the USB cable.

I modified my wire harness to take the +5V and GND directly from the mouse board and it works just fine.  I soldered a wire to back of the mouse board right where the +5V comes in from the USB cable connection to the PC.

Let me know if you have more questions.