Hacking a Mouse

[USSEnterprise]

I know I have been asking a lot of questions, and I'm sorry if I'm getting on anyone's nerves. I am just very eager to learn as much as possible about how to build a control panel.

How do you hach a mouse for use as an arcade trackball interface. I saw a brief description on the BYOAC website, but no detailed instructions. The Opti-pac is pretty expensive and would rather use a $2 mouse if possible. Thanks

[Onji]

I used minwah's tutorial. It worked out great. I know you used to be able to buy premade mousehacks from oscar, but I'm not sure about now. Anyway here is the link:

http://mamewah.mameworld.net/mousehack.htm

[JoyMonkey]

That's weird. I've used a mouse hack with a 3" and 4.5" Happ trackballs, and I don't remember ever supplying 5v to the trackball circuits. I followed a different tutorial, but I'm pretty sure it was much the same thing.

[USSEnterprise]

Well it appears that it will be very helpful, especially since I do not need to get a $45 Opti-Pac interface. Thank you very much.

[USSEnterprise]

Now, will a trackball from a Golden Tee Golf game work for games like centipede and missile command? I spotted a Happ one on ebay and its goin cheap.  I have played the game before and am concerned that the ball might be a single axis, but in reality, have no idea. I am new to this.

[Stingray]

Now, will a trackball from a Golden Tee Golf game work for games like centipede and missile command? I spotted a Happ one on ebay and its goin cheap.  I have played the game before and am concerned that the ball might be a single axis, but in reality, have no idea. I am new to this.

I'm pretty sure it's a standard Imperial trackball. I have one ond it works grea for Centepede & Missle Command.

-S

[USSEnterprise]

and an Imperial will work just as well on the mouse interface as a happ would. I was both on ebay, but the imperial looked to be in better condition

[Voodooray]

I made my own interface for

[Lilwolf]

cool hack just taking the chip from a cheap mouse!

[USSEnterprise]

That is really cool, with just a breadboard and some terminals

[Avery]

Way cool.

How do you track down the info sheets?

[Voodooray]

The site i used for the data sheet was -http://www.datasheetarchive.com/
There was even a small circuit diagram.
If you can't find the data you need you can follow the traces on the board and work out what everything does. If you have any problems let me know and i'll see if I can help, though i'm only a novice myself.
I'm going to etch a proper PCB for it this weekend, i've never done that before so that should be fun!
Novice + Acid = Interesting times ahead!

[Voodooray]

Just done it, turned out to be easier than i thought

[SOAPboy]

Just done it, turned out to be easier than i thought

[USSEnterprise]

ok, so will an Imperial trackball from a Golden Tee machine work on the mouse interface? I just need to know because an ebay auction is about to end. There is a Happ one, too, but it dosen't look as good.

[Stingray]

ok, so will an Imperial trackball from a Golden Tee machine work on the mouse interface? I just need to know because an ebay auction is about to end. There is a Happ one, too, but it dosen't look as good.

Yes. I have my Imperial hooked up to a hacked mouse. I used Minwah's tutorial. The Imperial is a fantastic 3" TB.

-S

[USSEnterprise]

Thatk you. I'll bid in a little while.

[Minwah]

ok, so will an Imperial trackball from a Golden Tee machine work on the mouse interface?

I thought Golden Tee machines use Happ trackballs...at least Happ used to state that was the case.

Nice circuit Voodoo

[SirPoonga]

The site i used for the data sheet was -http://www.datasheetarchive.com/
There was even a small circuit diagram.

Wow, this just made my life easier.

If you can't find the data you need you can follow the traces on the board and work out what everything does.

I've been thinking of making a write up as I don't see any good links on byoac's site.
I did a mouse hack some time ago.  I decided to clean it up as it was a mess.  I think I screwed something up as it now kinda works   So I figured I'd start from scratch.

I think here's what I will do.  I will take pics and write out how I am doing my current hack, if it works.  And compare it to my old hack.  My old hack had the 4 pin IR receivers, the new one will have the 3 pin receivers.  I believe the only difference is the 4th pin is a ground or something like that.  But same idea for both though when it comes to hacking.  I will also explain how to use the datasheet if one is available (most likely one is) and how to do the traces yourself.

BTW, the other alternative is buy a prehacked mouse from oscarcontrols, only like $9 if I remember. 

I get asked how to do a mouse hack often in chat.  I'm suprised we don;t have anyhting linked in the interfaces section of the FAQ.

[USSEnterprise]

From what I've read, it seems simple enough. I have a few Intellimice in my closet

[SirPoonga]

yeah, it isn't that hard.  Just some people look at anything that resembles a circuit and think they can't figure it out

[USSEnterprise]

I've done a few soldering kits. An FM transmitter, an EKG machine, a radar gun, and a color organ. I like electronics. The only circuits I hate are the ones inside my EM Pinball machine. Errr.

[Voodooray]

Hi.
As you say, i could buy a pre hacked mouse but if i can i like to do things myself. It's not really a cost issue i just like learning new things. I just started messing about with a few components on some breadboard and ended up etching my own PCB, i didn't see that coming. Now i'm looking round like an idiot for things i can make circuits for.
I think next the chip from my Logitech Wingman joystick is going to become a 3 Axis 8 button analog interface for my flight stick, steering wheels and Starwars Yoke.
Just as a bit of advice for people wanting to do the mouse thing, cheap mice usually have a lot fewer parts inside. I dare say you don't get as high quality, i.e. resolution, a scroll wheel etc, but as a noobie i don't know if that matters in an arcade situation.

Voodoo Ray.

[markrvp]

From what I've read, it seems simple enough. I have a few Intellimice in my closet

When I did my mouse hack (for an imperial trackball) the best resource was the PROJECT ARCADE book.  The pictures were what made the difference.

BTW, a new Happ 3" trackball is much nicer than a new Imperial 3" trackball IMHO.  I just replaced an Imperial with a Happ on one of my panels as the Imperial just didn't feel right compared to the Happ.  I get much better Golden Tee scores with the Happ.  The Imperial gives me weird putts pulled left or right.

Some Golden Tee machines use the Imperial trackball and some use the Happ.  I just bypass the ones with the Imperial trackball.  The EA Sports PGA Tour arcade machine uses the Happ and you can really light up the courses.

[USSEnterprise]

This is my first game cabinet, and I'm really only gonna use it for Missile Command and Centipede. i doubt the PC i'm gonna use will be fast enough for Golden Tee. And price is my most major condiseration.

[Kremmit]

Somebody posted a while back that if you clean out the bearings on your Imperial and re-oil them with a nice light oil instead of the thick stuff they come packed in, that the ball will spin like a Happ.

[markrvp]

Somebody posted a while back that if you clean out the bearings on your Imperial and re-oil them with a nice light oil instead of the thick stuff they come packed in, that the ball will spin like a Happ.

I tried that and although it felt better it was still not anywhere near as nice as the Happ.

[Kremmit]

Just dug up the post I was thinking of, and you know, it doesn't say it will make it spin like a Happ, after all- just better.  Here's the post.

I find this part interesting:

Imperial bearings fit into happs (3" to 3") and make the happs feel as sluggish as the imperial.

Makes a guy wonder how much Happ bearings would help an Imperial trackball.  Or bearings from a non-arcade parts source, maybe.

[USSEnterprise]

would a Wico Trackball from an Atari Crystal Castles work on a mouse hack?