Trackball almost working, help please...

[struby]

ok, so I got a Betson Imperial Trackball, did the mouse hack, looked this up:

I just got my Optipac the other day
and hooked my betson to it.

Here you go:
Yellow = X1
Green = X2
Brown = Y1
Blue = Y2

Rodney

, but I can't get my y axis to work, x works fine, everything looks to be soldered ok, y is the one where I have my red wire in the middle of the two axis wires, that is the only difference I see, but it won't register movement on the y axis, doesn't even wiggle up and down, any help would be appretiated, thanks.

[struby]

I let it sit for like 10 mins, plugged it in, got some backwards y movement, which stopped after like 5 seconds, the movement was iffy.

[struby]

I switched x and why on the molex connector, now it goes up and down when the trackaball is moved side to side, but now there is no left and right movement, what does this mean.

[quarterback]

I let it sit for like 10 mins, plugged it in, got some backwards y movement, which stopped after like 5 seconds, the movement was iffy.

 

The first thing I'd try would be to just flip the X and Y axis wires on your 6-pin connection.   I don't remember which pins are which, but This should narrow down where the problem is.

By seeing if the problem 'moves' from the X-axis to the Y-axis, you should know if it's a problem with the mouse hack or the ball.   

For the purposes of this test, I'll assume you're looking at a mouse cursor and we're talking about the mouse cursor's X and Y axis of movement. 

Currently you can get the mouse cursor to move right-and-left but not up-and-down, correct?  Well, if you flip the wires, you'll either be able to get the mouse to move the other direction on screen or not.

- If the mouse cursor now moves up-and-down but NOT right-and-left, then it's a problem with the ball (or a connection somewhere)
- If the mouse curosr continues to only move right-and-left and not up-and-down, then it's a problem with the mouse (or a connection somewhere)

If you're talking about the BALL'S x-axis and y-axis, the conclusion should be the opposite.


Let me know how that works out.
qb

[struby]

the ball's movement is basically only registered when the ball is moved on the x-axis, whether the x-axis on the ball is hooked up to the mouses x or y, whichever the x on the ball is hooked up to works fine, whichever the y on the ball is hooked up to doesn't register.

[quarterback]

I switched x and why on the molex connector, now it goes up and down when the trackaball is moved side to side, but now there is no left and right movement, what does this mean.

So there's no left and right movement when you roll the ball up and down, right?   Sounds like a problem with the up-and-down on the ball.   

Right?  Basically in both tests (before switching the wires and after switching the wires) the rolling of the TrackBall up and down results in no/crappy movement.   Right?  If so, then it sounds like there's something wrong with the ball/the board that's attached to the 'up and down' roller.

Try opening up the TBall and checking the connections and test it out.   It's possible that the optical board is jostled loose or the 'wheel' that spins between the optics is not in the right place or something.

Then I'd try unplugging and switching the boards.  If the axis-problem moves when you move the boards, then it's clearly the board.    Like I said in my PM.  If that's the case, I'll swap it out for another one.

[struby]

I will get minor poor movement in the ball's y axis direction when first plugged in, it then fades after about 5-10 seconds and there is no ball y axis movement.

[quarterback]

I will get minor poor movement in the ball's y axis direction when first plugged in, it then fades after about 5-10 seconds and there is no ball y axis movement.

Hmm... it sounds like there might be a problem with the power to the optical emitter.  Again, this could either be from the wire connected to that emitter or in the board/emitter itself.  Try the board switch to see if we can narrow it down to the wires or the emitter/board.

[struby]

When I swithed the plugs going into the boards around, didn't move the boards, just the plugs, the same result came as when I switched the molex's x and y hookups, y movement on screen from x ball movement, and no x movement. from y ball movement after like 5-10 seconds of messy x movement.

[struby]

nothing looks loose, disconnected, or out of place.

[BobA]

Check your soldering to make sure you have not shorted to another trace.

[struby]

I am not sure what that means, but i have gotten the trackball to move up and down on the screen, which suggests that the mouse hack is fine, which is the only place soldering is done, however, I can only get up and down movement on screen when I swich it so the up and down on screen is hooked up to the y axis on the ball.

[Kremmit]

Definately sounds like the trouble is with the optic board, trackball wiring, or the endoder wheel alignment.  If the mouse hack can move the cursor both up/down and right/left, then that's not the problem.  (glad the hack went well, btw)  If it was, you'd consistently fail to move the cursor along the same axis, the problem wouldn't switch axes when you change the wiring.  Which you already figured out.

Now, you've gotta narrow it down again.  First, just look real hard at the encoder wheels- verify that they're both turning, and passing through the optics like they should.  If that looks OK, then put the wiring back where it started, verify that the problem persists, and then swap the location of the optic boards.  If the problem moves with the boards, then that points to the boards.  If not, then the wiring seems most likely.

[struby]

i did a switch of the wires that plug into the boards, and the ball still only showed movement with left to right ball movement, x or y axis on screen, only x axis on ball.

[struby]

Also, all wires appear fine, and the black wheels with hooles near the edges appear to be around the same position, the y axis one is less centered, but between both black things.

[Kremmit]

Sounds like the boards, then.  Although I notice it's the non-working axis you say the wheels seem a little off-kilter on.  You might try wiggling things around before you get a new optic board.  Did you buy your TB new, from a vendor that might send you a replacement?

[quarterback]

Sounds like the boards, then.  Although I notice it's the non-working axis you say the wheels seem a little off-kilter on.  You might try wiggling things around before you get a new optic board.  Did you buy your TB new, from a vendor that might send you a replacement?

It was mine.  Since it does indeed sound like the board, I'll be sending struby a replacement.

Sorry for the trouble struby.  I'll PM you.

[struby]

No problem you have been helpful, thanks, and thanks to everyone else who helped, I am going to check one or two more things first, then we will see.

[fixumdude]

struby,

I couldn't see where you said what type of mouse hack you used.  I had a similar problem when I used a serial mouse hack.  Apparently the serial port didn't have enough current to run both optic boards at the same time.  When I plugged in just one board at a time they both worked great, but as soon as I plugged both boards in simultaneously one would drop out...it drove me crazy until I figured out what was going on.  I switched to USB and PS/2 mice and haven't had any trouble.  I don't know if this applies to you, but thought it might help someone else out there with a similar problem.

[quarterback]

struby,

I couldn't see where you said what type of mouse hack you used.  I had a similar problem when I used a serial mouse hack.  Apparently the serial port didn't have enough current to run both optic boards at the same time. 

Thats interesting fixumdude.  Because I sent struby 2 more working optic boards from another trackball.  They were both working for struby for a number of days and then, suddenly, the Y-Axis stopped working.... then worked again... then stopped.

I thought that it was strange that 2 out of 4 boards would suddenly stop working within the same month on the same axis and suggested that it might be the hack itself.  Although, honestly, I was afraid that struby's hack was simply burning out all the boards I was sending due to too high voltage or something.

In any case, struby's going to send two of the four boards back to me and I'd love it if they ended up to not actually be burned out after all.