Disks of Tron spinner -> PC

[Stephen]

Will it be possible to interface a complete Disks of Tron spinner (with up/down switches and the control circuit) to a PC?

I was thinking that something like the "Happ Controls Optical Device to Mouse Hack" (
http://www.arcadecontrols.speedhost.com/arcade_spinners.shtml#happ2mouse) might work. The D.O.T. spinner control circuit has about 6-8 pins, then one missing, then 2-3 more all in a line. (I am going from memory, since I did not buy it yet)

Or should I remove the circuitry and sensor, replacing it with a mouse sensor?

Does anyone have advice for me?

[Lilwolf]

Remove the controller and add a mouse hack.  The up/down is easy since they are just leaf switchs.  So the rest of the hack is like a standard tron hack

[Stephen]

Thanks.
I figured that the mouse hack would be the way to go.

[jerryjanis]

Hey, I just happened to have a Discs of Tron spinner in my lap, with a bunch of mouse parts, with a big question mark on top of my head when I read this message.

I spent the day trying to get the spinner to work.

It's really easy!  I had a busted MS mouse.  I removed the original DOTRON optic card that was in the control panel, and placed the mouse guts so that the sensor/emitter wraps around the spinner's outer ring (in the same way that the original card wrapped around it).  It works perfectly!

Here's the link that someone recommended to me that showed me how to do it:

http://home.socal.rr.com/gsimpson/

As for the up/down motion, that just acts like regular old buttons.  I haven't gotten around to that just yet, but it'll be easy.

[jerryjanis]

Oh, yeah...  I rigged my spinner up to the y-axis...  The x-axis would be better.  However, I found discovered that the emu+ version of MAME allows you to easily switch the axes...  I've heard that the dos version of Mame can do it as well, but I prefer the windows interface in emu+ (it's easier).

http://www.arcadeathome.com/emuplus/

I really shouldn't be messing around with this stuff.  I'm too clumsy and sloppy.  When I was working with my mouse guts, I accidentally snapped a whole section off of the circuitboard, rendering it useless...  I soldered a wire to a few contacts, figuring that I was wasting my time, but it worked, and I saved my mouse card.  (minus the x-axis section and 2 of the mouse buttons).

[Stephen]

Thank you for the link:
http://home.socal.rr.com/gsimpson/

I have the option of 2 different D.O.T. spinners... The complete one has a different encoder disk... the notches are not closed by an outer ring and it is possible that the width of each tooth is larger.

The 2nd spinner has the same encoder disk as on that web site, but does not include the up/down switches or tension to move the knob up or down... it moves loosely on that axis.

I'll likely get the complete unit, even though it'll cost more money.