Hacking a iBall USB Trackball?!?

[mr.Curmudgeon]

Anyone have anything to say about these new MACALLY iBall Trackballs?

I'm looking for cheap trackball alternatives and I see
these things all over eBay for around $20.

They're translucent, PC/MAC compat. and USB. My cab design calls for a clear trackball but not sure how the USB factors into a CP in general.

I'd like to know the size of the trackball itself....it's looks smaller than 3-inches, but can't tell from the photo. Also, do these things have to be installed with the case intact or can the board and ball be gutted and retro-fitted with a HAPPS plate?

Finally, how do the buttons factor into MAME? are they just ignored or would they conflict?




thanks all,
mrC

[1UP]

Anything electronic can be gutted and put in a different enclosure.  I have a Kidsball in a square black enclosure in my CP.  The guts really don't care where they are!  You'd probably want to keep the top part that has the hole for the trackball to hold it in place.

As far as I know, Mame doesn't use the mouse buttons.

[Tiger-Heli]

The buttons are treated as mouse buttons.  You can assign the mouse buttons to inputs or ignore them.

[IG-88]

The buttons are treated as mouse buttons.

[Tiger-Heli]

The buttons are treated as mouse buttons.

[Xphile]

Anyone have anything to say about these new MACALLY iBall Trackballs?

I'm looking for cheap trackball alternatives and I see
these things all over eBay for around $20.

you mean these for 2.99?
http://shop2.outpost.com/product/2422410

[mancab]

Is it possible to add a different sized ball to the base for this trackball, such as a billiard ball? What kind of modifications would you have to make? Any help would be appreciated.

[Wienerdog]

Is it possible to add a different sized ball to the base for this trackball, such as a billiard ball? What kind of modifications would you have to make? Any help would be appreciated.

Interesting idea, You would have to modify the PCB and make a new bracket to hold the billiard ball and spin the encoder wheels.  Here are some pictures to help:

[Wienerdog]

I have no problem continuting this thread since I just purchased some iBalls, but you might want to leave mr.Curmudgeon out of it.  He was shopping for this TB last year.

As Tiger-Heli pointed out, there is also another thread about iBalls at Outpost.

[Xphile]

Holy Crap!

"June 30, 2002, 11:41:49 PM".
..yeah, I guess he may have already made his decision one way or the other...lol :

[Tiger-Heli]

Is it possible to add a different sized ball to the base for this trackball, such as a billiard ball? What kind of modifications would you have to make? Any help would be appreciated.

I'm planning to order these, although I am hoping they will work fine "out of the box" for what I want to do.

Here are some general ideas, though:

A billiard ball is 2-1/4 diameter, and the i-ball is 2-inch.  It's possible the billiard ball would roll on the existing rollers.  In this case, you would just have to modify the top cover to widen the opening and add spacers to move the top cover up.  You might be able to do something with a Happ TB mounting plate, or a Happ TB enclosure, or buy a $25 Wico 2-1/4 trackball and use the electronics from the i-ball with it.

Other modification thoughts - Chad Manning posted in this thread http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=5687 how he painted the casing black and mounted the unit in his control panel.

It might be possible to illuminate the ball using LED's ala 1up - www.1uparcade.com

Snooker uses smaller billiard balls - not sure if these are 2-inch or not, but they might work.

Or a 2-inch ball bearing might provide more weight and work better, but you lose the translucency.

[Wienerdog]

A billiard ball is 2-1/4 diameter, and the i-ball is 2-inch.  It's possible the billiard ball would roll on the existing rollers.  In this case, you would just have to modify the top cover to widen the opening and add spacers to move the top cover up.  You might be able to do something with a Happ TB mounting plate, or a Happ TB enclosure, or buy a $25 Wico 2-1/4 trackball and use the electronics from the i-ball with it.

I don't think this will work.  There are three points on the black bracket (above picture) that hold the ball in place.  Then there are the two rollers that register the trackball movements.  These points are spaced so that a 2 inch ball will hit the rollers.  You _would_ be able to remove these three "holders" and build something else in their place, but I don't know how you can make it strong enough to hold a ball.

It might be possible to illuminate the ball using LED's ala 1up - www.1uparcade.com

I was planning on doing this, but it will be much easier thatn 1Up's TB.  Since this one is very translucent, one LED below the ball will be sufficient to light it up nicely.   There is a hole in the bottom of the circuit board and black support bracket, so a light underneath will work good.  

[u_rebelscum]

Snooker uses smaller billiard balls - not sure if these are 2-inch or not, but they might work.

FWIW, they're usually 2 1/8".