Question: Hacking a 4 button Mouse

[D_Harris]

Has anyone here ever hacked a four button mouse?

If so can I get the pros and cons? (USB or PS/2).

I need to make a CP that can be used to play Arkanoid  and Astro Blaster.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks a lot.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

[bkenobi]

You can do it, but it can be a pain depending on your application.  I used a mouse to set up my dual 360° steering wheels.  This worked fine except that for some reason the mouse that I chose kept turning the scroll wheel too.  The front end I use didn't have an option at the time to fully disable the mouse, so it really messed with things.  After going through a handful of mice (mostly spare or found ones), I finally got one that worked correctly.

I could have just gotten a U-HID or one of the other cheap ones that RandyT or Andy sell and saved myself some time (but not money).  Ahhh, hindsight...

[D_Harris]

If anyone has the make and model number any 4 button mouse used in a successful hack, please let me know that info.(I need it for a CP that will have four buttons and one spinner).

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

[bkenobi]

I have a few that I hacked and didn't use sitting around here somewhere.  If you want one, PM me.

[D_Harris]

I have a few that I hacked and didn't use sitting around here somewhere.  If you want one, PM me.

Well, just the make and model info would be ok. (I need to have "right", "left", "fire" and "warp" on this control panel).

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

[bkenobi]

I have used several different ones that I had access to.  In the end, I bought a cheap one that was USB (all of the other ones I looked at were PS/2).  Pretty much any mouse can work, but some are better than others.

What really matters is how you are going to actually interface the mouse to the hardware.  I used the Atari PCBs that came with the steering wheels.  If you are planning on using the sensor on the mouse, you will need to be more discerning.  I would suggest looking at older mice over newer ones since the older stuff is less integrated and uses larger components and traces (thus making it easier to work with).  I just desoldered the optical components and the buttons and put leads on them.  Technically, you can do that with any mouse, so there's nothing special about any of them.

[D_Harris]

Ok, I guess I'm just going to have to go the trial and error route.

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.