Trackball "stutter"/skip?

[Sasquatch!]

Apologies if this is actually a MAME setting issue, which it very likely is, but I don't know...

After restaging the PC that's in my cabinet, I noticed that my 3" Happ trackball skips/stutters if it's spun too fast.  Is this a software/MAME issue, like with the "sensitivity" settings in MAME?  If so, would INcreasing or DEcreasing the sensitivity help?  I've tried changing it around, but I can't tell.

Thanks!

[Zeitgeist]

Decreasing the sensitivity should help this.
Z

[Edgedamage]

This might help if you are using windows. Go in mouse settings and set cursor speed to it's lowest setting. You'll find this in the control panel.

[Smack]

I've got a happs 3 inch with a happs ps2 interface on one of my cabs. It exhibits the same behavior as well.

I've turned off the mouse acceleration, lowered the windows sensitivity, and also lowered the sensitivity inside of MAME and it still seems to happen.

It happens more to my roommate than to me - he kills the trackball on Golden Tee.

I've been wondering if the new "red boards" that Happs sells might be any better.

I remember that Urebelscum mentioned that he has a set of red boards and a set of the regular ones, but can't really swap them around to tell. Maybe he canb add some info - he would be "analog man"

Dunno, my 2 cents.

Smack

[Homebrew]

First, let me say that i've upgraded to the red boards and while they do show an improvement, i dont believe they will cure the problem on their own.  I'm running windows XP and what made the most noticeble improvement for me was changing the sample rate for the mouse to 200.  The sample rate can be found in the device manager.  Click the mouse setting and then go to advanced settings, there you'll see sample rate.  Changing this setting helped me alot.  This is what i originally did to help the problem.  It wasn't until recently that i acquired the redboards.  While i can't offer a side by side comparison, i can say that i didn't notice any significant improvement after upgrading to the red boards.  As i mentioned try changing your sample rate in windows and see if that helps.

-Kevin

[Smack]

I'm gonna have to give that a whirl as well...

[Sasquatch!]

I'm running windows XP and what made the most noticeble improvement for me was changing the sample rate for the mouse to 200.  The sample rate can be found in the device manager.  

Thanks, Kevin.  This + UNCHECKING "Fast Initialization" (on the same screen) seemed to do the trick.  Time to get back on the high score board in Centipede!

Smack, give this a whirl too, d00der.

[hyiu]

a couple of things I learned while I'm tuning my spinner....

go to the mouse in Windows... (assume you're using windows...)

then turn the acceleration to "no acceleration"...

now... go back to Mame and try...

if it still skips...
press tab to menu... then in the analog...
there's also a sptick speed.... I think the default is like 15...turn it down to like 1.... set the sensitivity to like 50...
see if this works....

I used to just tune the sensitivity... but it doesn't really help... that stick speed does make thing much better....

in Kevsteve's website....
look for his review on Tornado Spinner....
in there he showed how to tune it.....

hope it helps...

 

[u_rebelscum]

First, let me say that i've upgraded to the red boards and while they do show an improvement, i dont believe they will not cure the problem on their own....  While i can't offer a side by side comparison, i can say that i didn't notice any significant improvement after upgrading to the red boards.

I can't really tell the difference between the red and green boards either, but I too can't do a side by side comparison.

[drunkatuw]

Sorry to bring this post back from the dead...but I'm having the same problems with my golden tee trackball.  It's got the red PCBs if that matters.  But when I play golden tee (or just going around windows desktop), if I hit the ball too hard, if the cursor starts in the middle of the screen, it goes all the way to the bottom pauses there and then goes forward.  I've tried to adjust the sample rate, but windows xp detects the trackball has some HID Complient device and when I click on properties, there is no advanced settings tab.  So I'm curious if I need a different driver for the trackball, or should I just stick to the classics and forget about golden tee PC?

Note:  I'm running the minipac to connect the trackball thru usb.  I have a wireless ps/2 mouse connected and that does have the advanced settings tab (but that ones shows up as PS/2 Compatible mouse as opposed to HID Complient device).

[Smack]

You could try installing the microsoft intellimouse driver package and configuring it from there as well.

Turn off mouse accerlation.

Just a thought.

Smack

[PaulG]

I started a similiar thread (didn't find this in the search) and for the most part following the advice of this thread has solved my problems.  The golf games, however, are still an issue I believe.  My main computer is without a video card while its being RMA'ed to ATI, so I can't test out PGA 2004.  I think it's still an issue, however, because if I do a quick down roll and then a hard up roll (or sideways) there's a definite lag.  This is why golf games sucked before for me.  I could only do moderate rolls if I wanted to avoid the "lag", which resulted in weak shots.  I'm also using the Golden Tee trackball (Red boards) with the Mini-pac.  If this is a mini-pac issue, someone please post.  I'll buy Oscars cables if necessary.  Or is this just an accepted problem of not being able to roll back, roll forward too hard in Windows XP?

[slicer_d]

I'm interested in know about this.  I'm really looking forward to trying to install a trackball in the next couple of months to mainly play GT and missile command.  But if I cant play a nice game of GT with it without having to worry how fast I spin the ball it would almost be pointless.

So really my Q is do all trackballs do this or is it just for the happs ones?

[TalkingOctopus]

Sorry to bring this post back from the dead...but I'm having the same problems with my golden tee trackball.  It's got the red PCBs if that matters.  But when I play golden tee (or just going around windows desktop), if I hit the ball too hard, if the cursor starts in the middle of the screen, it goes all the way to the bottom pauses there and then goes forward.  I've tried to adjust the sample rate, but windows xp detects the trackball has some HID Complient device and when I click on properties, there is no advanced settings tab.  So I'm curious if I need a different driver for the trackball, or should I just stick to the classics and forget about golden tee PC?

Note:  I'm running the minipac to connect the trackball thru usb.  I have a wireless ps/2 mouse connected and that does have the advanced settings tab (but that ones shows up as PS/2 Compatible mouse as opposed to HID Complient device).

The reason you don't get those options is because you are connecting it through USB instead of ps/2.  Maybe you should try using one of those green USB->ps/2 convertors that come bundled w/ some mice.

[Superdave]

I've got to get in on this also. I have had a Happs 3" T/B for at least 3 yrs. I've got it going through a KE-72. When I first installed it. I had no problems at all. That was using win 98. But then I had the dreaded cpu fan burnout and killed my MOBO. I also installed a new HD to go along w/ the new pc. After a Fresh install of win 98, I have never gotten the thing to work right since. I have also had Win ME, and win 2k w/ no results. I have played with the mouse settings, mame's analog settings, Tried intellimouse drivers. I give up. Sucks too cause Sente Mini golf used to be a quarter grabber for me and at one time it was perfect but I haven't gotten to play it right for what seems like forever. Oh, where's NIVO?? Is he still around here? My screenie was xtrememame on here a long time ago. Just wanted to say Wazzup!