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Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: thecolortech on March 04, 2010, 07:09:49 pm

Title: connect a trackball with usb to optipac????
Post by: thecolortech on March 04, 2010, 07:09:49 pm

Hello all quick question
I have an optipac that i am connecting my spinner to but also have a trackball that already has a usb connection and 3 micro switches attached.
I really would like both optical devices hooked to the optipac but am i making more work for myself as the trackball already has the connection and if its really easy to connect the trackball to the optipac, how do i go about splicing into the optipac from the usb connection?
Thanks all in advance.
 Thecolortech

Title: Re: connect a trackball with usb to optipac????
Post by: BobA on March 04, 2010, 07:18:34 pm

You cannot hack a USB to  connect to an optipac.   What trackball and interface do you currently have?   To connect to the optipac you need access to the standard trackball board connections.   Some trackballs with USB do not have them as one of the boards inside has been changed to add the USB connection.   It will depend on what trackball and interface you have.

Title: Re: connect a trackball with usb to optipac????
Post by: thecolortech on March 04, 2010, 07:23:48 pm

Thanks for the quick reply.
The trackball was farmed from an x-arcade tankstick. It works as i have hooked it up to my computer. It was a killer price for a 3" ball and i am aware of the hate of this companies products in the comunity but like i said killer price.
Thanks in advance

Title: Re: connect a trackball with usb to optipac????
Post by: BobA on March 04, 2010, 11:07:51 pm

You would have to look inside to see if it has 2 identical encoder boards and a USB interface or 1 regular encoder board and 1 larger encoder board with interface.   If it has a separate USB interface inside you can strip it out and use the encoder boards to connect to an optipac.    Sorry but I have never seen the inside of a trackball from a tankstick.

Title: Re: connect a trackball with usb to optipac????
Post by: thecolortech on March 05, 2010, 06:58:40 pm

Here are some pics of the ball and pcb the solid black wire is the usb
Thanks

Title: Re: connect a trackball with usb to optipac????
Post by: thecolortech on March 05, 2010, 07:28:14 pm

I mean the 2 pcb's

Title: Re: connect a trackball with usb to optipac????
Post by: BobA on March 05, 2010, 07:38:16 pm

It looks like the common USB setup.   One board is larger than the other so you cannot split off the boards and use them to connect to an optipac. Your best bet is to stay with the usb connection.  I am not sure why you wanted to change when the USB should work OK

Title: Re: connect a trackball with usb to optipac????
Post by: thecolortech on March 05, 2010, 09:50:03 pm

Thanks again...
Really just wanted to keep things tidy by hooking all up to the optipac. I will just hook up the spinner to it then and keep the trackball usb as s.
Thanks for the reply again.
Neil