Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: flashlight on November 24, 2011, 04:47:12 am
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I hate to ask a noobie question but no matter how many times ive read the instructions for the electric ice trackball i dont quite understand if it needs 5 volt power, or why it has 2 ports on the opti wiz to provide 5 volts/ground and what the large loose green cable is for thats daisy chained to the side of the trackball housing to two screws, and then a loose end.
I have an external power supply to which i could solder to the pins, a ground and 5 volt connection, but that still leaves the heavy gauge green wire loose. Any help would be appreciated!
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Yes the trackball needs 5v.
The track ball should have 3 connectors that plug into the optiwiz, x, y and 5v.
You shouldn't need to use an external power supply, The optiwiz gets it 5v from the usb and then that 5v is available at the pins of the optiwiz where the trackball 5v connector will plug in.
The green wire you're talking about is a ground wire. So if all metal parts of your cabinet are grounded with a ground loop, you'd just connect that green wire in that loop.
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So the red/black 2 pin connector is for the 5v/ground spot on the opti wiz? wow i cant believe the documentation didnt specify that or the which colors go to which axis coordinate pins on the opti wiz. Had i connected the other non red/black connector to the ground/5volt pins it probably would have fried the trackball. How the hell can they sell it without a special marker on the wire indicating that was the proper power/ground connector :angry:
if i use the red black 2 pin connector, would i need the green ground wire at all?
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The green wire is not a power ground it is used to ground the trackball to the metal parts of your cabinet for static discharge. If you have not metal parts don't connect it.