Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: Edgedamage on March 04, 2004, 06:54:24 pm
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Ok got it in the mail. Wow this thing was never used so lets start hacking.
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First thing was finding a USB mouse to use for the hack. As luck would have it I just recived a USB interface from OSCAR controls which I had planed to use for my homemade spinner project. Alright I connected the up/down optic board to the P2 connector on the interface board.
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Next I connected the left/right optic board to the P1 connector on the usb interface. As you can tell +5v for the optic boards was taken from the middle pin of each P connector.
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Next I connect the wires for the button the trackball has to the SW1 spot on the interface. Also notice I used the grounds from the other two swtiches for the optic boards. I had to use a diffrent ground spot for the SW1 ground.
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Ok scary part here to make the interface fit inside the TB housing I had to use a sharp pair of flush cutters to nip away at the printed circut board. ***warning when doing this pieces will fly VERY fast so watch your eyes. Pic of bottom of interface cut away.
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Pic of top cut away yikes!!
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I cut off the wires leading to the interface so I could use the original strain preventer.
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Well here's the finished product.
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Well I played lots of games and had a blast at 9$ this was one of my better buys. Also this ball works great in mame. Well back in the box it goes I will use this ball for a future counter top machine which will have a panel only for one joy and 4 buttons. Also the ball has very good non-slip rubber feet on the bottom of it.
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Nice!
These are fairly common on Ebay, but I honestly couldnt remember how they felt(from my days on the 2600).. Might pick one up sometime based on this
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Thanks I was worried that the TB was cheap. But after getting it I found that it felt the same as a normal TB the same size.
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Never seen one of these before. I was totally unaware that there was a TB available for the 2600. Nice job on the hack.
-S
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Ugh I am kicking myself in the --I'm attempting to get by the auto-censor and should be beaten after I re-read the rules-- the seller I got it from sold four of these before I finally got off my butt. And they all sold for less than $10
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Man you're a genius!
I'm waiting for a couple of these trackballs so i can play marble madness with my girlfriend.
I have a little question:
Why you had to use a different ground for the button?Would be a problem If i connect both optical units and pushbuttons to the same ground?
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On a mouse hack like that all the button grounds are usually connected, so electrically it's no different. I'd guess he used separate holes purely to make things easier on himself. You could wire all the grounds to the same spot if you wanted to.
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Thanks, now i can ..... "CONQUER THE WORLD MHUHAHAHAHAH!!"... OK I'm back on earth.
I've found a macally usb mouse that has a very smooth tracking that I'm planning to use for the hack since is a mac mouse and has only one key connected it is the ideal for the 1 button trackball.
BTW is PS2 a valid alternative?
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USB vs. PS2 vs. Serial mice:
Doesn't matter, use whatever you have laying around that your computer can use. The only big thing to avoid when hacking mice are Logitech brand mice- many of them use a different type of optic that is not compatible with "standard" optics.
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Does not work >:(, actually I'm not able to making it work, so I'm angry with myself, I've done the spinner hack before and was a piece of cake, so i taught that this thing was the same.
I tried the hack with a cheap mouse (the us PCB is too big) but seems that is not working checked with a multimeter on and i always get -5 volts instead of +5 (i didn't misconnected the probes) plus the central pin of the optic receptors of the mouse does not output any readings (thevoltage remains 0) while the external pints give -5 any suggestion? Forgot to mention that the buttonworks fine.
I forgot, does some1 know a way to test the optics of the trackball (in case I've burned them) i don't have access to a c64 or an Atari to do a Field test.
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OK now it's official I AM AN IDIOT :banghead:, changed the mouse and with another (USB but i don't think that matters anymore) Mouse, now everything works fine the other one was simply not usable to do the hack.
Thanks to all for the help
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Never seen one of these before. I was totally unaware that there was a TB available for the 2600. Nice job on the hack.
-S
That makes me sick.
Nice job.
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Now that everything works fine I'm planning to build some interfaces that can be used o convert standard arcade / wico home/ Atari home trackballs. I'm planning to build it by using a controller chip rather that a mouse hack. If i succeed is some 1 interested?