I need info on a trackball mouse...can you help?

[Ed ONeill]

Ok I want to put a small 1.5" trackball in my laptop cab
here is a picture of the control panel now


What I intend to do is move the green (coin) and yellow buttons(player1/2) in a vertical row to  the far left side and then move the joystick to the left slightly and then I want to hack a trackball mouse and use it as my  trackball..for centipede and missle command to name a few.
Here is an example what I am looking for http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=277291&pfp=BROWSE.
This is an optical mouse btw.

Now here is where you come in, if you have one similar to this or if you can answer these questions I would apprecciate it

Questions:
1. If you were to remove the ball and stick a pencil in front of the optics would the mouse move?

2.If the mouse moves are there any non-opticcal trackballs out there like the one I post a link to ?

3. Does anyone know if I cut the cable is there a way to connect it to my minipac?

4.Does anyone have a cheap one for sale?

Thanks in advance
Ed

[Thenasty]

check you PM about the spinner. Looking at your pic, it could right in next to that green button.

[Ed ONeill]

Thenasty ...I got your pm, I might take you up on the offer.

Gozur...I got your pm as well and sent you a reply

everyone else...
I would like to ask another question

5. Has anyone made a trackball hack and hooked it up to there ipac .jpac, or  minipac before?

Thanks
Ed

[Thenasty]

5. Has anyone made a trackball hack and hooked it up to there ipac .jpac, or  minipac before?

I don't think you can hook up a Trackball/Mouse to the IPAC or JPAC (I mean you can hook up the wires to it, but it won't work).
Hooking it up to a MINI-PAC might work but in Andy page, it says to use his special trackball or HAPPS only. It might have something to to do with the Active Hi/Lo (guessing here).

However, you can play trackball games w/your joystick. For example, Centipede is configured a trackball game and if you look at the game War of bugs, its basically the same game but the controls is not analog, its configured an 8-way joystick.
Since I have only one trackball in my CP, I use my joysticks for two player trackball games (Marble Madness, Atari Arcade Classics etc..) and it plays fine when you get use to it.

[Tiger-Heli]

5. Has anyone made a trackball hack and hooked it up to there ipac .jpac, or  minipac before?

Why???  Not trying to be a wise-ass, but if I understand correctly, you are basically just bolting a USB mouse to the underside of your CP.  Why not just use the original mouse optic boards and plug the original mouse USB connector into the laptop USB port and play?

[Ed ONeill]

Tiger-Heli,

I was just trying to see if I could eliminate an extra usb cacble that's all bet I will probably end up doing exactly what you said

[Tiger-Heli]

Tiger-Heli,

I was just trying to see if I could eliminate an extra usb cacble that's all bet I will probably end up doing exactly what you said

Ok, that makes sense now.  The only way to do this is if you have the OPTICAL mini-pac, which I am assuming you do.  If so, I think it can be done - easiest way is probably to throw away all the mouse PCB stuff, order the optic boards (I think OSCAR sells these, otherwise Happ or Andy Warne has instructions on making your own).  Mount these to "read" the mouse encoder wheels, and connect to the Mini-PAC just like a Happ trackball.