Track and Field Wico Trackball to PS2 mouse hack?

[MrBond]

Does anyone know how to correctly wire an old "Track and Field" Trackball up to a PS2 mouse?  The trackball says its by Wico.  I've read several topics, but everyone seems to be using Happs trackball optics (expensive!).  I figured out the PS2 mouse from reading up, but I don't know where to connect the wires to the pins on the trackball optics.

I know there is a 5v, ground (both y-axis and x-axis have one each which are eventually connected), 2 signals for the x-axis, and 2 for the y coming from the trackball.  Is there a diagram out there somewhere to show how to wire these to a PS2 mouse hack?

(By the way, I'm new to making controls, and BYOAC has been an EXCELLENT resource!!!  I built my own control pannel-2 ball-head joysticks, 6 buttons each side, player 1 and 2 start.  Coin 1 and 2 are set up like a pinball style on the sides.  I'm using an I-PAC usb interface.  My uncle gave me a Track and Field control panel, and I'd like to hook up the trackball to my panel!)

Any help would be great!!  Thanks in advance!!  

[BobA]

Here is info on my Wico trackball to ps2 mouse hack.

http://www.members.shaw.ca/bakaye/tballhack.htm

Hope that helps.

BobA

[MrBond]

Thanks a bunch Bob, your write up really helps.  I still have two questions though.  

1) How do I find out where to connect the +5v and Gnd wires to the mouse circuit board?  (is it directly where the ps2 wires connect to the mouse?: there are four wires there)

2) Do I hook both red wires to the +5v and both black wires to the gnd?

By the way, my wires are Blue, Purple, Green, and Yellow.  I'm assuming my purp is your brown.

Thanks!

[BobA]

The PS/2 mouse connector has the following pinout when looking at the connector on the back of the computer:
6 Pin PS2

1   DATA
2   No connection
3   GND
4   +5V
5   CLK
6   No connection

The PS2 on the computer is numbered as follows:
       
     6   5
    4     3
      2 1


When looking at the connector on the mouse it
is nmbered as follows:


     5   6
   3        4
      1  2

I just followed the lines from the connector back to the mouse to establish the +5V and GND

I connected the +5 and GND of both optical boards to the +5V and GND of the mouse.   I checked this with a Volt meter to make sure.

BobA

[MrBond]

Thanks BobA!  That's exactly what I needed!    I'll give it a try as soon as I get some solder.

[MrBond]

Just wanted to say I got my trackball hack working!  It is a little slow in windows, but I can jack up the sensitivity.  Marble Madness, Centipede and Missile Command all played great when I turned up the sensitivity.  

1 question:
Is there any way to set the analog sensitivity for all the trackball games at once, or do I have to set them one by one (what I did for the games listed above)?

Thanks again!  

[BobA]

Glad to hear that you got it working.

Under Windows you can increase the speed of your pointer under Mouse in the control panel.  I am not sure how this will affect your overall performance if you are using a windows based MAME or how it interacts with the individual game sensitivity settings.

BobA

[u_rebelscum]

1 question:
Is there any way to set the analog sensitivity for all the trackball games at once, or do I have to set them one by one (what I did for the games listed above)?

No.    

Well, I guess you can edit each game's driver in mame source and recompile, but mame is not designed to set global analog settings.