How to connect encoder wheel PCB to USB?

[unclet]

I purchased a Pole Position steering wheel assembly (said to be working prior to dismantling) and would like to connect this to my computer as a USB mouse.  I could perform another Twisty Grip USB mouse hack but I would rather not have to purchase another USB mouse.

I ran into the site listed below which explains how to connect phototransitors from Optek to connect a steering wheel to an I-Pac:

http://www.oscarcontrols.com/projects/steeringwheel.shtml

I have two phototransitors, wafer board and a 220 ohm resistor already and I can easily solder the phototransitors, etc to the wafer board myself.   However, I was wondering whether I could somehow connect the wires from the wafer board to a USB input somehow so I could plug it into my USB Hub as another USB mouse and have it working nicely.

[SirPoonga]

Two routes, ask Kelsey (www.oscarcontrols.com) nicely, he has a mouse hack for his spinners.

Or what I would do is get an optipac and trackball encoder wheel and IR detectors..

[jerryjanis]

I don't know if this helps or not, but here's a recent thread on a similar topic:

http://www.arcadecontrols.com/arcade.htm

I recently got a mouse hack to work with a set of newer Atari optics that uses the original optic card & a USB mouse.  You can find a writeup here:

http://66.78.4.185/~jstookey/arcade/720/720-arcadejoy.php

Quote from OSCAR in another thread:

Simple optic boards like the Happ, Atari, and mine basically only send a high & low alternating voltage that needs to be encoded for it to be interpreted by a PC.  IIRC, the Pole Position board is very basic, similar to this Atari board, but the optics are positioned in an arc.  You should be able to connect that board directly to a mouse hack like in Minwah's example or alternately to an Opti-PAC.

Judging from Oscar's comment here, I'm pretty sure that it would work with the Pole Position optics.  That's if you have the original optics.  Otherwise, you'll have to make it yourself (sounds like you already have the ingredients!) in which case a some kind of mouse hack/Opti-Pac/Oscar's pre-built mouse hack will still be in order (or perhaps you're all set with the "Twisty Grip USB mouse hack" already?).

Do you have a link to "Twisty Grip USB mouse hack"?  I'm curious - I haven't seen it around.

Thanks

[SirPoonga]

I don't know if this helps or not, but here's a recent thread on a similar topic:

http://www.arcadecontrols.com/arcade.htm

the very reason you should bookmark the forum seperately:)  No frames.

[jerryjanis]

the very reason you should bookmark the forum seperately:)  No frames.

Well here's the link - I guess it's kinda pointless though.  I didn't realize that one was Unclet's thread, too.

http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=5113;start=0

[GearHead]

A mouse hack should be pretty easy.  There used to be a few in the spinner section but there are a lot of broken links.  If you find the right mouse it could be as easy as substituting the emitters and detectors in the mouse with the ones you have.

The easier way (and definitely not the cheapest) is to pick up an Opti-pac and a Happ/Atari optic board.  I recently converted my Pole Position steering wheel and had it up and running in an hour.  The original Pole Position optic board won't work with the Optipac as it decodes the optic inputs and outputs direction and speed.  The Happ board only sends out the raw on/off data from the photo-transistors.  

I pulled the photo-interrupter off the Happ board and put it on a Radio Shack board to get the right clearance.  I then wired it back to the Happ board, drilled some new mounting holes and attached it to the steering wheel using the original mounting holes on the sterring wheel.

Here's a photo of everything in place.  No modifications to the steering wheel were necessary other than removing the original optic board.

http://www.stuy81.com/arcade/poleposoptics.jpg

I'll get around to fully documenting this one of these days...