geekhack

geekhack Community => Input Devices => Topic started by: woebtz on Mon, 17 March 2014, 20:47:23

Title: CST Trackball (CST2545W-RC) input buffering/lag?
Post by: woebtz on Mon, 17 March 2014, 20:47:23

Hi geeks,

I was wondering if any CST trackball owners can comment on whether they notice any input buffering/lag when using their device.

I've used my CST2545W-RC (via USB to a 2011 MacBook Pro) daily for the past few years and only today noticed this strange ghostly behavior:

1. With your hand outstretched, place your palm on the ball,
2. Roll your hand steadily/continuously in a clockwise motion 10 times (as if rolling dough into a ball or drawing 10 "circles" with the cursor),
3. Stop rolling,
4. Observe that the cursor continues to move by its own accord! :eek:

My cursor completes another 1.5x circles after stopping which leads me to believe that there is some kind of input lag or buffering going on. I don't see this issue at all with the MBP's built-in trackpad.

Am I imagining things?
Is this an issue with all mice/trackballs?

:(

Title: Re: CST Trackball (CST2545W-RC) input buffering/lag?
Post by: woebtz on Mon, 17 March 2014, 21:54:56

It looks like this is a known problem for Mac gamers (that'll teach me for stopping gaming):

http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/tech-support/392299-smoothmouse-for-osx
http://smoothmouse.com/

SmoothMouse (mouse: enabled, trackpad: disabled) seems to do the trick. I feel kind of klutzy now that the cursor is so accurate--without any OS-level smoothing.

Title: Re: CST Trackball (CST2545W-RC) input buffering/lag?
Post by: irendulic on Thu, 20 March 2014, 16:56:51

I was just thinking after reading your first post that it must be a software issue. Reminded me of a feature on my thinkpad, allowing trakpad to be trackbally.

Title: Re: CST Trackball (CST2545W-RC) input buffering/lag?
Post by: tayot on Thu, 20 March 2014, 19:20:18

After reading the post - I got curious - tried rolling the ball on my LtracX 10+ times and it stops. So no lag for me - using Win7.