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geekhack Projects => Making Stuff Together! => Topic started by: ownfed on Fri, 27 November 2020, 02:47:15

Title: How does my trackpoint module connect to controller
Post by: ownfed on Fri, 27 November 2020, 02:47:15
I have a new trackpoint module, it just has 6 pinouts which is :
NC SDA SCL INT GND VDD (which is I2C and has no mouse button pinouts probablly)
I have seen almost every trackpoint module from thinkpad, which is different from mine
could anyone here please help me about the connection between my trackpoint module's pinouts with a controller?
Title: Re: How does my trackpoint module connect to controller
Post by: nevin on Fri, 27 November 2020, 08:59:18
what keyboard/controller are you using?

at the very least you'll need a couple resistors for i2c (https://beta.docs.qmk.fm/using-qmk/hardware-features/feature_ps2_mouse#the-circuitry-between-trackpoint-and-controller-id-the-circuitry-between-trackpoint-and-controller)

mouse buttons can be on a separate layer in qmk (or on the main layer if you have room)

as you said, there are a bunch of trackpoints.
here's a DT article with some tackpoint info
https://deskthority.net/wiki/TrackPoint_Hardware

i was going to suggest looking at the tex yoda, etc.. for example qmk, but it looks like they are not in qmk.

look at the docs in qmk about mouse/trackpoint
https://beta.docs.qmk.fm/using-qmk/hardware-features/feature_ps2_mouse

and here's one (https://github.com/gzeronet/teensy-trackpoint-tmk-keyboard) that was done from scratch in TMK
Title: Re: How does my trackpoint module connect to controller
Post by: hanya on Fri, 27 November 2020, 17:33:06
It looks Lenovo Carbon X1 keyboard has I2C Trackpoint. It's keyboard is still expensive so than not so many people tried to to pick it from that.

You need to know slave address of the module and its protocol. Maybe it uses HID over I2C like recent protocol with old Trackpoint specification.
Title: Re: How does my trackpoint module connect to controller
Post by: ownfed on Fri, 27 November 2020, 21:15:47
what keyboard/controller are you using?

at the very least you'll need a couple resistors for i2c (https://beta.docs.qmk.fm/using-qmk/hardware-features/feature_ps2_mouse#the-circuitry-between-trackpoint-and-controller-id-the-circuitry-between-trackpoint-and-controller)

mouse buttons can be on a separate layer in qmk (or on the main layer if you have room)

as you said, there are a bunch of trackpoints.
here's a DT article with some tackpoint info
https://deskthority.net/wiki/TrackPoint_Hardware

i was going to suggest looking at the tex yoda, etc.. for example qmk, but it looks like they are not in qmk.

look at the docs in qmk about mouse/trackpoint
https://beta.docs.qmk.fm/using-qmk/hardware-features/feature_ps2_mouse

and here's one (https://github.com/gzeronet/teensy-trackpoint-tmk-keyboard) that was done from scratch in TMK

Thanks a lot! I find further, my module is not VI and don't support middle button (which I use for scroll wheel functions) and press-selected, which I care about a lot, so maybe I should turn to disassemble one from old thinkpad.
By the way, if I connect a switch to the mouse middle button's pinout on the module of trackpoint VI, would I realize scroll wheel functions(when I press on switch and move the point stick simultaneously) and the press-selected functiuons.
Title: Re: How does my trackpoint module connect to controller
Post by: nevin on Fri, 27 November 2020, 22:49:14
i'm not very familiar with the trackpoints but would be worth a shot to try until you can source another trackpoint.

btw, here's another example i found.
https://promethium.keyboard.id/
https://priyadi.smugmug.com/Mechanical-Keyboard/Promethium-Keyboard/Build-Log/n-4fFNQC/
https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware/tree/master/keyboards/handwired/promethium
Title: Re: How does my trackpoint module connect to controller
Post by: ownfed on Sat, 28 November 2020, 01:57:53
i'm not very familiar with the trackpoints but would be worth a shot to try until you can source another trackpoint.

btw, here's another example i found.
https://promethium.keyboard.id/
https://priyadi.smugmug.com/Mechanical-Keyboard/Promethium-Keyboard/Build-Log/n-4fFNQC/
https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware/tree/master/keyboards/handwired/promethium


Thank you! I knew Promethium51 and I think his work is awesome!