geekhack

geekhack Community => Input Devices => Topic started by: wcass on Sun, 14 August 2011, 22:09:22

Title: DIY trackball question
Post by: wcass on Sun, 14 August 2011, 22:09:22
I used a cheap Chinese “slim” mouse that I picked up on eBay for $4. I disassembled it and trimmed the PCB by removing the buttons and scroll wheel that were connected on a daughter card. The body is made from a 2” PVC male adapter and cap from the Home Depot. I trimmed off the slip side of the male adapter and most of the rim of the cap. I used a little hot glue to secure the mouse sensor and lens to the cap. I just ordered a 2.125” snooker ball and some silicon nitride bearings to complete the project.

   
  My question is, does anyone know of a hardware method of flipping one of the axes? When you make a mouse into a trackball, up and down are as expected but right and left are reversed (unless you mount the cord towards you – left and right are correct but up and down are reversed). This is pretty easy fix if the sensor is a quadrature encoder – flip one pair of the four outputs – but I have no clue on how to do it with an all-in-one chip like the A2637.
    http://www.apexonemicro.com/en/products_detail.asp?Info_Class_Id=1&InfoId=33
 (http://www.apexonemicro.com/en/products_detail.asp?Info_Class_Id=1&InfoId=33)

  Here is a teaser picture. Full parts list and write up when I’m done.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]24363[/ATTACH]
Title: DIY trackball question
Post by: Oqsy on Sun, 14 August 2011, 22:22:16
That is a hell of a nice project! :D
Any plans for re-integrating the buttons?
Also, what is that blue keyboard?  Point me to more info?  Looks intriguing!
Title: DIY trackball question
Post by: wcass on Sun, 14 August 2011, 22:27:08
The blue keyboard is this:
http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Island:20999

this trackball was supposed to go as part of this:
http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Island:19929

and a picture of the mouse controller i am using
[ATTACH=CONFIG]24364[/ATTACH]
Title: DIY trackball question
Post by: Oqsy on Sun, 14 August 2011, 23:47:48
Good stuff!