geekhack

geekhack Community => Input Devices => Topic started by: Input Nirvana on Fri, 14 May 2010, 23:07:34

Title: Adjusting IBM Trackpoint sensitivity?
Post by: Input Nirvana on Fri, 14 May 2010, 23:07:34

Myself and several others here have purchased some IBM KPD8923 keyboards primarily to remove and use the trackpoints in mod projects. A question has come up about being able to adjust the responsiveness of the trackpoints to make them operate with less pressure, particularly for those that may have RSI issues.

Does anyone here have any info/thoughts/direction on this? Any help is appreciated.

Title: Adjusting IBM Trackpoint sensitivity?
Post by: EverythingIBM on Sat, 15 May 2010, 01:00:16

IBM has software to increase the sensitivity of trackpoints; see if you can get any of it to work with the hardware.

Title: Adjusting IBM Trackpoint sensitivity?
Post by: Input Nirvana on Sun, 16 May 2010, 23:47:18

Quote from: EverythingIBM;182521

IBM has software to increase the sensitivity of trackpoints; see if you can get any of it to work with the hardware.

Thanks, will look for. On a Mac it will be a problem though :(

Title: Adjusting IBM Trackpoint sensitivity?
Post by: ricercar on Mon, 17 May 2010, 00:05:28

Have you tried that MacOS mouse utility by Alex someone-russian-ovitch? He's been maintaining it since the CompuServe days, it works with 99.999% of the cursor control hardware out there, and it's bound to affect the TrackPoint somehow.

Title: Adjusting IBM Trackpoint sensitivity?
Post by: Input Nirvana on Mon, 17 May 2010, 00:27:47

Steermouse, USB Overdrive, Controllermate,  
Those are the Mac ones I'm familiar with. Thought I might find one that works on Mac/PC. I'll start checking how they work and look for what you mention.

Title: Adjusting IBM Trackpoint sensitivity?
Post by: gator456 on Mon, 17 May 2010, 09:10:10

I am one of the others.....

I downloaded tpcom.exe from here:
http://wwwcssrv.almaden.ibm.com/trackpoint/download.html

I was able to poll the TP and read some of the status registers.  Ex:

tpcom.exe f2 r
tpcom.exe eb r r r
tpcom.exe e9 r r r


According to this document:
http://wwwcssrv.almaden.ibm.com/trackpoint/files/ykt3dext.pdf

I should be able to change the sensitivity with:
tpcom.exe E2 81 41

I get an error (dont have exact error right now).

Title: Adjusting IBM Trackpoint sensitivity?
Post by: ricercar on Mon, 17 May 2010, 12:19:55

Quote from: gator456;183117

wwwcssrv.almaden.ibm.com

Hey, that's down the road from me ... 20 miles.

Title: Adjusting IBM Trackpoint sensitivity?
Post by: EverythingIBM on Thu, 20 May 2010, 00:10:30

Quote from: input nirvana;183008

Thanks, will look for. On a Mac it will be a problem though :(

Well try ripping out one of those Apple trackballs they used to supply on their macbooks. That might work... and mount it on the top right corner of the keyboard.

Title: Adjusting IBM Trackpoint sensitivity?
Post by: Input Nirvana on Thu, 20 May 2010, 16:46:47

I don't think I've ever seen that. I was a little familiar with Macs, but didn't really jump aboard until they started using Intel chips 4 years ago.

Title: Adjusting IBM Trackpoint sensitivity?
Post by: EverythingIBM on Thu, 20 May 2010, 21:04:54

Quote from: input nirvana;184964

I don't think I've ever seen that. I was a little familiar with Macs, but didn't really jump aboard until they started using Intel chips 4 years ago.

Please don't remind me of rosetta; I'd rather push cactus needles in my skull.

And yeah, old macbooks had trackballs; that's why IBM spent so much time to develop the trackpoint so they wouldn't be copying apple.