This is just speculation, I haven't tried it myself having not yet delved into the programming to activate it: Has anyone tried the guts of a PC-mouse as an encoder? I'm thinking a mouse with scroll-wheel (most have a mild 'detent' feel) - perhaps an old(er) ps/2 plug type? Use a ps/2 socket to retain the 'foolproof' pluggability. Disconnect the wiring (maybe leave supply + and -), and wire out the opto's of the wheel. One will be SDA, the other SCL. Perhaps also a/the button/s? one as encoder's 'push' menu/function for step-change etc (I'd use the right for that), the other (left being more intuitive for the more prevalent dexterous :) of the populace) for a convenient PTT... Note: will they pull up or down? That's 6 wires (if the PS/2's connector pins are all wired through the cable - they might not for a mouse) - SDA, SCL, +5V, 0V, menu and PTT. If your scrapped mouse is a 'track-ball' type, remove the ball to remove the temptation from the kids to swap it to their old 'junker' PC. Pop in a large nut from the garage/workshop's junk-heap to lend weight if required. Feedback? Flames? Go to it ...
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I've used a mouse wheel for robotics projects. You should be able
to make it work.
Jonathan
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On 7/14/2017 5:05 PM, Dexter N Muir
wrote:
This is just speculation, I haven't tried it myself having not
yet delved into the programming to activate it:
Has anyone tried the guts of a PC-mouse as an encoder? I'm
thinking a mouse with scroll-wheel (most have a mild 'detent'
feel) - perhaps an old(er) ps/2 plug type? Use a ps/2 socket to
retain the 'foolproof' pluggability. Disconnect the wiring
(maybe leave supply + and -), and wire out the opto's of the
wheel. One will be SDA, the other SCL. Perhaps also a/the
button/s? one as encoder's 'push' menu/function for step-change
etc (I'd use the right for that), the other (left being more
intuitive for the more prevalent dexterous :) of the populace)
for a convenient PTT... Note: will they pull up or down?
That's 6 wires (if the PS/2's connector pins are all wired
through the cable - they might not for a mouse) - SDA, SCL, +5V,
0V, menu and PTT.
If your scrapped mouse is a 'track-ball' type, remove the ball
to remove the temptation from the kids to swap it to their old
'junker' PC. Pop in a large nut from the garage/workshop's
junk-heap to lend weight if required.
Feedback? Flames? Go to it ...
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I use one with the ball bearing removed to tune HDSDR controlling my FT1000, with the ball removed it becomes a free running smooth operation.
Phil - G7BZD
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I'll say that I have. You're bottom-draggin' if you're not just gonna spend the $3 or whatever for a cheap encoder. I built the first ARRL Home-brew Challenge project (A complete 40m Transceiver, under $50 ... I know, who'd-a thought back then, I know...)
Steve Weber KD1JV won the project, but one of the challengers was also very popular (a PIC-controlled and tuned version, by Jim Veatch, WA2EUJ - I know, I *KNOW*, who'd-a thought of such a thing!) Anyway, Jim had to scrimp on cost - a US$3 or $4 mechanical encoder would've busted his US$50 budget, what with a US$4.70 PIC, an an MC1350 IF chip, fancy-schmancy AGC, and LCD, etc. So his project described how to extract the 'encoder' bits from an old-style, "ball" mouse, and re-use it in a $1, throw-away tuning pot. Doing that allowed him to charge that as a 'free' throw-away ball mouse, and a US$1 pot.
Link here:
http://www.arrl.org/files/file/QST/Homebrew%20Challenge/HBC%201%20Winner-WA2EUJ.pdf
That said - I tried it... and failed. Just never could get it to work right.
I just used a cheap-o, US$3 mechanical encoder, as my 'budget' didn't need to be EXACTLY US$50.
It's definitely not IMpossible. I would discourage it, mainly 'cause 'just having it work' feels so good (heh).
The TAK-40, btw - I had a PSK31 contact on it (yeah, later wired it with a DDS VFO, and once it was stable I could PSK31) from Dallas, Texas all the way up to Lake Ontario, Canada. Not bad on 5W.
Link (and proof!) here: https://mikeyancey.com/arrl-homebrew-challenge-from-1320-miles-away/
The BITX40, however - far, far, far superior SSB. I much prefer using it, particularly with the dual gel battery, 22 watt version.
Mike Yancey, KM5Z
Dallas, Texas
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On Fri, Jul 14, 2017 at 05:05 pm, Dexter N Muir wrote:
This is just speculation, I haven't tried it myself having not yet delved into the programming to activate it: Has anyone tried the guts of a PC-mouse as an encoder? I'm thinking a mouse with scroll-wheel (most have a mild 'detent' feel) - perhaps an old(er) ps/2 plug type? Use a ps/2 socket to retain the 'foolproof' pluggability. Disconnect the wiring (maybe leave supply + and -), and wire out the opto's of the wheel. One will be SDA, the other SCL. Perhaps also a/the button/s? one as encoder's 'push' menu/function for step-change etc (I'd use the right for that), the other (left being more intuitive for the more prevalent dexterous :) of the populace) for a convenient PTT... Note: will they pull up or down? That's 6 wires (if the PS/2's connector pins are all wired through the cable - they might not for a mouse) - SDA, SCL, +5V, 0V, menu and PTT. If your scrapped mouse is a 'track-ball' type, remove the ball to remove the temptation from the kids to swap it to their old 'junker' PC. Pop in a large nut from the garage/workshop's junk-heap to lend weight if required. Feedback? Flames? Go to it ...
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If attempting to use a PC Mouse as a rotary encoder and if you are doing
your own software, you do not need to modify the mouse in any way. A PC
mouse emits character sequences as it moves. All you have to do is to
write a small bit of software to accept those character sequences and
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
On Sat, Jul 15, 2017 at 12:07 PM, Mike Yancey <mikeyancey@...> wrote: I'll say that I have. You're bottom-draggin' if you're not just gonna spend the $3 or whatever for a cheap encoder. I built the first ARRL Home-brew Challenge project (A complete 40m Transceiver, under $50 ... I know, who'd-a thought back then, I know...)
Steve Weber KD1JV won the project, but one of the challengers was also very popular (a PIC-controlled and tuned version, by Jim Veatch, WA2EUJ - I know, I *KNOW*, who'd-a thought of such a thing!) Anyway, Jim had to scrimp on cost - a US$3 or $4 mechanical encoder would've busted his US$50 budget, what with a US$4.70 PIC, an an MC1350 IF chip, fancy-schmancy AGC, and LCD, etc. So his project described how to extract the 'encoder' bits from an old-style, "ball" mouse, and re-use it in a $1, throw-away tuning pot. Doing that allowed him to charge that as a 'free' throw-away ball mouse, and a US$1 pot.
Link here:
http://www.arrl.org/files/file/QST/Homebrew%20Challenge/HBC%201%20Winner-WA2EUJ.pdf
That said - I tried it... and failed. Just never could get it to work right.
I just used a cheap-o, US$3 mechanical encoder, as my 'budget' didn't need to be EXACTLY US$50.
It's definitely not IMpossible. I would discourage it, mainly 'cause 'just having it work' feels so good (heh).
The TAK-40, btw - I had a PSK31 contact on it (yeah, later wired it with a DDS VFO, and once it was stable I could PSK31) from Dallas, Texas all the way up to Lake Ontario, Canada. Not bad on 5W.
Link (and proof!) here: https://mikeyancey.com/arrl-homebrew-challenge-from-1320-miles-away/
The BITX40, however - far, far, far superior SSB. I much prefer using it, particularly with the dual gel battery, 22 watt version.
Mike Yancey, KM5Z
Dallas, Texas
On Fri, Jul 14, 2017 at 05:05 pm, Dexter N Muir wrote:
This is just speculation, I haven't tried it myself having not yet delved into the programming to activate it: Has anyone tried the guts of a PC-mouse as an encoder? I'm thinking a mouse with scroll-wheel (most have a mild 'detent' feel) - perhaps an old(er) ps/2 plug type? Use a ps/2 socket to retain the 'foolproof' pluggability. Disconnect the wiring (maybe leave supply + and -), and wire out the opto's of the wheel. One will be SDA, the other SCL. Perhaps also a/the button/s? one as encoder's 'push' menu/function for step-change etc (I'd use the right for that), the other (left being more intuitive for the more prevalent dexterous :) of the populace) for a convenient PTT... Note: will they pull up or down? That's 6 wires (if the PS/2's connector pins are all wired through the cable - they might not for a mouse) - SDA, SCL, +5V, 0V, menu and PTT. If your scrapped mouse is a 'track-ball' type, remove the ball to remove the temptation from the kids to swap it to their old 'junker' PC. Pop in a large nut from the garage/workshop's junk-heap to lend weight if required. Feedback? Flames? Go to it ...
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Arv:
You are getting a little sophisticated here.
The original mouse cutup was to keep only the ir circuit and discard the rest.
Thus the signal was (and is) raw grey code. If the pc board is also included, then, yes, the communications protocol must be followed. I guess it is a simpler solution as the mouse can be used intact...however, the optical or laser mouse is a bit different. It is not so easy to recover the plain grey code generator. So using the protocol on them is probably a necessity.
I presume the important thing is to distinguish which type of mouse one is working on. Once upon a time there was only one...now there are many. They vary.
john AD5YE
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