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Author Topic: EnterMice (Joy & PS/2 mouse interface) (Read 176905 times)

Offline gflorez

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EnterMice (Joy & PS/2 mouse interface)
« on: 2015.May.28. 23:25:46 »
Some good news:

Pear is designing a new Joystick-Mouse interface named EnterMice. It will allow to connect two standard joysticks and directly a PS/2 mouse(mechanical or optical, even wireless...) without conflicts.

The Boxsoft mouse interface works very well but interferes with some program-games that expect a joystick on Control1 port. And if you want to play with a joystick on Control1 port you need to unplug the mouse from the interface, unplug the lead that go to Serial port, and then at last insert  the joystick connector. If you want return to use the mouse you have to walk back that path...

Known Boxsoft owners in the world can be counted with only a hand so Zozo thought that now is the best time to modify the mouse standard....

You already know that there are some pins unused on the Control ports. On them can be connected theoretically upto thirty buttons. Ten buttons are  already reserved to the joysticks 1 and 2, so still we have space to put the mouse signals there.

The only known Program-device that use that spare buttons is precisely the Boxsoft interface, that takes one for the Left mouse button. It will remain untouched, but the four directions and Fire(Right mouse button) are moved to other unused row.

Electrically it only implies the use of the K pin instead of the J one. And, about the software, we only have to modify the Mouse.xr driver if we speak of EXOS. About SymbOS, Prodatron can easily modify the mouse routine when the standard becomes firmly established.

Pear's interface will follow that new standard, so I hope all EP users will wish one.  Observing their other creations it will have a high quality and affordable price.


Offline gflorez

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Re: EnterMice (Joy & PS/2 mouse interface)
« Reply #1 on: 2015.May.28. 23:57:45 »
Here are the experimental "Brute force" new drivers that use the next mouse standard. They are based on the last Boxsoft 1.1 version. The driver acts as a System extension. Once initialised remains active even resetting.

Now the main button is the Left one. Also I've  changed the delays of the nibble reading to 8,1,1,1 instead of 8,5,5,5 to save a little of processor time.

There are two versions. To use them you have to rename the file to Mouse.xr.

MOUSE11K.XR is for use with the EGI and some versions of Paintbox. It is a slave version that initializes when the host program pass the :pb command to EXOS.

MOUSE11Ka.XR  auto initializes itself so it is ideal for use in Basic programs.

First: LOAD "mouse.xr"

Then you can use it with  those Basic commands:

100 GRAPHICS             
110 SET 180,101              !VIDEO_CHN  the video channel where the pointer will move. 101 is the default for EXOS
120 SET 181,30               !STATUS_POS
130 SET 182,1                 !STATUS_DISP
140 SET 183,255              !POINTER_COLOUR
150 OPEN £1:"mouse:"
« Last Edit: 2015.May.29. 08:55:38 by gflorez »

Offline pear

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Re: EnterMice (Joy & PS/2 mouse interface)
« Reply #2 on: 2015.May.29. 19:06:24 »
Something like this. The attached preliminary sketch of the PCB.
Two slots for joysticks, socket PS/2 mouse and optional serial port Commodore (DIN6).

Approximate cost about 4 USD per one PCB (for 10 pieces). It may change, but not much.
I'm doing my PCBs in black - are about 30% more expensive than the cheapest green.
« Last Edit: 2015.May.29. 19:23:15 by pear »

Offline gflorez

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Re: EnterMice (Joy & PS/2 mouse interface)
« Reply #3 on: 2015.May.30. 00:24:40 »
Applause....!

How it connects? directly or by flex cable?

Offline gflorez

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Re: EnterMice (Joy & PS/2 mouse interface)
« Reply #4 on: 2015.May.30. 00:50:08 »
Do you bypass the printer port?

Offline pear

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Re: EnterMice (Joy & PS/2 mouse interface)
« Reply #5 on: 2015.May.30. 07:54:41 »
PCB has only about 4 cm wide, so there is no reason to attach it to a flexible cable.
Edge connectors are short, but by the fact that there are 4, they should firmly hold even while jerk.
I wondered what to do with the printer port.
I talked about it with Zozo, but no rational applies for this connector not we found.
Therefore, it acts as a mechanical connection and optionally can be used as a serial port Commodore.
But if anyone has any suggestions, it is still a lot of time to the finished project.
« Last Edit: 2015.May.30. 08:01:55 by pear »

Offline gflorez

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Re: EnterMice (Joy & PS/2 mouse interface)
« Reply #6 on: 2015.May.30. 10:06:36 »
I don't like to cut options.....

How about a little edge connector at the rear of the board?

I have a printer that I connect sometimes to my EP....

Offline pear

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Re: EnterMice (Joy & PS/2 mouse interface)
« Reply #7 on: 2015.May.30. 10:20:33 »
If you already do, then maybe D-Sub25 as in PC ?
Anyway PCB will come out a little bigger.

Offline gflorez

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Re: EnterMice (Joy & PS/2 mouse interface)
« Reply #8 on: 2015.May.30. 13:42:39 »
Not necessary a D-sub for who already have a printer cable made, but must be interesting to not block the connector. If you  put the contacts at the edge we can have the option later.

Offline pear

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Re: EnterMice (Joy & PS/2 mouse interface)
« Reply #9 on: 2015.May.30. 13:59:35 »
Can do it the edge connector, but I do not like this kind of connections.
Anything else but only not another edge connector.

Offline gflorez

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Re: EnterMice (Joy & PS/2 mouse interface)
« Reply #10 on: 2015.May.30. 17:10:39 »
Can you put the holes to put a future connector?

Offline gflorez

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Re: EnterMice (Joy & PS/2 mouse interface)
« Reply #11 on: 2015.May.30. 17:37:32 »
Or directly you only have to put the points accesible near the blocked connector . That is easy.

Offline Zozosoft

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Re: EnterMice (Joy & PS/2 mouse interface)
« Reply #12 on: 2015.May.30. 20:44:41 »
My idea is: similar to original Boxsoft interface, just doubled size attached for both Control ports. And the Strobe signal attached by wire. Printer port left free.

Offline gflorez

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Re: EnterMice (Joy & PS/2 mouse interface)
« Reply #13 on: 2015.May.30. 23:01:02 »
But Boxsoft interface is very long. It tends to bend the connectors and enlarges the space of an already big computer.

I like Pear's narrow design. Once inserted in the four connectors a user no more will need to unplug it. It can give great stability even with heavy use of joysticks. It can't be upside down connected and the plugs are already aligned due to their fixed positions.

But it can't block the use of the printer port.


That are only my wishes.....

Offline pear

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Re: EnterMice (Joy & PS/2 mouse interface)
« Reply #14 on: 2015.May.31. 06:54:05 »
I have a new idea. I have to redraw a PCB.