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Show HN: I built a custom USB Trackball

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Re: Show HN: I built a custom USB Trackball

#2

Post by ocimbote »

Overall, I'm impressed. Very much.

Now, I'd love to see a picture of how a hand is supposed to sit above or around this trackball because I can't picture how fingers can comfortably reach the 4 buttons just by looking at their location on the device.

Which leads me to the personal opinion: I think I prefer the design of the testbed over the final iteration. Buttons are missing, I know, but... Here I stand nonetheless.

Re: Show HN: I built a custom USB Trackball

#3

Post by floren »

Well done, shame about the ergo problems! Hopefully with some iteration, it could be more comfortable. My recommendation: don't be afraid to take up more desk space :) I'd try something which put the button caps in an upward-facing orientation instead of facing out.

When I built my mouse (https://jfloren.net/bellwether.html) I found that in the past there were these neat modules which packaged a sensor and a microcontroller on 1 chip, and you basically just had to wire it up to USB -- but those don't seem to exist any more! So I picked essentially the same Pixart sensor as you, used the same leaked datasheets, and built my own. I do wonder why the all-in-one devices disappeared, though.

Re: Show HN: I built a custom USB Trackball

#5

Post by fragmede »

floren wrote: post #3

Well done, shame about the ergo problems! Hopefully with some iteration, it could be more comfortable. My recommendation: don't be afraid to take up more desk space :) I'd try something which put the button caps in an upward-facing orientation instead of facing out. When I built my mouse ( https://jfloren.net/bellwether.html ) I found that in the past there were these neat modules which packaged a sensor and a microc…

Is a micro with a PLC (or just a fast enough adc+CPU these days) connected to a photodiode fast enough to do it in software?

Actually it seems modern devices use a CCD and then process the image.

Re: Show HN: I built a custom USB Trackball

#8

Post by convolvatron »

fragmede wrote: post #5
floren wrote: post #3

Well done, shame about the ergo problems! Hopefully with some iteration, it could be more comfortable. My recommendation: don't be afraid to take up more desk space :) I'd try something which put the button caps in an upward-facing orientation instead of facing out. When I built my mouse ( https://jfloren.net/bellwether.html ) I found that in the past there were these neat modules which packaged a sensor and a microc…

Is a micro with a PLC (or just a fast enough adc+CPU these days) connected to a photodiode fast enough to do it in software? Actually it seems modern devices use a CCD and then process the image.

i think you'd have a hard time determining the direction from just one sample

Re: Show HN: I built a custom USB Trackball

#9

Post by duskwuff »

mkl wrote: post #7

I would like to make custom trackballs, and pool balls are a great idea. I would want a scroll ring like my Kensington Expert mice ( https://duckduckgo.com/?q=kensington+expert+mouse&t=fpas&iax... ). Any idea how to make such a thing?

Optical quadrature encoder, much like how mechanical mice worked. Make the ring with a series of evenly spaced holes on the inside, then use a pair of optical sensors across that track of holes to detect when it's moving and in what direction.
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