Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!seismo!dimacs.rutgers.edu!rutgers!rochester!uhura.cc.rochester.edu!ee.rochester.edu!moscom!wjb
From: wjb@moscom.UUCP (Bill de Beaubien)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: Mice
Keywords: mouse protocols
Message-ID: <2361@moscom.UUCP>
Date: 7 Nov 90 14:01:04 GMT
References: <2410@wn1.sci.kun.nl>
Reply-To: wjb@moscom.UUCP (Bill de Beaubien)
Distribution: comp
Organization: Moscom Corp., E. Rochester, NY
Lines: 19

In article <2410@wn1.sci.kun.nl> ge@wn3.sci.kun.nl (Ge' Weijers) writes:
>Does anyone have the protocol specifications of the Microsoft serial mouse
>available, especially how do you know one is connected.
>I'd like to know the same for a 3 button (Mouse Systems-type) mouse.

The easiest way to see if a mouse is connected is to use int 33h, service 0.
Load AX with 0, call int 33h.  If AX=0FFFFh, mouse support is available,
and BX contains the number of buttons.  If AX is unchanged, no mouse support
is available.  This actually detects the mouse driver.  If somebody runs the
driver, and subsequently disconnects the mouse, I believe it will still work,
but no guarantees. (In other words, test it).  This information is for the
Microsoft mouse.  If the mouse-systems mouse is Microsoft compatible, it
should work for that, too.  I know that it works for my Logitech.

>Ge' Weijers

Bill
-- 
Bill de Beaubien / wjb@moscom.com