Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!mks!wheels
From: wheels@mks.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Needed:  Trackball converting instructions
Message-ID: <307@mks.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 16-Oct-87 13:23:16 EDT
Article-I.D.: mks.307
Posted: Fri Oct 16 13:23:16 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 17-Oct-87 16:06:52 EDT
References: <238@ur-tut.UUCP> <1881@aramis.rutgers.edu>
Organization: Mortice Kern Systems, Waterloo, Ont.
Lines: 22
Keywords: 8-bit trackball ---> ST trackball
Summary: One trackball is a superset of the other...

In article <1881@aramis.rutgers.edu>, knutsen@aramis.rutgers.edu (Mark Knutsen) writes:
> In article <238@ur-tut.UUCP> mcli@ur-tut.UUCP (Maurice Ling) writes:
> 
> > I am interested in getting instructions to convert an atari 8-bit trackball
> > to act like a mouse on the ST.
>   
> This is probably a hopeless cause, because the 8-bit trackball
> emulates a joystick, not a mouse.  That is, it only gives information
> on absolute direction, not speed of movement.

I think, though, that the joystick emulation involves putting EXTRA stuff
into a standard trackball. If the trackball provides quadrature signals
as its basic output, as most do, then that can be put through a couple
of chips to look like the switch closure of a joystick. By removing the
extra junk, and getting down to the quadrature level, you should be
able to use the ball as a mouse. Didn't I see instructions to do that
very thing on the net about a year ago?
-- 
     ll  // // ,'/~~\' Gerry Wheeler {decvax,ihnp4}!watmath!mks!wheels
    /ll/// //l' `\\\   Mortice Kern Systems Inc.         (519) 884-2251
   / l //_// ll\___/   43 Bridgeport Rd. E., Waterloo, ON, Can. N2J 2J4
O_/