Re: [PLUG] OT: Mouse Protocols

[gabriel rosenkoetter <gr@eclipsed.net>]

On Sat, Oct 05, 2002 at 04:11:54PM -0400, Paul wrote:
> An adapter just changes the connector style.  Like you wrote, ps/2 and 
> serial signals may be conveyed in a different way.  Does every mouse 
> know how to handle both sets of signals?  On the computer end there are 
> different drivers for ps/2, serial, and USB mouses.  (Then there are bus 
> mouses, but that's another story.)

Nah, that has to do with the firmware in the board into which the
device was plugged.

All a mouse sends is an x offset, a y offset, and a set of button
signals. The pinouts may be different, but it's the same number of
pins for all of the above. You *may* lose some granularity on the
offsets if the various different protocols can't detect as fine a
grain in voltage differential. I'm out on a limb here already,
though.

I'd expect whatever comes from USB to anything else to be more
complext than just reordering pins (since it's built to be more
general, and the device on the end quite frequently more intelligent
than a mouse), but I don't really know enough about the hardware
ABI to be comfortable saying that absolutely.

> I use Logitec USB optical wheel mouses.  The wheel also acts as a 
> middle button.

But it is, I would point out, NOT a button. Doesn't feel the same.
(I'm *very* used to three button mice with buttons that are the same
size and all function the same way. Even my trusty old Kensignton
four-button ADB mouse feels funny these days.)

> Yeah, I can't say for sure that the adapters would not work, but I 
> couldn't say that they would work.  The USB card offers betters 
> possibilities, even if it costs a little more.  Still the best solution 
> is to find a true serial mouse.

Erm, not necessarily. You probably won't be able to find a serial
mouse with the features you mention (a wheel, maybe; optical
probably not).

A decent USB card (for bonus points, one with USB 2.0 and Firewire
ports too) is worth the investment, I'd agree.

-- 
gabriel rosenkoetter
gr@eclipsed.net

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