Amstrad AMX mouse

TFM · 17:44, 08 July 16

Quote from: TotO on 06:38, 05 July 16
Logitech = quality...

Sadly not for the mouse I bought. The button switches can't hold a signal, so I can't drag and drop any longer. Well, if I press it like crazy it works for a second, but that's disappointing for an expensive mouse. Their button switches could be better.

||C|-|E|| · 18:04, 08 July 16

I have used Logitech since the longest time and I always end replacing the mice because of the switches, as you say. However, it usually takes me quite a lot years of continuous use to break one, I would say that around 5. When this happens, the mouse is very old and I never feel like replacing the switches for new ones

khaz · 20:42, 08 July 16

Quote from: talrek on 09:54, 03 July 16
Well i have little stock
Here are the pics

For price 20€ and postage with tracking are 5,50€ to EU , and 2€ to France .

I'm interested in your device if you still have some. What's the voltage needed / tolerance for it? I'm thinking of using a pair of batteries with it instead of having yet another power cable running on the desk.

talrek · 09:11, 10 July 16

Hi sorry for the late answer. Voltage is 5v (same from screen).
You have to plug in the 5V CPC power cable, and then plug in the power cable from the adpter to the CPC.

I'm not sure if using external battery is a good idea, since 5V should take a lot of space... The device doesn't required and extra power supply, it only takes power from the CPC.

||C|-|E|| · 22:56, 10 July 16

I was playing Orion Prime with the Logitech mouse and Bryce´s adapter and is simply amazing

It feels like an Amiga point and click!

Bryce · 09:07, 11 July 16

Quote from: khaz on 20:42, 08 July 16
I'm interested in your device if you still have some. What's the voltage needed / tolerance for it? I'm thinking of using a pair of batteries with it instead of having yet another power cable running on the desk.

The circuit needs a regulated 5V supply, as the circuit doesn't include its own regulation. It will work between 4.8V and 5.2V, but it would stop working with anything below 4.8V, and more importantly, anthing above 5.2V would most likely destroy it, so it's really not made for batteries.

The simplest way to power it is by using the CPC power supply with a "Y" cable or a flylead from the adapter to the CPC.

@||C|-|E||: Glad you like it.

Bryce.

||C|-|E|| · 10:02, 11 July 16

It is actually very cool, yes

You need to get used to how sensitive it is with an optic mouse but it is easy enough to handle it. I still did not finish with the original AMX mouse, when it is ready I will be able to compare them.

Bryce · 10:16, 11 July 16

The sensitivity is actually configurable by tweaking the firmware. If it's too sensitive you could always try a less sensitive setting.

Bryce.

||C|-|E|| · 11:48, 11 July 16

Yup, but I would need to program it again. Two problems for this: I do not have a programmer, although I could build one following your instructions, and I would need to desolder the pic in the board and install a socket, although this would be simple as well. Maybe I can try when I have some time!

talrek · 12:38, 11 July 16

Yes my fault ;-) I soldered the pic... I didn't have enough sockets

I never tried, Orion Prime, i don't own it... Too bad i should have buy it.

||C|-|E|| · 13:42, 11 July 16

Desoldering it is easy enough, but is it heat sensitive? If that is the case, there is a chance I will need to replace it with a new one

Sadly, I do not own an original copy of Orion Prime either, but it works very well (and silently) from my HxC

Bryce · 15:02, 11 July 16

You don't need to desolder the PIC, it can be programmed in-circuit, you'd just need to solder connections to make a temporary ISP port. But you'd still need to make a small programmer (or buy one).

Bryce.

||C|-|E|| · 15:19, 11 July 16

The thing is that if I make a programmer with a little socket, that seems very nice, I almost prefer to put a socket as well in the mouse adapter. It seems that it would facilitate the things if multiple adjustments are necessary. Even if the PIC dies in the process it would not be a big disaster, considering the price of a blank one

First I will repair once and for all the AMX to compare both

P.D: The programmer is so cheap that I will probably buy one

K150 ICSP Programmer with USB Cable PIC DIP ZIF Flux Workshop | eBay

Bryce · 09:14, 12 July 16

Well if you are going to buy something, then I'd recommend this: PICkit2 PIC KIT2 debugger programmer for dsPIC PIC32 PIC24+Logifind adapter - UK
This can be used for in-circuit programming or socketed programming.

Bryce.

||C|-|E|| · 11:36, 12 July 16

Looks very nice! I will order this one then

hsimpson · 06:59, 13 July 16

@talrek

Shipment arrived safely. Thanks a lot

.

talrek · 08:48, 13 July 16

Quote from: hsimpson on 06:59, 13 July 16
@talrek

Shipment arrived safely. Thanks a lot .

You're welcome ;-)

||C|-|E|| · 00:14, 16 July 16

OK, I finally finished with the poor AMX mouse

It was quite wasted: the cable was cut and I had to redo the connector in the mouse side; one the ICs (the line driver) was not OK and, finally, the plastic case had little cracks inside and had to be reinforced. Overall it was quite a lot of work for such a simple device, partially because I repaired it in the worst possible way: changing all the ICs, even those that were OK. This happened because at first I was lacking a proper tool to test them and finally, when Bryce´s function generator arrived, I did not come up with the proper idea to test the two remaining original ICs. Oh well, the good news is that is everything is socketed now. Finally, I replaced the caps too. No real need for this but what the heck, I already had new ones around.

So, these are the new connectors:

[attachimg=1]

And these the socketed boards with the new caps:

[attachimg=2]

[attachimg=3]

Here are a couple of pictures of the case. I reinforced it with epoxy and, in the case of the pillars, some thermoretractable plastic as well. The cracks appeared in the regions with the screws and the points of pressure of the ball. Everything should be future-proof now

[attachimg=4]

[attachimg=5]

This is how it looked just before finishing the assembly:

[attachimg=6]

[attachimg=7]

And finally, after a deep cleaning and some detailing, the final result:

[attachimg=8]

It looks nice and works well, although I must confess that is slow for my taste. In this regard, Bryce´s adapter in combination with an optical mouse is a much neater and efficient approach. Having the AMX is useful anyway, it allows direct comparison with the adapter and it is useful for software tweaking. Moreover, it was fun to repair it

Puresox · 00:22, 16 July 16

Has anyone ever used the mouse with Carrier Command? I think that game is amazing and would love to indulge in a mouse if it actually worked to reasonable level in this game.

robcfg · 12:25, 16 July 16

That's a very fine job!

I appreciate the effort of repairing old hardware as it's a labour of love and it'a fun.

Thanks for sharing it!

1024MAK · 13:07, 16 July 16

Quote from: robcfg on 12:25, 16 July 16
That's a very fine job!

I appreciate the effort of repairing old hardware as it's a labour of love and it'a fun.

Thanks for sharing it!

Aye, I agree

Mark

||C|-|E|| · 14:02, 16 July 16

Glad you like it guys!

Quote from: Puresox on 00:22, 16 July 16
Has anyone ever used the mouse with Carrier Command? I think that game is amazing and would love to indulge in a mouse if it actually worked to reasonable level in this game.

I can try the game tonight, it should work very well

I am using the adapter with an optical Logitech and it is great to control that type of games (Bloodwitch, Iron Lord...) or programs with menus that you would traditionally navigate using with the arrows or the joystick. For classical arcades, a pad still seems the best option.

Puresox · 14:13, 16 July 16

Thanks It would be such an impressive game if the Mouse works well with it.^^^

Puresox · 14:15, 16 July 16

Quote from: ||C|-|E|| on 14:02, 16 July 16
Glad you like it guys!

I can try the game tonight, it should work very well I am using the adapter with an optical Logitech and it is great to control that type of games (Bloodwitch, Iron Lord...) or programs with menus that you would traditionally navigate using with the arrows or the joystick. For classical arcades, a pad still seems the best option.

You can use with those games too ! Wow . Do you have a You Tube channel?

Really nice project btw. Quite satisfying results . Good for you

Lazy Dude · 14:28, 16 July 16

These are the first internal shots of an AMX I have seen on the web, an a tidy repair job.
Kind of surprised there wasn't more fluff n crap inside though, not that we wish to see pics of 30 year old hair n fluff. I have seen mice half that age in really shitty condition.

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Amstrad AMX mouse