Plus machine Mouse Adaptor.

[CraigsBar]

Just looking over to my Plus machines. Is there any way that a Mouse Adaptor could be made for the Analog Port?


This should (in theory at least) provide a higher resolution than the Joystick ports and be cheaper (and more available) than a Symbiface. with the added bonus of not using up a joystick port when using a mouse.


The Analog port must be the least used of all plus peripheral connectors. I don't know of anyone using it whereas at least *some* people have the Trojan Light Gun.
I did use it as the 5v power supply for my DK-Tronics mouse interface that I modded to use on the plus. this resulted in a tidier layout than a widget adaptor and was a simple mod, as the dk-tronics mouse only used the expansion port for +5v and ground.


Craig

[arnoldemu]

The analogue port is read at a rate of 100hz.

It may not be enough.

EDIT: If the input/output can give analogue values that would work fine I think?

[Bryce]

Yeah shouldn't be a problem to do. It even supplies the 5V, but it wouldn't be AMX compatible and would need new drivers for any of the newer OSs I assume.

Bryce.

[CraigsBar]

Yeah shouldn't be a problem to do. It even supplies the 5V, but it wouldn't be AMX compatible and would need new drivers for any of the newer OSs I assume.

Bryce.

AMX Compatibility is nice but not essential! Let's face it if someone (You for example) made and designed it. then I am sure @TFM and @Prodatron would incorporate the functionality into F-OS* and SymbOS, it woudl present a neater (IMHO) alternative to the Symbiface mouse.


*Oh and a patch for Cyberchicken too perhaps.


I'd certainly buy one. It could also be bundled with a FutureOS (or Symbos) cart release to provide an instant on solution with mouse driver for us plus owners?


Craig

[steve]

The FutureOS or SymbOS cartridge could include it's own mouse port using a PIC or similar MCU.

[MacDeath]

Not being AMX compatible is not cool for retro compatibility, but Plus could benefit from its own standard as Hard sprites are definitaly nice to get a good mouse pointer with less CPU used (somewhat).
I already asked that long time ago but not sure devs would dev for that.

otherwise, the Analog port can provide the +5Volt for the mouse, so it would be cool to have analog port adapters for the power supply only, concerning AMX mouses.

[Bryce]

Not being AMX compatible is not cool for retro compatibility, but Plus could benefit from its own standard as Hard sprites are definitaly nice to get a good mouse pointer with less CPU used (somewhat).
I already asked that long time ago but not sure devs would dev for that.

otherwise, the Analog port can provide the +5Volt for the mouse, so it would be cool to have analog port adapters for the power supply only, concerning AMX mouses.

The Lightpen port can supply 5V too and it's smaller.

Bryce.

[CraigsBar]

The Lightpen port can supply 5V too and it's smaller.

Bryce.

But the connectors have proven impossible to find. I have a magnum I was going to convert, but could not find the connector for it.

[pelrun]

Hows this?

7001-6P4C - MULTICOMP - PLUG, RJ11, 6P4C, FLAT | Farnell element14 UK


Though you would also need a crimping tool for it as well...


D03025 - DURATOOL - MODULAR 3 IN 1 CRIMPING TOOL | Farnell element14 UK

[MacDeath]

Otherwise I think best use for the Analog port would be to enable those modern dual analog+digital paddles on the PLUS.

would need a box/a connected to both digital joystick ports and the analog one... but could be great as it would gives directional analog + 4 digital direction + 2 different fires (trigger buttons ?), doubled so great for 2 player games I guess.

For non-AMX mouses (the ones with better use of variable speed), sadly the expansion port remains the best choice as it enables compatibility between CPC and PLUS.

wasn't this implement on Prodatron's big card and used by SymbOS ?

[Bryce]

But the connectors have proven impossible to find. I have a magnum I was going to convert, but could not find the connector for it.

It's a standard telephone connector, every analogue telephone and modem cable has one! Already crimped.

Bryce.

[TFM]

Yeah shouldn't be a problem to do. It even supplies the 5V, but it wouldn't be AMX compatible and would need new drivers for any of the newer OSes I assume.

Bryce.

Nope.    Already supported by FutureOS. As analogue joysticks too. 

[Bryce]

Nope.    Already supported by FutureOS. As analogue joysticks too. 

How does it interpret the Joystick positions. Is the joystick position directly associated with a position on the screen, or does the joystick value move the pointer at a particular speed?

Bryce.

[TFM]

The analogue port provides values between 0 and 63 for X and Y (and other signals). You an directly use these values or divide them by a factor to make the movement slower.
I only have one simple joystick and it works very well actually, like a proportional mouse.

[CraigsBar]

The analogue port provides values between 0 and 63 for X and Y (and other signals). You an directly use these values or divide them by a factor to make the movement slower.
I only have one simple joystick and it works very well actually, like a proportional mouse.

Oh now I really like the sound of a USB Mouse to Analog adaptor. this would add some excellent mousing abilities to the plus and GX4000 without the need to unplug the joypads.

[TFM]

My apologies for having no better example... but here you can see how 'proportional' the mouse arrow can be moved in 'real life':

MMcR - Ultra fast batch formatting for Amstrad CPC - YouTube

I guess, you could even do better. 


EDIT: Links works in USA at least, but should work worldwide.

[CraigsBar]

Hmmm. Broken link for me

[robcfg]

This one definitely works for me.

[CraigsBar]

Will check on the Mac, not the phone then, thanks


Edit; Yep Damn Android.. On the Mac it's fine

[TFM]

"Damn Android", yeah has a great 2 player mode too.