Use your modern mouse with Compact Macs!

[progman32]

So my mac came without a mouse. Wanting a small challenge, I made a little adapter to use a standard PS2 mouse with the Mac. I've released it as open hardware so feel free to grab a copy of your own. See my blog post (with some YouTube vids of it in action): http://giferrari.net/blog/?p=159.

Note! Yes, this thing speaks PS2 only. It uses a USB connector just because it's convenient and smaller (most USB mice can speak PS2 over a USB connector).

If anyone is interested in one of these but lacks the time/ability/tools to build one, drop me a line. I can put together a few kits for cheap if people want them. Of course this being a niche product I don't expect much demand :lol:

 

[Byrd]

That looks like a really neat unit - I like how you've put some thought into how it should all be plugged in.

Interested in a kit

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Put me on the list as well, very elegant hack, great work. :approve:

Have you tested it with a dongle/cheapo wireless USB mouse?

ISTR info having been posted on using a PS2 KBD on Compacts as well. It'd be nice to have a PS2 KVM setup with KM hooked up a Compact on one side and my NetBook on the other side of the V. Does anybody remember anything about the KBD portion of the equation?

 

[progman32]

Thanks all for the kind words! I'll see what I can do about a kit then, I've never done it before I actually haven't tried it with a wireless mouse; I'll give it a shot come Monday (assuming I can find a wireless mouse at the local surplus shops). One concern there is that it's a bit less likely for wireless mice to be PS2 compatible. It's worked with every PS2 mouse I've tried so far though.

Question for y'all: Would a mouse speed selector button be useful for you?

 

[BlastoiseBlue]

Wow, this could be REALLY useful for me once I'm capable of using my Classic again. Put me on the waiting list, I won't be able to get it back until christmas at the earliest. XP

 

[8bitbubsy]

This won't work on your Classic, which is ADB. ADB is a newer and different protocol used by the later (1986+) Macs. Macintosh/128k/Plus uses the old serial interface, AFAIK.

 

[BlastoiseBlue]

Ahh... What a shame. I've seen ADB to PS2 adapters before, but there's no way I'm paying 30 dollars for an adapter when I can probably get an original mouse for around $15. I can definitely see the use for the earliest of Macs though, peripherals for those must be through the roof. D:

Also, your username sounds familiar. Do you maybe do NES remixes on Youtube?

 

[uniserver]

hey guy! your pretty awesome!

 

[progman32]

OK all, a couple orders of business. First, thanks again for the interest! Second, I'm afraid I wasn't able to find a wireless mouse to test with. I'll be busy with "real" work this week, so there might be a bit of a delay, but I'll find one . Third, I've made 2 changes to the design- I got rid of the button, and there will be an option of using a standard PS2 connector instead of USB. The latter is so the device can easily work with PS2 KVMs (I've got one such KVM here; I'll test it out later this week). Now as far as pricing, it's looking around the $15 mark for the kit (plus shipping), and a bit more for the assembled version. I'll also offer the bare PCB and/or the programmed chip separately. Now since this will likely be a small production run, there will be a several week turn time once I take orders. I could shorten that by using a quick-turn PCB manufacturer, but then we'd be talking $50 for the kit at these quantities, not worth it Stay tuned...

 

[trag]

Very cool. Are you familiar with Seed Studio's PCB service? I think they're about the cheapest we've found for 2 layer projects. I don't think they do four layers. Also, I love that you're using the ATTiny. That little chip is so cool.

I've been eyeing the ATTiny25 (eight pins) for a couple of years as a sensor controller/communications unit. Hook the ATTiny25 up to any kind of sensor. Use two pins on the ATTiny as an I2C bus client, and you can put a network of sensors controllers all over the place on things like aquariums, or model rockets, etc.

 

[tt]

Nice work! Progman32, do you think a PS/2 to ADB adapter would also be feasible using an ATtiny84?

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

KeyStone AT<->ADB Keyboard & Serial Mouse Converter . . .

Skunkworks PS-2 <-> ADB Project

ADB is a little trickier . . . not to mention being a technology that was licensed by Apple to developers back in the day.

@progman32

I found my rollup USB KBD with its dedicated PS/2 adapter. I tried it with a couple of wireless mice. No go, but then again, I haven't found a real PS/2 mouse to try with the adapter to confirm that it works with mice yet.

I was using an OmniView Mac Adapter, the KBD worked fine. Once I figured out that ALT worked as the Command Key as opposed to the Windows key when using my wired & wireless USB KBDs on the Quicksilver'02.

KeyStone was more elegant, you could choose from a pair of keys for Command, whichever you preferred. KeyStone has the old AT Connector and its KeyMapping in ROM. It works fine with a PS/2 adapter, but the mouse adaptation is definitely for the RS-232 variety.

 

[tt]

Those threads aren't really on the same path... What I'm wondering is if the OP or someone has looked into using a similar microcontroller for PS/2 to ADB. It seems like currently the main problem is the lack of a library for ADB for AVR microcontrollers. The PS/2 to serial project here is leveraging the PS/2 library written for Arduino...

 

[8bitbubsy]

... [snip] ...

Also, your username sounds familiar. Do you maybe do NES remixes on Youtube?

I don't do NES remixes in particular, but I've been into Module Tracking for around 5-6 years, I do make some songs every now and then. I'm also the programmer of the "ProTracker rewrite" project (written in C and it's using SDL, portable).

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Those threads aren't really on the same path...

I don't understand, PS/2 -> ADB is PS/2 -> ADB . . . neh? :?:

 

[tt]

Yes, but different microcontroller family and language compared to the OP. Programming in "C" and using AVR's are a little more accessible, at least to me.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

I found my bookmark for the 24th Anniversary Macintosh.

 

[Bunsen]

Are you familiar with Seed Studio's PCB service?

Seeed. Three Es. Makes googling easier

http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/