Making encoders using a mouse: custom drivers?

G

Thread Starter

G.Love

Hello,
I am making a robot. I'd like to use the encoders from an old Logitech-mouse for my motor shafts. I thought that using the PCB in the mouse to interface with my serial port would be an easy way to do it, without having to create a whole new interface design. I can even use the switches from the mouse buttons as extra inputs for my robot.

But now I am facing another problem. I need some good information on how to retreive the data from the mouse. I want to run my programs in DOS, so I think I would need a DOS-driver for the mouse. I think it would be best to write a custom driver (maybe implemented in my program?). That way I can only write what I really need.
Any suggestions on where to get the information I need?

Thanks,
Gert
 
J

James Ingraham

HowStuffWorks.com has a great description of mice, mechanical and optical, though they describe the PS/2 interface better than the serial interface. But they've got lots of links, too.

-James Ingraham
Sage Automation, Inc.
 
R

Rokicki, Andrew

Not to sound like one of those Linux guys, but
Try Linux.

Benefits are:
1.) You don't need a driver. Serial port is just a file so it could be access directly.
2.) You could hook up your robot to the net (and take over the world).
3.) DOS is old. Linux is current.
4.) Free and wide open to the hardware.

If this sound interesting and you need help let me know.

Andy R.

"oh yeah, sorry for my lack of grammar and sentence structure, i'm lazy. "
 
C

Curt Wuollet

I would believe that there are open source mouse drivers for DOS available. Check the FREEDOS project. As for what to do with the stream (format, etc.) these could be gleaned from the OSS Linux utilities like gpm and the like. I would expect a search on ibiblio would yield results. I had this stuff for DOS and turbo pascal once upon a time, but mice and even I, have moved on. Do a google search on "mickeys" this is the unit of mouse movement (no kidding :^) ) and it should steer you to useful docs.

Regards

cww
 
Andy,

One remark: I only have a small amount of persistent memory available. I was planning to use
a) a floppy driver with one 1.44M disk
or
b) some sort of flash-memory setup

Most important: It needs to be shock-resistent and powerconsumption friendly.
So I think option b looks to be the one. Only problem till now is that I've never worked with flash-mem. I don't even know if the memory size is big or not with this setup.

So I opted for DOS, as it is available and as I know that I can make a bootable disk in DOS that fits on a floppy, with spare space to put my program.

Am I mistaking somewhere?

Greetings,

Gert
 
R

Rokicki, Andrew

You are correct as far as DOS.
BUT.
You can squeeze LINUX on a disk.
Here is one example. http://www.toms.net/rb/
(I tried it and it works very well for the size)

You could use one of those solid state disks like in digital cameras to store your OS+program, or something similar.

On Monday, November 18, 2002 3:04 PM, List Manager [SMTP:[email protected]]
wrote:
> -------- Forwarded Message --------
> From: Gert Love
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: Re: PC: Making encoders using a mouse: custom drivers?
>
> Andy R. wrote:
> >Not to sound like one of those Linux guys, but
> >Try Linux.
> >
> >Benefits are:
> >1.) You don't need a driver. Serial port is just a file so it could be
> access directly.
> >2.) You could hook up your robot to the net (and take over the world).
> >3.) DOS is old. Linux is current.
> >4.) Free and wide open to the hardware.
> >
> >If this sound interesting and you need help let me know. ...<
>
> Andy,
>
> One remark: I only have a small amount of persistent memory available. I
> was planning to use a) a floppy driver with one 1.44M disk
> or b) some sort of flash-memory setup
>
> Most important: It needs to be shock-resistent and powerconsumption
> friendly. So I think option b looks to be the one. Only problem till now
> is that I've never worked with flash-mem. I don't even know if the
> memory size is big or not with this setup.
>
> So I opted for DOS, as it is available and as I know that I can make a
> bootable disk in DOS that fits on a floppy, with spare space to put my
> program.
>
> Am I mistaking somewhere?
>
> Greetings,
>
> Gert
 
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