Since I have to do a largish schematic and won't be in the office the whole time I wanted to connect my trusty old trackball to a laptop. This old mouse still boasts a, gasp, 9-pin serial connector. But you know how it is, when you get used to a tool no matter how ancient you don't want to miss it. Just as I still miss that wonderful Fahrvergnuegen of my first car... Tried it on two laptops, a Dell and a new Twinhead that surprisingly also came with a RS232 serial port. Neither recognized that anything "new" was connected nor could I find any setup in Windows (one is XP, the other NT/2000). I am sure I can dig out the old mouse drivers but they are from the days when Windows were still those glass thingies that you use Windex on. How do you get an old serial port mouse working on a "modern" laptop? -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com
Old trackball won't work on modern laptops
Started by ●January 19, 2007
Reply by ●January 19, 20072007-01-19
On Fri, 19 Jan 2007 21:38:35 GMT, Joerg <notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> wrote:>Since I have to do a largish schematic and won't be in the office the >whole time I wanted to connect my trusty old trackball to a laptop. This >old mouse still boasts a, gasp, 9-pin serial connector. But you know how >it is, when you get used to a tool no matter how ancient you don't want >to miss it. Just as I still miss that wonderful Fahrvergnuegen of my >first car... > >Tried it on two laptops, a Dell and a new Twinhead that surprisingly >also came with a RS232 serial port. Neither recognized that anything >"new" was connected nor could I find any setup in Windows (one is XP, >the other NT/2000). I am sure I can dig out the old mouse drivers but >they are from the days when Windows were still those glass thingies that >you use Windex on. > >How do you get an old serial port mouse working on a "modern" laptop?Is it Logitech? Try their site. It ought to work as an ordinary serial mouse PROVIDED you INSTALL it. ...Jim Thompson -- | James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens | | Analog Innovations, Inc. | et | | Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus | | Phoenix, Arizona Voice:(480)460-2350 | | | E-mail Address at Website Fax:(480)460-2142 | Brass Rat | | http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 | I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.
Reply by ●January 19, 20072007-01-19
Jim Thompson wrote:> On Fri, 19 Jan 2007 21:38:35 GMT, Joerg > <notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> wrote: > > >>Since I have to do a largish schematic and won't be in the office the >>whole time I wanted to connect my trusty old trackball to a laptop. This >>old mouse still boasts a, gasp, 9-pin serial connector. But you know how >>it is, when you get used to a tool no matter how ancient you don't want >>to miss it. Just as I still miss that wonderful Fahrvergnuegen of my >>first car... >> >>Tried it on two laptops, a Dell and a new Twinhead that surprisingly >>also came with a RS232 serial port. Neither recognized that anything >>"new" was connected nor could I find any setup in Windows (one is XP, >>the other NT/2000). I am sure I can dig out the old mouse drivers but >>they are from the days when Windows were still those glass thingies that >>you use Windex on. >> >>How do you get an old serial port mouse working on a "modern" laptop? > > > Is it Logitech?It is.> Try their site.Tried that. That model is long gone from there. I bet if I'd call they'd suggest to try the Smithsonian museum ...> ... It ought to work as an ordinary serial mouse PROVIDED you INSTALL it. >Well, on the risk of totally embarrassing myself here, how do I do that in them thar newfangled Windozes? -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com
Reply by ●January 19, 20072007-01-19
In sci.electronics.cad Joerg <notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> wrote: : How do you get an old serial port mouse working on a "modern" laptop? Start by installing Linux on the laptop..... Stuart
Reply by ●January 19, 20072007-01-19
Stuart Brorson wrote:> In sci.electronics.cad Joerg <notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> wrote: > : How do you get an old serial port mouse working on a "modern" laptop? > > Start by installing Linux on the laptop..... >Then my mouse would work. However, a slight inconvenience would be that the CAD program the mouse is supposed to be used with would quit working ... -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com
Reply by ●January 19, 20072007-01-19
Joerg wrote:> Stuart Brorson wrote: > >> In sci.electronics.cad Joerg <notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> >> wrote: >> : How do you get an old serial port mouse working on a "modern" laptop? >> >> Start by installing Linux on the laptop..... >> > > Then my mouse would work. However, a slight inconvenience would be that > the CAD program the mouse is supposed to be used with would quit working > ... >Wine? Whine? -- Tim Wescott Wescott Design Services http://www.wescottdesign.com Posting from Google? See http://cfaj.freeshell.org/google/ "Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" came out in April. See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html
Reply by ●January 19, 20072007-01-19
On Fri, 19 Jan 2007 22:14:50 -0000, Stuart Brorson <sdb@cloud9.net> wrote:>In sci.electronics.cad Joerg <notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> wrote: >: How do you get an old serial port mouse working on a "modern" laptop? > >Start by installing Linux on the laptop..... > >StuartWhy yes! Such a useful suggestion ;-) ...Jim Thompson -- | James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens | | Analog Innovations, Inc. | et | | Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus | | Phoenix, Arizona Voice:(480)460-2350 | | | E-mail Address at Website Fax:(480)460-2142 | Brass Rat | | http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 | I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.
Reply by ●January 19, 20072007-01-19
On Fri, 19 Jan 2007 22:11:36 GMT, Joerg <notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> wrote:>Jim Thompson wrote: > >> On Fri, 19 Jan 2007 21:38:35 GMT, Joerg >> <notthisjoergsch@removethispacbell.net> wrote: >> >> >>>Since I have to do a largish schematic and won't be in the office the >>>whole time I wanted to connect my trusty old trackball to a laptop. This >>>old mouse still boasts a, gasp, 9-pin serial connector. But you know how >>>it is, when you get used to a tool no matter how ancient you don't want >>>to miss it. Just as I still miss that wonderful Fahrvergnuegen of my >>>first car... >>> >>>Tried it on two laptops, a Dell and a new Twinhead that surprisingly >>>also came with a RS232 serial port. Neither recognized that anything >>>"new" was connected nor could I find any setup in Windows (one is XP, >>>the other NT/2000). I am sure I can dig out the old mouse drivers but >>>they are from the days when Windows were still those glass thingies that >>>you use Windex on. >>> >>>How do you get an old serial port mouse working on a "modern" laptop? >> >> >> Is it Logitech? > > >It is. > > >> Try their site. > > >Tried that. That model is long gone from there. I bet if I'd call they'd >suggest to try the Smithsonian museum ... > > >> ... It ought to work as an ordinary serial mouse PROVIDED you INSTALL it. >> > >Well, on the risk of totally embarrassing myself here, how do I do that >in them thar newfangled Windozes?Sheeesh! You probably have XP ?? You know what that means don't you... you're fucked ;-) I'd certainly at least try installing from the install disk... worst that can happen is it'll balk. Don't you write software? Write your own driver ;-) Or stop being cheap-ass and buy that MLTMW ... looks nice. I used a trackball at Honeywell for a few years... contractors got desk space about equivalent to a student desk :-( Now-a-days I travel with an IOGear mini-mouse with included memory stick... I don't even tote my own laptop ;-) ...Jim Thompson -- | James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens | | Analog Innovations, Inc. | et | | Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus | | Phoenix, Arizona Voice:(480)460-2350 | | | E-mail Address at Website Fax:(480)460-2142 | Brass Rat | | http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 | I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.
Reply by ●January 19, 20072007-01-19
Joerg wrote:>Jim Thompson wrote: >>Joerg wrote: >>... I wanted to connect my trusty old trackball to a laptop. This >>>How do you get an old serial port mouse working on a "modern" laptop? >>... >>... It ought to work as an ordinary serial mouse PROVIDED you INSTALL it. >> >Well, on the risk of totally embarrassing myself here, how do I do that >in them thar newfangled Windozes?(a) Find the original floppy disks (Remember floppy disks?) or (b) Settings -> Control Panel -> Add Hardware -> See if the model is between the pre-defined devices. or (c) Try a USB to serial converter, then go back to (a) & (b) Roberto Waltman [ Please reply to the group, return address is invalid ]
Reply by ●January 19, 20072007-01-19
Joerg wrote:> Jim Thompson wrote: >[...]> >>How do you get an old serial port mouse working on a "modern" laptop? > > > > > > Is it Logitech? > > > It is. > > > > Try their site. > > > Tried that. That model is long gone from there. I bet if I'd call they'd > suggest to try the Smithsonian museum ...You might lose that bet. New trackballs are generally just old trackballs with geehaws added. Usually the new trackball faithfully emulates the old one until the driver enables the new stuff.>From the main page choose "Downloads", then "Trackballs", then "OtherProducts", then "Trackballs not listed". Choose your operating system and download. I believe this gets you their "generic" driver that works with just about anything (anything Logitech, anyway). Standard 5-byte, 1200 baud protocol with 3 buttons. No new geehaws.> > > > ... It ought to work as an ordinary serial mouse PROVIDED you INSTALL it. > > > > Well, on the risk of totally embarrassing myself here, how do I do that > in them thar newfangled Windozes?The download should include instructions. HTH, -=Dave
