[comp.sys.amiga] Mouse/Joystick Switch

olson@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu (Todd Olson) (12/06/89)

In article <5388@nigel.udel.EDU> poirier%dg-rtp.dg.com@cunyvm.cuny.edu writes:
>ports, to minimize wear and tear from joystick switching.  I.e., one
>DB-9 plug going to two DB-9 sockets.  Radio Shack *used* to carry them,
>but evidently, no more.  Can anyone suggest a source?
>
>        Thanks,
>        Charles Poirier
     Why not check ou the December issue of Computes resource, it has a switch
box project.  Which would be more appropriate to your uses,  I think the total
cost of the project works out to be about $15 and provides a switch
that changes the xy inputs from the mouse to the joystick, to prevent the
problems that arise from the Y cable.

drues@atanasoff.cs.iastate.edu (Michael E. Drues) (12/07/89)

olson@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu (Todd Olson) writes:

>In article <5388@nigel.udel.EDU> poirier%dg-rtp.dg.com@cunyvm.cuny.edu writes:
>>ports, to minimize wear and tear from joystick switching.  I.e., one
>>DB-9 plug going to two DB-9 sockets.  Radio Shack *used* to carry them,
>>but evidently, no more.  Can anyone suggest a source?
>     Why not check ou the December issue of Computes resource, it has a switch
>box project.  Which would be more appropriate to your uses,  I think the total
>cost of the project works out to be about $15 and provides a switch
>that changes the xy inputs from the mouse to the joystick, to prevent the
>problems that arise from the Y cable.

For about $10 more, why not buy a Mouse Master switchbox (available
nearly everywhere)?

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mapjilg@gdr.bath.ac.uk (J I L Gold) (12/07/89)

In article <5628@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu> olson@uhccux.UUCP (Todd Olson) writes:
>     Why not check ou the December issue of Computes resource, it has a switch
>box project.  Which would be more appropriate to your uses,  I think the total
>cost of the project works out to be about $15 and provides a switch
>that changes the xy inputs from the mouse to the joystick, to prevent the
>problems that arise from the Y cable.

I have just such a device available commercially (I live in the UK but
the product is American.) It's called a MouseMaster, and is aimed for
the ST but is fully Amiga compatible. I'll try to find some details on
it when I get home this evening.

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# may think you're paranoid. Naaah...paranoia is thinking that if something    #
# CAN'T go wrong it will still go wrong.                                       #
#	(Attributed to J.Gold in one of his optimistic moods)                  #
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#  J.Gold                            |    mapjilg@uk.ac.bath.gdr               #
#  University of Bath                |    jilg@uk.ac.bath.maths                #
#  UK                                |                                         #
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hougland@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu (12/08/89)

I have just finished constructing the mouse switch box
referenced in the last Compute Resource mag.  I was very
simple to build, but had a hard time finding the 4-pole
double throw switch required.

hougland

mueller@alphard.cs.utk.edu (Carl Mueller) (12/09/89)

In article <7400008@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu> hougland@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu writes:
>I have just finished constructing the mouse switch box
>referenced in the last Compute Resource mag.  I was very
>simple to build, but had a hard time finding the 4-pole
>double throw switch required.

As an alternative to the 4-pole switch, you could use:

   A)  A single pole switch controlling a 4-pole/double throw relay
       (Radio Shack has such a relay)
   B)  A single pole switch with a digital quad 2x1 multiplexer chip
       (this solution seems to be more 'elegant')

-Carl Mueller (mueller@alphard.cs.utk.edu)