[comp.unix.i386] differences between mice types?

wcurtiss@x102c.harris-atd.com (Curtiss WC 67625) (06/27/89)

Besides the obvious physical differences (i.e., an added card, different
connectors), how do a serial mouse and a bus mouse differ?  I am interested
in the differences from a programmers point.  Specifically, I have a 386
running AT&T UNIX 3.2 and XWIN 1.1, and AT&T only offers a bus mouse driver
for their system.  However, I currently have a serial mouse.  I will be
getting the source for their driver soon, and need to convert it for a Logitec
serial mouse.  Has anyone done this or got any pointers?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
William Curtiss         407/984-6383            |    "The only good martyr
Harris GISD, Melbourne, FL  32902               |         is a dead martyr."
Internet: wcurtiss%x102c@trantor.harris-atd.com | - Standard disclamers apply -

jwright@atanasoff.cs.iastate.edu (Jim Wright) (06/28/89)

In article <2254@trantor.harris-atd.com> wcurtiss@x102c.harris-atd.com (Curtiss WC 67625) writes:
| Besides the obvious physical differences (i.e., an added card, different
| connectors), how do a serial mouse and a bus mouse differ?  I am interested
| in the differences from a programmers point.

Yes, there are differences.  Major differences.  I had a large program
that worked fine with a bus mouse.  I switched to a serial mouse and
*nothing* worked.  Microsoft couldn't help.  The net couldn't help.  I
couldn't find it after two months intensive effort.

There are differences.  I don't know what they are.  If someone does,
*please* speak up.

-- 
Jim Wright
jwright@atanasoff.cs.iastate.edu

jwi@lzfme.att.com (Jim Winer @ AT&T, Middletown, NJ) (06/28/89)

William Curtiss writes:

> Besides the obvious physical differences (i.e., an added card, different
> connectors), how do a serial mouse and a bus mouse differ?  I am interested
> in the differences from a programmers point.  Specifically, I have a 386
> running AT&T UNIX 3.2 and XWIN 1.1, and AT&T only offers a bus mouse driver
> for their system.  However, I currently have a serial mouse.  I will be
> getting the source for their driver soon, and need to convert it for a Logitec
> serial mouse.  Has anyone done this or got any pointers?

The AT&T bus mouse is the Logitec bus mouse. It is furnished with
the standard Logitec driver (an old version) that works for both bus
and serial mouse. Just use your Logitec driver instead, or use the
serial mouse parameters with the AT&T driver (if the version isn't
too old for what you are doing). 

Jim Winer ..!lzfme!jwi 

Those persons who advocate censorship offend my religion.
        Pax Probiscus! 
        Rarely able to reply to email sucessfully.
        The opinions expressed here are not necessarily  

kevin@msa3b.UUCP (Kevin P. Kleinfelter) (07/01/89)

In article <1147@atanasoff.cs.iastate.edu>, jwright@atanasoff.cs.iastate.edu (Jim Wright) writes:
> In article <2254@trantor.harris-atd.com> wcurtiss@x102c.harris-atd.com (Curtiss WC 67625) writes:
> | Besides the obvious physical differences (i.e., an added card, different
> | connectors), how do a serial mouse and a bus mouse differ?  I am interested
> | in the differences from a programmers point.
> 
> *please* speak up.

One difference is in the serial port hardware.  I have found that not all 
"compatibles" have identical serial port hardware at the assembler IN/OUT
level.  I had a serial mouse that worked fine on an XT at work, but failed
on a PS/2 (both of these machines were "true Blue".) I have found the bus
mouse to be more portable than the serial mouse because the PC bus MUST be
followed exactly in designing a clone or no cards will work.  There is lots
of room for "most-of-the-capability" on a serial port.


-- 
Kevin Kleinfelter @ Management Science America, Inc (404) 239-2347
gatech!nanovx!msa3b!kevin