The Sinclair QL Forum

Derek_Stewart wrote:Maybe a QL specific mouse could be made, with existng body and customised internal circuit board.
Woukd this be of interest?

It's a good idea; anyway I think it depends on costs, since several second-hand compatible mice can still be found at low/moderate prices.
In any case, I'm sure it will cost less than 30£

Cristian wrote:

Derek_Stewart wrote:Maybe a QL specific mouse could be made, with existng body and customised internal circuit board.
Woukd this be of interest?

It's a good idea; anyway I think it depends on costs, since several second-hand compatible mice can still be found at low/moderate prices.
In any case, I'm sure it will cost less than 30£

I'll have to check my serial mouse on QL, be surprised if it doesn't work, the only problem might be is that I have QIMI equivalent on my QL's.

I've just ordered some CH559 chips, less than £1 each. Should work out far cheaper to make USB interface than custom QL mouse.

For the ICE package, there is a nice hardware project from QLObi. He designed an adaptor for USB+PS/2 combo mice. I'm pretty sure he'd provide the infos needed for reproduction if kindly asked. But that's not a PE solution.

I would a custom/specific QL mouse, if it could be made to look retro, in black, with red buttons, to look like it was made for the QL.
I've been meaning to spray paint my genius mouse black, with red buttons.

Peter wrote:For the ICE package, there is a nice hardware project from QLObi. He designed an adaptor for USB+PS/2 combo mice. I'm pretty sure he'd provide the infos needed for reproduction if kindly asked. But that's not a PE solution.

I have downloaded all QLObi Eagle design files and asked his permission for reproduction of the ICE-PS2, but I have not done much more than that.

I could produce some new PCBs, but there are some software issues.

The main problem is the Mouse driver, which will only work with ICE, which will not work with the Extended Environment, as ICE pre-dates QPAC1.

I did use ICE on a Trumpcard with a Miracle Hard Drive, but I find the ICE/GEM Front End very cumbersome to use. It really needs a PTR_GEN file to look at the ICE mouse on the ROM port.

Maybe another job, to learn about PTR_GEN programming.

mselkin wrote:I would a custom/specific QL mouse, if it could be made to look retro, in black, with red buttons, to look like it was made for the QL.
I've been meaning to spray paint my genius mouse black, with red buttons.

I suppose anything is possible.

My idea was to take a cheap USB mouse and change the internal circuit board to suit the QL SERial port, so that there are no problems with the type of mouse and mouse driver.

I did use ICE on a Trumpcard with a Miracle Hard Drive, but I find the ICE/GEM Front End very cumbersome to use. It really needs a PTR_GEN file to look at the ICE mouse on the ROM port.

The section of ptr_gen that deals with reading mouse info is pretty simple and self documenting.