Difference between revisions of "Serial RS232 Mouse"

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Mice do return raw mickeys, so effects like double speed threshold must (should) be implemented by software.
 
Mice do return raw mickeys, so effects like double speed threshold must (should) be implemented by software.
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[[Category:Serial interfaces]]

Revision as of 02:15, 1 September 2014

Serial RS232 mice could be connected to RS232 interfaces, such like the Amstrad Serial Interface, or to other (in-)compatible Serial interfaces (see Peripherals for a complete list of known Serial interfaces).

  • With their hardware based motion-counters, these mice would give much better resolution (5120 mickeys/second) (forty 3-byte packets/second) than the AMX Mouse (300 mickeys/second). Another approach to use a RS232 mouse would be a mouse interface like the AMX Kit, though that'd cripple the resolution to the AMX level.

Known CPC Software that supports RS232 Mice

  • The Aleste 520EX uses its built-in RS232 port to access a serial mouse. [not sure if that's supported at BIOS level, or if it requires special software, like the MSXDOS disk or so?]

Standard Serial Mouse (most common)

A serial mouse should be read at 1200 bauds, 7 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit (7N1) with DTR and RTS on. For best compatibility, the mouse should output 2 stop bits (so it could be alternately also read as 7N2 or 8N1). When the mouse gets moved, or when a button gets pressed/released, the mouse sends 3 or 4 characters:

 __First Character____________________
 6    First Character Flag (1)
 5    Left Button  (1=Pressed)
 4    Right Button (1=Pressed)
 2-3  Upper 2bit of Vertical Motion
 0-1  Upper 2bit of Horizontal Motion
 __Second Character___________________
 6    Non-first Character Flag (0)
 5-0  Lower 6bit of Horizontal Motion
 __Third Character____________________
 6    Non-first Character Flag (0)
 5-0  Lower 6bit of Vertical Motion
 __Fourth Character (if any)__________
 6    Non-first Character Flag (0)
 5    Middle Button (1=Pressed)
 4    Unused ???
 3-0  Wheel  ???

Additionally, the mouse outputs a detection character (when switching RTS (or DTR?) off and on:

 "M" = Two-Button Mouse (aka "Microsoft" mouse)
 "3" = Three-Button Mouse (aka "Logitech" mouse)
 "Z" = Mouse-Wheel

Normally, the detection response consist of a single character (usually "M"), though some mice have the "M" followed by 11 additional characters of garbage or version information (these extra characters have bit6=0, so after detection, one should ignore all characters until receiving the first data character with bit6=1).

Mouse Systems Serial Mouse (quite rare)

Accessed at 1200 bauds, just like standard serial mouse, but with 8N1 instead 7N1, and with different data bytes.

 __First Byte_________________________
 7-3  First Byte Code (10000b)
 2    Left? Button   (0=Pressed)
 1    Middle? Button (0=Pressed)
 0    Right? Button  (0=Pressed)
 __Second Byte________________________
 7-0  Horizontal Motion (X1)
 __Third Byte_________________________
 7-0  Vertical Motion   (Y1)
 __Fourth Byte________________________
 7-0  Horizontal Motion (X2)
 __Fifth Byte_________________________
 7-0  Vertical Motion   (Y2)

The strange duplicated 8bit motion values are usually simply added together, ie. X=X1+X2 and Y=Y1+Y2, producing 9bit motion values.

Notes

Mice do return raw mickeys, so effects like double speed threshold must (should) be implemented by software.