Tech: I need a serial Track ball.

Subject: Tech: I need a serial Track ball.
From: DonMeixner
Date: 16 Apr 03 - 02:25 PM

I need a serial port Track ball, Like a kennsington. My clients speach communicator, DynaVox requires serial input and old style Kennsington's are the only serial port devices I can find. Anyone have a spare?

Don

Subject: RE: Tech: I need a serial Track ball.
From: katlaughing
Date: 16 Apr 03 - 03:54 PM

In a search on google, I found one Kensington listed on this page at half.ebay.com

and, another search brought up this cheapie not a Kensington.

Hope that helps some.

kat

Subject: RE: Tech: I need a serial Track ball.
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 16 Apr 03 - 07:55 PM

No shortage of serial trackballs in my local shops, although most of them have the "IBM" (round) connector that's commonly used for the mouse port on PCs rather than the short in-line "serial port" connector. A conversion plug should be under $2 US if that's the problem. Most conventional mouses came with the convertsion plug a few years back, before the PC mfrs all switched over; but I can't say whether any of the recent ones still have it in the package.

The only other "common" connection is to USB, but you have to look for, and pay extra for, a mouse or trackball with the USB hookup. There are "converters" to allow you to connect serial devices to USB ports, and they sometimes work okay. I haven't noticed adverts for USB device to serial port converters, but they may exist - "Universal Serial Bus" is just a sort of "fancy" plain-old-vanilla serial connection. A query to the knowledgeable person at your local supplier (the one who's never there when you go in) might get you some help.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: I need a serial Track ball.
From: DonMeixner
Date: 16 Apr 03 - 09:55 PM

Thanks John,

The track ball isn't the problem. The DynaVox communications device is. It only allows for serial in put and there is something flukey with the DynaVox software that won't allow for converters from US or Parallel devices.

It has to be a serial trapazoidal hook up. Thanks anyway.

Don

Subject: RE: Tech: I need a serial Track ball.
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 16 Apr 03 - 10:59 PM

Don -

Most of the serial mouse equipment you'll find now comes with the round IBM (sometimes called the PS2) connector, but the pins - number & function, are identical to the ones used in the trapezoidal serial connector. The mouse hasn't changed - only the connector.

You should be able to find the adapter that takes the round connector from the trackball/mouse on one end and has the trapezoidal to connect to your DynaVox on the other. It doesn't do any "converting," it just hard-wires the pins to the right shape to make the connection. It's just like putting a very short extension cord between the light bulb and the wall socket.

A minimally competent technician should be able cut the round connector off the mouse/trackball and put a trapezoidal on in its place.

These adapters were very common when IBM came out with the PS2 series of "PCs" back in ancient times. They may, admittedly, be a little hard to find now, since almost all the PC manufacturers have used the PS2 connector for the last several years on mouse/trackball/joystick stuff. It's still a plain old serial port - just a different shape.

John