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EnigmA AMIGA RUN 04 (1996)(G.R. Edizioni)(IT)[!][issue 1996-02][Skylink CD III].iso
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ArcMouse.txt
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1995-07-02
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ArcMouse 1.0
============
Archimedes Mouse Conversion for Amiga
Copyright © 2 July 1995
by Dave Harris
Archive Contents:
-----------------
ArcMouse.txt this file
ArcMouse.ilbm IFF ILBM picture of the connectors
Distribution:
-------------
These plans are copyright © 1995 by Dave Harris.
However, you have permission to distribute these plans and make this project
as long as you don't sell it commercially. Selling this project for the
cost of parts plus the local equivalent of $5.00US or less is acceptable.
If you distribute these plans, all files listed in the contents must be
distributed. Don't leave any out!
In short, I don't want others taking credit for or making money from this
project, and don't want it to be distributed with missing or hacked up
files. Remember that I can waive any of the rules if you talk to me first!
Disclaimer:
-----------
I am not responsible for anything in here, even if I got it wrong.
If you do it wrongly, differently, or even exactly as I say, you
take all responsibility for the consequences.
In particular, as with any hardware modification, don't try this
if you don't know what you're doing.
All I'll say is that it worked for me. Proceed at your own risk!
Introduction:
-------------
A few years ago, there was an article in _Amazing Computing for the
Commodore Amiga_ on using an IBM PC-compatible bus mouse with the
Amiga. This interested me greatly, as I only had the standard Amiga
mouse (which wasn't very good). However, I couldn't find a bus mouse
anywhere.
In Autumn 1992, I managed to find a copy of Acorn's BBC A3000 Welcome
Guide at school (*that*'s an odd thing: Acorn computers in a British
school ;-). This thin booklet has the computer's pinouts in the back.
I was particularly struck that the Acorn machines have a 9-pin
mini-DIN mouse port (the same as a bus mouse port, according to the AC
article); I already knew they had three buttons. Now I just had to
find an Acorn-compatible mouse.
On 16 October 1992, I went to the _Acorn User_ show at the Wembley
Exhibition Centre in London. I found two stands selling Clares Micro
Mouses: Clares, selling them for £19.99, and someone else, selling
them for £19.95. I asked a bloke at the latter whether they were
compatible with bus mouses; he told me that they were.
I compared the Welcome Guide pinouts with the AC article, and I saw
that they were not particularly similar. This is when I decided to
go ahead and attempt to convert the mouse anyway.
Stuff You Need:
---------------
9-pin `D' female connector
multimeter or continuity tester (but see 4 below)
something to strip wires with (such as a pair of wire strippers)
something to cut a cable with
soldering iron and solder
9-pin `D' hood (note that you might need a low-profile hood if
you plan to use the mouse with an Amiga 2000)
screwdriver
Pinouts:
--------
9-pin mini-DIN Function Wire colour 9-pin `D'
male connector (Acorn name) (Amiga name) female connector
(Acorn side) (Amiga side)
7 Y Reference Mouse V ___________ 1
5 X Direction Mouse H ___________ 2
9 Y Direction Mouse VQ ___________ 3
1 X Reference Mouse HQ ___________ 4
3 Switch 2 Mouse Button 2 ___________ 5
(Menu)
2 Switch 1 Mouse Button 1 ___________ 6
(Select)
6 5V supply +5V ___________ 7
4 0V return GND ___________ 8
8 Switch 3 Mouse Button 3 ___________ 9
(Adjust)
How to do it:
-------------
1. See how your mouse opens. Mine has a screw underneath each of the
bottom corners of a silver-coloured label:
.----------------------------.
| CLARES MICRO MOUSE |
| |
| FOR THE ARCHIMEDES ® |
| | `X' represents
| Serial No. 0000431 | a screw
| |
| A Naksha O.E.M. Product |
| |
|X Made in Taiwan R.O.C. X|
`----------------------------'
2. Open your mouse. For mine, this involved peeling back the label,
removing two Philips-head screws, and separating the two halves of
the mouse's case.
3. If your mouse's plug is attached to its circuit board by wires
terminating in a header plug, remove it from the board. Mine
did, so I did.
4. Find out which colour wire is attached to which mini-DIN pin. You
can use a multimeter for this; if you don't have one, you can make
a continuity tester:
__________
.----------------|__________|-----------.
| |
| resistor |
----- cell _
=== / \ lamp
| \_/
| |
| |
negative probe positive probe
You probably ought to note the colours down; I have provided space
on the pinouts chart above for this.
5. Reassemble the mouse.
6. Cut off the 9-pin mini-DIN plug a few centimetres from the mini-DIN
plug end of the lead.
7. Strip the wires from the mouse's cable. I stripped about 7 mm
of insulation; this was more than plenty. If you're using a
hood that doesn't separate around the cable entry, you probably
ought to slip it over the cable now.
8. With the help of the chart above, solder the wires to the
appropriate pins of the `D' socket. I swapped the right mouse
button wire with the middle mouse button wire so I could carry on
using my middle finger for menus.
9. Once the solder has cooled, fit the hood.
10. Test your new mouse!
Conclusion:
-----------
I've been using my converted mouse for nearly three years, and I
haven't had any problems yet (neither hardware nor software). Your
mileage might vary, and please remember that I take no responsibility
for anything that might happen in your life, including (but not limited
to) any possible damage to your computer system.
Enjoy!
Revision History:
-----------------
1.0 (2 July 1995): First public release.
Credits:
--------
Thanks to the author of the AC article (sorry, but I can't remember
the name) for the original idea. Thanks to Darren Ewaniuk (author
of RomSwitch) for the Distribution section.
Contacting the Author:
----------------------
If you feel the urge to contact me (for instance, to send me money
(though I'm not asking for any, I won't refuse it), questions,
comments, bug reports, or even questions), you'll be needing this:
E-mail: Windy-Miller@neonate.org
USnail: 3558S Ashford-Dunwoody Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30319-2062
USA
Dave Harris ``It's my birthday today.
Windy-Miller@neonate.org Ping!''---Claire Bowen