www.jaycrowe.com

Page updated! http://spacemice.org/index.php?title=Orbotron_9000

I hear you on the confusion of electronics... not the easiest and least frustrating hobby I could have tried out!

But it is one of the few hobbies out there that allow you to laugh like a mad scientist when something works right. :)

http://www.securedgenetworks.com/Portals/80068/images/blogpic1 ...

I dont think he plans to make any more orbshields.
But he might still have some of its younger brother, the Obritron 9000 left.

http://spacemice.org/index.php?title=Orbotron_9000

EDIT: updated weblink

Finally got my hands on a Spaceball 1003!

Will have to build a custom cable to test it out though. It will also need an external power supply (wall wart).
It's serial port is the wrong gender compared to all other serial spacemice and IIRC it uses a non-standard pinout, so a simple gender swapper ...

I did the mod on the Wacom 12x12 serial I had using the Teensy board and it works extremely well now attached via usb and reports to windows as a usb intuos 2. The mod was simple (like 4 wires to solder, and removal of a chip off the original wacom board. Cost like $16 for the teensy! Anyways wish ...

Where's the code that does chording? Looks like only 10 buttons are supported for the SpaceBall5000 when there could be 36 combos. And the 10 buttons are offset by 1 mod 10.

While chords may be possible with the 5000, I dont know if it is exactly practical. :)

Are you able to get all 10 buttons ...

Could you point me at the drivers and any utility to test it?

The official linux drivers from 3DConnexion still support the 5000.
(be sure to click the 'show archived software' checkbox)

Running that with --debug options will dump raw I/O packets in hex to the screen.
There should also be a ...

*growl* People who cannot package electronics properly really raise my hackles. :evil:
Of all the spacemice I have bought on ebay (over 30) I have only had one end up DOA, and in the same way.
All buttons work, ball mech is dead. Whether damaged in shipping or broken before I will never know.

I ...

Followup.....

Is this a "real" 5000, or a rebranded 4000? http://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-Compaq-Spaceball-5000-FLX-A-112137-002-331526-001-1583-/121124510880?pt=Mice&hash=item1c33955ca0

Be better if I could see the bottom label, but my bets are on this being a rebranded 4000.

Turns out, my guess ...

EDIT: I'll be using this for Star Citizen. Am I the only one crazy excited about that game? lol

Whoa! I started out on WingCommander... why havent I heard of this? That looks sweet!

PS: Since you went with the 4000, I snagged that 5000FLX-A.
Now I can find exactly what the difference is between ...

Based on my experience manipulating objects in Blender with the both types...... unnoticeable.

Do any of you have a Spaceball 5000 (Magellan) that you'd be willing to part with? (I'm having trouble finding one on Ebay for a decent price).

Any reason you want a 5000 specifically?
Serial 5000s are comparatively rare compared to the USB version, and vastly outnumbered by 4000s.
Apart from the ...

Is this a "real" 5000, or a rebranded 4000? http://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-Compaq-Spaceball-5000-FLX-A-112137-002-331526-001-1583-/121124510880?pt=Mice&hash=item1c33955ca0

Be better if I could see the bottom label, but my bets are on this being a rebranded 4000.
The key being the 'FLX-A' in the name ...

Comparing the Spaceball 4000 output to the 2003/3003 output using the orbserial sketch.
Looks like the 4000 uses an 8-byte packet for buttons, while the older mice use only a 4-byte packet.

4000 2003 3003
Button 1 -- 4B 40 41 0D 2E 40 41 0D 4B 40 41 0D 4B 40 60 0D
Button 2 -- 4B 40 42 0D 2E 40 42 ...

Awesome! Used the orbserial sketch and found... strange results.

When I tested my Spaceball 5000 using the basicJoystick, I saw issues with with buttons A,B,C mapping the same as Buttons 1,2,3
Even though the serial data has a completely different byte of the button packet changing...
(sorry ...