New run of orbshields

[A Future Pilot]

I was under the impression that the 5000 was slightly better?



If not, I'll just go with a 4000FLX :)

[kenyee]

Reaction time on the 5000 is slightly better since the pressure encodings are digital instead of needing to read an analog value. That's the main difference...

[A Future Pilot]

How does that translate in real-world gaming difference?

[Tehrasha]

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

[A Future Pilot]

OK, cool! I've ordered a Spaceorb 4000 FLX. When will the orbotrons be back in stock?

[vputz]

The workshop was yesterday; we built five, but one was bought and one didn't work, so we only have three in stock (which should last a little). I have a few more boards so will try to build those this week, and the new prototype boards look like they'll be a little easier to build (the new USB connector is much nicer to align in assembly and the boards are a tiny bit smaller, but they work exactly the same). If the new boards work that may be the final design and I'll get a metal stencil made which would be nicer than the plastic.

[kenyee]

[quote="vputz"]new USB connector is much nicer to align in assembly[/quote]

Out of curiosity, which one did you end up with? Wondering if you found a less hellish to solder one? :)

[A Future Pilot]

Order placed! :)



And just to make sure...do I need any special cable or something to change the programming to spaceball instead of spaceorb?



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

[Tehrasha]

[quote="A Future Pilot"]EDIT: I'll be using this for Star Citizen. Am I the only one crazy excited about that game? lol[/quote]

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 them all.



PING: VPutz, Ive put my initial findings with the Orbotron and various spacemice over in the hardware section.

(didnt want to clog up this thread)

[vputz]

Thanks! I've tested and packed it, so will ship it tomorrow (airmail from UK, so expect a week or so). Also, you will need a USB micro cable to reprogram it (and plug it in to use)--like what you charge any modern cell phone with.



Kenyee: It was a Molex one (http://uk.farnell.com/jsp/search/productdetail.jsp?SKU=1568023). It will still be a bit hellish to solder, BUT the little legs fit into holes in the PCB, so alignment is no longer a problem (once I made the right footprint), which is half the problem. Even if I have bridging I've been able to fix it with solder braid, but if the connector is just plain off placement, it requires rework, so I'm hoping this does it.



Tehrasha: thanks! Will give me plenty to think about.



Star Citizen, eh? Guess I'd better finish that Thrustmaster WCS/FCS/Pedals conversion (prototypes came in a week or so ago... :) ). But that would just mean actually getting round to the FLCS/TQS...

[kenyee]

[quote="vputz"]Molex one (http://uk.farnell.com/jsp/search/productdetail.jsp?SKU=1568023). It will still be a bit hellish to solder, BUT the little legs fit into holes in the PCB, so alignment is no longer a problem[/quote]

Wow...still looks hellish to solder :-P

Didn't realize you had alignment problems w/ the old connector. That'd make the soldering even more hellish :(

[vputz]

To be honest, the alignment was most of the problem. Since it was hard to see the leads or pads, it was really easy to drop the connector in slightly the wrong place and just make a plain bad connection that wouldn't be right even if the solder didn't bridge.



I'm also wondering if my pad cutouts on my stencils are a little too big and I'm just putting down too much paste. Most of the bridges on the QFP44, when they happen, aren't at the level of the PCB--they're up a little higher. Which makes it sound like the problem isn't so much solder resist on the PCB as much as it is just too much solder overall. I'll try and play with the process a bit (I ran an SMD stencil/reflow workshop at the local hackspace, and one guy turned up with a metal stencil--his results with that looked very clean, much cleaner than I was getting with the PET stencils. But a metal stencil is expensive to have made... I've seen tutorials on making them from soft drink cans, so maybe I should try that at some point.

[kenyee]

[quote="vputz"]
I'm also wondering if my pad cutouts on my stencils are a little too big and I'm just putting down too much paste. Most of the bridges on the QFP44, when they happen, aren't at the level of the PCB--they're up a little higher. [/quote]

I agree...sounds like too much paste which might mean your stencil is too thick. The $25 stencils from smart-prototyping don't sound bad at all, but I haven't tried them: http://dangerousprototypes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5105&p=49371&hilit=stencil#p49371

[vputz]

Well, the stencil is 0.1mm, which seems thin, but I think I'll order the next batch at 0.075mm and see if it helps (I'm using smtstencil.co.uk, who are right here in London and can send me a whole sheet of stencils for a little over $20 in two days). Unfortunately the plastic stencils tend to flex a bit no matter how I try to brace them. I hope to test the new boards this weekend if I can make it back to the hackspace and retrieve my hot plate... (they actually have a reflow oven there, which begs the question of why not do it there, but for prototyping I like having all the stuff in my apartment; you get used to having a certain set of tools)

[Tehrasha]

[b]Followup.....[/b]


[quote="Tehrasha"][quote="A Future Pilot"]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[/quote]

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

Turns out, my guess was correct, it -is- a rebranded 4000.

Even though it plainly states SPACEBALL5000 on the bottom of the mouse in big letters, the firmware says otherwise when initialized...


[code]
"1 Spaceball 4000 FLX.
"2 B:13 L PnP:1 Az:1 Sns:S 2710 14.
"3 V2.45 created on May 06 2003.
"4 Copyright(C) 2003 Spacetec IMC Corporation.HVFirmware version 2.45 created on 06-May-2003..
[/code]

All of the data generated from button presses matched the 4000 as well.

So, if any of you guys have or end up with a 5000FLX-A, you will need to run it as a SpaceBall4000 on the Orbotron.