SNES Mouse

[kripp]

Just wondering if it is possible to convert the SNES mouse to either a USB or serial connector? If so, anyone have the pinout? Thanks.

[atom]

Yes, it is possible to lop off the snes connector and put on a parallel port connector. No, there is no software for it so unless you are a programmer you might as well not. I was going to actually write some drivers but I lost my mouse.

[phreak97]

you could replace the internals of a snes mouse with the internals of a regular ball mouse.. that'd work.. but i dont like the idea of gutting a snes mouse at all

[NFG]

Why the hell would anyone want to use a SNES mouse?  They're awful.  If you're dead set on re-using the shell, buy a $10 optical mouse and spend ten minutes wiring it up.  

[kripp]

So the shell is the only way to go with this one. Not was I was looking to do at all. Sure, the SNES mouse sucks bad. I do things more for the sake of having done them as opposed to actually using them for any purpose. None the less, looks like I can still pump out some tunes on Mario Paint. Thanks for the replies.

[Guest]

How about doing the opposite?
That would be much more interesting, and rewarding.
I doubt a PS/2 mouse and a SNES mouse work the same way, though. :\

[Don]

As a matter of fact, I've been wanting to use my computer mouse as an SNES mouse. I miss Mario Paint... and my SNES mouse's tact switches have had it. I already de-soldered them from the board, and I was hoping to find some replacements, but I don't know the specs. (Size) Then, I decided that it would be a cool project to create something that I can plug into my SNES, plug in my PS/2 mouse and be back to paintin' pretty pictures.  :lol:  It'd be nice if I could get a trackball hooked up too, I hate  moving my arm around so much.  

Don

[Aidan]

The PS/2 protocol is fairly well documented. There is some documentation on the protocol the SNES mouse uses, which is good. Even better is the fact that the SNES mouse doesn't just send quadrature information, but actually sends status updates.

So, in theory at least, you'd just need to have something to take the position reports from the PS/2 mouse, and convert them to the format that the SNES mouse used. As far as I can see, the SNES mouse just sends 32bits of data, which contain the Y count, the X count and the button status.  That's a total of 18bits, broken up as two signed bytes for X and Y, and two bits for the mouse buttons. Yes, there's other static data, but that's not a problem.

So, yes it's possible, but you'd have to program a microcontroller up for it.