Translated from the site retrohax.net
The project began six years ago with the idea of creating the most convenient modern USB mouse adapter, suitable for as many retro computers as possible. Most of the project was done by my friend Willie, and I helped him a little. The goals of the project were simple:
- Small, simple, inexpensive design.
- Reliability.
- Supports quadratic encoder mice.
- Ease of use and maintenance.
- Convenience of customization.
- Fast firmware update.
The first prototype of the device came out pretty quickly, and Willie ordered the first production batch. Unfortunately, he met almost all criteria, except for one: reliability. The circuit was based on the FTDI Vinculum2 chip. Its scheme is not bad, but the set of development tools is terribly incomplete (at least it was at that time). There were constant memory leaks, it was almost impossible to debug the code - mainly due to the lack of documentation for the processor. Not to mention, saving a configuration would sometimes destroy that configuration.
It was too much. We abandoned the project. If you are a determined person, you can try to finish it off yourself. The entire work can be downloaded from the link... You can study it, or even use it if you have a passion for wading through unfinished, incorrect, and undocumented code.
New Hope
All this time, the project was periodically taken out of the long box, but to no avail. Some of the original goals were unattainable.
However, during Silly Venture 2019 [meeting of European old computer lovers / approx. transl.] we had a breakthrough. There was a strong demand for a functioning adapter for the Atari ST computer. This is how the mouSTer project was born, the godfather of which was Peter "Kroll" Mietnovsky, the best hardware tester for Atari.
After that, the project gained strength and began to take shape. First prototypes:
Now the size of the device is reduced to a minimum - this is a DB9 connector and a USB-A connector.
What he can do:
- Works with any mouse and any game controller.
- Supports PS4 controller.
- Setup via USB flash drive with INI file, default settings.
- Transferring settings via USB stick.
- Firmware update via USB stick (takes 3 seconds, two of which are needed for the bootloader to recognize the flash drive).
- Tested with flash drives from 32 MB to 23 GB.
- Default mouse emulation modes: Amiga, Atari ST, joystick / gamepad.
The current state of the project
After several months of testing in the laboratory, we have increased the reliability to the maximum. Changing settings and updating the firmware works seamlessly.
Images:
What else is left to do:
- A test batch of the right size - we were interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, due to which the factory closed.
- Tweak the settings file.
- Make a polyurethane body.
- Add customization for Commodore 64/128, Spectrum, and all other retro cars possible.
- Add full PS4 controller support for all platforms.
- Add a special mode for the 8-bit Atari, which will implement all the functions of the PS4 controller, mouse and other HID-class devices.
- And check it all out.
I would like to point out that the mouSTer project started out as an add-on for Atari, but is now aiming to become a multi-platform adapter.