Types of computer mice and how to choose the best one? Types and design of computer mice

Good afternoon, friends!

Today we will talk about one very convenient device, to which we are so accustomed and without which we can no longer imagine working on a computer.

What is a "mouse"?

A “mouse” is a push-button manipulator designed together with a keyboard for entering information into a computer.

Indeed, he looks like a mouse with a tail. A modern computer is already unthinkable without this thing.

The “mouse” is much more convenient to use than, for example, the built-in manipulator of a laptop.

Therefore, users often disconnect this laptop “pad” and connect the “mouse”.

How does this convenient thing work?

The first designs of manipulators

The first manipulators included a ball that touched two disc rollers.

The outer rim of each disc had perforation. The shafts were located perpendicular to each other.

One shaft was responsible for the X coordinate (horizontal movement), the other for the Y coordinate (vertical movement).

When the manipulator moved along the table, the ball rotated, transmitting torque to the shafts.

If the manipulator was moved in the “right-left” direction, then the shaft responsible for the X coordinate rotated predominantly. The cursor on the monitor screen also moved right-left. If the mouse moved in the “toward or away” direction, the shaft responsible for the Y coordinate rotated primarily. The cursor on the monitor screen moved up and down.

If the manipulator moved in an arbitrary direction, both shafts rotated, and the cursor moved accordingly.

Optical sensors in old mice

When the manipulator moves, shafts with disks rigidly attached to them rotate. The perforated edge of the disk periodically crosses the radiation flow from the emitter to the receiver. As a result, the output of the receiver produces a series of pulses, which goes to the controller chip. The faster the mouse moves, the faster the shafts will rotate. The pulse frequency will be higher, and the cursor will move faster across the monitor screen.

Buttons and scroll wheel

Any manipulator has at least two buttons.

Double “clicking” (pressing) on ​​one of them (usually the left one) starts execution of a program or file, clicking on the other one launches a context menu for the corresponding situation.

Devices intended for computer games, may have 5-8 buttons.

By clicking on one of them you can fire a grenade launcher at the monster, on the other you can launch a rocket, on the third you can unload a good old hard drive at it.

Modern mice also have a scroll wheel, which is very convenient when viewing a large document. You can view such a document only by rotating the wheel and without using buttons. Some models have two wheels scrolling, while you can view text or graphic image moving both up and down and left and right.

Below the scroll wheel there is usually another button. If you view a document by rotating the wheel and simultaneously pressing it, the manipulator driver activates such a mode that the document itself begins to move up the screen. The speed of movement depends on how fast the user rotated the wheel before pressing it.

In this mode, the cursor changes its shape. This makes it even more convenient... In short, get it, cook it, chew it, all that's left to do is swallow it. Pressing the wheel again switches from “auto view” to normal mode.

Optical mice

Subsequently, the manipulator was improved.

The so-called optical “mice” appeared.

Such devices contain emitting LED(usually red), a transparent reflective plastic prism, a light sensor and a control controller.

The LED emits rays that, reflected from the surface, are captured by the sensor.

When the manipulator moves, the flow of received radiation changes, which is captured by the sensor and transmitted to the controller, which generates standard signals for a specific interface. Optical mouse more sensitive to movement and does not require a mat, like the old ball manipulator.

An optical mouse has no rubbing parts (with the exception of the potentiometer, the rotation of which is transmitted from the scroll wheel) that wear out or become dirty. This is also an advantage.

Possible problems with manipulators

The mouse, like any equipment, has a limited service life. It's no secret that the main part computer equipment made in China. The goal of any business is profit, so the Chinese comrades even save on cables for mice, making them as thin as possible.

Therefore, the first weak point of manipulators is the cable.

More often internal break one or more cores occurs at the point where the cable enters the mouse.

The cable has 4 wires, two of them are power, the third is clock frequency, the fourth is informational.

If the mouse is not seen by the computer, the first thing you need to do is “ring” the cable.

If a break is detected, you should cut off part of the cable with the connector (behind the point where the cable enters the mouse body, closer to the connector) and the remaining piece to the printed circuit board of the manipulator, naturally observing the color.

PS/2 Mice Can't switch on the fly .

Otherwise, her controller (her tiny “brain”) may fail. And it’s good if the matter is limited to just this. The PS/2 interface controller on the motherboard may also fail, which is much worse.

If the cable is intact, but the mouse is not recognized by the controller, then most likely its controller has failed and it must be replaced. Cable break optical mice You can also suspect it by the lack of light from the LED (which is located near the surface that moves on the table). In other cases, there may be no light due to a faulty LED or controller, but this is rare.

Manipulators with COM or USB interface Can switch on the fly. However, currently devices with a COM interface are practically not found.

You have to “click” the mouse many thousands of times, and the buttons may fail after prolonged use. To replace the button, you need to disassemble the manipulator and solder another one. It is not necessary to use the same one as it was. The main thing here is to maintain the height in order to maintain the length of the key stroke. However, manipulators have long been quite affordable, and most users do not bother with their repair.

Let’s say “thank you” to the good old “mice” with a ball in their bellies - they served us well...

Concluding the article, we note that there are varieties of manipulators with laser emitter instead of LEDs, which provide more accurate and faster cursor positioning. This speed and accuracy are especially in demand in games.

There are also wireless (radio) “mice” in which the exchange of information with the computer is carried out not over a wire, but over a radio channel. Therefore, they contain their own power source - a pair of finger-type galvanic cells of AA or AAA size. Let us remind you once again that the manipulator connector is inserted into one of the ports.

That's all for today.

Victor Geronda was with you.

See you on the blog!

Hello, dear readers of the blog site. There are a huge number of computer mice or mice, as they are called differently. By functional purpose they can be divided into classes: some are intended for games, others are for regular work, the third - for drawing in graphic editors. In this article I will try to talk about the types and structure computer mice.

But first, I propose to go back a few decades, just at the time when this complex device was invented. First computer mouse appeared back in 1968, and was invented by an American scientist named Douglas Engelbart. The mouse was developed by the American Space Research Agency (NASA), which gave a patent for the invention to Douglas, but at one point lost all interest in the development. Why - read on.

The world's first mouse was a heavy wooden box with a wire, which, in addition to its weight, was also extremely inconvenient to use. For obvious reasons, they decided to call it “mouse”, and a little later they artificially came up with a decoding of this abbreviation. Yeah, now mouse is nothing more than a "Manually Operated User Signal Encoder", that is, a device with which the user can manually encode a signal.

Without exception, all computer mice include a number of components: a case, a printed circuit board with contacts, microphones (buttons), a scroll wheel(s) - all of them are present in one form or another in any modern mouse. But you are probably tormented by the question - what then distinguishes them from each other (besides the fact that there are gaming, non-gaming, office, etc.), why they came up with so many different types, take a look for yourself:

1. Mechanical
2. Optical
3. Laser
4. Trackball mice
5. Induction
6. Gyroscopic

The fact is that each of the above types of computer mice appeared in different times and uses different laws of physics. Accordingly, each of them has its own disadvantages and advantages, which will certainly be discussed further in the text. It should be noted that only the first three types will be considered in more detail, the rest - not in so much detail, due to the fact that they are less popular.

Mechanical mice are traditional ball models, relatively large size, requiring constant cleaning of the ball for effective operation. Dirt and small particles may become trapped between the rotating ball and the housing and will need to be cleaned. It won't work without a mat. About 15 years ago it was the only one in the world. I will write about it in the past tense, because it is already a rarity.

At the bottom of the mechanical mouse there was a hole that was covered by a rotating plastic ring. Beneath it was a heavy ball. This ball was made of metal and covered with rubber. Under the ball there were two plastic rollers and a roller, which pressed the ball against the rollers. When the mouse moved, the ball rotated the roller. Up or down - one roller rotated, right or left - the other. Since gravity played a crucial role in such models, such a device did not work in zero gravity, so NASA abandoned it.

If the movement was complex, both rollers rotated. At the end of each plastic roller an impeller was installed, like on a mill, only many times smaller. On one side of the impeller there was a light source (LED), on the other there was a photocell. When you move the mouse, the impeller rotates, the photocell reads the number of light pulses that hit it, and then transmits this information to the computer.

Since the impeller had many blades, the movement of the pointer on the screen was perceived as smooth. Optical-mechanical mice (they are simply “mechanical”) suffered from great inconvenience; the fact is that they periodically had to be disassembled and cleaned. During operation, the ball dragged all sorts of debris inside the case; often the rubber surface of the ball became so dirty that the movement rollers simply slipped and the mouse malfunctioned.

For the same reason, such a mouse simply needed a mouse pad. correct operation, otherwise the ball would slip and become dirty faster.

Optical and laser mice

There is no need to disassemble or clean anything in optical mice., since they do not have a rotating ball, they work on a different principle. An optical mouse uses an LED sensor. Such a mouse works like a small camera that scans the surface of the table and “photographs” it; the camera manages to take about a thousand such photos per second, and some models even more.

The data from these images is processed by a special microprocessor on the mouse itself and sends a signal to the computer. The advantages are obvious - such a mouse does not need a mouse pad, it is light in weight and can scan almost any surface. Almost? Yes, everything except glass and mirror surfaces, as well as velvet (velvet absorbs light very strongly).

A laser mouse is very similar to an optical mouse, but its operating principle differs in that Laser is used instead of LED. This is a more advanced model of an optical mouse; it requires much less energy to operate, and the accuracy of reading data from the working surface is much higher than that of an optical mouse. So it can even work on glass and mirror surfaces.

In fact, a laser mouse is a type of optical mouse, since in both cases an LED is used, it’s just that in the second case it emits invisible spectrum.

So, the operating principle of an optical mouse differs from that of a ball mouse. .

The process begins with a laser or optical (in the case of an optical mouse) diode. The diode emits invisible light, the lens focuses it to a point equal in thickness to a human hair, the beam is reflected from the surface, then the sensor catches this light. The sensor is so accurate that it can detect even small surface irregularities.

The secret is that precisely the unevenness allow the mouse to notice even the slightest movements. The pictures taken by the camera are compared, the microprocessor compares each subsequent picture with the previous one. If the mouse moves, the difference between the pictures will be noted.

By analyzing these differences, the mouse determines the direction and speed of any movement. If the difference between the pictures is significant, the cursor moves quickly. But even when stationary, the mouse continues to take pictures.

Trackball mice

Trackball mouse is a device that uses a convex ball - "Trackball". The trackball device is very similar to the device of a mechanical mouse, only the ball in it is located on top or on the side. The ball can be rotated, but the device itself remains in place. The ball causes a pair of rollers to rotate. New trackballs use optical motion sensors.

Not everyone may need a device called “Trackball”; in addition, its cost cannot be called low; it seems that the minimum starts from 1,400 rubles.

Induction mice

Induction models use a special mat that works on the principle graphics tablet. Induction mice have good accuracy and do not need to be oriented correctly. An induction mouse can be wireless or inductively powered, in which case it does not require a battery like a regular wireless mouse.

I have no idea who might need such devices, which are expensive and difficult to find on the open market. And why, who knows? Maybe there are some advantages compared to ordinary "rodents"?

Gyroscopic mice

Well, we have quietly approached the final type of computer mice- gyroscopic mice. Gyroscopic mice use a gyroscope to recognize movement not only on the surface, but also in space. You can take it from the table and control the movements with your hand. The gyroscopic mouse can be used as a pointer big screen. However, if you put it on the table, it will work like a regular optical one.

But this type of mouse can really be useful and popular in certain situations. For example, at some presentation it will be very useful.

And finally: For normal operation of the mouse, it is very important that the surface on which it moves is level. Usually, special mats are used for this. An optical mouse is more demanding on the surface; you can use it without a mouse pad, but it will glitch on surfaces with potholes or glass. A laser mouse can work even on your knee or on a mirror.

I think this article helped you better understand the design of a computer mouse, as well as find out what types of computer mice there are.

Today the mouse is required device input for all modern computers. But just recently everything was different. Computers did not have graphic commands and data could only be entered using the keyboard. And when the very first one appeared, you will be surprised to see what kind of evolution this familiar object has gone through.

Who invented the first computer mouse?

Considered the father of this device. He was one of those scientists who try to bring science even closer to ordinary people and make progress accessible to everyone. He invented the first computer mice in the early 1960s in his laboratory at Stanford Research Institute (now SRI International). The first prototype was created in 1964, and the patent application for this invention, filed in 1967, referred to it as an "XY Position Indicator for a Display System." But the official document number 3541541 was received only in 1970.

But is it really that simple?

It would seem that everyone knows who created the first computer mouse. But trackball technology was first used much earlier by the Canadian Navy. Back in 1952, the mouse was just a bowling ball attached to a complex hardware system that could sense the ball's movement and simulate its movements on the screen. But the world learned about it only years later - after all, it was a secret military invention that was never patented or attempted to be mass-produced. 11 years later it was already known, but D. Engelbart recognized it as ineffective. At that moment, he did not yet know how to connect his vision of the mouse and this device.

How did the idea come about?

The main ideas about the invention first occurred to D. Engelbart in 1961, when he was at a conference on computer graphics and pondered the problem of increasing the efficiency of interactive computing. It occurred to him that by using two small wheels that move on the tabletop (one wheel rotates horizontally, the other vertically), the computer can track the combinations of their rotation and, accordingly, move the cursor on the display. To some extent, the principle of operation is similar to a planimeter - an instrument used by engineers and geographers to measure distances on a map or drawing, etc. The scientist then wrote down this idea in his notebook for future use.

Step into the future

A little over a year later, D. Engelbart received a grant from the institute to launch his research initiative called "Enhancing the Human Mind." By this, he envisioned a system where knowledge workers, working on high-performance computer stations with interactive displays, had access to a vast online information space. With its help, they can collaborate to solve particularly important problems. But this system sorely lacked a modern input device. After all, in order to comfortably interact with objects on the screen, you need to be able to quickly select them. NASA became interested in the project and provided a grant for the construction of a computer mouse. The first version of this device is similar to the modern one except in size. At the same time, the team of researchers came up with other devices that made it possible to control the cursor by pressing a pedal with your feet or moving a special clamp under the table with your knee. These inventions never caught on, but the joystick, invented at the same time, was later improved and is still in use today.

In 1965, D. Engelbart's team published the final report on their research and various methods selecting objects on the screen. There were even volunteers who participated in the testing. It went something like this: the program showed objects in different parts screen and volunteers tried to click on them as quickly as possible different devices. According to test results, the first computer mice were clearly superior to all other devices and were included as standard equipment for further research.

What did the first computer mouse look like?

It was made of wood and was the first input device that fit into the user's hand. Knowing the principle of its operation, you should no longer be surprised by what the first computer mouse looked like. Under the body there were two metal disks-wheels, diagram. There was only one button, and the wire went under the wrist of the person holding the device. The prototype was assembled by one of the members of D. Engelbart’s team, his assistant William (Bill) English. Initially, he worked in another laboratory, but soon joined a project to create input devices, developed and implemented the design of a new device.

By tilting and rocking the mouse, you could draw perfectly straight vertical and horizontal lines.

In 1967 the body became plastic.

Where did the name come from?

No one remembers for sure who was the first to call this device a mouse. It was tested by 5-6 people, it is possible that one of them voiced the similarities. Moreover, the world's first computer mouse had a tail wire on the back.

Further improvements

Of course, the prototypes were far from ideal.

In 1968, at a computer conference in San Francisco, D. Engelbart presented the first improved computer mice. They had three buttons; in addition to them, the keyboard was equipped with a device for the left hand.

The idea was this: the right hand works with the mouse, selecting and activating objects. And the left one conveniently calls out the necessary commands using a small keyboard with five long keys, like a piano. Then it became clear that the wire under the operator’s hand was getting tangled when using the device, and that it needed to be routed to the opposite side. Of course, the left-handed console did not catch on, but Douglas Engelbart used it on his computers until his last days.

Continuing to improve

At further stages of mouse development, other scientists entered the scene. The most interesting thing is that D. Engelbart never received royalties from his invention. Since he patented it as a specialist from the Stanford Institute, it was the institute that controlled the rights to the device.

So, in 1972, Bill English replaced the wheels with a trackball, which made it possible to detect mouse movement in any direction. Since he was then working at Xerox PARC, this new product became part of the Xerox Alto system, which was advanced by those standards. It was a minicomputer with a graphical interface. Therefore, many people mistakenly believe that Xerox is the first.

The next round of development occurred with the mouse in 1983, when Apple entered the game. The enterprising person calculated the cost of mass production of the device, which was approximately $300. This was too expensive for the average consumer, so the decision was made to simplify the design of the mouse and replace the three buttons with one. The price dropped to $15. And although this decision is still considered controversial, Apple is in no hurry to change its iconic design.

The first computer mice were rectangular or square in shape; the anatomical round design appeared only in 1991. It was introduced by Logitech. In addition to its interesting shape, the new product was wireless: communication with the computer was provided using radio waves.

The first optical mouse appeared in 1982. It needed a special mousepad with a printed grid to work. And although the ball in the trackball quickly became dirty and caused inconvenience because it had to be cleaned regularly, the optical mouse was not commercially viable until 1998.

What's next?

As you already know, “tailed” devices with a trackball are practically not used anymore. Technology and ergonomics of computer mice are constantly improving. And even today, when devices with touchscreens are becoming more and more popular, their sales are not falling.

A manipulator called “Mouse” has already entered our lives so tightly that we don’t even notice how often we use this device. The mouse allows you to control your computer from maximum comfort. Remove it, and the speed of working with your PC will decrease several times. But the main thing is to choose the right mouse based on the types of tasks that will need to be solved with its help. Some situations will require special types of mice.

Types of computer mice

Based on their design features, there are several types of computer mice: mechanical, optical, laser, trackball, induction, gyroscopic and touch. Each type has its own unique characteristics that allow you to successfully use the mouse in a given situation. So which mice are better for computers? Let's try to understand this issue by examining each type separately in detail.

Mechanical mice

This is the same type with which the history of computer mice began. The design of such a mouse involves the presence of a rubberized ball that slides over the surface. He, in turn, makes special rollers move, which transmit the result of the ball’s movement to special sensors. The sensors send a processed signal to the computer itself, causing the cursor to move on the screen. This is the principle of operation of a mechanical mouse. This outdated device had two or three buttons and did not differ in any special features. Connection to the computer was carried out using a COM port (in earlier versions) and PS/2 connector (in later models).

The weakest point of the mechanical mouse was precisely the ball that “crawled” along the surface. It became dirty very quickly, as a result of which the accuracy of movement decreased. I had to wipe it with alcohol often. In addition, mechanical ball mice categorically refused to glide normally on a bare table. They always needed a special rug. IN present moment Such mice are obsolete and are not used anywhere. The most popular manufacturers of mechanical mice at that time were Genius and Microsoft.

Optical mice

The next stage in the evolution of computer mice was the appearance of optical models. The operating principle is radically different from mice equipped with balls. The basis of an optical mouse is a sensor that records mouse movements by taking photographs at high speed (about 1000 pictures per second). The sensor then sends information to the sensors and after appropriate processing, the information enters the computer, causing the cursor to move. Optical mice can contain any number of buttons. From two in regular office models to 14 in serious gaming solutions. Thanks to their technology, optical mice are able to provide highly accurate cursor movement. In addition, they can glide perfectly on any flat surface (except mirrored).

Nowadays, optical mice are the most popular among most users. They combine high DPI and an adequate price. Simple optical models are the most cheap mice for computer. They can be very different in shape. By the number of buttons too. Wired and wireless options are also available. If you need high accuracy and reliability, then your choice is a wired optical mouse. The fact is that wireless technologies make the user dependent on batteries and wireless communications, which are not always at the proper level.

Laser mice

These mice are an evolutionary continuation of optical mice. The difference is that a laser is used instead of an LED. At the present stage of development, laser mice are the most accurate and provide the most high value DPI. That is why they are so loved by many gamers. Laser mice don't care what surface they crawl on. They work successfully even on rough surfaces.

With the highest DPI of any mouse, laser models are widely used by gamers. This is why laser manipulators have a wide range of model range, aimed at gaming fans. A distinctive feature of this mouse is the presence large quantities additional programmable buttons. A prerequisite for a good gaming mouse is only wired connection via USB. Because wireless technology cannot ensure proper accuracy of work. Gaming laser mice are usually not low in cost. The most expensive computer mice based on a laser element are produced by Logitech and A4Tech.

Trackball

This device does not at all look like a standard computer mouse. At its core, a trackball is a mechanical mouse in reverse. The cursor is controlled using a ball on the top side of the device. But the device’s sensors are still optical. The shape of the trackball does not resemble a classic mouse at all. And you don’t have to move it anywhere in order to move the cursor. The trackball is connected to the computer via USB.

The merits and demerits of a trackball have been debated for quite some time. On the one hand, it reduces the load on the hand and ensures precise cursor movement. On the other hand, it’s a little inconvenient to use the trackball buttons. Such devices are still rare and unfinished.

Induction mice

Induction mice are a logical continuation wireless devices. However, they lack some properties characteristic of “tailless” models. For example, induction mice can only work on a special pad connected to a computer. You won't be able to move the mouse anywhere from the mousepad. However, there are also advantages. High accuracy and no need to change batteries, since these mice do not have them at all. Induction mice get their energy from the mat.

Such mice are not very common, as they have a high price and are not particularly mobile. On the other hand, these are the most original computer mice. Their originality lies in the absence of batteries.

Gyroscopic mice

These mice don't need to glide across surfaces at all. The gyroscopic sensor, which is the basis of such a mouse, reacts to changes in the position of the device in space. Of course it's convenient. But this method of control requires a fair amount of skill. Naturally, such mice are distinguished by the absence of wires, because with their presence it would be inconvenient to control the mouse.

Like induction models, gyroscopic devices are not widely used due to their high cost.

Touch mouse

Touch mice are the diocese of Apple. It was they who deprived their Magic Mouse of all sorts of buttons and wheels. The basis of this mouse is the touch coating. The mouse is controlled using gestures. The mouse position reading element is an optical sensor.

Touch mice are mainly found in Apple products (iMac). You can also purchase a Magic Mouse separately and try connecting it to to a regular computer. However, it is unclear how convenient it will be to use such a mouse under Windows OS, considering that it is “tailored” for MacOS.

Conclusion

All that remains is to choose the option that suits you specifically.

In this article, we will look at the principles of operation of optical mouse sensors, shed light on the history of their technological development, and also debunk some myths associated with optical “rodents”.

Who invented you...

Optical mice that are familiar to us today trace their origins back to 1999, when the first copies of such manipulators from Microsoft, and after some time from other manufacturers, appeared on mass sale. Before the appearance of these mice, and for a long time after that, most of the mass-produced computer “rodents” were optomechanical (the movements of the manipulator were tracked by an optical system connected to the mechanical part - two rollers responsible for tracking the movement of the mouse along the × and Y axes; these rollers, in in turn, rotated from the ball rolling when the user moves the mouse). Although there were also purely optical mouse models that required a special mouse pad for their operation. However, such devices were not encountered often, and the very idea of ​​developing such manipulators gradually faded away.

The “type” of mass-produced optical mice familiar to us today, based on general operating principles, was “developed” in the research laboratories of the world-famous Hewlett-Packard corporation. More precisely, in its division Agilent Technologies, which only relatively recently was completely separated into a separate company within the structure of HP Corporation. Today, Agilent Technologies, Inc. - a monopolist in the market of optical sensors for mice; no other companies develop such sensors, no matter who tells you about the exclusive technologies IntelliEye or MX Optical Engine. However, enterprising Chinese have already learned to “clone” Agilent Technologies sensors, so by buying an inexpensive optical mouse, you may well become the owner of a “left-handed” sensor.

We will find out where the visible differences in the operation of the manipulators come from a little later, but for now let us begin to consider the basic principles of the operation of optical mice, or more precisely, their movement tracking systems.

How computer mice “see”

In this section, we will study the basic principles of operation of optical motion tracking systems that are used in modern mouse-type manipulators.

So, an optical computer mouse gains “vision” through the following process. Using an LED and a system of lenses that focus its light, an area of ​​the surface under the mouse is illuminated. The light reflected from this surface, in turn, is collected by another lens and hits the receiving sensor of the microcircuit - the image processor. This chip, in turn, takes pictures of the surface under the mouse with high frequency(kHz). Moreover, the microcircuit (let's call it an optical sensor) not only takes pictures, but also processes them, since it contains two key parts: the Image Acquisition System (IAS) and the integrated DSP processor image processing.

Based on the analysis of a series of consecutive images (representing a square matrix of pixels of different brightness), the integrated DSP processor calculates the resulting indicators indicating the direction of mouse movement along the × and Y axes, and transmits the results of its work externally via the serial port.

If we look at the block diagram of one of the optical sensors, we will see that the chip consists of several blocks, namely:

• the main block is, of course, ImageProcessor- image processor (DSP) with built-in receiver light signal(IAS);
• Voltage Regulator And Power Control- voltage regulation and energy consumption control unit (power is supplied to this unit and an additional external voltage filter is connected to it);
• Oscillator- an external signal is supplied to this chip block from a master quartz oscillator, the frequency of the incoming signal is about a couple of tens of MHz;
• Led Control- this is an LED control unit that illuminates the surface under the mouse;
• Serial Port- a block that transmits data about the direction of mouse movement outside the chip.

We will look at some details of the operation of the optical sensor chip a little further, when we get to the most advanced of modern sensors, but for now we will return to the basic principles of operation of optical systems for tracking the movement of manipulators.

It should be clarified that the optical sensor chip does not transmit information about mouse movement via the Serial Port directly to the computer. The data goes to another controller chip installed in the mouse. This second “main” chip in the device is responsible for responding to mouse button presses, scroll wheel rotation, etc. This chip, among other things, directly transmits information about the direction of mouse movement to the PC, converting data coming from the optical sensor into signals transmitted via PS/2 or USB interfaces. And the computer, using the mouse driver, based on the information received via these interfaces, moves the pointer across the monitor screen.

It is precisely because of the presence of this “second” controller chip, or rather thanks to different types such microcircuits, already the first models of optical mice differed quite noticeably from each other. If I can’t speak too badly about expensive devices from Microsoft and Logitech (although they were not at all “sinless”), then the mass of inexpensive manipulators that appeared after them did not behave quite adequately. When these mice moved on ordinary mouse pads, the cursors on the screen made strange somersaults, jumped almost to the floor of the Desktop, and sometimes... sometimes they even went on an independent journey across the screen when the user did not touch the mouse at all. It even got to the point that the mouse could easily wake up the computer from standby mode, erroneously registering a movement when no one was actually touching the manipulator.

By the way, if you are still struggling with a similar problem, then it can be solved in one fell swoop like this: select My Computer > Properties > Hardware > Device Manager > select the installed mouse > go to its “Properties” > in the window that appears, go to the “Management” tab power supply" and uncheck the box "Allow the device to wake the computer from standby mode" (Fig. 4). After this, the mouse will no longer be able to wake up the computer from standby mode under any pretext, even if you kick it :)

So, the reason for such a striking difference in the behavior of optical mice was not at all the “bad” or “good” installed sensors, as many still think. Don't believe it, this is nothing more than a myth. Or fantasy, if you prefer :) Mice that behaved completely differently often had exactly the same optical sensor chips installed (fortunately, there were not so many models of these chips, as we will see later). However, thanks to imperfect controller chips installed in optical mice, we had the opportunity to strongly criticize the first generations of optical rodents.

However, we are somewhat distracted from the topic. Let's go back. In general, the mouse optical tracking system, in addition to the sensor chip, includes several more basic elements. The design includes a holder (Clip) in which the LED and the sensor chip itself are installed. This system of elements is attached to a printed circuit board (PCB), between which and the bottom surface of the mouse (Base Plate) a plastic element (Lens) is fixed, containing two lenses (the purpose of which was written above).

When assembled, the optical tracking element looks like the one shown above. The operating diagram of the optics of this system is presented below.

The optimal distance from the Lens element to the reflective surface under the mouse should be in the range from 2.3 to 2.5 mm. These are the recommendations of the sensor manufacturer. Here is the first reason why optical mice don’t feel good when “crawling” on plexiglass on a table, all sorts of “translucent” rugs, etc. And you shouldn’t glue “thick” legs to optical mice when the old ones fall off or wear off. Due to excessive “elevation” above the surface, the mouse can fall into a state of stupor, when “moving” the cursor after the mouse is at rest becomes quite problematic. This is not theoretical speculation, this is personal experience :)

By the way, about the problem of durability of optical mice. I remember that some of their manufacturers claimed that, they say, “they will last forever.” Yes, the reliability of the optical tracking system is high, it cannot be compared with the optomechanical one. At the same time, in optical mice there are many purely mechanical elements that are subject to wear in the same way as under the dominance of the good old “opto-mechanics”. For example, the legs of my old optical mouse were worn out and fell off, the scroll wheel broke (twice, the last time irrevocably :()), the wire in the connecting cable frayed, the housing cover peeled off the manipulator... but the optical sensor works normally, as if nothing was wrong happened. Based on this, we can safely state that the rumors about the supposedly impressive durability of optical mice have not been confirmed in practice. And why, pray tell, do optical mice “live” for too long? After all, new, longer ones are constantly appearing on the market? perfect models created on a new element base. They are obviously more perfect and easier to use. Progress, you know, is a continuous thing. Let’s see what it has been like in the field of the evolution of the optical sensors that interest us.

From the history of mouse vision

Development engineers at Agilent Technologies, Inc. No wonder they eat their bread. Over the past five years, this company's optical sensors have undergone significant technological improvements and their latest models have very impressive characteristics.

But let's talk about everything in order. Microcircuits became the first mass-produced optical sensors HDNS-2000(Fig. 8). These sensors had a resolution of 400 cpi (counts per inch), that is, dots (pixels) per inch, and were designed for a maximum mouse movement speed of 12 inches/s (about 30 cm/s) with an optical sensor image rate of 1500 frames in a second. Acceptable (with preservation stable operation sensor) acceleration when moving the mouse “in a jerk” for the HDNS-2000 chip is no more than 0.15 g (approximately 1.5 m/s 2).

Then optical sensor chips appeared on the market ADNS-2610 And ADNS-2620. The ADNS-2620 optical sensor already supported a programmable frequency of “capturing” the surface under the mouse, with a frequency of 1500 or 2300 images/s. Each photo was taken with a resolution of 18x18 pixels. For the sensor, the maximum operating speed of movement was still limited to 12 inches per second, but the limit on permissible acceleration increased to 0.25 g, with a frequency of “photographing” the surface of 1500 frames/s. This chip (ADNS-2620) also had only 8 legs, which made it possible to significantly reduce its size compared to the ADNS-2610 chip (16 pins), which was similar in appearance to the HDNS-2000. At Agilent Technologies, Inc. set out to “minimize” their microcircuits, wanting to make them more compact, more energy-efficient, and therefore more convenient for installation in “mobile” and wireless manipulators.

The ADNS-2610 chip, although it was a “large” analogue of the 2620, was deprived of support for the “advanced” mode of 2300 pictures/s. In addition, this option required 5V power, while the ADNS-2620 chip required only 3.3V.

Coming soon chip ADNS-2051 was a much more powerful solution than the HDNS-2000 or ADNS-2610 chips, although it was also similar in appearance (packaging). This sensor already made it possible to programmably control the “resolution” of the optical sensor, changing it from 400 to 800 cpi. The chip version also allowed for adjusting the frequency of surface images, and allowed it to be changed in a very wide range: 500, 1000, 1500, 2000 or 2300 images/s. But the size of these same pictures was only 16x16 pixels. At 1500 shots/s, the maximum permissible acceleration of the mouse during a “jerk” was still 0.15 g, the maximum possible movement speed was 14 inches/s (i.e. 35.5 cm/s). This chip was designed for a supply voltage of 5 V.

Sensor ADNS-2030 was developed for wireless devices, and therefore had low power consumption, requiring only 3.3 V power. The chip also supported energy-saving functions, such as the function of reducing energy consumption when the mouse is at rest (power conservation mode during times of no movement), switching to sleep mode, including when the mouse is connected via a USB interface, etc. The mouse, however, could not operate in power-saving mode: the value “1” in the Sleep bit of one of the chip’s registers made the sensor “always awake,” and the default value “0” corresponded to the operating mode of the chip when, after one second, if. the mouse did not move (more precisely, after receiving 1500 completely identical images of the surface), the sensor, together with the mouse, went into power saving mode. As for the rest key characteristics sensor, they were no different from those of the ADNS-2051: the same 16-pin housing, travel speed up to 14 inches/s at maximum acceleration 0.15 g, programmable resolution 400 and 800 cpi, respectively, the frequency of taking pictures could be exactly the same as that of the above-considered version of the microcircuit.

These were the first optical sensors. Unfortunately, they were characterized by shortcomings. A big problem that arose when moving an optical mouse over surfaces, especially those with a repeating small pattern, was that the image processor would sometimes confuse separate similar areas of the monochrome image received by the sensor and incorrectly determine the direction of mouse movement.

As a result, the cursor on the screen did not move as required. The pointer on the screen even became capable of impromptu :) - unpredictable movements in any direction. In addition, it is easy to guess that when too fast movement mouse sensor could completely lose any “connection” between several subsequent images of the surface. Which gave rise to another problem: when the mouse moved too sharply, the cursor either twitched in one place, or even “supernatural” phenomena occurred, for example, with the rapid rotation of the surrounding world in toys. It was absolutely clear that for the human hand, the limitations of 12-14 inches/s on the maximum speed of mouse movement were clearly not enough. There was also no doubt that 0.24 s (almost a quarter of a second) allotted for accelerating the mouse from 0 to 35.5 cm/s (14 inches/s - maximum speed) is a very long period of time; a person is able to move the hand much faster. And therefore, with sudden movements of the mouse in dynamic gaming applications with an optical manipulator, it can be difficult...

Agilent Technologies also understood this. The developers realized that the characteristics of the sensors needed to be radically improved. In their research, they adhered to a simple but correct axiom: the more pictures per second the sensor takes, the less likely it is that it will lose the “trace” of the mouse movement while the computer user makes sudden body movements :)

Although, as we see from the above, optical sensors have been developing, new solutions are constantly being released, but development in this area can safely be called “very gradual.” By and large, there have been no fundamental changes in the properties of the sensors. But technical progress In any area, sharp jumps are sometimes characteristic. There was such a “breakthrough” in the field of creating optical sensors for mice. The advent of the ADNS-3060 optical sensor can be considered truly revolutionary!

Best of

Optical sensor ADNS-3060, in comparison with its “ancestors”, has a truly impressive set of characteristics. The use of this chip, packaged in a 20-pin package, provides optical mice with unprecedented capabilities. The permissible maximum speed of movement of the manipulator has increased to 40 inches/s (that is, almost 3 times!), i.e. reached a “signature” speed of 1 m/s. This is already very good - hardly at least one user moves the mouse with more than this limitation speed so often that you constantly feel discomfort from using the optical manipulator, including gaming applications. The permissible acceleration has increased, scary to say, a hundred times (!), and reached a value of 15 g (almost 150 m/s2). Now the user is given 7 hundredths of a second to accelerate the mouse from 0 to the maximum 1 m/s - I think that very few people will now be able to exceed this limitation, and even then, probably in their dreams :) The programmable speed of taking pictures of the surface with the optical sensor of the new chip model exceeds 6400 fps, i.e. "beats" the previous "record" almost three times. Moreover, the ADNS-3060 chip can itself adjust the image repetition rate to achieve the most optimal parameters work, depending on the surface over which the mouse moves. The “resolution” of the optical sensor can still be 400 or 800 cpi. Let's use the ADNS-3060 chip as an example to look at the general principles of operation of optical sensor chips.

The general scheme for analyzing mouse movements has not changed compared to earlier models - micrographs of the surface under the mouse obtained by the IAS sensor block are then processed by a DSP (processor) integrated in the same chip, which determines the direction and distance of movement of the manipulator. DSP calculates relative values offsets along × and Y coordinates, relative to the initial mouse position. Then the external mouse controller chip (what it is needed for, we said earlier) reads information about the movement of the manipulator from the serial port of the optical sensor chip. Then this external controller translates the received data about the direction and speed of mouse movement into data transmitted via standard interfaces PS/2 or USB signals that are already sent from it to the computer.

But let’s delve a little deeper into the features of the sensor. The block diagram of the ADNS-3060 chip is shown above. As we can see, its structure has not fundamentally changed compared to its distant “ancestors”. 3.3 Power is supplied to the sensor through the Voltage Regulator And Power Control block; the same block is charged with voltage filtering functions, for which a connection to an external capacitor is used. The signal coming from an external quartz resonator to the Oscillator block (the nominal frequency of which is 24 MHz; lower frequency master oscillators were used for previous models of microcircuits) serves to synchronize all computational processes occurring inside the optical sensor chip. For example, the frequency of images of an optical sensor is tied to the frequency of this external generator (by the way, the latter is not subject to very strict restrictions on permissible deviations from the nominal frequency - up to +/- 1 MHz). Depending on the value entered at a specific address (register) of the chip’s memory, the following operating frequencies for taking pictures with the ADNS-3060 sensor are possible.

As you might guess, based on the data in the table, the frequency of sensor snapshots is determined using a simple formula: Frame rate = (Setting generator frequency (24 MHz)/Value of the register responsible for the frame rate).

Surface images (frames) taken by the ADNS-3060 sensor have a resolution of 30x30 and represent the same matrix of pixels, the color of each of which is encoded with 8 bits, i.e. one byte (corresponding to 256 shades of gray for each pixel). Thus, each frame (frame) arriving at the DSP processor is a sequence of 900 bytes of data. But the “cunning” processor does not process these 900 bytes of the frame immediately upon arrival; it waits until 1536 bytes of information about pixels are accumulated in the corresponding buffer (memory) (that is, information about another 2/3 of the subsequent frame is added). And only after this the chip begins to analyze information about the movement of the manipulator, by comparing changes in successive images of the surface.

With a resolution of 400 or 800 pixels per inch, their implementation is indicated in the RES bit of the microcontroller memory registers. A zero value of this bit corresponds to 400 cpi, and a logical one in RES sets the sensor to 800 cpi mode.

After the integrated DSP processor processes the image data, it calculates the relative displacement values ​​​​of the manipulator along the × and Y axes, entering specific data about this into the memory of the ADNS-3060 chip. In turn, the microcircuit external controller(mouse) via Serial Port can “draw” this information from the memory of the optical sensor approximately once every millisecond. Note that only an external microcontroller can initiate the transfer of such data; the optical sensor itself never initiates such a transfer. Therefore, the issue of efficiency (frequency) of tracking mouse movement largely lies on the “shoulders” of the external controller chip. Data from the optical sensor is transmitted in 56-bit packets.

Well, the Led Control block with which the sensor is equipped is responsible for controlling the backlight diode - by changing the value of bit 6 (LED_MODE) at address 0x0a, the optosensor microprocessor can switch the LED to two operating modes: logical “0” corresponds to the “diode is always on” state, logical “1” puts the diode into the “on only when necessary” mode. This is important, say, when operating wireless mice, as it allows you to save the power of their autonomous power supplies. In addition, the diode itself can have several brightness modes.

This, in fact, is all about the basic principles of operation of an optical sensor. What else can you add? Recommended operating temperature ADNS-3060 chips, as well as all other chips of this kind, - from 0 0C to +40 0C. Although Agilent Technologies guarantees the preservation of the operating properties of its chips in the temperature range from -40 to +85 ° C.

Laser future?

Recently, the Internet was filled with praising articles about the Logitech MX1000 Laser Cordless Mouse, which used an infrared laser to illuminate the surface under the mouse. Almost a revolution in the field of optical mice was promised. Alas, having personally used this mouse, I was convinced that the revolution did not happen. But that's not what this is about.

I didn't understand Logitech mouse MX1000 (did not have the opportunity), but I am sure that behind the “new revolutionary laser technology"is our old friend - the ADNS-3060 sensor. Because, according to the information I have, the sensor characteristics of this mouse are no different from those of, say, Logitech models MX510. All the “hype” arose around the statement on the Logitech website that using a laser optical tracking system, twenty times (!) more details are detected than using LED technology. On this basis, even some respected sites have published photographs of certain surfaces, they say, as they are seen by ordinary LED and laser mice:)

Of course, these photos (and thank you for that) were not the multi-colored bright flowers with which the Logitech website tried to convince us of the superiority of the laser illumination of the optical tracking system. No, of course, optical mice did not begin to “see” anything similar to the above color photographs with varying degrees of detail - the sensors still “photograph” nothing more than a square matrix of gray pixels, differing from each other only in different brightness (processing information about extended color palette of pixels would place an enormous burden on the DSP).

Let's estimate that to get a 20 times more detailed picture, you need, excuse the tautology, twenty times more details, which can only be conveyed by additional pixels of the image, and nothing else. It is known that the Logitech MX 1000 Laser Cordless Mouse takes pictures of 30x30 pixels and has a maximum resolution of 800 cpi. Consequently, there can be no talk of any twenty-fold increase in the detail of images. Where did the dog go rummaging :), and aren’t such statements generally unfounded? Let's try to figure out what caused this kind of information to appear.

As is known, a laser emits a narrowly directed (with small divergence) beam of light. Consequently, the illumination of the surface under the mouse when using a laser is much better than when using an LED. A laser operating in the infrared range was chosen, probably, so as not to dazzle the eyes due to the possible reflection of light from under the mouse in the visible spectrum. The fact that the optical sensor works normally in the infrared range should not be surprising - from the red range of the spectrum, in which most LED optical mice operate, to the infrared - “at your fingertips”, and it is unlikely that the transition to a new optical range was difficult for the sensor. For example, the Logitech MediaPlay controller uses an LED, but also provides infrared illumination. Current sensors work without problems even with blue light (there are manipulators with such illumination), so the spectrum of the illumination area is not a problem for sensors. So, due to the stronger illumination of the surface under the mouse, we have the right to assume that the difference between the places that absorb radiation (dark) and reflect the rays (light) will be more significant than when using a conventional LED - i.e. the image will be more contrasty.

And indeed, if we look at real photographs of a surface taken by a conventional LED optical system and a system using a laser, we will see that the “laser” version is much more contrasty - the differences between the dark and bright areas of the image are more significant. Of course, this can significantly facilitate the work of the optical sensor and, perhaps, the future lies with mice with a laser backlight system. But such “laser” images can hardly be called twenty times more detailed. So this is another “newborn” myth.

What will the optical sensors of the near future be like? It's hard to say. They will probably switch to laser illumination, and there are already rumors on the Internet about a sensor being developed with a “resolution” of 1600 cpi. We can only wait.