Laser Mouse

[john larkin]

If you have an Ikea desk and your LED optical mouse doesn't work right
(something about the optics of the varnish) this should fix it:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CRZ85DZ

It was really annoying to be tweaking a PCB layout and having the
cursor wander around, or get stuck.

[Joe Gwinn]

Post by john larkin
If you have an Ikea desk and your LED optical mouse doesn't work right
<https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CRZ85DZ>
It was really annoying to be tweaking a PCB layout and having the
cursor wander around, or get stuck.

Probably the varnished wood has too little fine texture for
correlation tracking to work.

What I have been using with success is a "3M Precise Mouse Pad
Enhances the Precision of Optical Mice at Fast Speed, 9 in x 8 in
(MP114-BSD1)" for $8 from Amazon:

.<https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L2AN9PK>

Joe Gwinn

[John Larkin]

Post by Joe Gwinn

Post by john larkin
If you have an Ikea desk and your LED optical mouse doesn't work right
<https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CRZ85DZ>
It was really annoying to be tweaking a PCB layout and having the
cursor wander around, or get stuck.

Probably the varnished wood has too little fine texture for
correlation tracking to work.
What I have been using with success is a "3M Precise Mouse Pad
Enhances the Precision of Optical Mice at Fast Speed, 9 in x 8 in
.<https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L2AN9PK>
Joe Gwinn

There must be a Mouse Pad Museum somewhere.

A pad would be clumsy on my desk. I tried sanding the varnish a bit
but that didn't help.

[Joe Gwinn]

On Fri, 19 Apr 2024 07:58:12 -0700, John Larkin

Post by John Larkin

Post by Joe Gwinn

Post by john larkin
If you have an Ikea desk and your LED optical mouse doesn't work right
<https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CRZ85DZ>
It was really annoying to be tweaking a PCB layout and having the
cursor wander around, or get stuck.

Probably the varnished wood has too little fine texture for
correlation tracking to work.
What I have been using with success is a "3M Precise Mouse Pad
Enhances the Precision of Optical Mice at Fast Speed, 9 in x 8 in
.<https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L2AN9PK>
Joe Gwinn

There must be a Mouse Pad Museum somewhere.

I have a pile somewhere. Does that count?

Post by John Larkin
A pad would be clumsy on my desk. I tried sanding the varnish a bit
but that didn't help.

Not enough contrast at high spatial frequencies. Newer mouse probably
has higher resolution optics, so it sees the wood grain better, and
maybe the sandpaper frosting a little.

Does the old mouse work OK on a mouse pad? Or on a piece of white
paper? If so, what could work would be a random pattern of little
paint dots in or on the varnish. Like from an airbrush too far away.

Joe Gwinn

[John Larkin]

Post by Joe Gwinn
On Fri, 19 Apr 2024 07:58:12 -0700, John Larkin

Post by John Larkin

Post by Joe Gwinn

Post by john larkin
If you have an Ikea desk and your LED optical mouse doesn't work right
<https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CRZ85DZ>
It was really annoying to be tweaking a PCB layout and having the
cursor wander around, or get stuck.

Probably the varnished wood has too little fine texture for
correlation tracking to work.
What I have been using with success is a "3M Precise Mouse Pad
Enhances the Precision of Optical Mice at Fast Speed, 9 in x 8 in
.<https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L2AN9PK>
Joe Gwinn

There must be a Mouse Pad Museum somewhere.

I have a pile somewhere. Does that count?

Post by John Larkin
A pad would be clumsy on my desk. I tried sanding the varnish a bit
but that didn't help.

Not enough contrast at high spatial frequencies. Newer mouse probably
has higher resolution optics, so it sees the wood grain better, and
maybe the sandpaper frosting a little.
Does the old mouse work OK on a mouse pad? Or on a piece of white
paper? If so, what could work would be a random pattern of little
paint dots in or on the varnish. Like from an airbrush too far away.
Joe Gwinn

The old Logitech LED mouses are fine on anything but the Ikea desk.

My desk would look very Non-Presidential with freckles. The laser
mouse works.

[Jeff Liebermann]

Post by john larkin
If you have an Ikea desk and your LED optical mouse doesn't work right
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CRZ85DZ
It was really annoying to be tweaking a PCB layout and having the
cursor wander around, or get stuck.

I think that's called "hunting". This might help explain what's
happening:

"Optical vs Laser Mouse"
<https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/optical-vs-laser-mouse-explanation/#dt-heading-comparison-optimal-surfaces>

"...both methods use the irregularities of a surface to keep track of
the peripheral’s position. But a laser can go deeper into the surface
texture. This provides more information for the CMOS sensor and
processor inside the mouse to juggle and hand over to the parent PC."

"This makes laser-based mice better for glass tables and
highly-lacquered surfaces..."

"The problem with laser-based mice is that they can be too accurate,
picking up useless information such as the unseen hills and valleys of
a surface. This can be troublesome when moving at slower speeds,
causing on-screen cursor "jitter," or what’s better known as
acceleration."

I've done a little tinkering with both types of mice. I used a
drawing program to draw a 1 pixel wide line. The optical mouse drew a
fairly "sharp" edged line. The laser mouse drew a tiny sawtooth
waveform (jitter). It can be cleaned up with averaging and damping,
but that increased response time, which was deemed highly undesirable
by the gamers in attendance. It was also possible to see building,
motor, and machinery mechanical vibrations along the line. That
disappeared for both types of mice when I used a rubber backed mouse
pad or installed rubber "carpet protectors" under the desk legs.

No advice. Just try a few different mice and use whatever works best.

[John Larkin]

Post by Jeff Liebermann

Post by john larkin
If you have an Ikea desk and your LED optical mouse doesn't work right
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CRZ85DZ
It was really annoying to be tweaking a PCB layout and having the
cursor wander around, or get stuck.

I think that's called "hunting". This might help explain what's
"Optical vs Laser Mouse"
<https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/optical-vs-laser-mouse-explanation/#dt-heading-comparison-optimal-surfaces>
"...both methods use the irregularities of a surface to keep track of
the peripheral’s position. But a laser can go deeper into the surface
texture. This provides more information for the CMOS sensor and
processor inside the mouse to juggle and hand over to the parent PC."
"This makes laser-based mice better for glass tables and
highly-lacquered surfaces..."
"The problem with laser-based mice is that they can be too accurate,
picking up useless information such as the unseen hills and valleys of
a surface. This can be troublesome when moving at slower speeds,
causing on-screen cursor "jitter," or what’s better known as
acceleration."
I've done a little tinkering with both types of mice. I used a
drawing program to draw a 1 pixel wide line. The optical mouse drew a
fairly "sharp" edged line. The laser mouse drew a tiny sawtooth
waveform (jitter). It can be cleaned up with averaging and damping,
but that increased response time, which was deemed highly undesirable
by the gamers in attendance. It was also possible to see building,
motor, and machinery mechanical vibrations along the line. That
disappeared for both types of mice when I used a rubber backed mouse
pad or installed rubber "carpet protectors" under the desk legs.
No advice. Just try a few different mice and use whatever works best.

I don't freehand draw lines as such, but I'm sure some people do.
Schematic entry and PCB layout make straight lines that are quantized
to a grid, or move parts and traces on the grid, and the LED mouse on
the Ikea desk made it hard to do that.

I was talking yesterday to Mo about drawing, in a cafe with cool
watercolors of city scenes on the walls. She can draw. She said "you
draw too" and I noted that I only do it with straight lines on a
rectangular grid. Well, rarely, a circle.