Types of Mouse and How They Work
Types of Mouse and How They Work
And there are different types of mouse. But have you used all of them, wireless, gstick, optical, trackball,
mechanical? Lets talk about all of them and how they work.
WIRELESS MOUSE:
The Mouse without wire or cord is called wireless mouse or cordless mouse. Most wireless mice use radiofrequency
(RF) technology to communicate information to your computer. Since RF devices require two main components: a
transmitter and a receiver,thats why wireless mouse also requires it.
Working :
The transmitter is housed in the mouse. It sends an electromagnetic (radio) signal that encodes the information
about the mouses movements and the buttons you click.
The receiver, which is connected to your computer, accepts the signal, decodes it and passes it on to the mouse
driver software and your computers operating system.
The receiver can be a separate device that plugs into your computer, a special card that you place in an expansion
slot, or a built-in component.
GSTICK MOUSE:
Gordon Stewart designed the Stick to add a more authentic and natural feel to artistic manipulations on both Macs
and PCs. These mice are Wireless and pocket-sized. It looks like a pencil. gStick mouse is like a pencil. It can be
used for web browsing, office work or whatever you do with your traditional mouse, with more comfort. It also
features a scroll wheel that can be manipulated with a finger or thumb a button on either side of the wheel. Its
claimed that a single AAA battery will power the gStick for between three and five months.
OPTICAL MOUSE:
An optical mouse is an computer pointing device that uses a light-emitting diode an optical sensor, and digital signal
processing ( DSP ).This mouse doesnt have mouse ball and electromechanical transducer. Movement is detected
by sensing changes in reflected light, instead of interpreting the motion of a rolling sphere.
an optical mouse does not have moving parts thats why there is no need of cleaning .Also there is no mechanical
fatigue and failure in this type of mice. The optical mouse takes microscopic snapshots of the working surface at a
rate of more than 1,000 images per second. If the mouse is moved, the image changes . The best surfaces reflect
but scatter light; an example is a blank sheet of white drawing paper. Some surfaces do not allow the sensor and
DSP to function properly because the irregularities are too small to be detected. An example of a poor opticalmousing surface is unfrosted glass.
A TRACKBALL MOUSE:
A trackball mouse is a pointing device.It consists of a ball held by a socket containing sensors to detect a rotation of
the ball. The user rolls the ball with the thumb, fingers, or the palm of the hand to move a pointer. the operator just
continues rolling with trackball but a mouse would have to be lifted and re-positioned. Some trackballs, such as
Logitechs optical-pickoff types, have notably low friction, as well as being dense (glass), so they can be spun to
make them coast. Large trackballs are common on CAD workstations.
MECHANICAL MOUSE OR BALL MOUSE:
In 1972, Bill English (builder of Engelbarts original mouse) invented the ball mouse, while working for Xerox PARC.
In this, a single mouse was replaced by the external wheels, which could roll in any direction.
Mechanical mouse is a device integrated with an internal metal or rubber ball, which can spin in all directions (left,
right, up and down). Thus, the display cursor moves as the mouse detects the direction. The ball in the mechanical
mouse spins when it comes in contact with surface on which it is placed.