Computer HardwareInformation about computer mice.
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Mouse ABCsMouse TechnologiesInterfacesTypes of miceTechnical SupportHow a mouse worksMouse Disassembly Mouse definitions
MOUSE ABCs
A mouse is a hardware device which allows the user to control a cursor to manipulate data without complicated commands. The mouse or mice was invented by Douglas Englebart in 1963, who at the time was working at the Stanford Research Institute, which was a think tank sponsored by Stanford University. The Mouse was originally referred to as an X-Y Position Indicator for a Display System. Xerox later applied the mouse to its revolutionary Alto computer system in 1973. However, because of Alto's unfortunate success, it was first widely used in the Apple Lisa computer. Today, the mouse is now found on every Apple and PC computer and used with various different GUIs.
MOUSE TECHNOLOGIES
Mechanical Mice - Mechanical Mice requires that the mouse be set on a flat surface. The distance and the speed of the rollers inside the mouse determines how far the mouse cursor moves on the screen depending on the software configuration.
Optical Mice - Optical Mice require a special mouse pad which has a grid pattern. A sensor inside the mouse determines the movement by reading the grid as the mouse passes over it while emitting a light from an LED or sometimes a laser. This type of mouse is much more accurate than the ordinary optical mechanical mouse which relies on the traction between the mouse ball and the rollers. One drawback to an optical mouse is they can have problems in bright lights.
New Optical Mice no longer have the disadvantages of earlier mice and are capable of being utilized on any surface. In comparison to the traditional Optical-Mechanical mouse, the Optical is a much better solution for a computer mouse.
Optical-Mechanical - The optical-mechanical hybrid consists of a ball which rolls a wheel inside the mouse. This wheel contains a circle of holes and or notches to read the LED by a sensor as it spins around when the mouse is moved. This mouse is much more accurate than the mechanical mouse. This mouse is now the most commonly used mouse with PC and Macintosh computers. See How a mouse works for an illustration and a more in-depth explanation of how this mouse works.
INTERFACES
Bluetooth
Infrared
PS/2 Port
Serial Port
USB
TYPES OF MICE
Cordless
Footmouse
Glidepoint
IntelliMouse
J mouse
Joystick
Touchpad
Trackball
TrackPoint
Wheel mouse
HOW A MOUSE WORKS
The optical mechanical mouse's operation is fairly simple. As you can see in the below illustration, the mouse movement is tracked by four parts. As the mouse is moved, the ball rolls in the direction of the movement which, in turn, moves the roller (X or Y axis). As the roller begins to rotate, so does the chopper / gear. The gear has small notches within it or around the edges of it; as it rotates, light shines through the openings which is then detected by the two light sensors which then sends the computer a signal of that movement. The offset of the light received by the two light sensors determines the direction of each axis.
Within the mouse you will find a total of two rollers and choppers / gears. Each roller represents a X or Y axis which is the Horizontal or Vertical movement of the mouse cursor.
MOUSE DISASSEMBLY
The illustration below shows the disassembly of a standard mouse. As shown you can see that the internal components of a mouse. We have illustrated the general location of four main components within the mouse.

First, you will notice the two Choppers and or Gears; these two represent the axis of where the cursor is located. The chopper furthest to the represents the X axis, which is the vertical axis. The other chopper, which is only partially shown, represents the Y axis, which is the horizontal axis.
Second, you notice the mouse ball. The mouse ball is the main part within the mouse which allows the user to move the mouse which moves the appropriate axis which then moves the mouse cursor on the screen. Without the mouse ball the mouse would be useless.
Third, you notice the four pin Interface Cable Connection, which is where the information is transferred from the mouse to the computer.
Index
Category:HardwareCompanies:Click hereRelated Pages: Microsoft Intellimouse
Drivers
See document CH000548.
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Reference
Issue / Question
Mouse
Dictionary definition and related links on the mouse.
Cleaning
Additional information and help with cleaning computer hardware.
Serial Port
Additional information and help on the Serial port.
PS/2 - AT
Additional information and help on the PS/2 and AT port.
Contacts
Contact information for computer mice and other input devices.
Drivers
Information on software and drivers for the computer mouse.
CHADD
Additional information with installing computer hardware.
CH000007
Getting the mouse to work in MS-DOS
CH000253
Mouse acting erratically and/or is not moving properly.
CH000254
Mouse not being detected in Windows 9x, ME, 2000, XP, or Vista.
CH000255
Mouse cursor has trails following it as it mouse moves.
CH000256
Mouse does not work in Windows 3.x.
CH000542
How to move the mouse cursor with the keyboard in Windows.
CH000548
Do I need mouse drivers?
CH000816
How can I increase or decrease my mouse double-click speed?
CH000819
How can I change the left and right mouse buttons?
CH000880
How do I change my Windows mouse cursor?
CH000909
How can I change the speed of my mouse in Windows?
CH000981
The wheel on my mouse is not working properly.
CH001083
When and who invented the first computer mouse?
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