PS/2 mouse adapter PCB designs for Amiga (and Atari ST)

Support Denis Sotchenko's PS2M mouse adapter's PIC microcontroller firmware

"ps2mhiiri627" is a small printed circuit board design for an Amiga - PS/2 mouse adapter. It uses the PIC16F627A microcontroller from Microchip. Also any other sufficiently similar PIC can be used. The firmware comes from the ps2m project (see links for more information). Cadsoft EAGLE board and schematic files are on this page for download. Some of the older revisions may have hardware bugs, so the new fixed ones should be used. To use a wheel mouse (scroll) you will need a cable to Amiga's second joystick port, and a driver utility, WBM (Wheel Bus Mouse.)

Link list

ps2m.sotchenko.ru/index.html
http://www.aminet.net Aminet files that have the string "ps2m" in their readme
PIC16(L)F627A/628A/648A information from Microchip
PICs are popular in this kind of use an Atari ST adapter as an example of many circuits for the same purpose.
Archyx's Amiga-Atari mouse adapter

Problem with right (and middle) mouse button

POTY/POTX inputs are not normal TTL-inputs

A problem: The right mouse button is not recognised by a certain A1200 unit as pressed down, because the voltage at the D-connector pin 9 remains at 0.3 volts. The input is not a normal TTL-input, but it is used for a resistance-to-digital converter, "POTY", for example to be used for an analog joystick or paddles. The middle button uses the other POT (potentiometer) input.
Maybe the problem causes the pics to die eventually.

Possible fix for right mouse button

Combine three outputs of PIC to drive "POTY". I used RA6 and RA7 with RB3 to open drain sink current, and the voltage lowered to 0.16V (on an A500+ mainboard.) Here's the modified source code, .hex-file. It also has initialisation code for PIC16LF87's internal oscillator to make it run at 4 MHz. I hope the modifications don't cause any side effects. Anyway I tested the adapter with LF87 and it worked, and so does it with F627A. Note: This doesn't do anything to the middle mouse button.
The GPL license, and the supplemental include files macros.i and 16f876.i from ps2m release 1.5.

Compiling picasm and with picasm

I downloaded mingw gnu c environment for windows and mingw-make, added its bin-directory to windows xp search path and compiled picasm v1.14. For some reason the compiled picasm produced "funny" line feed (or similar) codes, Winpic800 couldn't load the hex file. I loaded the hex file with willem 0.97ja software and saved it back, and then Winpic800 loaded it fine. (Picasm assembler seems to be available as a precompiled deb-package in Debian GNU/Linux)

Configuration word for PIC16F627A/628A/648A

bit 13 FLASH Program Memory Code Protection bit: '1' = protection off
bit 8 CPD: Data Code Protection bit: '1' = protection off
bit 7 LVP: Low Voltage Programming Enable: '0' = off
bit 6 BOREN: Brown-out Reset Enable bit: '1' = on
bit 5 MCLRE: RA5/MCLR pin function select: '0' = "0 = RA5/MCLR pin function is digital Input, MCLR internally tied to VDD"
bit 3 /PWRTEN: Power-up Timer Enable bit: '0' = on
bit 2: WDTEN: Watchdog Timer Enable bit: '1' = on
bit 4, 1-0: FOSC2:FOSC0: Oscillator Selection bits = 100 "INTOSC oscillator: I/O function on RA6/OSC2/CLKOUT pin, I/O function on RA7/OSC1/CLKIN"
Config word = bin 10000101010100 = hex 2154
Willem eprom progammer might show this as hex 3154 (bit12 also '1')
Power-up Timer (PWRT) provides a fixed delay of 72 ms (nominal) on power-up for reset.
"MCLR/RA5" option should be configured as RA5-input. If, however, the MCLR pin is configured as reset, it is needed to tie the pin to +5V voltage level, with a wire link, or a resistor. The version of the PIC microcontroller I have mostly used is the PIC16F627A and '628A. PIC16F627/628/627A/628A/648A can be used, if you choose a suitable configuration word for the part you are using. Please note that the PIC16C84/F84 are not usable with these PCB:s, because those controllers require external oscillator components. See the original ps2m.lha on Aminet and/or microchip datasheets, if you want to use those '84 parts.

V0.8 for Atari ST

Cross-swapping signals for pins 1 and 4 at D9 connector makes Atari ST mouse from Amiga mouse. This pcb wires the PIC to D9 for ST use. It was noticed that the mouse pointer moves rather slowly in the sense that long move on table has to be made in order the pointer reach other end on the display.

EAGLE PCB CAD source files: brd sch

V2.1


This version was made in order to make use of a right-angled D-9F connector with especially long body. I had about 50 pcs of these connectors, which are used to build this pcb version of the adapter. Signals needed for mouse scroll functions are not present except at the PIC pins, not at any connector. Middle mouse button might work except maybe on some A1200:s.
It might not fit in A600's mouse connector hole or some Atari-ST model. The firmware should be the modified version for boosted current for right mouse button (ps2m-m03). The soic-18 PIC needs to be programmed before soldering on the board. The PCB has an option to cris-cros signals to select between Amiga or Atari-ST operation. It's done by putting two solder blobs between tiny smd pads on the bottom side. Document revision A adds default connections for Amiga operation. board image schematic image
EAGLE PCB CAD source files: brd sch

V0.7


board image schematic image
This is derived from V0.5 boards. The 10-pin header is now a through hole type instead of SMT-header. The header must be soldered in a special way: the pins should not stick out from the lower side surface, because bulges would not allow the PIC to be soldered. You could put the PCB on a flat surface and press the pin header as much as it goes, but not more, and the pins are then not bulging. (Except for the batch of boards I hade made: The holes are too wide to hold the pins in place by pressure friction.)
V0.7 (January-2008) EAGLE brd source sch source

DIL version with Amiga/ST jumpers

This has the DIL-18 package variant of the PIC, instead of SOIC-18 SMD package. Choosing between Amiga or ST compatibility is done by placing the jumpers either vertically or horizontally, thus cross-switching certain two signals going to the D9F-connector.
Please note, that there may be newer PCB versions, than this V1.0 board, for the other PCB variants (such as V0.7)
V1.0 Photo brd sch

Atari ST version 0.6

Atari STFM version is different from the Amiga version mainly by the criss-crossing of 2 signal lines (pins 1 and 4 on D9 connector). D9F-connector is right angle type, which may not fit to other models of Atari ST than STFM, because the sides of the connector extend wider than the mouse hole in some Atari ST models. Revision-A has design rules "relaxed to 10/10 mils." It also has "MCLR" pin of the PIC connected to +5V (unlike the initial revision). The PIC is meant to be programmed before soldering on this PCB.
V0.6Abrd sch V0.6 Photo brd sch

V0.5b/V0.5a/V0.5/V0.4

These versions are rather similar to each other. V0.5b has different track routing from the previous, the autorouter was used.
V0.5b(may-2007) EAGLE brd source sch source
V0.5a(october-2006) EAGLE brd source sch source
V0.5(march-2006) In this photo.
The V0.4 board is slightly larger than V0.3/V0.2, so autorouter was able complete its job. board image schematic image EAGLE brd source sch source

A small batch of V0.2 boards

Picture of completed V0.2 and adapters with bug fix modifications and a worn out DIL adapter. VCC/GND bug corrected manually to the boards.
V0.X series is designed to accept the original PS2M firmware directly, without modification. I programmed the controllers using "Willem Eprom" programmer and a DIL to SOIC converter. The PICs were temporarily soldered to the adapter, although only a few of the pins needed to be soldered to the adapter.
This version 0.2 is the first try, and it has many bugs. I had a small batch factory made, but discovered the bugs only after that. PNG image of the PCB from EAGLE PNG image of the schematic from EAGLE There are a number of errors: VCC and GND switched places on D-9 and IDC-10 connectors. Thats bad. RB6 of PIC not connected to IDC-10 connector because of unconnected net due to different signal names on schematic. For similar reason, VCC not connected on IDC-10 connector. VCC would have been on the wrong pin anyway. The name "OSC1/CLKIN" of unused signal is wrong for the pin number 15. See datasheets for correct info. V0.3 fixed some of the bugs of V0.2, but I haven't actually built this version. See newest version, if you want to use the board files to build boards. board image schematic image EAGLE brd source (the design rules are embedded in this file) schematic source