[KLUG Hardware] re: Erratic Mouse

[Mike Williams]

>From: Sirch Namdig <cjgidman@yahoo.com>
>To: hardware@kalamazoolinux.org
>Subject: [KLUG Hardware] Erratic Mouse
>Reply-To: hardware@kalamazoolinux.org
>
>My system uses a serial mouse.
>
>On fast movement or high speed settings, the pointer behaves
>erratically.  For example, if I slide left quickly the pointer
>jumps around and sometimes even goes the other direction.  Often
>times, it ends up close to the same spot from which I started.  If I
>change the setting to go slower, or I move the mouse much slower, it
>seems to work fine.
>
>What are your thoughts?
>
>Chris.

I think you're just maxing out the capabilities of the serial interface.
Mice work by sampling the position of the wheel and assuming it only moved
one click from one sample to the next.  As long as you're sampling fast
enough (or moving slow enough) this is valid, but if you manage to move 2
clicks between samples, the system will see that as moving the other way.
Other than going to a faster interface, all I can think of is using a mouse
with a lower resolution, or maybe cranking up the port speed.  Don't serial
mice usually run at a whopping 1200 baud?