The Physics Behind Optical Mouse Technology

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the principles and technology behind optical mice, including their functioning, the physics involved, and the performance on various surfaces. Participants explore technical details, practical applications, and personal experiences with optical mice.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Experimental/applied

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants describe how optical mice use LEDs and sensors to capture images of the surface, translating changes into movement.
  • One post mentions the importance of surface texture for effective optical mouse operation, noting that some surfaces, like unfrosted glass, hinder performance.
  • Another participant raises a question about the meaning of "Invisible Optic" on their mouse, speculating whether it uses infrared or ultraviolet light and which would provide better precision.
  • Concerns are expressed about how an optical mouse detects motion on a perfectly uniform surface, especially at slow speeds where images might appear identical.
  • A participant shares a personal experience of their optical mouse functioning well on various surfaces, including clear glass.
  • There are requests for references or studies related to optical mouse technology, indicating a desire for further learning.
  • Some participants challenge others to search for information online before asking for help, suggesting a meta-discussion about resourcefulness in research.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express various viewpoints on the technology and performance of optical mice, with no clear consensus on certain aspects, such as the effectiveness on different surfaces and the implications of using different light types.

Contextual Notes

Some claims about performance on specific surfaces and the technical specifications of optical mice are made without detailed references or empirical evidence, leaving certain assumptions unverified.

zenith
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How optical mouse to work?
What's principle of the physics?

thanks b4
 
Computer science news on Phys.org
Wikipedia:
Modern surface-independent optical mice work by using an optical sensor to take successive pictures of the surface the mouse is operating on. Most of these mice use LEDs to illuminate the surface that is being tracked; LED optical mice are often mislabeled as 'Laser Mice', probably due to the red LED which is used in almost all optical mice, though lasers are becoming more common, as they allow greater precision in movement detection. Changes between one frame and the next are processed by the image processing part of the chip and translated into movement on the two axes. For example, the Agilent Technologies ADNS-2610 optical mouse sensor processes 1512 frames per second: each frame is a rectangular array of 18*18 pixels, and each pixel can sense 64 different levels of gray.
Demand for advances in optical mouse technology comes in large part from competitive FPS gamers, who prefer more accurate mice for more accurate aiming. Razer USA Ltd was the first to launch the 1600 dpi Razer Diamondback which was developed together with Agilent Technologies. Razer USA Ltd was led the mouse arms race for a year before Logitech caught up with its MX518 gaming mouse which also featured a 1600 dpi optical sensor.
Yay.
 
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Thanks, anyone give me referal of this study about optical mouse?
 
There's a program (readmouse) that dumps the little pictures that the mouse takes. Heh heh.
 
An optical mouse is an advanced computer pointing device that uses a light-emitting diode (LED), an optical sensor, and digital signal processing (DSP) in place of the traditional mouse ball and electromechanical transducer. Movement is detected by sensing changes in reflected light, rather than by interpreting the motion of a rolling sphere.

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 tiniest irregularities in the surface can produce images good enough for the sensor and DSP to generate usable movement data. 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 optical-mousing surface is unfrosted glass.

In practice, an optical mouse does not need cleaning, because it has no moving parts. This all-electronic feature also eliminates mechanical fatigue and failure. If the device is used with the proper surface, sensing is more precise than is possible with any pointing device using the old electromechanical design. This is an asset in graphics applications, and it makes computer operation easier in general.

--From an internet dictionary
 
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Is anyone give me of the reffernce about it?
I wish learn it!
 
zenith said:
Is anyone give me of the reffernce about it?
I wish learn it!

I don't get what you're asking for. They already gave you references on it.

Plus, I don't see what something like Googling or Yahoo-ing cannot do in this situation. Try searching first (you will most likely get your information there), then ask if you can't find the information online. :rolleyes:
 
Umm, my mouse has no red light but rather there's a label "Invisible Optic". I wonder what taht exactly means. Does taht mean it use Infra/UV? Which one will give more precission?
 
  • #10
Something interesting is that my microsoft optical mouse works flawlessly on every single surface I've ever tried, including extremely clear class.
 
  • #11
I wonder how the mouse is able to detect motion on a perfectly uniform surface.

What if the mouse is moved at a very slow speed such that each image taken by the mouse is completely similar to each other?
 
  • #12
Shailen Sobhe said:
I wonder how the mouse is able to detect motion on a perfectly uniform surface.

What if the mouse is moved at a very slow speed such that each image taken by the mouse is completely similar to each other?

as they said, it works at 1500 fps (frames per second) and even then is able to detect differences between the frames. how do you think you will manage to move your mouse at such a slow speed that the frames are identical in every aspect? you are theoretically correct but the task is practically impossible. this is the very reason why mice doesnot work well on clear clean glass...
 

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