Technical Description

Technical Description (wireless mouse)

 

Introduction

Have you ever wondered how a wireless mouse work? Well, to fully understand how it works we need to look back to the history of the mouse. The first ever mouse invented was in 1964 by Douglas Engelbart as can be seen in figure 1 (ProEdit, n.d.). This mouse looks unusual compared to the mouse we see today. It has a wooden box as it’s shell with two pieces of metal wheels that gives feedback to the computer. It only has one button so you can see how limited this mouse was. Through many years and people trying to invent new ways to make the mouse user friendly, in 1980, Xerox (a company that makes printer) made the first optical mouse (ProEdit, n.d.). this was a huge step forward to making the first wireless mouse. This mouse used optical sensors instead of using two metal wheels to track the mouse. Only four years later, in 1984, the first wireless mouse was invented by a company named Logitech as can be seen in figure 2 (ProEdit, n.d.). From the first wireless mouse, we tweaked the mouse more since technology is growing fast so we have faster technology which we implemented into the wireless mouse for better ProFormance. We use mouse to navigate the pointer on our screen. You want to be able to hold on to the mouse comfortably, so over time the shape of the mouse changed to many different shapes which you will bound to like at least one of them. The technologies in the mouse advanced to give you precision whenever you move the pointer to make it smooth for the user. People went from wired to wireless mouse because with wireless you don’t have to worry about the wire tangling or getting in the way. It also looks neater and can be used from a long distance, for instance, your bed if you wanted to.

Figure 1

Description: This image is from ProEdit. We can see the build of the first every mouse. The shape and the components is distinctively different from what we have today because technology  is always advancing.

Figure 2

Description: This image is from ProEdit. This is what the first wireless mouse looks like. It looks pretty similar the wireless mouse we have today. Is has infrared signal to track it’s motion.

Shell/Body

The current body of a wireless mouse is designed to fit into your hand like it’s natural to make it feel comfortable for long use peruses. Of course, today there are many different types of build that you might prefer. Ideally, there are two main buttons on top of the mouse. Some mouse might have more buttons on the side for different use but at the end of the day it is your preference. The shape of the body looks more like an egg with the bottom flatten out (figure 3). Some bodies of the mouse can be bulkier than others because it might be made for people with bigger hands.

Figure 3

Description: this image shows a mouse with a scroll wheel and multiple buttons on the side to make it have more functions.

Buttons

Most mouse have two buttons but sone have more than two buttons. People who like to game usually have a mouse with more than two buttons which they can configure it to do what they want with it. Usually, it’s two buttons on top and the rest on the side of the mouse where you\ thumb is located. You can see this configurationin figure 3. The left button on top of the mouse is used to open something in your computer or to start something. The left button on the side gives you more option to what you want to do with what you just clicked. The side buttons are for extra. For example, you can set one of the buttons to do whatever you want like you can have a button that can copy something and another button that pastes it. Also, if you see in figure 3, there are two buttons on top of the scroll wheel. Some mice have that button to change the DPI (dots per linear inch), which is to change the speed of your pointer. You have one button to increase the speed and the other two lower the speed depending on what you prefer.

Scroll Wheel

Today, every mouse has a built-in scroll wheel which is very useful for everyday task. It is usually located in front of the mouse in between the two buttons. If you want to go down or up in atab that you’re in, “the scroll wheel will enable you to scroll up and down that window” (Murmson, n.d.). if you didn’t know, the scroll wheel acts asa button too. When you click the scroll wheel, it will turn of or on a mode. “This mode allows you to scroll by moving the entire mouse instead of by rolling the wheel” (Murmson, n.d.). This is very helpful if you ever want to scroll all the way to the bottom when there’s a lot of pages but don’t want to physically scroll.

Motion detection

The mouse must give signals to the computer to show its movements so the pointer on the screen can move based on the position of the mouse. To do this, the mouse uses motion detection like trackball or optical sensor. Most mouse that are made today uses optical sensor because it is “less susceptible to errors caused by theintake of dirt and debris, but the optical sensor may perform differently depending on the reflective properties of the mouse surface” (Murmson, n.d.). As can be seen in figure 4, the optical sensors shine a light on the surface of the mouse and the light reflects back to the sensors to convert the data where the computer canunderstand to pinpoint the location of the mouse.

Circuit board

A circuit board is in every mouse that unites everything together. It is used to transfer data from each part of the mouse like the scroll wheel or the buttons to the computer. It is also a way to send current through to power the light and basically the whole mouse. As can be seen in figure 4, the circuit board takes up most of the space in a mouse.

Figure 4

Description: You can see where everything is in a wireless mouse as well as all its components.

Battery

The battery is the power source for the mouse. In a wireless mouse, the battery can be swapped out if it dies. Usually a mouse battery will “last for 3 to 9 months with a decent one, before you need to replace the battery” (xaremusa, 2020). This means you don’t have to worry about the battery dying for a long time and you can keep using it without having the thought of changing the battery frequently.

Connections

A wireless mouse sends signals to your computer through Radio frequencies. The older frequency was “27 Mhz, which had limited range. Newer mice operate at 2.4 Ghz which gives them greater range, about 100 to 150 feet” (How wireless mouse works, n.d.). In the mouse there would be a signal antenna, which can be seen in figure 4, that sends the signal to your pc which is attached to a USB device that receives the signal and gives the computer information. Pairing it up with your computer is very easy. You just plug the USB device into the computer and turn on your mouse. From there, you mouse will be connected to your computer. Another way your mouse can pair up with your computer is through Bluetooth. It uses a receiver which you have to plug into your computer to be able to it. However, the “Bluetooth also has decent range, usually about 33 feet” (How wireless mouse works, n.d.). Both are very reliable since when using it, you will not have any interference with the signal so it’s very close to the accuracy of a wired mouse. Receiver in figure 5.

Figure 5

Description: This is a receiver which gets the data from the mouse to the computer. You just have to plug it in to a USB port in your computer. It is very small because there isn’t much to it other than receiving data.

Conclusion

Thus, the wireless mouse started with a wired and parts that limited its full potential. As technology advanced, so did the mouse. After many years, people made the mouse with fast responses. The built of it also changed as people learned the structure of how the hand should rest on a mouse for the best comfort. Today we have wireless mouse that is quick and responsive.

Reference