DIGIT-ARC read-only archive · snapshot: July 23, 2026

Convert Your Old Optical Mouse CCD into a Scanner !

21 posts · originally from https://geek.digit.in/community/threads/convert-your-old-optical-mouse-ccd-into-a-scanner.31356/

rakeshishere
rakeshishere Original post #1
Jul 4, 2006 at 3:26 PM
Are you using an optical mouse right now? Ever wanted to see your desktop through the eye on the bottom of it? Me neither, I already know I have to clean my desktop

People get bored sometimes, and when I get bored I sometimes open up stuff to find out what makes it tick. One time, I did this with an old optical mouse. Well, a mouse only has 2 chips inside: the optical sensor and a chip for the usb/ps2-interfacing. I looked up the datasheet of the optical sensor (which is an ADNS2610) and it told me the sensor has a tiny 18x18 CCD, which can be read out using the serial port (the one which normally interfaces to the PS2/USB-chip).

So I start Visual Basic (I usually do my stuff under Linux, but I'm no star at using anything graphical like QT or GTK, so for this quick'n'dirty project I fell back in my old habits) and hack something up using a few wires to the trusty ole parallel port. The result: crisp lo-res b&w imaging

IMAGE
*sprite.student.utwente.nl/~jeroen/projects/mouseeye/e.png

As you can see, the mouse was over some text with an 'e' in it.

One of the more obvious features of a mouse, however, is that it can detect movement. Combine this with the just-aquired imaging features, and we have a ghetto b&w handscanner. This is a 'scanned' piece of a receipt:

IMAGE
*sprite.student.utwente.nl/~jeroen/projects/mouseeye/boodschappen.jpg

I can understand you can't wait to have such a handy scanner yourself. And now, you can! The software is downloadable here.

h**p://sprite.student.utwente.nl/~jeroen/projects/mouseeye/readmouse.zip


The software works on mice which use an ADNS-2610 optical sensor, recognisable by the eight pins, the sun-like mark and the text 'A2610'. I've seen this sensor in most cheap optical mice that aren't too old. To hook it up, check out the pinout in the datasheet, then on the PCB cut the traces running from the sensors SCK- and SDIO-pins to the rest of the mouse. Then connect the sensor, using a diode, to a parallel port, like this:

pp: adns-2610:
25-----------------GND

12----------+------SDIO
5 -----|<|--+

9 -----------------SCK

Plug in the USB/PS2-plug (or apply 5V to the Vcc-pin of the sensor), run the software and you should be OK[/b]
_________________

Edit: FatBeing
Source: *sprite.student.utwente.nl/~jeroen/projects/mouseeye/

{Please post a source next time or you'll be liable for an immediate ban}
kjuvale
kjuvale #2
Jul 4, 2006 at 7:44 PM
Please give source.

Original source- *sprite.student.utwente.nl/~jeroen/projects/mouseeye/
ashisharya
Jul 13, 2006 at 9:43 PM
totally rip off! *sprite.student.utwente.nl/~je...ects/mouseeye/
P
Jul 26, 2006 at 10:29 AM
good tutorial but u shud give credit to the author
aku
aku #5
Jul 26, 2006 at 11:47 AM
man!... i started 2 envey him as i thot dat it ws his creation... but nw whn i kno dat its a total rip off... im laughin on2 maself! loll
...
create; dont steal
S
sre06 #6
Sep 27, 2006 at 4:08 PM
please tell me something more about this tutorial please my email id is srekus@gmail.com
jz2linkinpark
Oct 1, 2006 at 7:57 AM
i am using microsoft wireless intellimouse explorer 2.0, will this software work with me mouse
coolendra
Oct 1, 2006 at 9:26 PM
nice info dood....

plz post some more stufff like this...
S
SE> #9
Oct 2, 2006 at 8:23 PM
well its just a 700KB file. just download any try for yourself. Anyways it didn't work with my mouse- a logitech standard optical PS/2 mouse
nitish_mythology
Oct 3, 2006 at 4:47 PM
Wow...Cool and Geeky
The author deserves claps!
Rollercoaster
Oct 8, 2006 at 9:22 AM
LOL.. shamefull!!!

but cute discovery
C
Dec 2, 2006 at 11:43 PM
please give the complete details ..
A
Dec 11, 2006 at 11:11 PM
yes it doesnt work with my logitech ps/2 mouse.
intead
my mcafee found a password cracking malware associated with it so

BE CAREFULL GUYs
aditya.shevade
Dec 12, 2006 at 9:56 AM
anonymusneo said:
yes it doesnt work with my logitech ps/2 mouse.
intead
my mcafee found a password cracking malware associated with it so

BE CAREFULL GUYs

Anymore info regarding this?

Aditya
NikhilVerma
Dec 12, 2006 at 3:12 PM
u can't run that through a normal mouse ... that person asked to change some circuitry in the mouse first
T
Jun 2, 2007 at 8:49 AM
PLEASE READ THIS:
you have to hack the mouse to connect the SCK and SDIO pins from the sensor to your parallel port!!!!!!!!
THE SOFTWARE DOES NOT WORK WITH AN UNALTERED MOUSE!!!!!!!:!: :!: :!:
AND YES THIS TUTORIAL IS FROM : *spritesmods.com/?art=mouseeye
thank you
TechnoMancer
Gigacore
Gigacore #17
Jun 2, 2007 at 10:20 AM
Dont take credit! Mention Source
S
srikugun #18
Jul 6, 2008 at 8:12 PM
How can I find the no. of my Optical Sensor ...so that I can look up for the datasheet in the net ???:confused::!:
Rollercoaster
Jul 6, 2008 at 8:39 PM
a component's number is generally engraved on the component itself. try using a magnifying lens and view it under bright light.

tho it is possible that on the Optical sensor the number is not on the top side as there are the optics there. Tyr looking around the chip on the PC usually u will find component names written in white itch.
K
kasper #20
Jan 29, 2009 at 12:17 AM
thank you for publishing it.
thanks again
N
Mar 31, 2009 at 7:58 AM
you links don't work dude just check them out