Re: KOALA PAD: how to center-adjust?

[root@iunet (The Root User)]

Stephen Buggie (sebugg@presby.edu) wrote:
:             HOW TO CENTER-ADJUST A KOALA PAD?

: Recently I have obtained two Koala Pads: one by net purchase and a second
: received as a gift.   Both connect to the 16-pin DIP "game port" connector
: on the IIe motherboard.  I have not yet been able to connect them to the IIc
: 9-pin port.

: Both work identically, and both work great with the Koala Micro Illustrator
: drawing software.  The point remains stable on the drawing screen, in an
: analogous way to a mouse cursor.

: The Koala Pad can also be used as a joystick, but this the reason why I
: write now.   When used as a joystick with games, the Koala "pulls to the left"
: of the screen.  With a joystick, I would simply adjust the center-adjust
: controls to eliminate that drift.   But the Koala Pad does not have any
: adjustors ---- at least not externally.

: DOES THE KOALA PAD HAVE ANY INTERNAL PRE-SETS THAT CAN BE USED TO CENTER
: THE CURSOR, THEREBY ELIMINATING THE CURSOR-DRIFT TO THE LEFT OF THE SCREEN?

: I have not opened the Koala Pad --- it has six phillips screws on the bottom.
: Are there any complications in opening it --- any springs etc. that will fly
: out????  Any complications in reassembling it?

: I suspect that there is some circuitry inside because the manual mentioned
: that
: one of the pins supplies +5v to the Koala ---- so it is not merely a passive
: device as the joystick or game-paddles are.

: Advice will be appreciated!      Stephen Buggie      sebugg@presby.edu

Well, I think you're outta luck here.  The Koala Pad wasn't meant to be used
as a joystick (but by all means don't let that top you!)

What I mean is that it is designed that when the stylus is lifted off of the
pad, it inputs the upper left coordinates.  The Micro Illustrator that it
comes with is written with this in mind, so naturally it works fine with 
that.  Games unfortunately, aren't aware of this, which makes it hard to
use a Koala Pad with them.  There is no center adjust that I'm aware of, 
but maybe someone else might know...

-Shawn
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