Tech Links

System Requirements

AbleTrack Features

AbleTrack Installation

Driver Installation

Using With DOS

Technical Information and System Requirements

Thank you for your interest in the AbleTrack assistive technology trackball. Below is some basic technical information to help answer some questions you may have.

Systems Requirements

 Windows Operating Systems (9X,2k,XP,Vista etc..) or

Linux based Operating System Kernel ( w/HID USB mouse drivers) or

Apple MAC OS 10.X.X ( basic Apple HID USB mouse driver needed)

 Computer with a free PS/2 Port or a USB 1.x_2.x port

Are you using DOS? MSDOS 3.3 (Click Here for DOS Info)

  256k bytes RAM memory minimum

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AbleTrack Features

Ergonomic removable wrist rest

Removable retaining ring for easy access to the ball and rollers for cleaning

Opto-mechanical technology provides highly accurate pointing

Two 4 inch by 2 1/2 inch removable remote switches with 1/8"-3.5 mm phono jacks

6 foot cords on the external hand and foot switches and 5 foot trackball cord

Hand switches with 1-2 ounce (28-56 gram) activation weight

Foot switches with 1 LB 10 ounce (737 gram) activation weight

Programmable 3rd switch with scroll lock (using optional software)

Variable resolution from 20 to 6400 DPI for fast or precision movement .

Uses less space than a typical mouse pad:
4 5/8 inches wide X 5 1/2 inches long (wrist rest adds 2 inches to the length) X 1 3/4 inch tall

  Custom Large 2 inch Pearlized track ball for easy maneuverability

Compatible With:
Linux Kernel Based Operating System with HID (Human Interface Device)USB mouse drivers
USB (Universal Serial Bus) 1.x and 2.0x compatible
All Windows Operating Systems (9X,2k,XP,Vista etc..)
Apple MAC OS 10.X.X (basic Apple HID USB mouse driver needed)

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AbleTrack Hardware Installation

1. Turn off the power to your PC before beginning.

2. Unplug your old mouse and plug your new AbleTrack into the PS/2 mouse port or USB port whichever you prefer. Remember to turn the power off before connecting or disconnecting the PS/2 connector!

NOTE: Having more than 1 trackball/mouse connected to your PC at the same time is ok on most PC's however there is always a chance that operating this way can cause your mouse to function erratically.

4. Turn your PC back on.

5. Your Operating System should immediately recognize your AbleTrack. If not, your computer will prompt you to insert your operating system disk into your CD-ROM drive to install the Standard P/2 compatible or USB HID compliant ( Human Interface Device) mouse drivers.

Follow the prompts to install the drivers found on your operating system disc (for example D:\win98).

6. If you do not have your operating system disk when you first install your AbleTrack you may reinstall the Mouse drivers later by going into the Device Manager of the Windows Operating System. Click Update Driver, which starts the Hardware Update wizard. Alternately, uninstall the driver, and then click Scan for hardware changes to reload the drivers.

7. The mouse pointer speed can be adjusted to suit your needs. Below is a screen shot of the Mouse Properties Box.

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MSDOS USERS:

The AbleTrack will work on PC's with Microsoft MSDOS version 3.3 or higher installed. However, as time goes on, these older OS's and specs may not apply to the AbleTrack. But just in case there are still some 'old schoolers' or those interested I will leave this section as is for the most part.

If you do not have Microsoft MSDOS trackball/mouse drivers I using CUTEMOUSE V1.9 which can be downloaded from http://cutemouse.sourceforge.net or click here to get the ZIP file from Mabatech. CUTEMOUSE is a DOS based, open source mouse driver, which supports many protocols of serial and PS/2 mice. Once you have saved the file to your disk drive, use pkunzip or winzip to unzip the files to a floppy disc. Next you need to get to the DOS prompt. If your in Windows click on START-SHUT DOWN-RESTART IN MSDOS MODE. Make sure the floppy disk is in drive A. Next enter A: at the C:\WINDOWS> prompt and press ENTER. At the A:\> prompt enter cmouse.exe to run the program and install the driver. If you like you can also modify your autoexec.bat file to automatically load the program. Go to http://cutemouse.sourceforge.net for more information on that or check the Microsoft link below.

I have tested the CUTEMOUSE V1.9 MSDOS driver using a very nice freeware MSDOS program called Doodle by Joseph H. Rosevear and and found it easily detects the AbleTrack in the PS/2 ports. Click here to download Doodle in ZIP format.

Mouse driver files used to be supplied with MSDOS 5.0/6.0 (circa 1991) and were called MOUSE.SYS and MOUSE.COM. However Microsoft, for whatever reason, doesn't supply them with the typical 3.5" floppy MSDOS boot disk that normally comes with the newer WINDOWS 9X/XP/NT/200X Operating System CD ROM. ( Possibly because the Windows OS supplied mouse drivers will work if you switch to the DOS command prompt window running under a Windows OS, not to be confused with the regular DOS command prompt). If you have these files and want more information from Microsoft on setting up or troubleshooting your AUTOEXEC.BAT file go to http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=96706

If you have any questions or suggestion please contact us. While every effort is taken to insure the info provided is correct, mistakes can happen, so it's up to you to verify the information is suitable for your situation. Thank you.

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Driver Installation

Microsoft Windows has the drivers you need to operate your new AbleTrack, so you do not need any special drivers. Standard USB and PS/2 mouse drivers will work.

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Computer doesn't recognize your AbleTrack is plugged in

Since Windows XP was introduced this has almost become a non issue - of course you show be sure all cables are physically fully connected(sometimes connectors may appear to be fully connected only to find on examination that they are not). The newer operating systems make it a simple matter of plug and play. If however for some reason your AbleTrack isn't recognized and operating please consult the owners manual that came with your AbleTrack. Generally you may need to remove the old mouse driver used with your previous mouse. For Windows users, go to the SYSTEM folder in the CONTROL Panel, left click on DEVICE MANAGER, left click on MOUSE, left click on the old mouse driver to highlight it then click on REMOVE and select OK. Next you need to restart your computer so either press CTRL/ALT/DEL or press the reset button on your computer.

If your AbleTrack is still not recognized then it's possible you have the PS/2 port disabled in your motherboards BIOS. Newer computers may have the BIOS set to disable legacy support for PS/2 ports on the motherboard. This can result in AbleTrack PS/2 trackball not being recognized. Consult with the motherboard manufacturers manual for your motherboard BIOS settings. NOTE that flashing a BIOS is best performed by those familiar with the procedure.

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