Posted by Nathan Strum on 4, 2001 at 2:30 AM:
In Reply to: "How fast you can spin" = software + adapter, not the spinner? posted by The Maverick on 3, 2001 at 11:04 AM:
: I believe this is effect is related mostly to the software and interface rather than the spinner hardware itself...
Yes and no. The software can affect it (usually negatively), but the encoder hardware is the primary factor. The distance between encoder wheel spokes affects sensitivity. The thicker the spokes, and the farther apart they are, the less responsive the spinner (simply because you have to turn the knob further to register any movement - this is regardless of software, since it's a physical property of the hardware). Thinner and closer together spokes are more responsive, but can cause the "freaking out" problem. At high speeds, if the spokes are too thin, then the optical sensors have a really difficult time determining what order the sensors are being tripped, and therefore can't determine the direction the wheel is turning.
Software can compensate for this (or make it worse, even with a good spinner), but if the optical "guts" used aren't matched for the speed that's expected, then there's little that can be done to improve it. Using Happ parts shouldn't be a problem, since they're pretty much designed for that sort of use. Mouse hacks are more prone to it, depending on the mouse used, since they're designed to be moved short, precise distances at slow speeds.
So my question should have been more along the lines of - can the software in various games can be adjusted so that you can spin the daylights out of the spinner without running into this problem, or are there some instances where you can't get around it?