salvaging touchpad from laptop

[Laniakea]

I had a broken HP laptop laying around and I always wanted a touchpad, so I thought I'd remove from the laptop and repurpose it. I did a little googleing and found out that they could be used by attaching a usb cable to the right place (I think, I thought that after THIS video.) so I did that, aand it didn't work, couldn't figure out why. I checked the cable using a multimeter so the problem isn't there just so you know. I checked the pins from the video to go directly to the pins I tied the usb cables to, I think it'll make me able to use clicky buttons too, but idk if it can be the problem. 

[Laniakea]

3 minutes ago, BlueScope819 said:

It depends on the specific model of touchpad and how it's electrically designed. I don't think it's as simple as connecting a USB cable to certain parts, as the connection usually goes over a ribbon cable of some description, not USB. Good luck though, I may be wrong.

I mean, as you can see it in the video, it works ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Kilrah]

That's an older PS/2 touchpad, not USB.

[PeachGr]

Better salvage the display, it's possible and "funny"

[Laniakea]

23 minutes ago, Kilrah said:

That's an older PS/2 touchpad, not USB.

in the vid, he used a converter for ps2 to usb, and in the comments someone said he could've done it without using a converter and just directly connect it to a usb cable. there are 4 ports, so I think the rest is pretty straight forward, I think it must've worked. 

[Laniakea]

18 minutes ago, PeachGr said:

Better salvage the display, it's possible and "funny"

yeah I'll do that when I can afford that thingy that u buy to make it a standalone display :d

[Kilrah]

  

2 minutes ago, Laniakea said:

in the comments someone said he could've done it without using a converter and just directly connect it to a usb cable

 

That's irrelevant since it's not the same touchpad model as yours.

[Laniakea]

29 minutes ago, BlueScope819 said:

Is your laptop a "SYNAPTICS TM1679"?

heh lol, no. But the touchpad almost looks identical and I followed the pins at the back of the touchpad all the way to the 4 pins that I connected the usb cable to. sooo 

[WereCatf]

1 minute ago, Laniakea said:

heh lol, no. But the touchpad almost looks identical and I followed the pins at the back of the touchpad all the way to the 4 pins that I connected the usb cable to. sooo 

Looking "almost identical" means jack shit. If it's not actually identical, the pinout may be different or it might be using I2C instead of USB, for example.

[PeachGr]

4 minutes ago, Laniakea said:

yeah I'll do that when I can afford that thingy that u buy to make it a standalone display :d

It's 30$ max, I bought mine for 18$ if I remember well

[Laniakea]

1 minute ago, WereCatf said:

Looking "almost identical" means jack shit. If it's not actually identical, the pinout may be different or it might be using I2C instead of USB, for example.

u got a point, I'm gonna check it's pinout and stuff now, I'll update. 

[Laniakea]

1 minute ago, PeachGr said:

It's 30$ max, I bought mine for 18$ if I remember well

can't afford even that at the moment