Getting raw data from trackpoint

[eeddy]

Hi @twelho , I am looking at improving the underlying transfer function for the trackpoint and I am trying to figure out how to get the raw data from the sensor. Do you have any guidance/suggestions on how I can do this?

Thanks in advance!

[twelho]

Hi! First, this depends on your TrackPoint model: if it's one of the older models based on the TPM754, those are not updatable, but I remember seeing a way to get the raw data out on some very old ThinkPads. It was branded something like "TrackPoint experiments" for classrooms and such to do physics demos with the TrackPoint, but I can't find it right now. For modern versions, like the ELAN one I have, the firmware is updatable and technically could be modified, but we don't yet have any idea how it works, it would need to be decompiled first (which we don't know how to do yet). Finally, the nuclear option if you just want the raw data is to just read the strain gauges directly: https://hackaday.io/project/171439-ibm-thinkpad-380ed-keyboardtrackpoint-to-usb