How do laser mice work

Choosing the best mouse for you can be a challenge. Modern mice are basically cameras. They constantly take pictures, although instead of capturing your face, they grab images of the surface underneath. Ultimately, you have a low-resolution camera in the palm of your hand, otherwise known as a CMOS sensor.

All mice are optical, technically, because they take photos, which is optical data. However, the ones marketed as optical models rely on an infrared or red LED that projects light onto a surface.

This LED is typically mounted behind an angled lens, which focuses the illumination into a beam. The CMOS sensor collects the light and converts the light particles into an electrical current. This analog data is then converted into ones and zeroes, resulting in more than 10, digital images captured each second.

These images are compared to generate the precise location of the mouse, and then the final data is sent to the parent PC for cursor placement every 1 to 8 milliseconds. Jump ahead years later, and the LED light is projected at an angle — and typically unseen infrared.

This helps the mouse track its movements on most surfaces. Meanwhile, Logitech takes the credit for introducing the first mouse to use a laser in More specifically, it is called a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser diode or VCSEL which is used in laser pointers, optical drives, barcode readers, and more.

Over time, though, optical mice have improved, and they now work in a variety of situations with a high degree of accuracy. It works in tandem with a system that tracks how far the mouse has moved by bouncing hundreds of images every second, constantly updating the position of the mouse and the subsequent position of the cursor on the screen.

In general, the laser mouse moves very smoothly and accurately, although if the system memory is bogged down, it will cause the cursor to lag, along with everything else. In addition, the mouse can reflect from almost any surface, meaning that a mouse pad is not necessary.

Users have been known to employ anything from desk tops to pant legs as a reflective surface for their mouse, making it a great go-anywhere tool. Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a EasyTechJunkie researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Mary McMahon. Please enter the following code:. The mouse pad had a grid of dark lines. Each time the mouse was moved, the beam of light was interrupted by the grid. Whenever the light was interrupted, the sensor sent a signal to the computer and the cursor moved a corresponding amount. This kind of optical mouse was difficult to use, requiring that you hold it at precisely the right angle to ensure that the light beam and sensor aligned.

Also, damage to or loss of the mouse pad rendered the mouse useless until a replacement pad was purchased. Today's LED-based optical mice are far more user-friendly and reliable. Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close.

Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar. Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. Computer Peripherals.