Tankstick MAX: Why the Trackball or Spinner Works but the Joysticks and Buttons Do Not
If the trackball or spinner works on your Tankstick MAX, but the joysticks and front buttons do not, start by checking the two separate USB paths before trying firmware changes.
Why This Happens
The current Tankstick MAX design uses two separate USB connections:
- One USB connection handles the trackball / spinner mouse path.
- A second USB connection handles the main joystick and button encoder path.
Because those paths are separate, it is possible for the trackball or spinner to work while the joysticks and buttons still do not.
What to Check First
- Confirm the trackball / spinner USB connection is attached.
- Confirm the main joystick / button USB connection is also attached.
- Test the joystick and front buttons directly on the host system.
For keyboard-style testing, use:
<https://en.key-test.ru/>
If the trackball moves the cursor but the buttons do not appear at the keyboard tester, the next checks should stay focused on the main joystick/button path, not the trackball path.
Basic Troubleshooting Steps
- Re-seat both USB connections.
- Test on a different USB port.
- Avoid USB hubs during testing.
- Restart the host after reconnecting the controller.
- If your unit has a mode switch, return it to the normal support-recommended mode for testing before changing anything else.
Important Note About Firmware
Do not start with firmware reflashing just because one half of the controller works.
When the trackball works but the joysticks/buttons do not, that usually means the symptom still needs to be isolated to the main joystick/button USB path first.
If It Still Does Not Work After These Steps
Send support:
- a photo of both USB connections
- whether the trackball/spinner works
- whether the joystick/buttons appear at <https://en.key-test.ru/>
- the exact host platform you are testing on
This helps support tell whether the problem is:
- only the trackball/spinner path
- only the joystick/button path
- or both paths together