How does an optical mouse work ?️‍?️?️

Existing variants

Well, the fact of the matter is that there are two variants within what we know as an optical mouse: the infrared and the laser. Generally we call infrared simply optical, which causes some confusion for those less familiar with the world. The differences are subtle:

In both cases, inside the mechanism we find three fundamental elements: an LED light source (generally red), a sensor and a lens. The process is also extremely similar:

The LED light is emitted towards the mouse window that is exposed with the contact surface on which it slides. This light is reflected on this surface and passes through a lens until it reaches the sensor. The sensor obtains an extremely detailed image on the captured surface. The information is sent to the computer, which processes it and determines the location of the mouse.

This happens constantly, so that the "mapping" recognizes the position according to the direction in which the tiny details it has detected move. Now, although both optical sensors work the same, the distribution of their elements to carry out the process is not the same.

In the case of the laser optical sensor, the space on which the LED focuses is much smaller, but the light is much more powerful and therefore captures many more details. This is the reason why this type of mice can be used on surfaces as extremely polished as glass, since it is capable of detecting even the smallest imperfection. The infrared optical sensor, on the other hand, has a much larger illuminated area range since the angle of the LED is much more oblique. It is less detailed but covers more space. Today it is the dominant model on the market, be it gaming or general office automation. This is also because its manufacturing cost is less than the laser sensor.

Optical Mouse Issues

The preference between one model or another may vary depending on the user. Generally, PC players use their mouse on a mat, so the number of details that the mouse can perceive on the surface it covers is not of great importance to them, but other factors such as weight, ergonomics or refresh rate. You should also know that today the real difference between both models of optical sensor is almost nil. Unless you are going to use them on surfaces such as glass, you will not notice any difference.

Now, things change if we go to talk about the mouse sensor. You see, in the world of digital rodents we can often be seduced by models with extravagant designs, disco lights or absurd amounts of DPI, but the reality is here that the cod is the sensor.

Razer Mamba Wireless has a maximum polling rate of 1000Hz.

What is this about? Well, the sensor determines the polling rate. That is, the number of "pictures" that are taken and inform the computer about the location of the mouse on the mat. A 1000Hz probe rate sensor is much better than one that only has 250Hz since it provides information faster and more frequently, which indirectly makes us gain precision.

For more details we leave you here an article the sea of fixed: What is the polling rate in a mouse (Polling Rate).

The quality of the sensor is what makes the difference between one model or another and in many cases it is the source of rivalry between brands. The type of sensor used in mice is CMOS ( Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor ), and currently the manufacturer of sensors by excellence is Pixart Imaging. This company is the one who carries the show and generally provides sensors to third-party brands or is a reference source so that many others can version their models or design their own following similar parameters.

If you have been wanting to know more about this company, here is an article: Pixart Sensor: everything you need to know.

Logitech G Pro features the PMW 3360 sensor.

What happens then? Well, great Pixart sensors like the PMW 3360, PMW 3389 or DNS 3988 are used or adopted by brands like Logitech, Razer or Corsair for their high-end optical mice.

A better sensor usually implies a greater perception of Points Per Inch (DPI) and carry with it a more exact route between the pixels of the monitor and the movement of our mouse on the mat.

To go deeper into this topic or find out if what you are looking for is help to choose a mouse, you can take a look at our section on Best mice on the market: Gaming, cheap and wireless.

Conclusions about the optical mouse

Optical mice replaced mechanical mice for their efficiency and optimized performance. This type of technology is here to stay for a long time in either wireless or wired models. Whether they are laser or infrared, currently the performance of both variants is extremely similar and their biggest difference lies in the type of action depending on the surface of use.

The higher ratio to capture details of the laser optical mouse may appear to be an advantage at first glance, but it can also suffer jittering (slight tremor of the mouse cursor even if we are not using it). Generally from Professional Review we would recommend the use of an infrared optical mouse since they are the most widespread and you can find models for both walking around the house and gaming.

With nothing more to add, we hope this article has been useful to you. As always, you can leave any question in the comments. Until next time!