<P> To transmit their input, typical cabled mice use a thin electrical cord terminating in a standard connector, such as RS - 232 C, PS / 2, ADB or USB . Cordless mice instead transmit data via infrared radiation (see IrDA) or radio (including Bluetooth), although many such cordless interfaces are themselves connected through the aforementioned wired serial buses . </P> <P> While the electrical interface and the format of the data transmitted by commonly available mice is currently standardized on USB, in the past it varied between different manufacturers . A bus mouse used a dedicated interface card for connection to an IBM PC or compatible computer . </P> <P> Mouse use in DOS applications became more common after the introduction of the Microsoft Mouse, largely because Microsoft provided an open standard for communication between applications and mouse driver software . Thus, any application written to use the Microsoft standard could use a mouse with a driver that implements the same API, even if the mouse hardware itself was incompatible with Microsoft's . This driver provides the state of the buttons and the distance the mouse has moved in units that its documentation calls "mickeys", as does the Allegro library . </P> <P> The earliest mass - market mice, such as on the original Macintosh, Amiga, and Atari ST used a D - subminiature 9 - pin connector to send the quadrature encoded X and Y axis signals directly, plus one pin per mouse button . The mouse was a simple optomechanical device, and the deciding circuitry was all in the main computer . </P>

Where is the wire of the mouse attached