geekhack
geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Skelig on Tue, 13 November 2012, 16:34:57
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Before I decide to shell out for one of these, I'd be interested to know one thing. If they convert the electrical signal from PS/2 to USB, does this mean two PS/2 keyboards can essentially be used simultaneously? I have a PS/2 port on my motherboard which works fine for my Model M, but I have another old keyboard which I would like to use from time to time since it's quieter, but I'd rather not have to go to the back of my computer to swap the keyboards around every time.
I've tried this with a passive adapter I found lying around, and a relatively new PS/2 keyboard which should work with a passive adapter just fine, and it didn't work. Presumably this is because Windows is seeing it as another PS/2 keyboard, and only one can be used at once. The adapter would be no good for my older keyboard anyway, so this doesn't bother me.
Can anyone confirm whether or not an active PS/2 to USB converter would do the job of using two PS/2 keyboards simultaneously? I'm aware of alternatives such as reverse KVMs but these are expensive solutions and I only need to use multiple keyboards with a single computer.
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I used to use 2 PS2 keyboards at once on my laptop using a converter. My converter supports two keyboards(or two mice) though. For a short time, I had four PS2 keyboards plugged into it for kicks, though.
Basically, it'll show up as 1 (or 2 if yours does two) USB keyboards. If you have something plugged into the PS2 port, it won't make a difference.
Passive adapters don't work that much. As always, I'd recommend making a soarer.
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I used to use 2 PS2 keyboards at once on my laptop using a converter. My converter supports two keyboards(or two mice) though. For a short time, I had four PS2 keyboards plugged into it for kicks, though.
Basically, it'll show up as 1 (or 2 if yours does two) USB keyboards. If you have something plugged into the PS2 port, it won't make a difference.
Passive adapters don't work that much. As always, I'd recommend making a soarer.
That's all I needed to know, thanks. Out of curiosity, which converter are you using? It might be a good idea to get one which supports multiple keyboards as a precaution against getting another PS/2 keyboard.