geekhack
geekhack Community => Input Devices => Topic started by: wendell on Thu, 08 August 2013, 22:04:15
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I am a happy user of the ID Innovations PS/2 to USB converter for my PS/2 keyboards.
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=40549.0
It will not work with a mouse, though. Which converters work with a PS/2 mouse?
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I know about the Y-mouse from PI Engineering.
http://piengineering.com/ymouse/whym271.php
Not only is it expensive, it does not allow using a PS/2 device together with a USB device.
http://support.lenovo.com/es_CL/downloads/detail.page?DocID=HT003347
When using this device, you must use both a PS/2 keyboard and mouse ... Both must be connected to the Y-Mouse. The Y-Mouse must be the only thing connected via the USB ports. You cannot use the native USB keyboard/mouse on one USB connector and have the Y-Mouse plugged into the other USB connector.
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Doesn't the mouse have to support PS/2 and USB itself? I think I read somewhere that not every mouse will "just work" via a PS/2->USB convertor.
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Doesn't the mouse have to support PS/2 and USB itself?
The USB standard for mouses makes them compatible with PS/2, so a USB mouse just needs a USB to PS/2 plug adapter to work in a PS/2 port. The reverse is not so simple. An old PS/2 mouse needs a converter with a chip to work in a USB port.
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It seems that most active converters will support a mouse, just not the ID Innovations and the Ziotek Blue Box. The cheaper ones are reported to be flaky, though. These three seem to get good reviews.
PI Engineering Y-mouse
http://piengineering.com/ymouse/whym271.php
Ziotek ZT1040444
http://www.ziotek.com/templates/searchdetail.asp?productid=10134
Aten UC100KMA
http://www.aten.com/products/Accessories/Converters/PS2-to-USB-Adapter~UC100KMA.html
I did ask PI Engineering about the issue with separate USB devices and they said you should be able to use a USB device in parallel unless a system is specifically configured to recognize only one keyboard and mouse.
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Doesn't the mouse have to support PS/2 and USB itself? I think I read somewhere that not every mouse will "just work" via a PS/2->USB convertor.
That's true. Some Mouse doesn't work properly with cross-interfaces. Some old PS/2 mice cannot communicate their data via standard USB2 interface simply because they would work old fashion using pin 2 and pin 6 of PS/2 Interface which was dropped and now off standards.