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geekhack Community => Other Geeky Stuff => Topic started by: ianxblog on Tue, 11 February 2014, 14:28:31

Title: PS/2 to USB
Post by: ianxblog on Tue, 11 February 2014, 14:28:31

I got a PS/2 volume wheel removed from a non-working keyboard, and now my new keyboard is AT so is using a ps/2 adapter.

I got some USB and ps/2 kb cables.

How to cut the ps/2 end and put a USB? I mean, connect what with that, color with color, etc :P; Because the colors don't match as far as I know.

Drawing/Graphics/Diagrams will be appreciated

Title: Re: PS/2 to USB
Post by: ianxblog on Tue, 11 February 2014, 17:15:46

Found this diagram, if someone is interested :)

(http://i45.servimg.com/u/f45/13/05/77/43/usb-to11.jpg)

Title: Re: PS/2 to USB
Post by: kishy on Thu, 13 February 2014, 06:35:31

USB and PS/2 are not remotely compatible signals. Some devices (mostly mice, but some keyboards along the way) have supported both signals with the use of a simple adapter, but as a general rule for the vast majority of keyboards, you can't just make an adapter or put a new cable on it and call it done.

You need to use a converter (active; performs protocol conversion), such as this: http://i.stack.imgur.com/NMMQm.jpg
Even then, support for multimedia keys is not necessarily great, it depends on how the original keyboard implemented them.

Title: Re: PS/2 to USB
Post by: ianxblog on Thu, 13 February 2014, 06:47:16

Oh hamburgers.

But will be changing the cable end the same as using and simple adapter? not converter.

Title: Re: PS/2 to USB
Post by: kishy on Fri, 14 February 2014, 15:45:31

Just changing the cable/connector would be roughly akin to plugging your keyboard into a toaster oven. Yes, you can type on it, but nothing useful is going to come of it.

IF it is one of the uncommon keyboards that supports both USB and PS/2, it will work...but there aren't a lot of them that do and I can't even remember any that do. They're mostly late 90s examples when USB was beginning to be popular I think.

Title: Re: PS/2 to USB
Post by: thesentinel on Mon, 17 February 2014, 16:18:02

This is unrelated, but are you trying to connect a model M to your computer?

Title: Re: PS/2 to USB
Post by: ianxblog on Mon, 17 February 2014, 16:36:05

Quote from: thesentinel on Mon, 17 February 2014, 16:18:02

This is unrelated, but are you trying to connect a model M to your computer?

No. I'm trying to connect a native ps/2 keyboard (only the controller, it has a volume wheel) but I already use my ps/2 port for the real keyboard itself.

Title: Re: PS/2 to USB
Post by: blackbox on Mon, 17 March 2014, 01:42:57

Then you should put everything into a project box with a ps2 to usb converter.