Author Topic: PS2 to USB converter for Model M  (Read 2070 times)

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Offline DuckNorris

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PS2 to USB converter for Model M
« on: Mon, 08 July 2013, 14:14:43 »
Hello guys,

   Are the SIIG , PPA, Shaxon, PS2 to USB coverters good for IBM Model Ms? I need to buy one today when my board arrives and some people I looked up recommend the Alesso one but I do not really want to wait for that. Also, there shouldn't be any problem with Mac compatibility right? It usually shouldn't but if drivers are needed since I never used one of these before it would be an issue.

Offline rowdy

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Re: PS2 to USB converter for Model M
« Reply #1 on: Mon, 08 July 2013, 15:16:09 »
I suspect yours will arrive before mine, and I still need to clean and, if necessary, repair my recently acquired Model Ms, plus find cables for them.

I would be interested in your experiences using a Model M on a Mac :)
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline smknjoe

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Re: PS2 to USB converter for Model M
« Reply #2 on: Mon, 08 July 2013, 15:44:32 »
This is what I've been using without issue and they are in stock (assuming you are in Dallas) Mine is white not blue.
http://www.microcenter.com/product/335177/USB_to_PS-2_Converter
SSKs for everyone!

Offline DuckNorris

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Re: PS2 to USB converter for Model M
« Reply #3 on: Mon, 08 July 2013, 20:04:08 »
I suspect yours will arrive before mine, and I still need to clean and, if necessary, repair my recently acquired Model Ms, plus find cables for them.

I would be interested in your experiences using a Model M on a Mac :)
I need to clean and mod this one so I won't use it so soon.


(much dirtier in than it looks in picture)
Seller " I cleaned the board" ...I knew from the pictures it wasn't in the best shape but this had like dust from a storage . It clicks nicely though. I don't mind it was a good price and free shipping plus I liked the thought of cleaning this and restoring :D .

Offline fohat.digs

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Re: PS2 to USB converter for Model M
« Reply #4 on: Mon, 08 July 2013, 21:30:49 »
The cables that orihalcon makes are pricey but excellent. Clean and straightforward.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-to-SDL-6-Pin-6ft-IBM-Lexmark-Unicomp-Model-M-Clicky-Keyboard-Cable-NEW-/270955553909
"However, even though I was born in the Mesozoic, I do know what anyone who wants to reach out to young people should say: Billionaires took your money. They took your chance to buy a home. They took your chance at a good education. They stole your opportunities. Billionaires took the things you want in life. If you really want those things, you have to take them back.
That's the message. That's the whole message. Say that every day, not just to reach America's frustrated young white men, but people of every age, race, and gender.
Late-stage capitalism is a wealth-concentration engine, focused on vacuuming up every dollar and putting it in as few hands as possible. Republicans are helping that vacuum suck.
How does a tiny fraction of the population get away with this? They do it by dividing the other 99% of Americans against themselves."
- Marc Sumner 2025-05-30

Offline rowdy

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Re: PS2 to USB converter for Model M
« Reply #5 on: Mon, 08 July 2013, 21:43:08 »
The cables that orihalcon makes are pricey but excellent. Clean and straightforward.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-to-SDL-6-Pin-6ft-IBM-Lexmark-Unicomp-Model-M-Clicky-Keyboard-Cable-NEW-/270955553909


That sounds like an excellent idea - I have bookmarked that page for future reference.

It is also cheaper than getting an SDL-PS/2 cable plus a seaprate PS/2-USB adaptor.
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline DuckNorris

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Re: PS2 to USB converter for Model M
« Reply #6 on: Tue, 09 July 2013, 11:18:26 »
This is what I've been using without issue and they are in stock (assuming you are in Dallas) Mine is white not blue.
http://www.microcenter.com/product/335177/USB_to_PS-2_Converter

Thank you so much , I shall go and see if I can get it today!

Offline oTurtlez

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Re: PS2 to USB converter for Model M
« Reply #7 on: Tue, 09 July 2013, 13:35:25 »
This is what I've been using without issue and they are in stock (assuming you are in Dallas) Mine is white not blue.
http://www.microcenter.com/product/335177/USB_to_PS-2_Converter

Thank you so much , I shall go and see if I can get it today!

I have one of these which I used for my numpad. It works, but only had 1KRO so it wasn't good for typing fast or gaming. Be warned about that :/ I eventually ended up converting mine to USB via a Teensy though.
TOO BAD FOR YOU

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Offline smknjoe

  • Posts: 862
  • Location: Tejas
  • I like tactile, clicky, switches.
Re: PS2 to USB converter for Model M
« Reply #8 on: Tue, 09 July 2013, 13:41:17 »
This is what I've been using without issue and they are in stock (assuming you are in Dallas) Mine is white not blue.
http://www.microcenter.com/product/335177/USB_to_PS-2_Converter

Thank you so much , I shall go and see if I can get it today!

I have one of these which I used for my numpad. It works, but only had 1KRO so it wasn't good for typing fast or gaming. Be warned about that :/ I eventually ended up converting mine to USB via a Teensy though.

Good point! I'm not a super fast typist but I do have my moments :) I've only been using this adapter for about a week now (1st on my full sized M and now on my SSK) and I thought there were a few times where keystrokes weren't registered when I got in a fast grove.
SSKs for everyone!

Offline fohat.digs

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Re: PS2 to USB converter for Model M
« Reply #9 on: Tue, 09 July 2013, 13:47:30 »
http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-to-SDL-6-Pin-6ft-IBM-Lexmark-Unicomp-Model-M-Clicky-Keyboard-Cable-NEW-/270955553909

I think that dozens of Geekhackers have bought these, and I have never heard anything but praise for them.

I personally have 2, and I wish that they were beige, but they have been flawless performers.

One caveat - I am not a gamer so I cannot vouch for their performance at speed.
"However, even though I was born in the Mesozoic, I do know what anyone who wants to reach out to young people should say: Billionaires took your money. They took your chance to buy a home. They took your chance at a good education. They stole your opportunities. Billionaires took the things you want in life. If you really want those things, you have to take them back.
That's the message. That's the whole message. Say that every day, not just to reach America's frustrated young white men, but people of every age, race, and gender.
Late-stage capitalism is a wealth-concentration engine, focused on vacuuming up every dollar and putting it in as few hands as possible. Republicans are helping that vacuum suck.
How does a tiny fraction of the population get away with this? They do it by dividing the other 99% of Americans against themselves."
- Marc Sumner 2025-05-30

Offline DuckNorris

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  • Posts: 254
Re: PS2 to USB converter for Model M
« Reply #10 on: Wed, 10 July 2013, 11:28:19 »
Thanks guys,

   I tested out in my Rig (forgot desktops have PS2, I know I failed there). I just wish I could buy that converter but unfortunately even though my M is not in great shape and clicks well. I just miss my blues , I know blasphemy XD.