Re: PS/2 - USB Adaptor for keyboard

On Fri, 2 Mar 2007 16:47:05 +0200
Atis <atis@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Agreed, there are no electronics, however AFAIK USB and PS/2 are
different protocols - so they cannot be just swapped by using an
adapter. (PS/2 and AT could). There is a trick that USB mice's detects
where-im-plugged-into and adjusts protocol/wiring. With PS/2->USB its
worse, as PS/2 devices aren't generally made to adjust protocol and
switch to USB.

But these things are advertised as enabling one to do exactly what I
want - to use a PS/2 keyboard on a system without a PS/2 port.

Well, usually it's said under with little letters, that you need
hardware that supports it. PS/2 have really simple interface - it has
CLOCK and DATA pins, however USB is more advanced and don't have
CLOCK, just two kinds of DATA, naturally CLOCK isn't in USB spec so no
PC motherboard should support anything like that. (see links)

Mhm, googling a bit showed that there are actually 2 types of those
adapters. One that is just plain re-wiring of PS2 to USB, hoping that
device will support USB, another seems to actually have electronics
inside, and actually doing conversion of signals. I would say that it
should work for you (although no guarantees ;)

Links:
http://pinouts.ru/Slots/USB_pinout.shtml
http://pinouts.ru/Inputs/PS2Mouse_pinout.shtml
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=776087&CatId=469
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1219599&CatId=469

Thanks very much for the info - I had googled but couldn't quite nail
down that their are two types. I suppose that you get what you pay for,
and that my cheap little thing just hopes that my keyboard supports USB
and just needs a converter. Oh, well.

Celejar

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