Re: USB to PS/2 adapters - K/board and mouse different?

jkn wrote:

Hi all
I recently had occasion to try connecting an external keyboard and
mouse to a notepad PC. I bought a Y-adapter, with a PS/2 male mini-DIN
at one end, and a pair of mini-DIN sockets at the other. Both the
keyboard and mouse which I plugged in were USB, and so I used a couple
of 'generic' (as I thought) USB to PS/2 adapters - those little green
plastic adapters.

This setup didn't work and I got a refund for the adapter cable and
made other arrangements.

SO YOU SHOULD STILL HAVE THE USB to PS/2 SDAPTORS


However I now see that my USB to PS/2
adapters all have a little mouse symbol on them ... so I was using one
of these instead of a 'keyboard' USB to PS/2 adapter (which I don't
have).


Are you saying that you still cannot use your USB keyboard?

My question - is there an electrical difference between a USB to PS/2
adapter destined for use for a keyboard, and one for a mouse? What
would be the symptoms if I used the wrong kind? Or is there another
reason why my setup might not have worked?

Thanks for your thoughts

Jon N

They are the same. You`d know if you tried plugging a USB Keyboard into
the "green mouse" usb-ps2 adaptor.

I have heard that some USB keyboards do not support ps2, but I have
neve seen that. All my USB keyboards, and that includes cheap horribles
ones, support Ps2.

You were actually using some adaptor cable thing. I have a few of them
but maybe they never worked for me. I think they are for laptops or
something. If you read ads on ebay for what you had, which i think is
often called a Ps2 splitter cable. They say things like
"IDEAL FOR LAPTOPS WHICH HAVE A COMBINED MOUSE AND KEYBOARD PS2 PORT"
it could be that there are laptops with one special ps2 port. A single
port. It`s worth noting, the ps2 splitter cable has no lump in it,
indicating intelligence!

(i say that since there is an issue, contrasting usb-ps2 adaptors, with
ps2-usb adaptors. USB Keyboards/mouse support ps2 so use small
adaptors with no intelligence, just a physical change. But ps2
keyboards/mice do not support USB, so adaptors for them are bulkier
beasts with a lump where some kind of clever stuff goes on. )

Did you try your ps2 splitter cable with just a ps2 keyboard and ps2
mouse?

If that doesn`t work then you can rule out your usb-ps2 adaptors or usb
devices.

I`d be interested if anybody else has got a ps2 splitter cable working
.. If it is for a special laptop. e.t.c.




--

.

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