Do PS2-to-USB Keyboard Adapters Work?

ewhac asks: "Recently, I was charged with the mission of obtaining a particular small external USB keyboard, for use on a Win2K laptop. However, when the USB version proved unavailable, I obtained the equivalent PS/2 version and an inexpensive PS/2-to-USB adapter. Should have been cake... Except that it didn't work. Win2K failed to see the keyboard, claiming instead to see an unknown USB device. A different USB adapter didn't help. A different keyboard didn't help. Trying on a different computer didn't help. Googling my eyes out for several hours looking for answers didn't help (although I found a few people with the same question). So I thought I'd beseech the Slashdot crowd and ask how many people have had success using legacy input devices with small, inexpensive PS/2-to-USB adapters?"

"Here's the keyboard in question. Here's the first adapter we tested, and here's the second (ignore the picture; it's wrong). Several things about this experience have left me very confused. Keyboards and mice are simple manifestations of the USB HID (Human Input Device) class, and Win2K ships with a fairly complete set of HID drivers -- plugging in a keyboard should (and often does) Just Work. Hence, these adapters are sold without drivers. Further, the PS/2 electrical and logical specifications are older than dirt, and well understood. USB is also very well specified. So building an adapter should be a very straightforward effort, with little room for surprise or failure.

And yet, the damn thing refused to work. All PS/2 keyboards tested worked fine when connected to native PS/2 ports. All computers tested recognized all other USB devices when plugged in. But no matter what we did, we couldn't get any system to recognize any PS/2 keyboard plugged into these PS/2-to-USB adapters.

As the evening wore on, I started to wonder just how many other people had experienced this perplexing situation, and how they resolved it. The makers of these adapters wouldn't knowingly sell non-functional merchandise, so I assume that somehow these things can be made to work. What I'm wondering is what special conditions, if any, are required to get them to work."

win2k, linux, macos x

[bandy]

I bought a cheapie keyboard/mouse adaptor from Fry's. It has separate mouse and keyboard PS/2 ports, and it claims that you can, with a laptop keyboard/mouse Y cable, plug in two keyboards and two mice.

Win2K required four reboots to install the HID drivers. That's one reboot each for "two" mice and "two" keyboards. After that it worked OK.

Linux required tweaking as I wanted to be able to use the built-in ps/2 touchpad as well. The keyboard was recognized but the mouse wasn't. A bit o' research with Google pointed me in the right direction [tweak xconfig] and I was off an running.

MacOS X just worked. Plug it in and go. No reboots, no tweaking.

Mine works

[(trb001)]

I have an older Logitech model similar to this [amazon.com]. My PS/2 ports both blew, probably from repeated hot plugging/unplugging, and I had to get a PS/2 -> USB adapter. The thing works fine for me.

Now, one caveat...my system is strange. The wireless receiver for both my keyboard/mouse has two PS2 outputs, one for the mouse, one for the keyboard. I am actually able to run just one of these through a USB adapter and have both mouse and keyboard work. I have no idea how this happens, it just does.

I went to Radio Shack, bought the first PS2->USB adapter I saw and it has worked fine ever since. Didn't do anything special, are you sure your connector/USB port is working correctly?

--trb

Could function be partially compromised?

[Nomihn0]

I use a Logitech Elite with a PS/2 : USB adaptor and have been experiencing some strange symptoms. Anywhere between minutes and days after a clean boot, some of the special keys do not function. There appears to be no relationship between key position and functionality.

Is it possible that the converter is responsible?

First thing first

[Etyenne]

First thing you should have done is to plug it in a Linux box, and do /sbin/lsusb. If your adapter does not show up, it's b0rked. If it does, it's a Windows problem.