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Do PS2-to-USB Keyboard Adapters Work? 84

Posted by Cliff from the there-seems-to-be-something-missing dept.
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."
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Do PS2-to-USB Keyboard Adapters Work? More

Do PS2-to-USB Keyboard Adapters Work?

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  • Read the further description... (Score:5, Informative)

    by NecrisRex ( 579650 ) on Friday June 04, 2004 @01:25PM (#9336517)
    OK, I'm pretty sure that that adapter doesn't provide any USB interfacing beyond what's there in teh keyboard. You probably would need the adapter for sale here: http://www.centralcomputer.com/emerchant/itemdetai l.asp?item=MISCABUSBW3R Linked from that same page. A USB device is a smart device with a chip that discusses what it is with your computer. A PS/2 keyboard is NOT. The more complete adapter probably fills in the gaps with a USB device chip that identifies itself as a PS/2 port. Later, Necris P.S. Good luck with your setup!
    • You are correct. ewhac is a moron.
      He needs a real adaptor not just one of those wiring addaptors for USB/PS2 combo devices.

      I've used the real PS2->USB adaptors to use PS2 keyboards and mice via USB under Win2k and XP and they work perfectly.

      This guy should have asked /. for a brain while he was at it....
      • Someone mod this guy up. This is exactly what happened. I have a PS/2->USB convertor, and it's a real convertor that will convert a PS2-only keyboard to USB (or, incidently, a PS2 mouse. I think it can even handle a splitter and do both.), and it cost 15 bucks. It clearly has circuitry in a little bump in the middle.

        What the goober that posted purchased was a plug adapter that just makes a dual PS2/USB keyboard physically fit into a USB socket and switches the internal keyboard circuitry to use USB. This will obviously not work on a PS2-only keyboard, as they have no USB circuitry.

        I'd blame the store for selling them, but it clearly says that it won't work without the correct keyboard. And I guess someone has to sell replacements if you lose them.

        • Re:Read the further description... (Score:1, Funny)

          by Anonymous Coward
          "Someone mod this guy up."

          Hahahaha! This is slashdot! You always mod the guy who knows what he's talking about down! I'm suprised you haven't been modded offtopic yet!
    • I have a dongle designed for a Mac that also works on Linux - I assume it will also work on Windows. It has both a PS/2 keyboard and PS/2 mouse port, and plugs into the USB port on a PC. The parent is 100% right on this. You need one with active circuitry and not just a cable adapter. These devices run around $50. Maybe the OP was trying to be too cheap??? They are easy to find via google. First hit in fact.

      I used this on my Thinkpad T21 a few years ago with my older keyboard. No longer use it as all my de
  • After you start working with at least 20 computers daily you'll soon learn that nothing in windows just works all or even in the 90's of percent of the time.

    The easiest thing to do here would be to think outside the box. Run the mouse off the usb port instead and run the keyboard off the native ps2 port.
    • Unfortunately, most laptops today do not even have an integrated ps2 port (usb only on mine anyways)
      • The first thing I look at when considering a laptop is what ports are available. My general rule for ports when looking for a laptop for me or someone else:

        Both nic and modem should be available, the primary connection should be a pcmcia card, whichever they use less or don't expect to use should be onboard.. but present.

        At least: 1 serial, video out, ps2. 2 usb. It must have a floppy and cdrom-type drive and pcmcia slots.

        Those are all basic essentials, anything beyond that is gravy.

        But, in this case,

    • Wrong (Score:4, Informative)

      by SchnellDavis ( 580091 ) <dave@this[ ]test.com ['isa' in gap]> on Friday June 04, 2004 @02:25PM (#9337348) Homepage
      I've had this same issue, and fixed it. For me it was NOT a software issue at all. I may have mixed feelings about M$ too, but blaming Windows for hardware problems is just stupid.

      I don't know the technical details, but I can say that adaptors like this [amazon.com] consistantly work great, while adaptors like this [amazon.com] don't work at all.

      As far as I can tell, since the adaptors which work are always larger, I assume they have extra electronics inside so they can communicate with the USB port more intelligently.

      If someone else knows the technical details of how this works, I'd love to hear about it.


      • The small adapter you in the photo to which you link has no electronics inside. It is only a connector adapter. Some mice have PS/2 connectors with extra pins that are needed with USB. When you use the provided adapter, those USB pins are connected. Only the mice with the extra USB arrangement work with the little adapters, not all PS/2 mice.

        It's a fact that the more complicated PS2 to USB adapters do not always work reliably in Windows XP.

        We redefine the Caps Lock key to be a Control key. All the
        • "All four of us agreed during the call that Windows XP is constantly reorganizing itself."

          Perhaps that explains why I've seen it "forget" on one neighbor's machine which video card it had (reverted to plain vanilla VGA and something like 8 colors) and on another's machine that it had a network card installed--in the middle of using that card to migrate their old programs and settings from their old Windows 98 machine with the XP program designed to do that migration.

          Billy the G must get up every day and lau

      • Re:Wrong (Score:3, Insightful)

        by Black Perl ( 12686 )
        I don't know the technical details, but I can say that adaptors like this consistantly work great, while adaptors like this don't work at all.

        As far as I can tell, since the adaptors which work are always larger, I assume they have extra electronics inside so they can communicate with the USB port more intelligently.

        If someone else knows the technical details of how this works, I'd love to hear about it.

        There are two types of differences: the pinout and the protocol. If you have a PS/2 only keyboard, yo
      • That's all fine and dandy in this case. I stick by my actual advice, he's already said it works in the native ps2 port. He's also said other devices work with the usb adapter. Simply hook the keyboard up ps2 and the mouse up through the adapter instead of the other way around.

        After all, the ps2 port on a laptop will usually work for either a mouse or keyboard, not like desktop ps2 ports in which you have to use them in their respective ports. (I've never really looked into why this is, but I do know th

  • win2k, linux, macos x (Score:3, Interesting)

    by bandy ( 99800 ) <andrew.beals+slashdot@gmail.com> on Friday June 04, 2004 @01:26PM (#9336521) Homepage Journal
    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.
  • but did you try any mice with the same deal? I have used many many ps2 mice that came with a usb adapter and they all worked. I have had keyboards with a usb to ps2 adapter not work on some KVM's but I never battled with it much.

    Good luck... I am anxious to see the suggestions.

  • Neither of those should work. (Score:5, Insightful)

    by zsazsa ( 141679 ) on Friday June 04, 2004 @01:27PM (#9336539) Homepage
    Both of those things look like they're simple adaptors that just change the plug from one to the other. Even the first link you mention says, "***IMPORTANT NOTE***: 10160 is the adapter ONLY, without chips and any software. If you do NOT have the related chips and software on your computer, we strongly recommend you to by the whole converter [centralcomputer.com]"

    The one in that link looks more substantial and looks like it'll actually have some circuitry inside it, rather than just changing the pinout.
    • Yep, that's it exactly.

      The two adapters in the article are only for the MS keyboards and mice that shipped with a USB plug and adapter together. Since they weren't bagged together, a lot of companies split off the adapters and the mice, selling them on their own. The MS units use a pin to sense if it's a USB or PS2 port, and the mouse or keyboard itself has the logic for both.

  • Mine works (Score:3, Interesting)

    by (trb001) ( 224998 ) on Friday June 04, 2004 @01:28PM (#9336545) Homepage
    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

    • Re:Mine works (Score:3, Informative)

      by Otto ( 17870 )
      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.

      Because the mouse and keyboard, in the PS2 versions, are fully capable of sharing only one port. So the receiver unit you have is simply putting both signals out both connectors. The only reason there's two connectors on it at all is because some older motherboards have two connectors on them and only read the mouse signals on one and the keyboard signals o
      • Newer mobo's with PS2 sockets don't much care. Plug a keyboard into the mouse labeled one, for example. Voila, it works.

        Oddly, all of the Dell systems I have (ancient and modern) have clearly labeled "mouse" and "keyboard" ports, and a keyboard will only work in the keyboard port.

        Seems that some chipsets have function-specific ports, others do not?

        • Must be specific to the chipset or boards Dell is using.. I've not attempted it on a Dell, but it definitely doesn't matter on any motherboard I've bought in the last few years.. I tend to build my own instead of buying packaged systems though.

  • In my experience.. (Score:2, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward

    In my experience, PS2 -> USB keyboard adapters only work when they're shipped with the keyboard. I'm typing on a MS Natural Keyboard now that uses a PS2 -> USB adapter (that came with it) and it works fine on my G5 and my XP machine. This adapter only works with this model keyboard though.

    My guess is that the keyboard needs to be designed for USB and PS2 in order for the PS2 -> USB adapters to work.

    • I can say empirically that this is not the case, as I am using a PS/2 Compaq keyboard (which did not come with a USB adapter) through a Belkin FSU119-E PS/2-to-USB adapter. My laptop (a Sony Vaio) does not have any PS/2 ports, but the Belkin adapter allows 2 PS/2 devices to be used in one USB port. I have also used other non-USB keyboards through other 3rd-party PS/2-to-USB adapters with success.

      On a side note though, I have run into an issue where Windows 2000 and XP both ignore the keyboard repeat rate
      • The BIOS keyboard settings won't do anything. Windows has its own drivers and doesn't use BIOS for the keyboard. I'm currently using a USB keyboard on XP and the keyboard control panel works fine. My keyboard is listed as a HID Keyboard Device, part of a USB composite device (volume buttons too).
        The composite device uses the driver usbccgp.sys, the HID device uses hidclass.sys, hidparse.sys, hidusb.sys, and hid.dll. The keyboard itself uses kbdclass.sys and kbdhid.sys.
        Are you possibly using some third-party

  • WFM (Score:1)

    by emd ( 25227 )
    I have a Microsoft keyboard and a PS/2 to USB adapter (don't know what kind..can't tell). It works fine on my XP box except that after I plug in my mini-usb hub, I have to unplug then re-plug the adapter. Otherwise the keyboard isn't recognized.

  • Did you read the product description?!? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Bitsy Boffin ( 110334 ) on Friday June 04, 2004 @01:32PM (#9336618) Homepage
    The very clear description of the first product reads....


    Application: USB ADAPTER for USB A Type Male to Mini Din 6 Pin Female ***IMPORTANT NOTE***: 10160 is the adapter ONLY, without chips and any software. If you do NOT have the related chips and software on your computer, we strongly recommend you to by the whole convertor

    Did you *buy* the whole convertor, or do you have the chips & software required to translate PS/2 -> USB already in your PC ( pretty damn unlikely! ).

    The outpost convertor looks to be the same dealie.

  • Maybe you used adapters that don't really work? I found this: http://www.xkeys.com/ymouse/whym08.php And it costs $60. Look at that thing, must contain a lot more guts than the adapters you used. I found this adapter sold by keyboard makers.
  • Your problem is the keyboard, not the adapter.

    The adapter is only for dual function devices. These devices are able to tell the difference between PS/2 and USB and switch to that mode. The adapters are nothing more then strait through contacts with the correct pinout.

    What you need is a USB / PS/2 keyboard. Then you can plug it into the adapter and all will be well.
    Being slashdot, I doubt you read right off your own links. [centralcomputer.com]

    Application: USB ADAPTER for USB A Type Male to Mini Din 6 Pin Female ***IMPORTANT NOTE***: 10160 is the adapter ONLY, without chips and any software. If you do NOT have the related chips and software on your computer, we strongly recommend you to by the whole converter.

    So either get the right keyboard, or whole converter [centralcomputer.com].
  • I've been blessed with a decent USB->PS/2 adapter, however I've heard horror stories.

    There's an inside joke with me and my brother. We make reference to USB->PS/2 adapters exploding. We've actually devised plans to use them as weapons of mass destruction.

    [Iraqi] They're dropping USB->PS/2 adapters on us! Run for cover!
    • There's an inside joke with me and my brother. We make reference to USB->PS/2 adapters exploding. We've actually devised plans to use them as weapons of mass destruction.

      You guys need to discover video games or sports or something *bad.*
  • the convertors in these cases are usually simple connectors, the compatibility is built in to the device, if it exists at all.

    same reason why ps2->serial converts don't work with all mouses(just with the one's they shipped with usually) & etc...

    (however, there might be such devices you're looking for but don't be fooled into thinking they would really be cheaper than some 10-20$ usb keyboard would)
  • I have four of those adapters. I purchased them back when I had to get my Mac, Windows and Linux boxes working on the same KVM switch. One of them only works in Linux, one works in Windows and Linux, but poorly (caps lock and scroll lock seem to come on if I hit two keys at once) and in MacOS 10.3 not at all, and the others work perfectly. Unfortunatly I don't have the package for the one I have in my office, and it's in cable form with no identifying marking on it, so I can't tell you who made it or anythi
  • Keyboards that support both USB and PS2 have circuitry that support both protocols. Hence, they work with simple socket adaptors like the one you bought.

    You bought a keyboard that only supports the PS/2 protocol, which is why you need something that translates the PS/2 protocol to USB [centralcomputer.com].
  • It was $29 so it wasn't cheap, but it allows me to use my precious Model M on my new Powerbook.

    It has both a PS/2 mouse and PS/2 keyboard connector. I've only used the keyboard part.
  • ...for about a year now is an EZ-PU21 (google for it), no problems whatsoever.

    It has two PS/2 inputs (keyb & mouse), no driver required, and works under Windows, Linux and MacOS.

    Personal peeve: if it were more compact instead of a 25cm Y-dongle then it would've been perfect!

  • Maybe you're just not lucky (Score:4, Informative)

    by mcmonkey ( 96054 ) on Friday June 04, 2004 @01:50PM (#9336869) Homepage
    I have the Belkin USB-to-PS/2 Y-adapter to use my olde style keyboard and mouse with my laptop. Worked perfectly right out of the box with no reboots.

    Keyboard is a Gateway AnyKey from '94, the mouse is a Tobshiba from somewhere in the late 90s. The PS/2 ends of the adapter go to my KVM cables; the USB end into a Compaq laptop. If USB-to-PS/2 works there, I'd expect it to work most places.

    One thought, I don't know if the USB-to-PS/2 adapter makes the PS/2 items hot-swappable like USB items. It's no big deal to plug in a USB mouse or drive into a running MS windows system. Normally a PS/2 mouse or keyboard has to be plugged in when you boot the system. I don't know off hand if PS/2-through-USB follows the USB rules or PS/2 rules. Just a thought.
  • I bought a $13 CUE: CAT adapter from radio shack a year or two ago, i dont remember if it said it found an unknown device or not but the keyboard defiantly worked
  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • I have been using this one [tigerdirect.com] with both my Dell Inspiron 7000 (W2K and W98se) and my iBook (OSX 10.2) with no problems or glitches whatsoever. I vaguely recall Red Hat not being able to find the mouse during one installation but I don't remember the details or how/if I worked around it.

  • ... and works just fine: IOGear's PS2-USB adapter [iogear.com]

    Never had a problem with it. Be aware, though, that if you are using it with KVM, that Win2K/XP boxes need to have access to said devices while they power up, or they won't be recognized until you reboot.

  • I too, saw a pile of these at work, and thought "This is great, a USB master to PS2 signal generator all in a small plug". I wanted to use these to have a hot pluggable keyboard and mouse in a no keyboard P3 LINUX server under the desk. Mine did not work either. Silly me, thinking what is apparently a really cool USB device is merely an empty shell. My Cow-orker brought my attention to the name of the manufacturer stamped on the plug. I tried to dissect one at work, and sucessfully cut off the rubber s
  • I bought a cheap ($25 or less) belkin converter so I could hook my laptop into my KVM (ps/2 unit). The *keyboard* worked fine. The mouse (a logitech marble scroll) didn't work at all. I also tried this with a different (logitech) mouse and a different system (actually a sunray) and it didn't work any better there. I suspect, though I'm not sure, that the logitech mice do something different that prevents them from working with this device.

    "didn't work at all" == the only motion I'd get, if any, was up a

  • I used one of the ones with 2 PS/2 adapters on it for a friend of mine's computer, and it worked flawlessly. It was a P3/733 and was running Win2k. It was even recognized at boot time so I could work in the BIOS with it. Windows installed it and didn't even need to let me know about it.
  • I was looking into this other day. I have a Trackman Marble FX (best trackball ever, I love them) and it's an old PS2 piece of hardware. I'm looking to upgrade to a G5 if Rev B's ever come out, but they don't have PS2 ports. I found when googling around that even these snazzier adapters with circuitry cannot handle properly the additional buttons on some mice and keyboards (or in this case, probably my trakcball with all 5 buttons). Apparently the drivers for these devices play tricks to send non-standard c
  • Let me guess ... you bought a happy hacker keyboard. But you didn't want to shell out the $70 for the newer, USB model, so you bought the older, much cheaper, PS/2 model. Well, eat it.

    I have the newer, in black, usb version. It's FUCKING GREAT! Very small footprint (I never use the function keys or the numpad anyway, so it was great to get rid of them). Everything fits, and I REALLY REALLY like the control key at my left pinky. Getting used to the fn-delete for backspace was a slight trick at first,
    • Well, OK, happy hacking. Either way, from looking at your links, I have the $70 one. No function row, no numpad, adn the arrows in the right corner. It is "light", and small, and that's all I wanted. Never a problem yet ... I guess I didn't RTFOP ... but hey, for anyone who wants to decrease their keyboard footprint, snag one of these.
    • Worst than that for me...

      I have a focus FK-2001, the best keyboard ever made since the IBM keyboard of power. Its got basically the same layout, but updated to the standards of the late 90s.

      It clicks and feels like a keyboard should. And reliable? Each key can be disassembled right down to the real metal contacts with little more than a screwdriver (not that I have ever needed to do so).

      Above the board and below the key caps, is a metal spill gaurd that shunts liquids away from the key mechanisms and dow
  • I've purchased two different brands of PS/2->USB converters (both of the "keyboard & mouse" variety), and they have both sucked horribly. The first one would randomly "lock up" the keyboard, causing whatever character I was pressing at the time to be repeated over and over until you unplugged the adapter. The mouse wasn't "smooth", either.. it felt delayed.

    The second adapter made the mouse's refresh rate really awful (reminded me of Windows 3.1 days) and wouldn't let you press more than 1 key at a t

  • similar problem (Score:3, Informative)

    by confused one ( 671304 ) on Friday June 04, 2004 @03:17PM (#9338080)
    I suspect (based on other's posts) that you just have the wrong adapter.

    Having said that, we just went through a similar problem with USB-Serial converters. USB is well defined and RS-232 is ancient (and well defined). Yet, our product (which meets the RS-232 spec strictly) didn't work if the customer was using a USB-Serial converter. We found the converters (we tried several brands) were doing some subtly "unusual" things with both the signals and the serial port registers. We ended up modifying the product firmware and the software on the PC side to make allowances for these converters.

    This may be your problem. If that particular converter hasn't been tested with your model keyboard, by the manufacturer, it may have problems.

  • That's what they are there for. Since you paid for the OS, you should go ahead and avail yourself of the phone support. That is a big part of the value of proprietary software, you have a company you can blame/sue/etc until you get some satisfaction. I know it costs money to call MS, but it's not your money, so go for it (the folks at MS need to eat too ).

    Just remember:
    Expensive software ==> expensive support
    Free software ==> free support

    Be warned that in either case you may get no answer (or a wr

  • Just bought a bunch of IOGear adapters. (Score:3, Informative)

    by Nonesuch ( 90847 ) on Friday June 04, 2004 @03:37PM (#9338297) Homepage Journal
    I just bought a bunch of these USB adapters so I could connect Mac workstations (USB only) to older (PS/2 only) Raritan KVM switches, and have had zero problems using them on Mac or on Windows machines.

    We use the IOGear GUC100KM [iogear.com].

    These are both larger and more expensive (List price $50) than the adapters mentioned in the original article, but they work, and are supported under Win 98, 98SE, 2000, ME, XP, MAC OS 8.6 or greater and SUN Solaris 8/9.

  • Could function be partially compromised? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Nomihn0 ( 739701 ) on Friday June 04, 2004 @03:39PM (#9338329)
    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?

  • Some keyboards are PS/2+USB on the inside, and use a very simple passive PS2USB adapter. The adapter doesn't do any of the neccesary protocol conversion, it just let's the keyboard's internal dual-mode PS/2 and USB logic talk the right way to the PC.

    If the keyboard is truly USB-only or PS/2-only, then you need a bulkier active adaptor which actually translates between the two protocols
  • I had the same problem trying to connect this [modelm.org] to my Thinkpad A31p. Didn't auto-repeat, & you can't have that, can you? Ended up having to get a port replicator. & I bet I'll have to do the same for every future laptop for ever (as I haven't found a better - & more modern - keyboard in 15 years).

    Also, before someone mentions it, yes I have another model m with this [geocities.com] mod, & that didn't work either.
  • Your keyboard supports only IBM-AT, PS/2 and DOSV (whatever that is) as protocols. However, when using a simple PS/2-USB-adapter that does not do protocol-translation, your keyboard must be able to understand USB.

    I had the same problem when I bought a mouse with PS/2-serial-adapter. It worked fine until I changed the mouse against another PS/2-mouse. This new mouse didn't know about serial dataflow and refused to work with this simple adapter.
  • I've submitted a few "ask slashdot" questions and they never get submitted. I thought my questions were interesting and lively. What the hell kind of question is this? It's a freakin' adaptor sometimes they work sometimes they don't. If they didn't work at all they're wouldn't be a market for them and they wouldn't be packaged if pretty much every PS/2 device around. What's next "Do you like round or square ice cube trays?"
  • Did you install the vendor's drivers, or did you just expect the device to "just work"?

  • First thing first (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Etyenne ( 4915 ) on Friday June 04, 2004 @05:02PM (#9339428)
    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.
    • Oups, click "Submit" too early. Should have said that if the adaptor show in the lsusb output, it's a software problem. There is still the possibility that it would not work in Linux either for some reason.
  • I had the same problem a while ago. Most of the ones availible are cheap POS. If you have the time and expertise, or can find someone that does, you can build your own from a PIC microcontroller. Microchip even gives the software away, and the schematic. (One note about the schematic is that is has the clock and data pins to the PS/2 port backwards.)

    Microchip's Application Note [microchip.com]

    Microchip even provides gives out samples for free, you just need to find someway to program it.
  • I have used many of Pi's products since 1999 with no problems. I too have found that the cheapie Ps/2->USB adapters don't work. Try http://www.piengineering.com/ymouse/whym08.php The site lists where to buy it. Buy from a place that allows returns in case it doesn't work for you (although it probably will).

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