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PS/2 mice and keyboards that work with the Propeller — Parallax Forums

PS/2 mice and keyboards that work with the Propeller

GenetixGenetix Posts: 1,754
edited 2015-03-31 08:36 in Propeller 1
Parallax no longer sells a mouse and keyboard that work with the Propeller so what other makes and models work?

Comments

  • jmgjmg Posts: 15,173
    edited 2015-03-26 16:51
    If Parallax no longer sell them, that suggests they are no longer made in commercial volumes.

    A quick look at eBay finds this, which looks like it can bridge USB-PS2 ?

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-to-PS2-Keyboard-and-Mouse-Adapter-StarTech-USBPS2PC-/270806694476?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f0d563a4c.

    and this may be the same ( certainly cheaper )

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-TO-PS-2-PS2-MOUSE-KEYBOARD-CONVERTER-CABLE-ADAPTER-For-PC-Tide-NEW-/161615814111?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item25a10d9ddf

    claims
    * Plug and Play Installation. No software driver required
    * Supports PS/2 devices (keyboard or mouse) and converts to the USB Interface
    * Support two PS2 keyboard or two PS2 Mouse (2p model)
    * Keyboard - 6-pin Mini Din Female (purple)
    * Mouse - 6-pin Mini Din Female (green)
    * Compatible for Support Windows 98/SE/ME/2000/XP.

    Just to clarify, those would allow a Prop to talk to a PC, as a Keyboard or Mouse emulator, they would not allow a Prop to host a USB mouse, which may have been what you were after when I re-read ....
  • rogersydrogersyd Posts: 223
    edited 2015-03-26 17:21
    Are you looking for a keyboard and mouse to work with a propeller based development board? Or building your own with PS2 ports? Either way, just about any PS2 mouse or keyboard should work fine. Have never tried the ps2/usb converters, but in theory I would guess it should work. Ebay is probably overloaded with nearly free ps2 devices.
    Genetix wrote: »
    ... that work with the Propeller ...
  • Cluso99Cluso99 Posts: 18,069
    edited 2015-03-26 17:49
    Most USB keyboards have the PS2 function inbuilt. You can buy or make a converter - it is totally passive which means just 4 wires. You will find a drawing on the wiki.
    I am unsure if this is the same for the USB mouse - perhaps someone can chime in. Anyway, once you have a converter for your keyboard, you can easily try it on a mouse.
  • jmgjmg Posts: 15,173
    edited 2015-03-26 19:08
    rogersyd wrote: »
    Either way, just about any PS2 mouse or keyboard should work fine. Have never tried the ps2/usb converters, but in theory I would guess it should work.

    The simple physical adapters depend on there being inbuilt PS/2 fall-back support in the hardware.
    I just tried 2 optical mice with a Green PS/2-USB plug-changer, and that failed to appear as a mouse in both cases.

    The USB-PS/2 bridge parts above, should allow PS/2 only devices talk to Host expecting a USB Kbd/Mouse, as they (hopefully) have USB chips inside them.

    The only way for a Prop to host a USB-only part, would seem to be via some Host device or Host-Bridge. As that is a niche market, low cost solutions are less likely. I think the FTDI Vinc2 can do Host-bridging.
  • Peter JakackiPeter Jakacki Posts: 10,193
    edited 2015-03-26 20:06
    My advice and exactly what I always do is to use standard USB A sockets and include a jumper option to select pullup or pulldown on the 2 I/O lines. If you can manage to find a USB keyboard and mouse that are also PS/2 compatible then it is simply a matter of plugging them in directly. You never ever need that "adapter" which is just a bulky awkward gender-bender anyway, either the keyboard or mouse supports PS/2 as well as USB or it does not. How do you tell? Well if they say they do then they might, if they say they do and are packaged with a gender-bender then they do indeed. Other USB devices may work, you can't wreck anything by trying and keyboards and mice are very cheap.

    I like the tiny Logitech wireless dongles but it's a pity they are not PS/2 compatible. But it is possible to load low-speed USB drivers for the Prop to handle USB keyboards and mice directly, so if you always use a USB A connector then at least you have that option, although I believe they soak up precious resources.

    If you really need USB support I think it's easier to use chips that have USB built-in although the FTDI parts are expensive for this task, there are many cheap micros out there that could be pressed into service as a USB interface, perhaps with serial port or I2C interface to the Prop.
  • GenetixGenetix Posts: 1,754
    edited 2015-03-27 10:15
    Just to clarify I am looking for a keyboard and mouse to use WITH a Propeller-based development board.
    I see that Logitech still sells PS/2 keyboards and mice but I wondered what other brands worked.

    Peter, I like your USB-A idea so how would I do that?
  • Toby SeckshundToby Seckshund Posts: 2,027
    edited 2015-03-29 03:34
    As far as I can remember, the compatible KBD/MSE senses the state of the two data pins at power up. If one is held high then it assumes that it has to emulate USB but if both are held high it goes for PS2. The converter lump is purely a mechanical changer (no intelligence ( like me)). Obviously old units never look for the USB way, then there was a period where they could via "the lump", and now I bet that it is just assumed that "surely, nobody would be using something so legacy!".

    I still hang onto a laptop that has serial, parallel ...

    Alan
  • Peter JakackiPeter Jakacki Posts: 10,193
    edited 2015-03-29 05:35
    Genetix wrote: »
    Just to clarify I am looking for a keyboard and mouse to use WITH a Propeller-based development board.
    I see that Logitech still sells PS/2 keyboards and mice but I wondered what other brands worked.

    Peter, I like your USB-A idea so how would I do that?

    Use a 1.5K pullup on D- for low-speed USB or have both lines pulled up for PS/2.

    USB A PINOUT
    1 VBUS
    2 D- or PS/2 DAT
    3 D+ or PS/2 CLK
    4 GND
  • jmgjmg Posts: 15,173
    edited 2015-03-29 13:40
    Genetix wrote: »
    Just to clarify I am looking for a keyboard and mouse to use WITH a Propeller-based development board.
    I see that Logitech still sells PS/2 keyboards and mice but I wondered what other brands worked.

    Looking at Host choices, I find this on FTDI

    USB HID to SPI Master Sample Application ROM (VNC2)
    This demonstration application will bridge a USB HID class device (e.g. keyboard or mouse) present on the VNC2 USB host port 1 to a SPI interface. Data is transferrable from the HID Class device to the SPI Master port.

    Seems to be code for one host port, but the device has 2, so some copy would be needed.
    Other side of the link in the code above is SPI, which could change to UART or even PS/2 with some effort.

    The new FTDI FT51 may be able to do the same, when they finally ship it.
  • davidsaundersdavidsaunders Posts: 1,559
    edited 2015-03-29 17:48
    Any PS2 keyboard should work. The signaling is standard.

    Though making a card edge for attaching USB is simple, and there is a USB HID object in the OBEX (or was last I looked in 2012), it does require a 6.125MHz crystal if I remember correctly (it may have been 6MHz) to correctly overclock the propeller to work with USB.
  • msrobotsmsrobots Posts: 3,709
    edited 2015-03-29 20:39
    Peter Jakacki wrote: »
    Use a 1.5K pullup on D- for low-speed USB or have both lines pulled up for PS/2.

    USB A PINOUT
    1 VBUS
    2 D- or PS/2 DAT
    3 D+ or PS/2 CLK
    4 GND

    Thank you, thank you, thank you.

    Always a pleasure to read your gems. Was just searching for this today. Did your ears ring even down under? WOW.

    Did I say thank you?

    Mike
  • Peter JakackiPeter Jakacki Posts: 10,193
    edited 2015-03-31 08:36
    msrobots wrote: »
    Thank you, thank you, thank you.

    Always a pleasure to read your gems. Was just searching for this today. Did your ears ring even down under? WOW.

    Did I say thank you?

    Mike

    Don't thank me too quick, the bit about the pullup for USB is correct if signalling a USB host but since the Prop is the host you should pull down the two I/O lines with 15K. Of course for PS/2 you pull up those two lines instead.
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