Off-topic: Good and bad USB-PS/2 keyboard adapters

[Harry Binswanger hb@xxxxxxxx]

For those wanting to connect PS/2 keyboards to USB ports:

Robert has written of the need to use an adapter with a chip in it, not
just a straight through re-wiring. I have found, the hard way, that even
some adapters with chips are not good.


Beware the adapters whose chip-module-cases have four little notches in
them. I have tried two such, one with a Compaq label and one without. Both
have given my (admittedly unusual) keyboard intermittent errors, like the
caps lock coming on unpredictably in the middle of typing, and control
characters being dropped. I should also mention that my keyboard has the
older, larger DIN which I first have to convert with a little plug to PS/2,
and then that goes into the PS/2 to USB adapter, but I can't imagine that
makes the difference.


The one I found that works flawlessly is by Coolgear. Mine is all black, no
notches, just a rectangular solid for the plastic chip-casing. It's $20.14
with ground shipping:


http://www.coolgear.com/productdetails1.cfm?sku=USBG-2PS2&cats=114&catid=114,106,626


Harry Binswanger
hb@xxxxxxxx