Use a serial mouse.

Laser mouse doesnt work with serial interface?

If my memory serves me right, the serial mouse protocol and the PS2 mouse protocol are not the same. The adapter between ps2 and serial simply changes the form factor. The mouse itself still needs to support the serial protocol.

My guess would be that by the time optical mice were around, the serial protocol was dead long enough that no one bothered to make a mouse that would support the serial protocol. Further complications may also arise due to the fact that nearly all optical mice were USB from the start, and relied on a USB to PS2 adapter for "legacy" support. I'm not sure how the pins even map from USB->PS2->serial. It may not even be possible to daisy chain the adapters together to make this work.

So I concur, just get a serial mouse, or barring that, there were a number of PS2 mice that supported serial via an adapter.

Then i have to buy alot of serial mouses. If the one iam getting te use is broken then iam hardly screwed, because serial mouses are hard te get these days..

That's why I saved my AT keyboard and serial mouse even after I got rid of my original 486.

Robin4 wrote:

Then i have to buy alot of serial mouses. If the one iam getting te use is broken then iam hardly screwed, because serial mouses are hard te get these days..

Someone who knows what they are doing could probably rig up a micro controller that could convert the signals from a USB mouse to ps2 and/or serial. I've tossed the idea around in my head a few times, but I've got enough PS2 mice, and I loathe programming.

Or, you could get an adapter like this one. At 55 bucks it's not cheap, but then you can use any PS2 mouse you want, including a laser mouse. They've got PS2 keyboard to serial adapters as well, but they cost.

SavantStrike wrote:

Robin4 wrote:

Then i have to buy alot of serial mouses. If the one iam getting te use is broken then iam hardly screwed, because serial mouses are hard te get these days..

Someone who knows what they are doing could probably rig up a micro controller that could convert the signals from a USB mouse to ps2 and/or serial. I've tossed the idea around in my head a few times, but I've got enough PS2 mice, and I loathe programming.

Or, you could get an adapter like this one. At 55 bucks it's not cheap, but then you can use any PS2 mouse you want, including a laser mouse. They've got PS2 keyboard to serial adapters as well, but they cost.

Thanks for that information, i didnt know that.. I think i will buy those if i cant get any new serial mouse anymore.

The other option is a IBM PS/2 386 or most OEM 486 machines. A 486DX25 MHz is very similar to a 386DX40 and most OEM machines came with PS/2 ports for keyboard and mouse.

Robin4 wrote:

I want to know i to getting an mouse on an 386 system?

Good suggestions made here. I can only add that many of the old PS/2 ball mice will work with the "standard" PS/2 2 serial adapter (including ones with a scroll wheel 😉), but haven't come across an optical PS/2 mouse that will work on a serial port, though in theory there "could" be a couple very old ones that will work.

Iirc there was a W95 patch for optical mice? Or was it a patch for including a scroll wheel?

I've posted a thread on Vintage Computer Forums about the possibility of adding an old USB PCI card, just for adding a mouse. This however is not the most optimal solution though, but consider it another option 😉

Mau1wurf1977 wrote:

The other option is a IBM PS/2 386 or most OEM 486 machines. A 486DX25 MHz is very similar to a 386DX40 and most OEM machines came with PS/2 ports for keyboard and mouse.

Sorry but i dont gonna change my whole system (that i have custom build to my idea) for an PS/2 mouse. And i dont like OEM computers, they are to standard to me. And mostly its hard to change motherboards ect..

Maybe an bus mouse isnt that bad idea..

Robin4 wrote:

Mau1wurf1977 wrote:

The other option is a IBM PS/2 386 or most OEM 486 machines. A 486DX25 MHz is very similar to a 386DX40 and most OEM machines came with PS/2 ports for keyboard and mouse.

Sorry but i dont gonna change my whole system (that i have custom build to my idea) for an PS/2 mouse. And i dont like OEM computers, they are to standard to me. And mostly its hard to change motherboards ect..

Maybe an bus mouse isnt that bad idea..

It depends which OEM and which boards, review them as they are.
Not all OEM boards are incompatible and infact, the majority of OEM boards will work perfectly fine with standard hardware equipment (like cases etc).

It's the exceptions that you'll want to keep in mind (like some Dell ATX boards and boards using non-standard form factors).

Tetrium wrote:

Good suggestions made here. I can only add that many of the old PS/2 ball mice will work with the "standard" PS/2 2 serial adapt […]
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Robin4 wrote:

I want to know i to getting an mouse on an 386 system?

Good suggestions made here. I can only add that many of the old PS/2 ball mice will work with the "standard" PS/2 2 serial adapter (including ones with a scroll wheel 😉), but haven't come across an optical PS/2 mouse that will work on a serial port, though in theory there "could" be a couple very old ones that will work.

Iirc there was a W95 patch for optical mice? Or was it a patch for including a scroll wheel?

I've posted a thread on Vintage Computer Forums about the possibility of adding an old USB PCI card, just for adding a mouse. This however is not the most optimal solution though, but consider it another option 😉

I've had only some luck with USB serial mouse or PS2 mouse emulation via the USB controller. The keyboard works fine but the mouse can be dicey.

As for W95, it should be compatible with optical mice without a patch just as long as they are PS2 mice. The scroll wheel is the part that's different. Come to think of it, our first PC had a serial mouse port and a MS intellimouse, and later an intellimouse with the scroll wheel. Both worked fine. I'm sure pretty much any ball mouse up until the late 90's should be serial compatible.