matze79 wrote:

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what is that? where did you get it? how much was it? what is that wire coming out of the AT port to it? why has this not come up in any of the other threads with people looking for USB/PS2 mice solutions on serial only boards?

See the link in my first post in this topic. It is a project that has a topic here in Marvin

You linked the old sklawz one that sorta petered out.

Here's the new one: PS/2 to Microsoft Serialmouse Adapter Converter / Updated First Post / Firmware Update added

Oh yes... That is the topic I meant to link, but when searching for it I just grabbed the first one that looked like it, thanks =)

soviet conscript wrote:

A company called Raritan made a serial to ps/2 converter that uses some kind of chip inside to do the conversion and is from what I hear virtually lagless and can work on anything back to a PC/XT machine. I have one and a few members here do as well but I've never used mine....the problem is they tend to be pretty uncommon and as far as I know its about your only option.

I found the Raritan to have the worst tracking quality of the 3 PS/2-to-serial converters I tested. It is possible that the converters were not optimal for my mouse, however, there is a general concensus that the tracking quality worsens with increasing screen resolution.

If you want to add a native PS/2 mouse port to a 486 motherboard, I suggest you read this link: Native PS/2 mouse implementation for 386/486 boards using the keyboard controller . In this design, there is no tracking quality loss due to conversion.

PeterLI wrote:

I do not understand this mouse obsession at all.

For me it is so that I can use the same mouse on all systems connected to the KVM. Serial-only computers would require an additional mouse on my desk. I suppose there is also some novelty in using a PS/2 optical mouse on a 486. At higher resolutions the improved tracking quality of PS/2 mice become more aparent.

SquallStrife wrote:

You linked the old sklawz one that sorta petered out.

Sklawz did not offer to provide pre-programmed MCU's. Had he, I'm sure the reception would have been much better.

you guys are going way deep in on this.. where no non-engineer can follow;)
id be happy with just a list of motherboards that actually have the headers

was hoping to be told of a type of ISA controller to buy that would offer an ADDON PS2 header or port

chrisNova777 wrote:

you guys are going way deep in on this.. where no non-engineer can follow;)
id be happy with just a list of motherboards that actually have the headers

was hoping to be told of a type of ISA controller to buy that would offer an ADDON PS2 header or port

You're in vintage computing, you need to be ready for a bit of hackery! 😉

The device that matze is selling simply plugs in to a serial port, then you plug a PS/2 mouse in to that and provide power. That's it. It's brilliant (and I don't even have one yet!)

An ISA PS/2 mouse adaptor is something everybody has wanted forever, but we're not sure if it's possible because of where on the bus the PS/2 mouse interface is implemented (i.e. on the keyboard controller).

chrisNova777, you can try the units from Vetra Systems, http://www.vetra.com/327text.html . I beleive they are still selling. I was disapointed with the tracking quality of the unit, just as I have been with all other protocal converters I've come across. I am on the list to test out the converter provided by matze79. He suggested the possibility of doubling the sample rate when using Logitech drivers.

If you are interested in using a serial mouse, the Logitech Mouseman is a good choice for trackball units.

The Adapter above can be placed on a ISA Card with a UART too.
Serialport and Adapter on one Card.
So it would be possible to design a ADD-In ISA Card which acts as RS232 Mouse and uses a PS/2 Mouse.
I already thinked about this but have no time currently to make any progress.
i have only 3-4 hours/week over for my hobby currently.

well matze its brilliant that u are able to even have the skills to begin to plan such an approach

The only way to have a true PS/2 mouse addon card would be in a machine with a socketed keyboard controller. The board would grab the IRQ12 line from the ISA slot and the other signals running a flat cable from the board to a small board that would fit the keyboard controller socket. No one ever designed such solution, though.

The UART+adapter board approach is good, but if you have a multi-IO (or onboard UART) there is an easier way. All that is needed is for the adapter to have a bracket and pins instead of the DB-9 connector, and then run a flat cable from the multi-IO card to the adapter. Or just leave the DB-9, disassemble something like this and connect the DB-9 internally.

This is already possible, the Mouse Adapter Board already has Pinheaders, you just need make own cables 😀

We had a serial laser mouse for my Dad's IBM XT I'd guess around '87. It worked well. The metal plate that came with it made movement smooth.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Collectable-P … T-/291510853422

PeterLI wrote:

Serial mice are awesome. I use one on my DIN / serial port only Magnavox PCs all the time.

I do not understand this mouse obsession at all.

whats there to understand? i have what i have.. trying to make it work..
if i had a serial mouse id plug it in and be done with it.

feipoa wrote:

soviet conscript wrote:

A company called Raritan made a serial to ps/2 converter that uses some kind of chip inside to do the conversion and is from what I hear virtually lagless and can work on anything back to a PC/XT machine. I have one and a few members here do as well but I've never used mine....the problem is they tend to be pretty uncommon and as far as I know its about your only option.

I found the Raritan to have the worst tracking quality of the 3 PS/2-to-serial converters I tested. It is possible that the converters were not optimal for my mouse, however, there is a general concensus that the tracking quality worsens with increasing screen resolution.

I have the exact same experience with Raritan adapter. Tracking lag is actually so bad, I think it has no practical value as an everyday use equipment.

I haven't figured out the best place to ask this question.
I am trying to run a program using a special keyboard that connects through PS2. This keyboard has lights that need direction from the computer to light up. I have the program running and all keyboard functions work, but the lights do not come on when they are supposed to.
Do I need a setting to send an output through the ps2? I have also connected through USB as well with the same results.

tayyare wrote on 2015-11-09, 11:30:

feipoa wrote:

soviet conscript wrote:

A company called Raritan made a serial to ps/2 converter that uses some kind of chip inside to do the conversion and is from what I hear virtually lagless and can work on anything back to a PC/XT machine. I have one and a few members here do as well but I've never used mine....the problem is they tend to be pretty uncommon and as far as I know its about your only option.

I found the Raritan to have the worst tracking quality of the 3 PS/2-to-serial converters I tested. It is possible that the converters were not optimal for my mouse, however, there is a general concensus that the tracking quality worsens with increasing screen resolution.

I have the exact same experience with Raritan adapter. Tracking lag is actually so bad, I think it has no practical value as an everyday use equipment.

Can someone give this design a go? PS/2 to Serial Mouse protocol converter

It's fairly easy to make on a solderless breadboard and since I put my adapter together, it's been my go-to for PS2 to serial. It works with pretty much everything and the tracking speed with a good mouse like the Microsoft Basic Optical Mouse 2.0 is really fast and smooth.

edit: oops this is from 2015, well.

Sorry B_Cik, I don't have the answer for you. Not sure if I should delete this post or not.

https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-pico/ This should be the ultimate solution for USB to anything converter! It was just released, costs $4 and has USB host functionality. If only I had time now i would try to make something with it, but maybe someone else will look into it. Probably a fairly simple python code would do it.

I noticed that too 😀 the documentation for USB host isn't there yet, but it looks like a great chip. Another one I was considering was the ST 'black pill' STM32F4 but the same as you, other projects drew my attention 😒

The pico should be a really good solution for converting USB HID mice into serial and PS/2 potentially, the PIO could the encoding.

Not quite USB to PS/2 but pretty close, although I don't know much about AMX mice.

https://www.waitingforfriday.com/?p=827

SmallyMouse2 is a universal USB to quadrature mouse adapter for many 8-bit and 16-bit retro computers and allows the use of modern USB mice on machines such as the Acorn BBC Micro, Acorn Master, Acorn Archimedes, Commodore Amiga, Atari ST and many more. Unlike most existing mouse adapters, SmallyMouse2 implements a fully USB compatible interface (most current adaptors are PS/2 based) this allows the use of any modern mouse including those that use wireless communications.

https://hackaday.com/2017/06/12/a-universal-u … rature-encoder/

The design of the SmallyMouse2 uses an AT90USB microcontroller that supports USB device and host mode, and allows for a few GPIOs. This microcontroller effectively converts a USB mouse into a BBC Micro user port AMX mouse, generic quadrature mouse, and a 10-pin expansion header. The firmware uses the LUFA USB stack, a common choice for these weird USB to retrocomputer projects.