stu_e_hughes wrote on 2023-06-08, 08:28:

It has an on-board 4 pin PS/2 header but it seems impossible to find anything to add here and I don't want to start a DIY wiring job.

Check if the manual for your motherboard has the pinout for the PS2 header.

If it does, it's very easy to rewire a generic PS2 bracket to fit there. You just need a multimeter for continuity testing and some DuPont wires.

stu_e_hughes wrote on 2023-06-08, 08:28:

and I don't want to start a DIY wiring job

why?
You already have PS2 on board (J2), that means you cant add external PS2 controller (address conflict)
There are also two serial headers on the board (COMA COMB).
https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/gigabyte-ga-586ats

Thanks for the input. Honestly, I completely overlooked the fact that I had serial on-board. I just had tunnel vision trying to add a PS/2 port.

The adapters/brackets for PS/2 don't seem to be available in Europe. I've found a startech serial bracket though on Amazon though which looks perfect and then I will use an adapter to PS/2.

I think this is case closed. Many thanks for triggering the realisation.

no no noooo, there are many "standards" of serial pinout for those serial brackets. Just buying random one can end up with
-working mouse
-not working mouse
-smoke coming out of the mouse/motherboard

sorry for not warning you earlier 🙁

You will need to draw a diagram of GD75232 pins to header pins before buying/making custom Serial cable. Your best bet is buying one made not with a ribbon cable but individual wires going to the connector so you could easily swap them around.
As for PS2 header, plenty listed in US cheap, but not ion Europe 🙁 What I can propose is somewhat ugly hack - buy or find 'PS2 PS/2 FEMALE TO USB MALE ADAPTOR', its that useless passive adapter that was often bundled with PS2 mice back in ~2010. Then buy "1Pc 2 Port USB2.0 Rear Panel Expansion Bracket to Motherboard USB Header". You can craft a legit PS2 port out of the two :] If you are willing to go this route you will also need a multimeter to decode P2 pinout. https://razorback95.com/guides/ps2-mouse-header

Manual: https://theretroweb.com/motherboard/manual/5a … 4b765790028.pdf
Your board has a PS2 header, but the manual contains no pinout. If you want PS2, you could do what I did with my GA586-TX2.
There is a non-zero chance that the PS2 header on your board has the same pinout as my board, both being made by Gigabyte.
If you want PS2, you could fashion yourself a breakout adapter, but first make sure that the power pins are the same using the following method:
Let's assume your board has the same PS2 header pinout as mine. Refer to the pinout in the thread I linked in this reply.
Connect a multimeter to the GND and 5V pins, and check if you read 5V.
Now switch the probes and read the 2 same pins, but with opposite probe polarity. You should read -5V.
Keeping the one probe on GND, connect the other probe to the DAT and CLK pins. You should read around 0V.
If these conditions are true, then the power pins are the same between our two boards. At this point, you could try making a breakout adapter, connecting the power pins correctly, and determining the correct DAT and CLK order through trial and errror. If you connect DAT and CLK the wrong way around, nothing will break, but the mouse just won't work.

I have ps/2 brackets (quite a few,~5-6) and i'm from EU. Are they that hard to find?!

I bought this one.

https://www.amazon.de/dp/B001Y1F0HW?psc=1&ref … product_details

Is it really a problem to just plug it in and see if it works?

rasz_pl wrote on 2023-06-08, 15:12:

no no noooo, there are many "standards" of serial pinout for those serial brackets. Just buying random one can end up with -work […]
Show full quote

no no noooo, there are many "standards" of serial pinout for those serial brackets. Just buying random one can end up with
-working mouse
-not working mouse
-smoke coming out of the mouse/motherboard

sorry for not warning you earlier 🙁

You will need to draw a diagram of GD75232 pins to header pins before buying/making custom Serial cable. Your best bet is buying one made not with a ribbon cable but individual wires going to the connector so you could easily swap them around.
As for PS2 header, plenty listed in US cheap, but not ion Europe 🙁 What I can propose is somewhat ugly hack - buy or find 'PS2 PS/2 FEMALE TO USB MALE ADAPTOR', its that useless passive adapter that was often bundled with PS2 mice back in ~2010. Then buy "1Pc 2 Port USB2.0 Rear Panel Expansion Bracket to Motherboard USB Header". You can craft a legit PS2 port out of the two :] If you are willing to go this route you will also need a multimeter to decode P2 pinout. https://razorback95.com/guides/ps2-mouse-header

Please send me a link.

bogdanpaulb wrote on 2023-06-08, 23:11:

I have ps/2 brackets (quite a few,~5-6) and i'm from EU. Are they that hard to find?!

You have a 4 pin header. You need 4 pins out of the 6 on the PS/2 connector.
First, check what on the header is +5 V and what is GND.
Connect them properly.
The other 2 pins are mouse clock and mouse data.
You have 2 attempts. If your mouse works, you have wired them correctly. If not, change them.

As long as you don't mess up with the power pins you won't do any harm to mouse or mainboard.

Oh, not for sale, in my storage. I was saying that i didn't realize they become so rare.

stu_e_hughes wrote on 2023-06-12, 09:29:

I bought this one.

https://www.amazon.de/dp/B001Y1F0HW?psc=1&ref … product_details

Is it really a problem to just plug it in and see if it works?

If Tx and ground lines are in the correct place: no, not a huge risk.
If Tx and ground lines are not in correct place: hope you enjoy magic smoke...

I really would recommend at least checking ground.

Pin 5 should have continuity with black power wires (or anything else in the system connected to ground)

If that's good, it's still no guarantee Tx will be in the right place, but it makes the gamble a lot less bad than not checking at all.

ok, thanks. So what exactly will be 'blown' if it shorts the motherboard? Can it be repaired? (just to settle my nerves)

dionb wrote on 2023-06-12, 10:50:

If Tx and ground lines are in the correct place: no, not a huge risk. If Tx and ground lines are not in correct place: hope you […]
Show full quote

stu_e_hughes wrote on 2023-06-12, 09:29:

I bought this one.

https://www.amazon.de/dp/B001Y1F0HW?psc=1&ref … product_details

Is it really a problem to just plug it in and see if it works?

If Tx and ground lines are in the correct place: no, not a huge risk.
If Tx and ground lines are not in correct place: hope you enjoy magic smoke...

I really would recommend at least checking ground.

Pin 5 should have continuity with black power wires (or anything else in the system connected to ground)

If that's good, it's still no guarantee Tx will be in the right place, but it makes the gamble a lot less bad than not checking at all.

why be nervous in the first place when you can use multimeter to trace serial pinout before plugging anything in?

stu_e_hughes wrote on 2023-06-12, 13:07:

ok, thanks. So what exactly will be 'blown' if it shorts the motherboard? Can it be repaired? (just to settle my nerves)

That depends on what is connected to what - but serial ports are old technology and use comparatively huge voltage levels (max 25V difference between 0 and 1). Almost nothing else on the board is designed to handle this kind of differential. As the Wiki says:

Because the voltage levels are higher than logic levels typically used by integrated circuits, special intervening driver circuits are required to translate logic levels. These also protect the device's internal circuitry from short circuits or transients that may appear on the RS-232 interface, and provide sufficient current to comply with the slew rate requirements for data transmission.

Because both ends of the RS-232 circuit depend on the ground pin being zero volts, problems will occur when connecting machinery and computers where the voltage between the ground pin on one end, and the ground pin on the other is not zero.

If you want to settle your nerves, don't guess: check.

So probably it's safer to trace the pinouts on the Ps/2 ports? Does this use less volatage? So less to lose if I mess up?

dionb wrote on 2023-06-12, 16:58:

That depends on what is connected to what - but serial ports are old technology and use comparatively huge voltage levels (max 2 […]
Show full quote

stu_e_hughes wrote on 2023-06-12, 13:07:

ok, thanks. So what exactly will be 'blown' if it shorts the motherboard? Can it be repaired? (just to settle my nerves)

That depends on what is connected to what - but serial ports are old technology and use comparatively huge voltage levels (max 25V difference between 0 and 1). Almost nothing else on the board is designed to handle this kind of differential. As the Wiki says:

Because the voltage levels are higher than logic levels typically used by integrated circuits, special intervening driver circuits are required to translate logic levels. These also protect the device's internal circuitry from short circuits or transients that may appear on the RS-232 interface, and provide sufficient current to comply with the slew rate requirements for data transmission.

Because both ends of the RS-232 circuit depend on the ground pin being zero volts, problems will occur when connecting machinery and computers where the voltage between the ground pin on one end, and the ground pin on the other is not zero.

If you want to settle your nerves, don't guess: check.

stu_e_hughes wrote on 2023-06-12, 17:03:

So probably it's safer to trace the pinouts on the Ps/2 ports? Does this use less volatage? So less to lose if I mess up?

Disruptor wrote on 2023-06-12, 10:01:

You have a 4 pin header. You need 4 pins out of the 6 on the PS/2 connector. First, check what on the header is +5 V and what is […]
Show full quote

You have a 4 pin header. You need 4 pins out of the 6 on the PS/2 connector.
First, check what on the header is +5 V and what is GND.
Connect them properly.
The other 2 pins are mouse clock and mouse data.
You have 2 attempts. If your mouse works, you have wired them correctly. If not, change them.

As long as you don't mess up with the power pins you won't do any harm to mouse or mainboard.

Your mouse header is near keyboard connector. Use it!

How?

Your mouse header is near keyboard connector. Use it!

stu_e_hughes wrote on 2023-06-12, 21:15:

How?

Your mouse header is near keyboard connector. Use it!

Disruptor wrote on 2023-06-12, 10:01:

You have a 4 pin header. You need 4 pins out of the 6 on the PS/2 connector. First, check what on the header is +5 V and what is […]
Show full quote

You have a 4 pin header. You need 4 pins out of the 6 on the PS/2 connector.
First, check what on the header is +5 V and what is GND.
Connect them properly.
The other 2 pins are mouse clock and mouse data.
You have 2 attempts. If your mouse works, you have wired them correctly. If not, change them.

As long as you don't mess up with the power pins you won't do any harm to mouse or mainboard.

He already told you how. Checking the 4 pins of ps/2 is much easier than serial and ps/2 is a vastly superior mouse interface anyway. Using a serial mouse on a ps/2 system is trifling.

Get a multimeter and find out which pin on the mouse header has a ~0 ohm connection to a +5 pin on the AT power connector (red wire). That's your power pin. Do the same thing with ground (black wire). Then look up the pinout of a ps/2 plug on wikipedia or google or anywhere and match them up. The other two pins are clock and data. You've got a 50% chance of getting them right simply by guessing. If not, no damage, just swap them around and try again. Simple as pie

maxtherabbit, disruptor.

the problem, I guess, is not having a ps2 connector & bracket and not finding one for sale nearby. didn't you read that ?