Good PS/2 to USB converter for IBM Model M?

lardon

Hello everyone. I know it's been a while since I've been at Winworld. I recently bought an IBM Model M with the removable cable. I just realized that normal PS/2 to USB adapters won't work. I don't want to be spending money on a cheap converter just to find out that it doesn't work. So, does anyone have a suggestion on a good PS/2 to USB converter for a reasonable price? Your help would be appreciated. Thanks!

lardon

SomeGuy

A model M should talk the standard AT protocol, the same as any PS/2 device.

Have you tested the keyboard elsewhere to make sure it works properly?

If it works, then it should work with any PS/2 to USB adapter.

There is no such thing as a "good" PS/2 to USB adapter - they are all crap.

calvinb

A KVM will do a better job than most, but that's very much overkill.

I don't know why it'd be not working - does it draw too much power? Is this actually an AT version? (If so, doing AT->PS/2 then PS/2->USB won't work - you'll need an active adaptor, either a KVM, or programming an Arduino or something.)

lardon

Sorry for the misunderstanding! It works perfectly. It's just that the normal PS/2 to USB adapter doesn't seem to work with my Model M. I see the lights come on, but then Windows tells me that it doesn't recognize the device. I have tried it with a normal PS/2 port, and the Model M works. I know that I'll have to do some remapping if I use it on a Mac, but I'm fine with that.

calvinb

That seems to indicate power draw as the suspect. This shows how to modify it to consume less, but you understandably probably don't want to modify it.

lardon

ampharos wrote:

That seems to indicate power draw as the suspect. This shows how to modify it to consume less, but you understandably probably don't want to modify it.

Modifying the keyboard would probably be risky. Besides, I'm not good at soldering or anything like that. Do other PS/2 keyboards have power draw as a problem as well?

BlueSun

Here's one I found: http://www.amazon.com/Adesso-Adapter-co ... op?ie=UTF8

No personal experience but there's a review from another Model M user saying it works.

I have heard of other people having issues with the Model M and USB adapters, so you're not alone.

lardon

BlueSun wrote:

Here's one I found: http://www.amazon.com/Adesso-Adapter-co ... op?ie=UTF8

No personal experience but there's a review from another Model M user saying it works.

I have heard of other people having issues with the Model M and USB adapters, so you're not alone.

So there's no definite answer as to which one works. Looking at the link ampharos posted, I'm probably leaning towards a Belkin PS/2 to USB adapter. Does it hurt to buy more than one converter and give each a try?

BlueSun

lardon wrote:

BlueSun wrote:

Here's one I found: http://www.amazon.com/Adesso-Adapter-co ... op?ie=UTF8

No personal experience but there's a review from another Model M user saying it works.

I have heard of other people having issues with the Model M and USB adapters, so you're not alone.

So there's no definite answer as to which one works. Looking at the link ampharos posted, I'm probably leaning towards a Belkin PS/2 to USB adapter. Does it hurt to buy more than one converter and give each a try?

As long as you have the money for it, I don't see a problem with that.

I tend to avoid Belkin stuff though. Tends to be overpriced crap.

Icon

I'm curious. What does your adapter look like? Are you sure you didn't use a PS/2 to USB mouse adapter? If you did, there's your problem right there.

[EDIT]

Might also want to be aware that some PS/2 K/B adapters do not like it when you mash multiple keys at once. I made that mistake, not realizing that this can cause problems, like "stuck" keys that will only become "unstuck" when I restart the system.

psychobat

Any active USB to PS/2 converters should work just fine, but avoid passive USB to PS/2 converters like the plague. A passive one typically looks like this and won't work with a Model M because they contain no circuitry to convert the PS/2 signals the keyboard is outputting to a USB signal. An active converter however does contain the circuitry and they come in two shapes: a box-like shape and a cord-like shape.

The one I bought for my Model M was a cheap one off of monoprice, albeit it has some quirks, but it gets the job done well enough for me.

lardon

Icon wrote:

I'm curious. What does your adapter look like? Are you sure you didn't use a PS/2 to USB mouse adapter? If you did, there's your problem right there.

[EDIT]

Might also want to be aware that some PS/2 K/B adapters do not like it when you mash multiple keys at once. I made that mistake, not realizing that this can cause problems, like "stuck" keys that will only become "unstuck" when I restart the system.

Yep, that was the mistake I made. I thought a regular adapter would work, but it turned out that I jumped the gun. It looked like the PS/2 to USB adapters that would normally be used for a PS/2 mouse.

EDIT: you mentioned that mashing multiple keys at once would cause problems. Does that mean I can only use one key at a time? I didn't knew that kind of problem existed.

Icon wrote:

Any active USB to PS/2 converters should work just fine, but avoid passive USB to PS/2 converters like the plague. A passive one typically looks like this and won't work with a Model M because they contain no circuitry to convert the PS/2 signals the keyboard is outputting to a USB signal. An active converter however does contain the circuitry and they come in two shapes: a box-like shape and a cord-like shape.

The one I bought for my Model M was a cheap one off of monoprice, albeit it has some quirks, but it gets the job done well enough for me.

I found one at my local computer store today. Gave it a try, and it works. Although it had no branding on it, the converter looked exactly like the monoprice adapter you referenced. I'm typing this on my Model M as we speak. So far, I had no problems. I guess it's a lesson learned. Thanks to everyone for helping. I appreciate it. Problem solved.