no ps2 port on new comp

Circumnavigate

Circumnavigate

Limp Gawd
Joined
Dec 26, 2009
Messages
239
I just got a new machine and there is no ps2 port on the back to plug in my filco ninja, I tried USB but there is much input lag and no nkey rollover, what is recommended? I saw a USB to ps2 adaptor but don't know how well it would work. Thanks.
 
I have used a few ps2 to usb adapters over the years and have had no issues with mice and keboards. You can pick up an adapter on Ebay for like a buck so give it a shot.
 
I recently had to tie some newer servers into an older 8-way KVM that only had PS/2 support. I bought a few PCI cards from Microcenter with PS/2 mouse & keyboard ports. I have been very pleased with the results.
 
Pabuchok said:
I have used a few ps2 to usb adapters over the years and have had no issues with mice and keboards. You can pick up an adapter on Ebay for like a buck so give it a shot.
Click to expand...

Do you mean USB to ps2. Or ps2 to USB? Thanks guys, I think I would prefer an adaptor over a pci card, do you think they would work equally as well?
 
Unfortunate that your new PC doesn't have a PS/2 port. Speaking of aftermarket motherboards, about the only ones you'll see these days without PS/2 ports are server boards, even in ITX size. Too bad your PC maker cheaped out and left out that port.

In terms of PS/2 to USB adapters, sometimes they will work, sometimes they will not. A lot of cheap adapter crap out there. And your motherboard may or may not initialize USB ports properly before the operating system loads, meaning access to the BIOS or Windows recovery may or may not happen.

I'd get a PC that hasn't decided to save 2 cents and actually includes a PS/2 port (or two). But if that isn't possible at this stage, best you can do is get a quality adapter that has a chip that properly converts PS/2 signals to USB ones. Not a "passive" adapter that doesn't. Such as this one from clickykeyboards.com (potentially the same thing at Amazon, not 100% sure) or this Adesso one.

Still a question as to whether they will work properly with your particular keyboard & PC motherboard USB ports. So Amazon's free return policy (no return shipping charges) is advised.

Edit: in terms of a "PS/2 card", Syba offers this one. And this one (with additional separate USB ports as well) if you need a full height card. PCI slot only, though, not PCI Express. And no idea how well it will work; normally separate cards like that need operating system drivers that aren't present when you boot. Thus getting into the BIOS or Windows recovery before the OS loads isn't going to happen.

Good luck.
 
Last edited:
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
Circumnavigate said:
Do you mean USB to ps2. Or ps2 to USB? Thanks guys, I think I would prefer an adaptor over a pci card, do you think they would work equally as well?
Click to expand...

They will work the same, or there will be so little difference you will never be able to tell.
 
Circumnavigate said:
I just got a new machine and there is no ps2 port on the back to plug in my filco ninja, I tried USB but there is much input lag and no nkey rollover, what is recommended? I saw a USB to ps2 adaptor but don't know how well it would work. Thanks.
Click to expand...

As a followup to my above post about adapters, gave what your needs/wants are here a bit more thought while in the shower (yep, I don't sing in the shower, I think about computer stuff :cool:).

First off, having a PS/2 keyboard doesn't automatically mean you'll have unlimited NKRO (n-key rollover). Long ago, I used to think that too, but eventually found out the facts. A keyboard has to be designed to give NKRO; its not totally dependent on the port it connects to.

A site that's an excellent real/virtual test for NKRO of your current keyboard is here. Info on a good way to use that virtual board to test is here (the page also includes a not complete list of NKRO keyboards). More info about NKRO here.

Don't know whether your particular "filco ninja" is designed for NKRO or not. The couple of Filco Majestouch NINJA (the actual name) boards I looked at on Diatec's site state "all-NKRO" on PS/2 models, 6 key NKRO on USB models. Chances of an adapter (or board) retaining all such PS/2 properties going through the USB port: slim to none. By its nature (and as detailed in the last link above): "If it's USB, then traditionally it's limited to 6 keys and 4 modifiers (ctrl, shift, etc.). But some companies have found a way around that, allowing 7 or 11 or 17 or 24 keys to be registered over USB.".

If a USB adapter works 100% correctly, 6+4 NKRO is the best you are going to get with a PS/2 board; those additional keys on USB require a special chip. That's assuming such an adapter gives you NKRO at all; as follows, its unlikely.

As to those PCI cards, the following info at Das isn't too encouraging. One post: "This card does NOT implement actual PS/2 functionality. I have tested the card personally and have confirmed you will not get NKRO using this card. The card has an internal PS/2 to USB converter, so by using it you are going from USB to PS/2 back to USB.". More info with similar thoughts here.

Active adapters like I posted before also contain PS/2 to USB converter chips. So they are likely to be similar in that they will not give you NKRO.

So the best bets if you really want true NKRO and less "lag" on your current PC: 1) build your own genuine PS/2 to USB adapter that really will allow NKRO, as described here. 2) Or buy a USB keyboard that will give you NKRO with non-existant "lag" (a high polling rate), such as a gaming mechanical by CM Storm. And put your PS/2 Filco away until the day when you get a PC with a built-in PS/2 port. Or sell it.
 
Last edited:
Fritingo said:
As a followup to my above post about adapters, gave what your needs/wants are here a bit more thought while in the shower (yep, I don't sing in the shower, I think about computer stuff :cool:).

First off, having a PS/2 keyboard doesn't automatically mean you'll have unlimited NKRO (n-key rollover). Long ago, I used to think that too, but eventually found out the facts. A keyboard has to be designed to give NKRO; its not totally dependent on the port it connects to.

A site that's an excellent real/virtual test for NKRO of your current keyboard is here. Info on a good way to use that virtual board to test is here (the page also includes a not complete list of NKRO keyboards). More info about NKRO here.

Don't know whether your particular "filco ninja" is designed for NKRO or not. The couple of Filco Majestouch NINJA (the actual name) boards I looked at on Diatec's site state "all-NKRO" on PS/2 models, 6 key NKRO on USB models. Chances of an adapter (or board) retaining all such PS/2 properties going through the USB port: slim to none. By its nature (and as detailed in the last link above): "If it's USB, then traditionally it's limited to 6 keys and 4 modifiers (ctrl, shift, etc.). But some companies have found a way around that, allowing 7 or 11 or 17 or 24 keys to be registered over USB.".

If a USB adapter works 100% correctly, 6+4 NKRO is the best you are going to get with a PS/2 board; those additional keys on USB require a special chip. That's assuming such an adapter gives you NKRO at all; as follows, its unlikely.

As to those PCI cards, the following info at Das isn't too encouraging. One post: "This card does NOT implement actual PS/2 functionality. I have tested the card personally and have confirmed you will not get NKRO using this card. The card has an internal PS/2 to USB converter, so by using it you are going from USB to PS/2 back to USB.". More info with similar thoughts here.

Active adapters like I posted before also contain PS/2 to USB converter chips. So they are likely to be similar in that they will not give you NKRO.

So the best bets if you really want true NKRO and less "lag" on your current PC: 1) build your own genuine PS/2 to USB adapter that really will allow NKRO, as described here. 2) Or buy a USB keyboard that will give you NKRO with non-existant "lag" (a high polling rate), such as a gaming mechanical by CM Storm. And put your PS/2 Filco away until the day when you get a PC with a built-in PS/2 port. Or sell it.
Click to expand...

Damn, this is helpful. I am going through the changeover from two XP computers to two Win7 replacements. The new machines don't have PS/2 ports. I was advised by the local computer shop to buy adapters. I bought the blue cube one from Clickykeyboards. I use 1990s Gateway Anykey keyboards and will give them up over my dead body. I just began using the right hand computer for its principal intended task, writing a book. I am a fast typist. I never had a problem with the machinery before now; occasionally I'd see some delay, and then the computer would spit out eight or nine letters all at once. Now, I observe multiple skipped letters, sudden repeats of a character, sudden change to all caps when the caps lock is not on, and so on. I observe this with more than one sample of the Anykey keyboard. I'm typing this on the left hand computer and it's skipping some letters right now.

For a writer this is intolerable. I'm looking for a way to add PS/2 ports to both computers, and will try the Adesso adapter mentioned above.

This is the worst example I have seen of dumbing down desktop computers. There is no excuse for it, no advantage to USB that justifies messing up the machine's functionality or imposing a speed limit on typists and gamers.
 
Typing concerned, the difference between ports is insignificant unless there's a problem with the computer(s) to begin with.

There can be advantages with different ports from a gaming perspective, but the difference is so small that it's less than likely that anyone would ever truly notice the difference. Key switch design + controller optimization will give more "noticeable" results concerning this to some degree as well.

The issues you're more likely to run into while typing are the limitations of your keyboard's controller.
 
My filco is using USB after i broke the ps2 connector and i get 6NKRO and no input lag, so it's your computer that has issues not your keyboard.
 
Skull_Angel said:
Typing concerned, the difference between ports is insignificant unless there's a problem with the computer(s) to begin with.

There can be advantages with different ports from a gaming perspective, but the difference is so small that it's less than likely that anyone would ever truly notice the difference. Key switch design + controller optimization will give more "noticeable" results concerning this to some degree as well.

The issues you're more likely to run into while typing are the limitations of your keyboard's controller.
Click to expand...

I have been using AnyKey keyboards for twenty years without a problem. I own six of them so I have a pretty good sample. Substitution of USB for PS/2 (and the need for a converter), 64-bit computing, Windows 7--something in the mix has caused this problem.

I read many posts here and elsewhere indicating that gamers and fast typists find the difference between USB and PS/2 quite noticeable, and that the problems I have noted (skipped letters, unintended repeating, etc.) are common when using a PS/2 keyboard with a USB port.
 
SD45 said:
I have been using AnyKey keyboards for twenty years without a problem. I own six of them so I have a pretty good sample. Substitution of USB for PS/2 (and the need for a converter), 64-bit computing, Windows 7--something in the mix has caused this problem.

I read many posts here and elsewhere indicating that gamers and fast typists find the difference between USB and PS/2 quite noticeable, and that the problems I have noted (skipped letters, unintended repeating, etc.) are common when using a PS/2 keyboard with a USB port.
Click to expand...

A lot of people state they see a noticeable difference, but in reality don't. I use to be one of those people until I read into ways to increase the sending rate of information from the keyboard's controller to the computer; bottom line was that the difference between ports used and any type of registry modifications used made only a fraction of the difference that the keyboard it's self did (we're talking under somewhere around 30ms difference in boards at the extreme in documented cases).

You may have great experience with that particular keyboard series, but that doesn't mean that there isn't something else going on, yes.

edit; some keyboards don't work efficiently with passive converters either; this is especially true for PS/2 to USB, iirc.
 
Last edited:
I'm using the active converter sold by Clickykeyboards and others, which I gather is made by Ziotek and sometimes called the blue cube. I have two and neither one eliminates the problem. Perhaps the Adesso will do better.
 
I've never personally used an active converter, are both you have the same model?

Have you run stress/stability tests on the pc in question as well, or even tried different keyboards on it? Just to reduce the possibility that it may be the problem. I'd hate to have you buy hardware that may not even address the problem.
 
Both active converters are the Ziotek blue cube.

Both computers are HP P7-1131 desktops bought new a year ago and just recently installed. One of them has been in the local shop getting some stuff added so all of my experience with USB-PS/2 problems has been on the other one. On all previous computers I have had a PS/2 port, and there has never been a problem with typing too fast, skipped keys, or the rest of it.

The AnyKey keyboard is the only one I use, but the problems occur with two different samples.

I plan to try the Adesso active converters in a few days. If that doesn't work, I'll investigate adding a PS/2 port to each computer. If that is not possible or doesn't work, I'll investigate buying different motherboards or different computers.
 
How is a using a 20 year old PS2 keyboard in a USB port relevant to this thread at all? Your keyboard was made before USB was even invented and you wonder why you have issues... :rolleyes: Buy a new keyboard, problem solved.
 
sok0 said:
How is a using a 20 year old PS2 keyboard in a USB port relevant to this thread at all? Your keyboard was made before USB was even invented and you wonder why you have issues... :rolleyes: Buy a new keyboard, problem solved.
Click to expand...

If you bother to read the whole thread, you won't be making this comment :rolleyes:
 
SD45 said:
Both active converters are the Ziotek blue cube.

Both computers are HP P7-1131 desktops bought new a year ago and just recently installed. One of them has been in the local shop getting some stuff added so all of my experience with USB-PS/2 problems has been on the other one. On all previous computers I have had a PS/2 port, and there has never been a problem with typing too fast, skipped keys, or the rest of it.

The AnyKey keyboard is the only one I use, but the problems occur with two different samples.

I plan to try the Adesso active converters in a few days. If that doesn't work, I'll investigate adding a PS/2 port to each computer. If that is not possible or doesn't work, I'll investigate buying different motherboards or different computers.
Click to expand...

After taking a look into active PS/2 to USB adapter issues, it looks like one of the issues that seems to appear often (with faster touch typists) is the USB port not providing enough power. This seems to be because the adapter (although requiring more power) will not request more power than a normal USB keyboard in most cases the issue arises. You may be able to fix this by changing your USB port settings in the BIOS (legacy/power/ect.), but I didn't see any confirmations on what worked or not and what eventually did work.
 
The second tier up in the HP business class computers include PS/2 ports. The first tier (cheapest) do not. Just FYI.
 
I did a little test this morning, typing the same material (about 250 words) three times. The first time was with the AnyKey keyboard I have been using and the Ziotek blue cube PS/2-USB converter. The typed text was full of skips, mainly missing "d" and "e" keys.

The second time I swapped out the keyboard for another AnyKey that has been stored. Same result.

The third time I swapped out the blue cube for a new Adesso ADP-PU21 converter. This time the text was free of skipped keys. It's still early days but perhaps this will be the solution. One customer review on Amazon states that he has tried all of the available converters with his IBM Model M keyboard and the Adesso was the only one that worked flawlessly. Numerous web forum posts say that it's a trial and error process finding a converter or adapter that works with a given keyboard-computer combination.

I have had some episodes where skipped keys were rampant, not just "d" and "e." But the last few days it has been mainly these keys, suggesting that key-blocking is involved somehow. I have use Microsoft's online test to determine whether the keyboard blocks some keys in a rollover sequence, and it does, although this has never reared its head as a problem until now, with the new Win 7 machines. The blocking seems to occur on the left hand side, when keys in the center or right hand part of the keyboard are pressed. Hence "d" and "e" come up missing.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top