On Fri, Dec 27, 2019 at 02:38:33PM -0500, Paul Koning via cctalk wrote: > > > > On Dec 27, 2019, at 1:46 PM, Peter Coghlan via cctalk > > <cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote: > > > > Paul Koning wrote: > >> ... > >> I'm considering building a PC keyboard LK201 emulation, should be a fairly > >> simple bit of Arduino code. > > > > Supplies of good non-USB PC keyboards are probably beginning to get harder > > to find now too... > > True. It could use either kind of keyboard. Also, USB to mini-DIN > adapters are still sold ($5 in the current L-Com catalog). That > seems like a cheaper solution than a USB Host shield.
It should work in theory. In practice, I have bought me some keyboards: - Genesis Thor 300 TKL Blue - the cheapest mech I could find and my first mech, BTW - Genesis Rhod 110 - so called "gaming keyboard" Both are usb keyboards. I would like to use them as ps/2, including going through two adapters in serial (usb->ps/2, ps/2->usb, and this stuck into usb port of my desktop). Why so strangely, well, when I connect keyboard, I would like it to behave like a keyboard, not some kind of a hub. So serially connected adaoters are perhaps the cheapest way I can enforce my way. Back to subject. It appears that Thor does not implelement ps/2 on itself, which means I could not connect it as ps/2 keyboard. Rhod implements, so when connected to the same adapter(s) it showed up in my logs as a proper kb. Of course, when I plug Thor straight into usb of my desktop, it shows up in the logs, too. But this is not how I want to boot my computer. In a future, I would expect keyboards to drop ps/2 part of their personality, in which case cheap adapters will not help. What would be required, I think, is something with full usb host on one end and din plug on the other, with software translating between the two. Cheap usb kbds are probably on the other side already, while "gamer" kbds I would expect to hold on for a bit longer. Quite a few players are naysayers and claim usb kbds are too slow to play, so they only can play on ps/2 kbds, connected to ps/2 socket. Thanks God for first person shooters, but this will only last as long as there are gaming 'puters with ps/2 onboard. So, now a good question is, are there any usb->ps/2 adapters which have usb host on them? Sure, they will cost more than simple electric switch kind of adapter, but if not very costly then I might prefer those to building one myself (which would take me a loooong time, given current experience). -- Regards, Tomasz Rola -- ** A C programmer asked whether computer had Buddha's nature. ** ** As the answer, master did "rm -rif" on the programmer's home ** ** directory. And then the C programmer became enlightened... ** ** ** ** Tomasz Rola mailto:tomasz_r...@bigfoot.com **