Hi, i have just bought a barcode scanning system as part of my computing project for college, but it is ps2 and does not have a follow through connector to plug my ps2 keyboard in (so i am hot swaping them atm). Is there any way to connect a ps2 keyboard and ps2 barcode scanning system to one port. it is not a keyboard wedge type scanner (thats the prob). I am thinking that i can just splice the power , clock and data lines together as it is the keyboard that does the clocking not the computer, but i know the comptuer can take the data and clock ports low to send data... so i am not sure. Is it possible? btw i have googled but only found splitters for laptops..
Just use a ps2 to usb converter I use one at the office for our scanner, they should also be pretty cheap.
The link just seems to redirect back to this thread? Just me? Ah its ok now, a while since I checked this thread...
You could plug it into your Mouse PS/2 port, because despite it being a different color it's also PS/2 and it doesn't really matter which one goes where.
hmm, i ideally want to keep this as a ps2 based system, as far as i can see it should be possible to simple daisy chain them together... just wondering if anyone has tried this at all?.
Why PS/2 only? Unless your system is Socket 370 or older it doesn't really matter where your mouse or keyboard are plugged in.
First time I installed my mobo I got mouse & kb plugs swapped, refused to boot. Keyboard error check in BIOS. But something else in the mouse PS2 may be OK.
i dont think you can splice those cables, it probably requires some circuitry to schedule packets of data and such, i dont think those cables are plain, or they are wired specially ... im not sure ... cant you just buy 1 of the cables ?
can you swap the keyboard for a usb one. and i dont think that the mouse port and the keyboard port are the same. they are very simular but i think there is a difference somewhere. do you know if its possible to get a pci card with ps/2 on it???
But barcode readers act as keyboards. Not quite traditional for typing, but they read the input (much like a keystroke) and spit out text. Electronically the ports are the same - it'd be a bios/firmware/software issue if there is one. Either plug the barcode reader into the mouse's PS/2 socket, buy a cheap USB->PS/2 adaptor or buy a cheap USB keyboard. You're not going to find a PCI card to do that. I wouldn't try splicing... just seems like a bad idea.
you definantly can get ps2 y-cables...we had all the keyboards and scanners hooked up together at my last work, although some of the scanners were one of the older keyboard plugs (the DIM type) http://www.cablesnmor.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=130 those look exactly like what we used http://www.google.com.au/search?q=p...ient=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official and there's a google search for you so you can find a shop that might be closer/better suited
except on that product and he said the scanner is just like a keyboard, so that probably wont work ....
two mice isn't the same as two keyboards...two mice would be havok (fight over the cursor, hehe) but yeah, those cables are exactly what we used and it worked fine, so i don't see any problems there
I agree. I did some reserach on PS2 when I hacked a touchpad (thread), and mice require several unique parameter values that prevent multiple devices on the same bus easily. However, the communication used by keyboards is rather simple and I think you could parallel them without much of an issue. I'd say that cable linked above is nothing more than splicing the data and signlas lines as was suggested in the original post.
What about, just do it and see what happens? (no risk no fun, or doing it is better than studing it!) And if this doesn't work, u're already hotswapping keyboard and scanner by hand... why not let a switch do that for you? Just take an appropiate switch or some relais and let them switch the lines from keyboard to scanner... (just be lazy and think DIY)
i am trying to think of what damage splicing the power, ground, clock and data lines could do... apart from the kboard being low n scanner being high, which could cause a problem... i know the kboard has pullups and is sopposed to accept data in from the pc but still, could lead to interesting problems. atomic, how is a usb mouse going to even be an option...? agent420 and firehead i agree 100%. sebo i have seen those y connectors but they are all for joining a keyboard and mouse to the one single ps/2 port that old lappies had, they have peculear wiring in them... usb keyboard is an option i am trying to avoid as i want to be able to take this to college and usb stuff it a bitch due to driver installing issues...
but what happens if the scanner and keyboard send data all the time, or if they try to send at the same time as the other then the data line would be all scrambled because both would be trying to send data
I suggest just trying it out by splicing the wires together. Or just get a PS/2 Cuecat off ebay, follow a hack online that makes you solder one wire to two points and then the data will be regular barcode readings. They have the Y built on them already too. I have two of the Cuecats hacked and they work fine.
