Adding PS/2 port (or USB) to old machine?

[Adam Parkin]

Does anybody know if it's possible to get an expansion card for an older
computer (Pentium 233MHz) to add a PS2/2 style mouse port to it? I have
this older machine with no PS/2 or USB ports klunking around with a KVM
switch attached to it, but the KVM only has USB and PS/2 outputs, so
when I switch to the older computer I get a keyboard & monitor but no
mouse. =8-< And no, just using a serial to PS/2 adaptor does not work
(I tried).

I know you can get USB cards for machines like this (or at least you
used to be able to), any idea where I could find something like this,
and roughly how much it'd cost? (of course if anyone on the list has
one lying around that they'd like to get rid of.... =;-> )

[R. McFarlane]

Post by Adam Parkin
Does anybody know if it's possible to get an expansion card for an older
computer (Pentium 233MHz) to add a PS2/2 style mouse port to it? I have
this older machine with no PS/2 or USB ports klunking around with a KVM
switch attached to it, but the KVM only has USB and PS/2 outputs, so when
I switch to the older computer I get a keyboard & monitor but no mouse.
=8-< And no, just using a serial to PS/2 adaptor does not work (I tried).
I know you can get USB cards for machines like this (or at least you used
to be able to), any idea where I could find something like this, and
roughly how much it'd cost? (of course if anyone on the list has one
lying around that they'd like to get rid of.... =;-> )

Read the motherboard manual to see if there is a PS/2 connector on
the motherboard. If so, then you can plug in a PS/2 port to it which will
fill a slot at the back, so you might have to move some PCI cards around.


http://www.mcfarlanecomputing.net/

[Adam Parkin]

Post by R. McFarlane
Read the motherboard manual to see if there is a PS/2 connector
on the motherboard. If so, then you can plug in a PS/2 port to it which
will fill a slot at the back, so you might have to move some PCI cards
around.

The mboard is an ASUS TXP4, and in the manual here's the blurb:

"Optional PS/2 Mouse, USB, IrDA Connector: Supports an optional cable
and bracket set to mount the connectors to an unused expansion slot on
the system chassis."

Later on, it shows how to hook the thing up:

"USB, Infrared, PS/2 Mouse Module Connector (USB_IR_MOUSE, 18-1 pin
block) If you want to use USB, PS/2 mouse, or infrared (IrDA) devices,
you need to purchase an external connector set. The external connector
set connects to the 18-pin block and mounts to an open slot on your
computer’s chassis. ..."

It then has a picture of the connector set (which appears to be a
proprietary ASUS thing, and note that it's an 18pin block, not a block
for the USB, a separate block for the PS/2, etc), and outlines what the
pin assignments are (ie - pin 1 is USB +5v, etc). I managed to find the
Manufacturer part number (90-C10040-0) on a european web site, but it
lists it as being "no longer available". Other than that though, I
cannot find any mention of it on ASUS' site, and my quick search of Ebay
for one of these turned up nothing.

Any ideas?

[Paul Nienaber]

You can get single pin connectors or just wire up your own block and
only use some of the pins. Queale and others probably sell these, and I
have a PS/2 port bracket somewhere around here, I think...

~p

Post by Adam Parkin

Post by R. McFarlane
Read the motherboard manual to see if there is a PS/2
connector on the motherboard. If so, then you can plug in a PS/2 port
to it which will fill a slot at the back, so you might have to move
some PCI cards around.

"Optional PS/2 Mouse, USB, IrDA Connector: Supports an optional cable
and bracket set to mount the connectors to an unused expansion slot on
the system chassis."
"USB, Infrared, PS/2 Mouse Module Connector (USB_IR_MOUSE, 18-1 pin
block) If you want to use USB, PS/2 mouse, or infrared (IrDA) devices,
you need to purchase an external connector set. The external connector
set connects to the 18-pin block and mounts to an open slot on your
computer’s chassis. ..."
It then has a picture of the connector set (which appears to be a
proprietary ASUS thing, and note that it's an 18pin block, not a block
for the USB, a separate block for the PS/2, etc), and outlines what
the pin assignments are (ie - pin 1 is USB +5v, etc). I managed to
find the Manufacturer part number (90-C10040-0) on a european web
site, but it lists it as being "no longer available". Other than that
though, I cannot find any mention of it on ASUS' site, and my quick
search of Ebay for one of these turned up nothing.
Any ideas?

[Stacey]

Try Magitech computers at the top of Cloverdale and Quadra. I've gotten three
such expansion sockets there already for Asus P5AB boards. The fellow has a
lot of these extra old 'optional accessories' around, and might still have
the one that you need.

Looking at the information on the Asus site, it seems very similar to a
problem I had with an on-board combined ps2/usb connector for an Asus P5AB
board. The PS2/USB combo socket came as the full sized socket, and the wires
to the usb side of the socket were snipped off as if it were an after market
decision to try and sell the USB accessory at a much higher price. The part
number looks right as I recall it.

I tried one of the common USB/Motherboard backside plugs that can be locally
bought, but without success. The small board attached to the metal expansion
slot strap has a few extra components that probably precluded using the newer
common USB expansion plug sets. When I found the one at Magitech, it worked
perfectly, but because of the extra long shape of the plug, I either had to
give up using the PS2 mouse or cut the socket down... I just used a USB mouse
instead.

It's guaranteed that you'll not find any of these 'expansion accessories'
anywhere else (been there three years ago).

Hope this helps
Stacey

Post by Adam Parkin

Post by R. McFarlane
Read the motherboard manual to see if there is a PS/2 connector
on the motherboard. If so, then you can plug in a PS/2 port to it which
will fill a slot at the back, so you might have to move some PCI cards
around.

"Optional PS/2 Mouse, USB, IrDA Connector: Supports an optional cable
and bracket set to mount the connectors to an unused expansion slot on
the system chassis."
"USB, Infrared, PS/2 Mouse Module Connector (USB_IR_MOUSE, 18-1 pin
block) If you want to use USB, PS/2 mouse, or infrared (IrDA) devices,
you need to purchase an external connector set. The external connector
set connects to the 18-pin block and mounts to an open slot on your
computer’s chassis. ..."
It then has a picture of the connector set (which appears to be a
proprietary ASUS thing, and note that it's an 18pin block, not a block
for the USB, a separate block for the PS/2, etc), and outlines what the
pin assignments are (ie - pin 1 is USB +5v, etc). I managed to find the
Manufacturer part number (90-C10040-0) on a european web site, but it
lists it as being "no longer available". Other than that though, I
cannot find any mention of it on ASUS' site, and my quick search of Ebay
for one of these turned up nothing.
Any ideas?

[R. McFarlane]

"Optional PS/2 Mouse, USB, IrDA Connector: Supports an optional cable and
bracket set to mount the connectors to an unused expansion slot on the
system chassis."
"USB, Infrared, PS/2 Mouse Module Connector (USB_IR_MOUSE, 18-1 pin block)
If you want to use USB, PS/2 mouse, or infrared (IrDA) devices, you need
to purchase an external connector set. The external connector set connects
to the 18-pin block and mounts to an open slot on your computer's chassis. ..."
It then has a picture of the connector set (which appears to be a
proprietary ASUS thing, and note that it's an 18pin block, not a block for
the USB, a separate block for the PS/2, etc), and outlines what the pin
assignments are (ie - pin 1 is USB +5v, etc). I managed to find the
Manufacturer part number (90-C10040-0) on a european web site, but it
lists it as being "no longer available". Other than that though, I cannot
find any mention of it on ASUS' site, and my quick search of Ebay for one
of these turned up nothing.
Any ideas?

Yup it sounds like it has the connector on the motherboard.
Computer stores around town should have a PS/2 add-in bracket. If not,
check out Boomer's as they usually have "buckets" of old stuff. :)


http://www.mcfarlanecomputing.net/

[myq m]

i'd check the used card bins at little computer stores, but a new usb2
pci card is usaully about $30

Post by Adam Parkin
Does anybody know if it's possible to get an expansion card for an older
computer (Pentium 233MHz) to add a PS2/2 style mouse port to it? I have
this older machine with no PS/2 or USB ports klunking around with a KVM
switch attached to it, but the KVM only has USB and PS/2 outputs, so
when I switch to the older computer I get a keyboard & monitor but no
mouse. =8-< And no, just using a serial to PS/2 adaptor does not work
(I tried).
I know you can get USB cards for machines like this (or at least you
used to be able to), any idea where I could find something like this,
and roughly how much it'd cost? (of course if anyone on the list has
one lying around that they'd like to get rid of.... =;-> )
--
Adam Parkin
--------------------------
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