Post by thread:USB-PS2?

I am one of those people who is dedicated to using a Logitec FX Trackball for the pointer on My PC. They have been out of production for several years. Even when you find one it it will always use a PS2 connector. I have a rather complex cluster of machines that implements two KVM switches. One of the switches is USB because one of the computers is USB only. A ps2->usb adapter will not work with the USB KVM. The vendor plainly states that. He is correct. Since the PS2->USB adapter is simply a passive device that connects the appropriate data pins to the different connectors, I think it has to be a timing issue. My current thinking is to install an USB connector on the trackball and try a short USB cable. Your thoughts and suggestions are welcome. I don't like the try it and see technique other than a last resort! -- John Ferrell W8CCW "The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it."

I would try to adapt a USB optical mouse ( UOM ) to interface to the trackball. Ball must have pattern on it. The UOM ccd can read the trackball movement. The buttons on the trackball can be fed to the UOM. I am willing to help. 99guspuppet {Quote hidden}> On Jan 13, 2012, at 5:30 PM, John Ferrell wrote: > > I am one of those people who is dedicated to using a Logitec FX > Trackball for the pointer on My PC. > They have been out of production for several years. Even when you find > one it it will always use a PS2 connector. > I have a rather complex cluster of machines that implements two KVM > switches. One of the switches is USB because one of the computers is USB > only. > A ps2->usb adapter will not work with the USB KVM. The vendor plainly > states that. He is correct. Since the PS2->USB adapter is simply a > passive device that connects the appropriate data pins to the different > connectors, I think it has to be a timing issue. > > My current thinking is to install an USB connector on the trackball and > try a short USB cable. > > Your thoughts and suggestions are welcome. I don't like the try it and > see technique other than a last resort! > > -- > John Ferrell W8CCW > "The man who complains about the way the > ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it."

Kensington has some very good USB trackballs. Mark Jordan On 13-Jan-12 23:12, YES NOPE9 wrote: {Quote hidden}> I would try to adapt a USB optical mouse ( UOM ) to interface to the trackball. Ball must have pattern on it. > The UOM ccd can read the trackball movement. The buttons on the trackball can be fed to the UOM. > I am willing to help. > 99guspuppet > >> On Jan 13, 2012, at 5:30 PM, John Ferrell wrote: >> >> I am one of those people who is dedicated to using a Logitec FX >> Trackball for the pointer on My PC. >> They have been out of production for several years. Even when you find >> one it it will always use a PS2 connector. >> I have a rather complex cluster of machines that implements two KVM >> switches. One of the switches is USB because one of the computers is USB >> only. >> A ps2->usb adapter will not work with the USB KVM. The vendor plainly >> states that. He is correct. Since the PS2->USB adapter is simply a >> passive device that connects the appropriate data pins to the different >> connectors, I think it has to be a timing issue. >> >> My current thinking is to install an USB connector on the trackball and >> try a short USB cable. >> >> Your thoughts and suggestions are welcome. I don't like the try it and >> see technique other than a last resort! >> >> -- >> John Ferrell W8CCW >> "The man who complains about the way the >> ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it." >

On Fri, Jan 13, 2012 at 7:30 PM, John Ferrell <spam_OUTjferrell13TakeThisOuTtriad.rr.com> wrote: > I am one of those people who is dedicated to using a Logitec FX > Trackball for the pointer on My PC. > They have been out of production for several years. Even when you find > one it it will always use a PS2 connector. > I have a rather complex cluster of machines that implements two KVM > switches. One of the switches is USB because one of the computers is USB > only. > A ps2->usb adapter will not work with the USB KVM. The vendor plainly > states that. He is correct. Since the PS2->USB adapter is simply a > passive device that connects the appropriate data pins to the different > connectors, I think it has to be a timing issue. > > My current thinking is to install an USB connector on the trackball and > try a short USB cable. > > Your thoughts and suggestions are welcome. I don't like the try it and > see technique other than a last resort! I have an active USB-PS2 device that works as any normal USB keyboard/mouse would. http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-USB-PS-2-Adapter/dp/B000ELSXFY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1326504488&sr=8-3 -- Martin K

On 14-Jan-12 02:12, YES NOPE9 wrote: > I would try to adapt a USB optical mouse ( UOM ) to interface to the trackball. Ball must have pattern on it. > The UOM ccd can read the trackball movement. The buttons on the trackball can be fed to the UOM. > I am willing to help. Gus, That is a good idea and I am sure it will work apart from one problem - you will have to invert one axis. Luckily, it appears you can find a software driver that can invert only one axis so you should try that first before you gut the trackball. Djula {Quote hidden}> 99guspuppet > >> On Jan 13, 2012, at 5:30 PM, John Ferrell wrote: >> >> I am one of those people who is dedicated to using a Logitec FX >> Trackball for the pointer on My PC. >> They have been out of production for several years. Even when you find >> one it it will always use a PS2 connector. >> I have a rather complex cluster of machines that implements two KVM >> switches. One of the switches is USB because one of the computers is USB >> only. >> A ps2->usb adapter will not work with the USB KVM. The vendor plainly >> states that. He is correct. Since the PS2->USB adapter is simply a >> passive device that connects the appropriate data pins to the different >> connectors, I think it has to be a timing issue. >> >> My current thinking is to install an USB connector on the trackball and >> try a short USB cable. >> >> Your thoughts and suggestions are welcome. I don't like the try it and >> see technique other than a last resort! >> >> -- >> John Ferrell W8CCW >> "The man who complains about the way the >> ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it." >

I appreciate the offer to help on the project. I don't think I am ready to try a mechanical mod yet. I am using a smaller Logitec trackball on the USB only machine but it is worse than a mouse for me. The aging process is showing me how fortunate I have been to have a sound body for so long. I tried to repair the missing [OT] in the title but it seems to beyond my control. On 1/13/2012 8:12 PM, YES NOPE9 wrote: {Quote hidden}> I would try to adapt a USB optical mouse ( UOM ) to interface to the trackball. Ball must have pattern on it. > The UOM ccd can read the trackball movement. The buttons on the trackball can be fed to the UOM. > I am willing to help. > 99guspuppet > >> On Jan 13, 2012, at 5:30 PM, John Ferrell wrote: >> >> I am one of those people who is dedicated to using a Logitec FX >> Trackball for the pointer on My PC. >> They have been out of production for several years. Even when you find >> one it it will always use a PS2 connector. >> I have a rather complex cluster of machines that implements two KVM >> switches. One of the switches is USB because one of the computers is USB >> only. >> A ps2->usb adapter will not work with the USB KVM. The vendor plainly >> states that. He is correct. Since the PS2->USB adapter is simply a >> passive device that connects the appropriate data pins to the different >> connectors, I think it has to be a timing issue. >> >> My current thinking is to install an USB connector on the trackball and >> try a short USB cable. >> >> Your thoughts and suggestions are welcome. I don't like the try it and >> see technique other than a last resort! >> >> -- >> John Ferrell W8CCW >> "The man who complains about the way the >> ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it." > -- John Ferrell W8CCW "The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it."