PS2/USB mod? (read for the info)

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02-22-2003, 04:51 PM
Mrfreddio55

PS2/USB mod? (read for the info)

Hey guys,

I recently got a trackball from my dad that he got from his work because he said it didnt work. Well, I got it working right, (not the best, but for the amount of space on my desk its good :D) and since the trackball is for the mac, (mac mice connect to the keyboard) the cord is about 3 feet shorter than what i need to hook it to my USB port, and I dont feel like buying a extentsion cord.

Now for my question, I want to know if i can and/or how to hook this through my keyboard. Im pretty sure that ps2 can convert to USB, but i just want to check before i waste my time.

Notes:
Keyboard - Ps2
Trackball - ADB (mac ps2) to USB adapter, 2' long cord
Want to hook trackball to keyboard and try to hook this through the ps2 port. Is this possible?

Thanks! :)
02-22-2003, 04:55 PM
Korndogg

mac keyboards that have mice plug into them are USB... i don't think you're going to be able to run both the mouse and the keyboard off of the same PS2 port

why do you want to use the mouse anyway? is it better than whatever you are already using?
heh
02-22-2003, 05:43 PM
Mrfreddio55

Quote:

Originally posted by Korndogg
why do you want to use the mouse anyway? is it better than whatever you are already using?
heh

Well, you see, i have about a 6x6 inch area to move my mouse, and thats like no space at all :eek: If I could use this trackball, i wouldnt need to have to have the problem of always moving the mouse around :)
02-22-2003, 05:48 PM
Korndogg

ohhhh.. trackball.. somehow i missed that
those are awesome for gaming (detecting any sarcasm there ? :p)
02-22-2003, 06:03 PM
Mrfreddio55

Quote:

Originally posted by Korndogg
ohhhh.. trackball.. somehow i missed that
those are awesome for gaming (detecting any sarcasm there ? :p)

who says i use my mouse when/if i game? ;)
02-22-2003, 11:35 PM
Mrfreddio55

Anyone?? :confused:
02-22-2003, 11:56 PM
fbs1992

me id just buy a trackball designed for a pc if there was something that was special about mac hardware then maybe but since its basically the same stuff id just get one with a longer cord
02-23-2003, 12:31 AM
Ashpool

Re: PS2/USB mod? (read for the info)

Quote:

Originally posted by Mrfreddio55
Hey guys,

I recently got a trackball from my dad that he got from his work because he said it didnt work. Well, I got it working right, (not the best, but for the amount of space on my desk its good :D) and since the trackball is for the mac, (mac mice connect to the keyboard) the cord is about 3 feet shorter than what i need to hook it to my USB port, and I dont feel like buying a extentsion cord.

Now for my question, I want to know if i can and/or how to hook this through my keyboard. Im pretty sure that ps2 can convert to USB, but i just want to check before i waste my time.

Notes:
Keyboard - Ps2
Trackball - ADB (mac ps2) to USB adapter, 2' long cord
Want to hook trackball to keyboard and try to hook this through the ps2 port. Is this possible?

Thanks! :)

I'd think it would just be better to get an extension cord and wrap the connection between the cord and trackball with tape. No sense in gutting apart something (and possibly destroy it's usage) just to use one less port or combine two into one.
02-23-2003, 12:53 AM
commanderkeen

6*6 inches is plenty of room to move a mouse... I would just switch up the sensitivity settings to something higher and u dont have to move that bia as much as you are now.
02-23-2003, 02:21 AM
Mrfreddio55

Heh, well the thing is is that im cheap, and it was free. So, i'd like to put it to use, seeing as it is a $60 item thats less than a 6 months old. Thanks for the replies, and commanderkeen do you happen to do a lot of photoshopping? ;) It gets tricky when tracing an object...
02-23-2003, 02:37 AM
Hopeless Romantic

yeah, that is why I have a tablet...

6 inches should be plenty. My mouse pad is like 6x8 and I don't use much of it...
02-23-2003, 01:31 PM
commanderkeen

Quote:

Originally posted by Mrfreddio55
Heh, well the thing is is that im cheap, and it was free. So, i'd like to put it to use, seeing as it is a $60 item thats less than a 6 months old. Thanks for the replies, and commanderkeen do you happen to do a lot of photoshopping? ;) It gets tricky when tracing an object...

Heh, I see what u mean, I could never trace objects in photoshop :mad: .
02-24-2003, 12:30 PM
SkyDog

Quote:

Originally posted by Korndogg
mac keyboards that have mice plug into them are USB...

But before Macs had USB, they used ADB (Apple Desktop Bus). Much like newer USB models, ADB mice plugged into ADB keyboards.
02-24-2003, 01:01 PM
Adisharr

Unfortunately the PS2 port is designed for one device at a time. You'll have to go the USB route.
02-24-2003, 06:37 PM
Mrfreddio55

Quote:

Originally posted by Adisharr
Unfortunately the PS2 port is designed for one device at a time. You'll have to go the USB route.

Okay, well thanks for the help... glad I know its not possible now... :)
03-02-2003, 09:05 PM
Adisharr

Quote:

Originally posted by Mrfreddio55

Okay, well thanks for the help... glad I know its not possible now... :)

Well it might be possible I'm just not smart enough to figure it out :)
03-02-2003, 09:20 PM
Big_Mac

Quote:

Originally posted by Adisharr

Well it might be possible I'm just not smart enough to figure it out :)

Oh, it's possible, but in order to run your mouse/keyboard through a single PS2 port, you would need to wire the mouse into the keyboard, and have it send it's data through the keyboard's connector, and then write your own driver to accept the additional inputs being pushed through the port. It's possible, but you would have to do EVERYTHING from scratch, and i think that if you're capable of writing thr drivers required for that, then you really shouldn't worry about a $60 used trackball.