Convert a PS2 mouse to Serial mouse?

[Abhi]

Here is the situation ...

Basically my laptop only has a serial port.. and not a ps2 one...

The USB ports are busy.. and i want to use the serial port for an optical mouse... if possible.

I have one spare PS2 optical mouse... and one spare old ball serial mouse...
What i need is a serial optical mouse..... Can i make one using the above two?

I opened both of them.. they have different sized connectors going into the circuitry... but both have 4 wires each in the connectors..

Can i interchage the wires ... (Cut, splice and rejoin) and expect the optical mouse to work with the serial connector ?

Thanks..

 

[Abhi]

Up

 

[CWilkins32]

From my experience you can not do such a thing. What I would do is purchase a serial to usb adapter cable. You should give Hardware Cooling a call. They have the Belkin usb to serial port adapter cable and it should allow you to use your serial mouse on your usb port. Or you could get a standard serial mouse.

 

[jay75]

What you need is a ps2 to serial(or usb) "active" cable. its a cable with a smallish box inbetween that converts the signal for you. I have my ps2 mouse and keyboard connected to a usb port using an "active Y" cable. search the web, you'll find info.

 

[jay75]

mine does do a funny thing though. i have to disconnect it at boot up and then reconnect just as windows starts loading.

 

[nyarrgh]

being old enough to actually remember when the PS2 mouse first came out, I seem to remember the first PS2 mice being packaged with a plug adaptor for PC's that did ot yet have a PS2 port. It sort of looks like what the USB mice now are being packaged with for PS2 compatibility, but it was a bit larger. Of course, the USB mice being made now are DESIGNED to also work in PS2 mode, so I would guess that for a PS2 mouse to work in serial ports, it must have been designed to do so, but I am not sure, since PS2 is practically a special serial port. I still see these adapters (PS2 to Serial) in some mom and pop style computer stores, and I seem to remember seeing one at Fry's.

I think a mini USB hub and a USB mouse will be way easier

 

[jacktesterson]

Is this possible since its optical and requires power? I'm not sure about it on a serial port, if it would be drawing enough....but I dont know really, so this is pretty useless info

 

[AWhackWhiteBoy]

i have one in my hand right now, they make PS/2 to Serial converters,yes.

 

[AWhackWhiteBoy]

just go here or get a USB hub

 

[Abhi]

Woah this thread came back from the dead..

I think what i want is not possible my switching the cables...

The USB to Ps2 route seems most reliable...

 

[Abhi]

Also .. i found out that the serial to ps2 convertor doesnt always work...

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: nyarrgh
being old enough to actually remember when the PS2 mouse first came out, I seem to remember the first PS2 mice being packaged with a plug adaptor for PC's that did ot yet have a PS2 port. It sort of looks like what the USB mice now are being packaged with for PS2 compatibility, but it was a bit larger. Of course, the USB mice being made now are DESIGNED to also work in PS2 mode, so I would guess that for a PS2 mouse to work in serial ports, it must have been designed to do so, but I am not sure, since PS2 is practically a special serial port. I still see these adapters (PS2 to Serial) in some mom and pop style computer stores, and I seem to remember seeing one at Fry's.

I think a mini USB hub and a USB mouse will be way easier

Yep. Unless you are using an 'active' adaptor, with protocol-conversion circuitry inside, then the mouse in question has to actually be designed to support both protocols. The "adaptor" that comes bundled with devices, simply shorts a line or otherwise signals to the mouse to switch modes. It is internally capable of operating in either mode. I agree that a USB hub and USB mouse is the optimal solution in this case. (Plus, you can even get mini or wireless USB optical mice for notebooks now.)

It's kind of a shame, I don't think that I've actually ever seen any optical scroll-wheel desktop mice with a serial connection on them. I've actually gone looking on several occasions for installs on older computers, ones with motherboards with only an older AT keyboard port, and no USB connectors. (Some of those mobos often have a PS/2 mouse header on the mobo, but I've also learned that the vast majority of those have a proprietary pinout, and it's heck to source the correct and proper bracket for any particular mobo, especially at a price that would even make it worthwhile.) I guess the market for serial mice is just so tiny these days as to make it not even worthwhile to do a mfg run of them. It's sad.