Serial or USB???

[pinecone]

What are the advantages to running a trackball or mouse or the USB port instead of the serial port?

 

[Noriaki]

USB over Serial? Or USB over PS/2?

Serial is the 9pin D shaped one, PS/2 is 6pin round.

Over PS/2 nothing, I think if you have a choice between PS/2 and USB, PS/2 is the obvious choice.

But Serial can't up the repost rate so you are stuck at 40hz (USB is 125, PS/2 is 200). I'd take USB over Serial...

 

[LukFilm]

I think PS/2 is @ 200Hz only if you use a special program...

 

[pinecone]

Oooopps! I meant USB vs. PS/2. Wasn't thinking when I posted.

Going to buy a Logitech Trackball for a new system I'm building. The serial/PS/2 model is $10 cheaper than the PS/2/USB. Unless there is any inherent benefit, I'd just as soon run the PS/2 version.

What would the program to up speed of PS/2 device be?

 

[GD695372]

Unless if you switch your mouse/trackball often, use PS2. USB can, at times, be extremely CPU-intensive. I've seen it bog down a TBird 900!

 

[xtreme2k]

USB mouse has a very 'weird' effect to your computer.

I have the Microsoft Intellimouse with intellieye. It comes with a USB plug by default but has a USB to PS/2 interface. I am now using the PS2 interface due to the fact if I am using USB, during HEAVY HDD access and program loading, I can see the mouse 'pausing' abit. This does NOT happen on PS2 mode but DOES happen in USB mode. I have a P3/700E overclocked to 868, therefore 'CPU' power is not a problem, but still there is the pauses.

 

[MangoDude]

I have the same prob. When running the Intellimouse I noticed that the mouse really slows down, and tends to `pause. :|

 

[MangoDude]

there is supposed to be a patch to fix that, but I can't seem to find is???

if you can find it will you pleaze tell me where it is at!?

I need the mouse to stop `pausing` so much!!!

 

[xtreme2k]

I dont think there is a patch
It is the nature of USB.

Seriously I dont see why use USB when you have a DEDICATED PS2 connector RIGHT for your mouse, and it is MUCH more compatiable with all OSes. The only reason to go for USB in my opinion is when you are running out of IRQ.

 

[Sugadaddy]

USB has a higher refresh rate (you don't need to be running a program to get a good rate...), doesn't use an IRQ, and please, a mouse isn't gonna slow down your system unless you have an antiquity for a cpu.

You guys complaining about USB must have some other problem, because I use an Intellimouse Optical hooked to USB, and I never get weird hard drive access and the pointer never stutters. I do however notice that USB is smoother than PS2 at default rate.

 

[xtreme2k]

USB does pauses when you try to access your HDD VERY HEAVILY, ie load 3 or more programs at the same time. I have tried it on a few machines, a few P3, a few Celerons. P3 'pauses' muchless while the celeon 366/400/466 does tend to pause more often. USB in itself takes an IRQ anyway, so if you are ONLY using a mouse on the USB then you are not really 'saving' any IRQ at all. USB having a 'default' higher rate than PS2 is not really an 'advantage'. PS2/rate (the program to adjust PS2 refreshes) is FREE for download and it is SO easy to use, and only needed to be used once, and I can get 200Hz refresh, way more than 125hz of usb.

A mouse doesnt slow your CPU down, but USB does. USB relies on your CPU for all data transfer. If you even tried a USB webcam vs a PCI webcam, you will see the CPU usage difference. On my 868E, running a USB webcam takes nearly 50% of my CPU during capture, running a PCI webcam capturing at the same quality, less than 20%. One might say Webcam has a much higher data transfer, but basically it just 'magnify' the CPU usage.

 

[nortexoid]

i use USB and love the refresh...tho i've noticed during intense hdd it does pause...also, i've noticed that the cpu usage goes up to 15% at times from just moving the mouse around really quickly (using the taskmonitor for win2k),...

perhaps i should swithc over to ps/2

 

[Rand]

I have a USB Logitech mouse and I've never seen it slow down/pause under extreme HDD load.... my old MS Optical USB mouse would pause occasionally if I was stressing the HDD so maybe it's a problem with the MS USB mice?

 

[xtreme2k]

I tested USB cpu usage in WIN98SE on my old Celeron 366 overclocked 550.

It was 17% ... pathetic really.
Switch back to PS2, switch refresh to 200Hz, 3% usage.

 

[Supradude]

hm... i've been running my MS trackball explorer on USB and its super smooth, but in light of the previous posts i do recall feeling slight lag on heavy HD access too so me thinks i give ps2 a try later tonight = )

 

[xtreme2k]

Everyone, please test your USB mouse CPU usage.

Try open a CPU usage monitor, move your USB mouse around and see how much it went up. Switch to PS2, see how much it goes up

17% on USB
3% on PS2

on my old Celeron366 overclocked 550.
Havent bother to try USB on my P3.

 

[Philly C]

Is there any noticable difference in refresh rates during games and stuff? Smoother inputs?

 

[weeber]

OK, I have to ask. Does anyone have a link for this program that changes the refresh rate of the PS2 port? Sounds very interesting.

Thanks

 

[xtreme2k]

http://www.tweakfiles.com/misc/ps2rateplus.html It is for Win9x system, not for Win2000/NT. In Win2000, you can select the PS2 refresh rate in your MOUSE properties.

 

[Sugadaddy]

USB= <5% cpu usage on 900mhz Athlon

 

[Philly C]

PS/2 Rate wouldn't work with my Microsoft Trackball Explorer. Couldn't set the rate higher than 100mHz and my system would keep freezing. Sticking with USB. CPU utilization can't be THAT bad can it?

 

[pen^2]

Philly, i think it IS pretty farqin bad judging from my experience with a USB mouse. plus you aint saving A SINGLE IRQ actually its worse IMO. without this POS mouse i could disable onboard USB controller which takes up one IRQ which is shared with the sblive IRQ. till this date i belive thats what has spawned the whole ordeal of instability and stutter ever since i got this mouse.