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split USB keyboard and mouse but not video

B

bjlockie

Member
I have a laptop and a desktop and I want them to share the usb mouse and keyboard but not the video.
A KVM solution would be overkill.
Will it work if I get two usb splitter cables that each have one female and two male connections?
The keyboard will plug in to the female and each male will go to a computer.
 
If that does work the mouse/keyboard will work on both computers at same time, or perhaps just one, I'm not sure how the USB protocol would handle two computers being connected to a device.

Since USB logic is only 2 wire, you could probably make some kind of switch. You'd basically need 4 A/B switches. Something like this: http://www.digikey.ca/product-detail/en/c-k-components/DA101J12S215QF/401-1280-ND/566758 You MAY be able to combine the power as well, the negative *should* be bonded to ground so the +5v will be the same potential for both computers. You could also get fancy and build a small box with USB ports, and have that switch actually activate 4 relays instead of having 4 separate switches. There may also be mechanical switches that can switch multiple loads at once, I just posted that one as it was the first thing I found on digikey that has the on-on profile.

I've never done this before though, so it's just an idea. When you flip the switch it would be equivalant to unplugging from one pc and plugging in other PC, which means the PC/OS may potentially mess up where it does not pick it up again or something. So could get glitchy. But USB is generally pretty good for being plug and play. It was mostly an issue with PS2.
 
If I'm looking at it right it has 3 USB type A device inputs (the "USB Console") and 1 output for all 3 to each PC (the square USB type B ports, USB 1 and USB 2).

It's acting like a USB hub for both PCs, one at a time.
 
Thanks, it seems to work. 🙂
I plug the USB keyboard and USB mouse into the switch and then one USB (square USB type B) into each computer.
 
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