USB or PS/2 for mouses?

[BoomAM]

Hi,
What is the best connector to plug a mouse into? Is it USB or PS/2?
My last couple of mouses have plugged into the USB port, but will plugging it into the PS/2 be better?
Please justify your reasons for each port of your choice.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Peter]

USB. For the sole reason of USB controllers being on PCI or even faster chipset internal connections, rather than being on an 8-bit ISA device from 1977 (the legacy keyboard/mouse controller). User's pleasure with USB is that many mice give noticeably smoother cursor motion when connected to USB.

 

[BlueWeasel]

USB has a sample rate of 125 samples per second.

The PS2 port sample rate can be adjusted in increments upto 200 samples per second.

I would just try both and use whichever one "feels" better. Personally, I can't tell a difference between USB (@125 SPP) and PS2 (@200 SPP) with my Logitech MX500.

 

[RalfHutter]

My eperiences are the same as BlueWeasel's, I can't tell a difference between either while in Windows and I've had issues using a USB mouse in DOS-type programs while using Win2000 and WinXP so I just stick with a PS2 mouse.

 

[stevewm]

Originally posted by: Peter
USB. For the sole reason of USB controllers being on PCI or even faster chipset internal connections, rather than being on an 8-bit ISA device from 1977 (the legacy keyboard/mouse controller). User's pleasure with USB is that many mice give noticeably smoother cursor motion when connected to USB.

All the super I/O functions in a modern PC are connected directly to internal chipset interfaces. And with a few software tricks are made to appear on the ISA bus. In fact on-board IDE controllers are the same way. They appear to be on the PCI bus, but are in fact connected directly to the chipset's own interfaces.

 

[Mem]

I prefer USB mode with my WinXP,my PC has USB legacy support so DOS is not a problem even when flashing my bios by floppy with USB Keyboard and USB mouse,as for why ? I don`t need to use the USB TO PS/2 adpator and being USB devices are hot swappable is an advantage. I`ve personally never had any USB problems.

PS/2 is older technology,remember USB only uses one IRQ for all USB devices.

 

[BoomAM]

Thanks for the replys guys/gals.
I have a Logitech MX-700 if that makes a difference.
Keep the opinions coming.

 

[stevewm]

Originally posted by: Mem
I prefer USB mode with my WinXP,my PC has USB legacy support so DOS is not a problem even when flashing my bios by floppy with USB Keyboard and USB mouse,as for why ? I don`t need to use the USB TO PS/2 adpator and being USB devices are hot swappable is an advantage. I`ve personally never had any USB problems.

PS/2 is older technology,remember USB only uses one IRQ for all USB devices.

And IRQs are a thing of the past. PCI devices do not even have IRQs. What you see in Device Manager is simply a number left there for compatibility reasons. Pay it no attention

Most of the devices in your system will typically be given the same number anyways....

 

[BoomAM]

PCI devices do use IRQs.
Thats why is reccommended that you have nothing in the PCI slot next to your AGP slot, cos most of the time they use the same IRQ, and hence the same resources.

 

[Peter]

Originally posted by: stevewm

Originally posted by: Peter
USB. For the sole reason of USB controllers being on PCI or even faster chipset internal connections, rather than being on an 8-bit ISA device from 1977 (the legacy keyboard/mouse controller). User's pleasure with USB is that many mice give noticeably smoother cursor motion when connected to USB.

All the super I/O functions in a modern PC are connected directly to internal chipset interfaces. And with a few software tricks are made to appear on the ISA bus. In fact on-board IDE controllers are the same way. They appear to be on the PCI bus, but are in fact connected directly to the chipset's own interfaces.

No, sorry. The legacy super I/O functions are on a so called LPC bus, which is similar to PCI but only 4 (!) bits wide. Essentially you get the same throughput there as on 16-bit ISA.
It all looks like ISA because it is - just with a (L)ower (P)in (C)ount.

VIA and SiS chipsets do have chipset integrated keyboard controllers, yet still they're the same functional unit dating back to 1977, with an incredibly inefficient programming model.

USB in turn is at least on PCI, or directly on a FAST chipset internal connection, and are PCI busmaster DMA devices. This is orders of magnitude more efficient.

Mouse packet send rate (not sample rate) btw does not depend on the interface it's on.

 

[Peter]

Originally posted by: stevewm
And IRQs are a thing of the past. PCI devices do not even have IRQs. What you see in Device Manager is simply a number left there for compatibility reasons. Pay it no attention

This of course is nonsense. PCI devices do use interrupts.

 

[Peter]

Originally posted by: BoomAM
PCI devices do use IRQs.
Thats why is reccommended that you have nothing in the PCI slot next to your AGP slot, cos most of the time they use the same IRQ, and hence the same resources.

... and so is this (is this the myth spin channel or what?)

The IRQ routing scheme is not constant across mainboard designs. There might not even be a slot with the same routing connection as the AGP slot, and if there is, it doesn't have to be the one next to it. Besides, just because two devices use the same IRQ connection doesn't imply a conflict. PCI and AGP specification have IRQ sharing capabilities mandatory for each and every kind of device - and it's been that way ever since 1993. At least.

 

[RobCur]

If you have usb keyboard, you must use ps/2 mouse. In safe mode or when you fresh install windoze, USB device do not function at all until you install their driver and confirm and click ok, use keyboard and hit enter. They aren't that great as they don't function at all in dos mainly USB mouse, with usb keyboard you have to enable usb in bios for it to work, default disabled.

 

[viper118]

Originally posted by: RobCur
If you have usb keyboard, you must use ps/2 mouse.q]

really?? that's weird... cuz i ran mine w/ a usb keyboard and usb mouse at the same time without any problems..or are you talking about when you first install them???.. if so, then you are correct.. you usually need to install the drivers or allow windows to install the generic drivers before it can work.... however, i don't have many usb ports at the moment so i have my mouse connected in the ps/2 port... i don't notice any performance difference... just about the same...

 

[Peter]

Originally posted by: RobCur
If you have usb keyboard, you must use ps/2 mouse. In safe mode or when you fresh install windoze, USB device do not function at all until you install their driver and confirm and click ok, use keyboard and hit enter. They aren't that great as they don't function at all in dos mainly USB mouse, with usb keyboard you have to enable usb in bios for it to work, default disabled.

This is a bug in Windows 98 first edition. They disable the BIOS USB keyboard/mouse function before showing the login prompt, and enable Windows' own USB functions after that. 98SE fixes that. So most people can use pure USB keyboard/mouse no problem.

 

[Mem]

So most people can use pure USB keyboard/mouse no problem

Yep! I`ve both USB mouse and USB Keyboard ,when I installed WinXP on a new bare HD(only HD on the PC) all worked fine.Like all things it depends on your OS and PC hardware you`ve.

 

[Goi]

btw its mice not mouses

 

[eklass]

PS2!!!

i had a problem with my mouse at work where it would disconnect/reconnect ever 30 mins or so.. really annoying having the "babum... babump" constantly...
i tried switching usb ports... nothign... i throw a ps2 adapter on there and put it where it belongs.. viola! no more problems