[Nottingham] New keyboard not working

[Bob Marshall]

Hello, Paul, and many thanks for your swift response to my posting on NLUG. I shall have to try to find one of the active adaptors you mentioned. All in all, however, it might be better to hang on to my new keyboard until time forces me to update my PC!
 Again, my thanks.

Bob.


Thanks agai

> Sent: Friday, June 26, 2015 at 1:05 PM
> From: "Paul Sladen" <notlug at paul.sladen.org>
> To: "Notts GNU/Linux Users Group" <nottingham at mailman.lug.org.uk>
> Subject: Re: [Nottingham] New keyboard not working
>
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> On Fri, 26 Jun 2015, Bob Marshall wrote:
> 
> The protocols spoken along the cable are very different for USB HID
> and PS/2.  To save hardware costs, many keyboard manufacturers use a
> microprocessor in the keyboard programmed to try *both* protocols and
> speak whichever one it detects.  These keyboards can then be shipped
> with very cheap 'passive' electrical-only adaptors to change what
> looks like a USB port (but speaking PS/2) into a PS/2 port connector.
> 
> The microprocessor in the new PowerCool keyboard probably only speaks
> USB HID, so a passive electrical-only adaptor will not work.  An
> 'active' _converter_ would be needed, that speaks USB HID from the
> keyboard on one side and speaks PS/2 on the other side.
> 
> (A similiar example is that some tablets and smart phones can output
> composite video via the headphone jack socket; on these devices a
> passive electrical-only cable can be used to connect them to a
> television or screen.  But on other devices without that functionality
> an HDMI->composite *active* converter cable would be needed, costing
> considerably more to produce---like an active USB HID->PS/2 converter).
> 
> 	-Paul
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