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Old July 19th 12, 05:25 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware
Jo-Anne[_4_]
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Posts: 1,101
Default USB to PS2 converter

"Paul" wrote in message
...
Jo-Anne wrote:
"Jo-Anne" wrote in message
...
I recently posted about my dead Contour optical mouse, whose cable had a
broken wire--one of five. Given the way the five wires were crimped into
a
piece of plastic, it looked like it would be impossible to fix.

I also, however, have several old PS2 Contour mice whose rollers had
gotten clogged with cat fur. It turns out that some of the cables have
the
same five-wire configuration.

I'd like to try connecting the unbroken PS2 cable to the optical mouse.
What sort of USB to PS2 connector will make Windows XP recognize the
mouse
as Plug-and-Play? Or is that even possible?

Thank you!

Jo-Anne



Before I do more checking on the basis of what JJ and Vanguard said (and
I
thank you both), I should clarify: What I have in mind is keeping the
optical mouse, with all its electronics, but substituting the cable/cord
from one of the older mice, which seems to have the same connector to the
mouse itself--but a PS2 connector to the computer.

Also, I just discovered that I have a never-used Belkin USB-to-PS2
adapter
(not connector) that claims it will connect PS2 mice and keyboards to a
USB
computer and that it "installs with plug-and-play ease" and requires no
drivers or power supply. I'm guessing that it might not work, but I
thought
I'd ask. Could it be that the Belkin adapter is really a connector?

Thank you!

Jo-Anne


The mouse you want to repair is USB.

If you have a PS/2 cable, you'd need to chop the head off it and fit
a USB connector. And they don't make "screw mount" connectors for that
kind of thing, because it would upset signal integrity.

The PS/2 cable itself, might only be designed with PS/2 signals
in mind. Maybe it has a crosstalk problem. We don't know if
all the internal details for the two cables are the same.

I really wouldn't be heading in that direction. It's about as
much work, as designing a mouse from scratch.

Look, if you want to fix it:

1) Buy a USB cable.
2) Chop the non-computer end off, exposing four wires and shield.
3) Solder four wires and shield, to the inside of the mouse.
4) Wrap electrical tape around the wire, to form a crude strain
relief where the cable goes through the mouse casing. Or not.

Done.

Paul



Thank you, Paul!

Jo-Anne


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