Microsoft's older USB mice often included a small USB-to-PS/2 adapter. This adapter wasn't just a passive wiring converter; it contained active circuitry that translated USB signals into PS/2 signals. This allowed the mouse to function on computers with only PS/2 ports, and importantly, enabled support for the "Wake-on-Mouse" feature in some systems, which required a PS/2 connection. The adapter effectively made the USB mouse appear as a PS/2 device to the computer's BIOS, enabling this functionality even on motherboards lacking USB wake support. Therefore, discarding the seemingly insignificant adapter meant losing the potential for wake-on-mouse capabilities.
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Summary of Comments ( 94 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43499823
Hacker News users discuss the intricacies of the Microsoft USB-to-PS/2 adapter, focusing on its active conversion of USB signals to PS/2 rather than simple pin mapping. Several commenters praise the adapter's sophistication, highlighting its ability to handle higher polling rates than standard PS/2 and even emulate multiple PS/2 devices from a single USB port. Some express surprise at learning this detail, having previously assumed passive conversion. Others reminisce about similar PS/2 to serial port adapters, while some debate the technical challenges and cleverness of the implementation. The discussion touches on the historical context of transitioning between these technologies, the complexities of bidirectional communication, and the surprising amount of intelligence packed into this seemingly simple adapter.
The Hacker News post discussing the Microsoft USB-to-PS/2 mouse adapter generated several comments exploring various aspects of the technology and its history.
One commenter shared their experience of needing such an adapter in the past due to BIOS incompatibility with USB mice during the boot process. They noted the utility of these adapters in allowing users to navigate BIOS settings with a newer USB mouse on older hardware. This highlighted the transitional period where USB was becoming dominant but legacy PS/2 ports were still necessary for full system functionality.
Another commenter delved into the technical details of the adapter, explaining that it wasn't simply a passive wiring adapter. They pointed out the active electronics within the adapter that translated the USB signals into PS/2 signals, effectively emulating a PS/2 mouse. This emphasized the complexity behind the seemingly simple adapter.
Expanding on the active nature of the adapter, a further comment described the clever technique employed by these adapters to identify themselves to the computer. They described how the adapter would briefly short the data and clock lines, mimicking the behavior of a PS/2 mouse during initialization. This allowed the computer to correctly identify the connected device, despite it being a USB mouse connected through the adapter.
Several commenters reflected on the transition period between PS/2 and USB, reminiscing about the days when both ports were common on computers. They discussed the gradual phasing out of PS/2 in favor of the more versatile USB standard.
One commenter corrected a common misconception, clarifying that the green PS/2 port was not necessarily better or faster than the purple keyboard port. They explained that both ports were functionally identical and the color coding was simply a convention for easier identification.
The discussion also touched upon the challenges of using USB keyboards with older BIOS systems. While USB mice were often supported via adapters, using USB keyboards with older BIOS versions could be more problematic due to limitations in the BIOS itself.
Finally, a commenter expressed surprise at the longevity of the PS/2 standard, noting that it persisted for a considerable time even after USB became prevalent. They mused on the reasons behind this extended lifespan, considering factors such as cost and existing hardware compatibility.
In summary, the comments on the Hacker News post provided a range of perspectives on the USB-to-PS/2 mouse adapter, from personal anecdotes about its use to technical explanations of its functionality and reflections on the broader technological transition from PS/2 to USB.