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USB Versus Serial For Keyboards
- Thread starter AMD K6
- Start date
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2004
- Location
- Rockingham, NC
I assume you mean PSU port, but the reason is to add more USB ports. I for one am glad to see them go but there are still some needs out there for them, though they are still few and far between the need is still there. I couldn't tell you one off the top of my head but we have this discussion every couple of months and someone drops in with one.
The only advantage I've seen with PS/2 ports is guaranteed functionality with older versions of Windows (usually during Windows Setup or Safe Mode) on certain motherboards.
It's handy to keep at least a PS/2 keyboard as a spare if you have systems with those ports. My Foxconn board for example, on this board if I enable "usb keyboard support" in the BIOS the system will not boot, always hangs at the end of POST. So on that board I can't get into the BIOS unless I either clear the CMOS or use a PS/2 keyboard....good one Foxconn
It's handy to keep at least a PS/2 keyboard as a spare if you have systems with those ports. My Foxconn board for example, on this board if I enable "usb keyboard support" in the BIOS the system will not boot, always hangs at the end of POST. So on that board I can't get into the BIOS unless I either clear the CMOS or use a PS/2 keyboard....good one Foxconn
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- Joined
- May 2, 2002
- Location
- Keller, TX
I have a nice collection of PS/2 adapters for mouse and keyboard just in case (=
Mostly, though, everything I deal with is 100% USB happy from BIOS to OS.
Mostly, though, everything I deal with is 100% USB happy from BIOS to OS.
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2006
- Location
- Stoughton, MA
Time to move on and ditch all those legacy ports. I haven't used a PS/2 style mouse/keyboard in ages. I would much rather ditch them and make room for things like USB/eSATA/CMOS reset switchs/Fancy LCD to display boot codes.
I still have a motherboard with 2 serial ports, and a parallel port. Don't think I have ever used them at all. Even for my cisco connections, I use a serial to usb adatper.
I still have a motherboard with 2 serial ports, and a parallel port. Don't think I have ever used them at all. Even for my cisco connections, I use a serial to usb adatper.
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2005
PS/2 is a type of serial protocol.
PS/2 is easier to detect, faster to write a driver for. USB is complicated as hell. It takes more time to detect a USB keyboard and thus increased boot times.
PS/2 is slower than USB, and there are only 2 mainstream devices supported: mouse and keyboard. Also, when you unplug one, usually you can't use it again until reboot.
PS/2 is easier to detect, faster to write a driver for. USB is complicated as hell. It takes more time to detect a USB keyboard and thus increased boot times.
PS/2 is slower than USB, and there are only 2 mainstream devices supported: mouse and keyboard. Also, when you unplug one, usually you can't use it again until reboot.
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2007
- Location
- Dayton, Ohio
For the most part newer motherboards can hotswap the PS/2. Both my windows and linux box can unplug and replug any PS/2 device, however my older computer will not, once unplugged it's gone.
ALso, while USB does have more throughput i find that because the PS/2 is dedicated i have fewer problems with it - when using usb board and playing a FPS keys would cancel when too many other keys were pressed at the same time and required re-pressing on the PS/2 it would automatically continue once the obstructing key was released (on the occasional time it did fail).
Overall though USB is superior, with the exception of legacy compatibility.
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2007
Gotta be especially careful with that on some older boards, sometimes hotplugging 'em can fry the port. I've got a couple Dells around here that have dead mouse ports because of that. (Luckily they keyboard port still works fine, since they're older machines that can't use a USB keyboard in BIOS.)
I personally need PS/2 because of my old IBM Model M keyboard and a Kensington Pro trackball. No way I'm giving those things up. But it doesn't matter to me whether I can hook 'em up directly or have 'em work through an adapter, as long as they'll work.
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2006
That's likely due to differences between how the keyboards are wired internally, not the connection type, I would think.
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2007
- Location
- Dayton, Ohio
It didn't happen if it was used with a PS/2 adapter. It was kinda screwy.
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2000
- Location
- Albany, NY
Don't know if you realize it, but some early keyboards were serial hookups. I still have a couple of PS/2-Serial adapters I used with a really great IBM keyboard I had.
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2007
- Location
- Dayton, Ohio
Yeah, i've had a few serial mice back in the day, and I had an AT keyboard until two months ago (when i trashed it).
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2006
Ah. Useful info.
I've pretty much only have used PS2 keyboards due to them just lying around, and each one has different variations on screwy keypresses.
