PS2 Power Problem with X-Arcade Controller

[Markie]

Hi all

I recently ordered myself an X-Arcade Tankstick.
I'm really not happy with it because it simply doesn't work with
my PC(s).
When I plug in the PS2 connector for the keyboard, the keyboard
is no longer detected or usable. Tried many different keyboards,
no luck. My Hanaho HOT ROD controller works on that PC, but
not the Tankstick. The Tankstick works on my PC in the living room,
were I have a large flat screen TV, but there I need to sit about
3 - 4 meters away from the PC and therefore need a PS2 extension
cable. As soon as I add a PS2 extension calbe I get the same problem
though. The light in the Tankstick no longer lights up, or that of the
keyboard, the keyboard doesn't work anymore, or the buttons of
the tankstick and Windows starst reporting "No keyboard present".

Connecting by USB is not an option because I don't have a USB
keyboard and you need to use a PS2 keyboard to use the programming
feature of the Tankstick. So really, I can't use this product at all.

Somewhere in the site of X-Arcade they say this can happen when
there is not enough power to run both the Tankstick and the keyboard.
Obviously the Tankstick uses much too much power for the PS2 standard.
My guess is due to sub-standard ---smurfy--- electronics made in China.
I don't really care, all I want is to get it to work, either on the PC
where it doesn't work at all or with an extension cable.

My question:
Is it possible to add an external power source to boost the electric
power of the PS2 system, so I get enough power to run both a keyboard
and the Tankstick connected to the PS2 socket on the PC?
I got a couple of power adapters lying around. Perhaps I could
connect one to the right pins in the Tankstick?
Or is it more complicated than that?

Wikipedia says PS2 is 5 Volts and about 275 mA for power on one
of the pins. Perhaps I can boost that up with an additional power
adapter? Or is this more complicated than just adding an external
power source and connecting it to the right pins in the tankstick?
Are there also data signals from the PC which need to be boosted too?
Does anyone know how PS2 works and what might cause this or
how to fix it?

X-Arcade support is not helping and generally quite unfriendly and
careless. It seems that if their products don't work as advertised,
which is CLEARLY the case here, that's not their prolbem...
To be fair, they seem to agree to take the product back, but seemingly
only offer to return the price for the product itself, not the huge price for
shipping. With the shipping method provided and demanded by X-Arcade,
the shipping to my country and back is actually more than the product
cost itself. So this would be a huge loss for me and thus not a good
outcome. So naturally, I'm trying to get the X-Arcade to work as
advertised, namely with a PS2 connection to a PC...

[ark_ader]

I have the same Xarcade and I do not have this problem.

Your inference that xgaming is rude tells a lot about yourself.  Your extension issue is one I have experienced before.  It is nothing new. Just move your controller closer to the TV.

I do not believe I have heard from anyone that has bad service from xgaming, except those weirdos that have to mash more than 6 buttons at once on an USB controller.   

You are pissed off.  I get it.  I would take it back and make your own controller.  After all this is BYOAC right?    

[PL1]

When I plug in the PS2 connector for the keyboard, the keyboard
is no longer detected or usable.

Just to confirm:  You aren't plugging in a PS/2 connector after you switch on power to the computer, are you?

(PS/2 ports aren't hot-pluggable/hot-swappable.)


Scott

[Markie]

Just to confirm:  You aren't plugging in a PS/2 connector after you switch on power to the computer, are you?

(PS/2 ports aren't hot-pluggable/hot-swappable.)

No. Despite the fact that some might call me stupid to trust in X-Arcade, I'm not that stupid. ;-)

[BadMouth]

Do you have a different keyboard to try?
My old one which I sold to a friend quit working and a keyboard swap fixed it.
Odd thing was that the keyboard we removed still worked when plugged in by itself.

[JDFan]

IF you are sure it is due to the distance the signal is going - you could get a ps2 range extender they aren't cheap ( $45 +/- )but are designed for this type of application (lets you send the PS2 signal over a distance of up to 100 meters using CAT5 cable )

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA0ZX2C37089&ignorebbr=1

[Markie]

Do you have a different keyboard to try?
My old one which I sold to a friend quit working and a keyboard swap fixed it.
Odd thing was that the keyboard we removed still worked when plugged in by itself.

Yes. I know the PS2 problem from my Hanaho HOT ROD controller. I like to use several PCs with one mouse and one keyboard, so I have a KVM switch on all my computers. The HOT ROD didn't always like that with every setup / PC either. That's why I have about 16 completely different PS2 keyboards. I tried the 5 keyboards which I know use the least amount of juice (those which work best with the HOT ROD as well). NONE worked.
Note also, that even when I connect the HOT ROD through the KVM switch and it doesn't work, it is NEVER so bad that Windows actually even reports "No keyboard present".
Only the Tankstick is this bad, even when connected directly to the PC. This is really disappointing.

IF you are sure it is due to the distance the signal is going - you could get a ps2 range extender they aren't cheap ( $45 +/- )but are designed for this type of application (lets you send the PS2 signal over a distance of up to 100 meters using CAT5 cable )

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA0ZX2C37089&ignorebbr=1

Yes, this looks quite interesting.
However, I'm not sure it would really solve the problem.
It looks like it just sends the PS2 signal through ethernet. I don't see an alternate power source though. Perhaps it even takes its power from the connected PS2 plugs, making the power situation worse.

Even if this product has an external (own) power source, I'm not sure that would amplify the too low and too weak signal of the Tankstick to what a PC requires. Perhaps it might just send the PS2 signal through ethernet, with it coming out just as weak and useless as the Tankstick puts it out?
But the general direction seems good. What I need is some kind of PS2 amplifier, or signal booster or power booster.

If it doesn't exist, I wonder if I could build one myself by just hooking up the output of a 275 mA (or smaller) power adapter to the right cores of a spliced PS2 extension cable...
Hmmm... I'd hate to fry my PC on the PS2 connection though...

EDIT: Ohh... Huh, just found something: PS/2 Signal Amplifier:
http://www.tls-gmbh.de/products/signalmanagement/amplifier/ps2/ps2-signal-amplifier/?L=1

Does anyone here have any experience with this kind of problem or this kind of product?

[Markie]

Update: I just contacted the company with the PS/2 signal amplifier (TLS-GmBh):
They no longer produce this product!