USB or PS/2 ?

[spllbnd2]

Yes, another one of them usb or ps/2 questions

[Tiger-Heli]

http://www.mameworld.net/tigerheli/encoder/#USB%20Vs.%20PS/2%20Mode (at least until the next revision of the page).  Note that info here is for keyboard encoders and doesn't apply to Gamepad versions such as the GP-Wiz and A-PAC.

[Bill Mote]

I'd go USB.  Why?  Because you can remove your control panel if you need to on-the-fly.  If your in your cabinet and you bump a PS/2 cable hard enough you risk shorting your motherboard.

[RandyT]

I'd go USB.  Why?  Because you can remove your control panel if you need to on-the-fly.  If your in your cabinet and you bump a PS/2 cable hard enough you risk shorting your motherboard.

Hehe.  that's a new one.   


RandyT

[Bill Mote]

I had a couple of techs that work for me pull the keyboard PS/2 connection as a joke while the system was running.  Both motherboards fried from the joke.  Not too funny in the end.  Granted this was on mid-90's Compaq desktops, but I've always been warry of the PS/2 port since.

I just like that it's hot pluggable.  I access my PC through the coin door.  Usually reaching up to the backplane blind so having hot pluggable equipment is a good thing   My PC is open-air --> I pulled the motherboard tray and backplane out of a case and mounted it to the inside of the cabinet.  It's mounted vertically on the right side.

dot

[Tiger-Heli]

I suppose it can happen sometimes, but I've hot-swapped PS/2 keyboards at least 100 times on various motherboards and never had a problem.  Andy Warne and RandyT have done it more often than that.

Is it supported?  No.  Does it cause problems?  Possibly.  Have I ever seen it mess up?  No.

[RandyT]

Granted this was on mid-90's Compaq desktops, but I've always been warry of the PS/2 port since.

Just about anything made in the last 5 or 6  years won't have that problem.  Motherboard manufacturers learned a long time ago that blown fuses were bad for their warranty departments.

RandyT

[Havok]

I've pulled the ps/2 connection about a thousand times, and have never fried a motherboard, however about 20% of the time the computer can lock up. I would go USB...

Hey RandyT - how about a USB trackball\spinner interface?

[Tiger-Heli]

I've pulled the ps/2 connection about a thousand times, and have never fried a motherboard, however about 20% of the time the computer can lock up. I would go USB...

Hey RandyT - how about a USB trackball\spinner interface?

We need to make a distinction here between PS/2 Keyboard and PS/2 mouse ports.  I have NEVER had a lock-up hot-swapping to the PS/2 Keyboard port.  The PS/2 mouse port will usually lock up the PC if I hot-swap, particularly if I plug in a different PS/2 mouse than the one I removed.

[Havok]

I've pulled the ps/2 connection about a thousand times, and have never fried a motherboard, however about 20% of the time the computer can lock up. I would go USB...

Hey RandyT - how about a USB trackball\spinner interface?

We need to make a distinction here between PS/2 Keyboard and PS/2 mouse ports.

[Minwah]

IMO USB is the way to go if you really need hot-swapping.  Many people don't however...I personally use PS/2 for IPAC (I never unplug it) and USB for mouse devices (for my swappable panels).

[RayB]

I've hot-swapped both ports and never had a problem (I've been using PCs since 1990)

I do have a USB port though that will shut down the computer if I hotswap. I don't think it's wired up right...

[AlanS17]

I'd go USB.

[Minwah]

I've locked devices before, but never the whole system. Unplugging/replugging a mouse might lose mouse control, but I'd still have keyboard control and vice versa.

I've seen unplugging mice lock systems several times...

My general rule for USB/PS2 is that if it's portable or swappable, make it USB. If it's fixed in a cabinet, go with the PS2.

Exactly

[Havok]

I'd go USB.

[spllbnd2]

FYI; Not looking to swap panels anytime after building the cab. But I do want to have upgradeable option incase I ever need to change my computer.? Never know

[Tiger-Heli]

It's not like there's no way forward.  Worst case say you buy a KeyWiz and use it in PS/2 mode and five years from now the mobo dies and you can't find a PS/2 keyboard port on the replacement board you want.  The worst that happens is you have to swap out the KeyWiz for a USB I-PAC/2 or GP-Wiz.  You're out the time to re-wire the CP and the cost of the new encoder, but it's not the end of the world.

[AlanS17]

You can call it a "legacy" port if you want, but I don't see PS2 ports going anywhere any time soon. Besides Ultimarc's boards are both USB and PS2 compatible. The only difference is the cable. If you want to switch from one to another, just switch the cable.