PS/2 to USB adapter

[Dartful Dodger]

I bought a Hagstrom KE72 years ago and it's a PS/2.

I'm going to buy a new(er) computer to put in a cabinet and the computers I'm looking at don't support PS/2. So I have a few questions:

How well do the PS/2 to USB converters work with keyboard encoders in MAME?
What issues if any will there be?
If you like your adapter, which one are you using?

Thanks,

DD

[jasonbar]

I'm using a USB->PS/2 adapter for my setup kbd in my cab, going through the IPAC-4.

Just some generic cheap one that came w/ a mouse or keyboard or something--works fine.

-Jason

PS--I have a feeling that I'm missing the point of this question...

[Dartful Dodger]

PS--I have a feeling that I'm missing the point of this question...

No that's the point.  I'm worried there might be a delay, dropped/wrong keypresses or some other kind of issue if I was running it through an adaptor.

I haven't bought the computer yet, so if it would be a problem I'd narrow my options to a computer with a PS/2 input.

[bkenobi]

Or you could look at a new encoder.  I'd compare the cost of getting a legacy MB/CPU/etc with a current model + USB encoder.

[Hoopz]

Andy has specifically said to not use an adapter with his I-Pacs.  FYI

[u_rebelscum]

There are two types of ps/2 -> USB adapters.  One type works fine, the other sucks, but which type you can use depends on your encoder.

The type that works fine is "passive"; all it does is a simple pin/shape rewire, and relies on the encoder to be able to tell it's hooked to a USB vs a ps/2 and be able to send the matching protocol.

The type that sucks is for encoders that can't tell the difference, and thus has to translate the ps/2 protocol to the USB protocol.  Since the adapter is actively doing the translation and are designed for normal keyboard use, there are (usually) many limitations: number of buttons pressed at a time is very low, duration a button can be held down is short, etc.  The hotrod encoder is an example of encoders that only talk ps/2, so they suck at usb even with an adapter.

I don't know if the hagstrom KE72 can speek usb or not.  If it can't, then you're out of luck.

[Dartful Dodger]

I bought it years ago when I first got the arcade building bug.  I bought a ton of odds and ends, but then when I started cutting the pieces for the cab I lost interest in finishing it.

I got the bug again now that a light gun is doable but I promised myself I wouldn't buy any more parts until I actually use what I got.

I paid over $100 for this encoder, back when I didn't have $100 to spend.  When I'm done there's going to be a pile of unused parts, but this encoder isn't going to be one of them.

This weekend I'll try and get a passive adaptor and test the encoder with my office computer.

(I guess I should have done that in the first place, but the voices in my head wanted me to buy an arcade computer this week)