FAQ: Fooling pc to think a keyboard is plugged in. - Page 2

shotgunefx · 09-25-2006, 03:58 PM

A PS/2 mouse works similar to a ps/2 keyboard, but sends a CTRL-M so that it knows it's a mouse IIRC.

Take a read at this thread

LYHTSPD · 09-25-2006, 04:00 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by FC3S

why would you need to fake the computer into thinking a mouse is plugged in?

what purpose would that serve...?

Oh, it is for a completly different application. Nothing at all to do with carPC.

Termina · 10-16-2006, 06:07 PM

I've tried twisting the stripped wires from the keyboard around both ends of the resistor (1/4W, 10,000 ohm) but it doesn't work.

Does it actually NEED to be soddered? I've tried just putting it in the PS/2 slot of the motherboard, and it still doesn't work..

can anyone give me a link to the kind of resistors used here, so I can make sure I'm using the right kind?

Mine are Brown, Black, Orange and Gold (color stripes)

LYHTSPD · 10-16-2006, 10:48 PM

I honestly don't see how the OP's hardwire method will work with a PS/2 keyboard. From what I have read, a PS/2 keyboard with talk with the motherboad controller back and forth to and uses an initilization sequence to confirm the existince of each other. I am not sure that just using a resistor to drop the voltage across the +5v line will do anything (maybe for an AT style keyboard). My advice is to basically get an old PS/2 keyboard, tear the driver chip out of it and solder it the PS/2 cord. I had to do this with a mouse for my problem in my earlier post and it works like a charm.

Bugbyte · 10-17-2006, 07:42 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Termina

I've tried twisting the stripped wires from the keyboard around both ends of the resistor (1/4W, 10,000 ohm) but it doesn't work.

Does it actually NEED to be soddered? I've tried just putting it in the PS/2 slot of the motherboard, and it still doesn't work..

can anyone give me a link to the kind of resistors used here, so I can make sure I'm using the right kind?

Mine are Brown, Black, Orange and Gold (color stripes)

Here is a 10k ohm resisitor:

Brown, black, orange, gold

Are you sure you have the right wires to the right pins? Did you use a multimeter to confirm you have the proper wires or did you guess?

Termina · 10-17-2006, 04:11 PM

I guessed; stripped all four wires, and kept trying randomly. =) I figured red would probably be the 5v, and tried diffrent wires hoping one would be ground (unless that one wire w/o plastic covering is the ground?)

Do the colors vary from keyboard to keyboard?

Does the side the wire touches of the resistor matter?

Thanks!

Bugbyte · 10-17-2006, 08:31 PM

The sides don't matter, but for heaven's sake, use a digital multimeter to be sure which wire is which.

LYHTSPD · 10-17-2006, 10:40 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Termina

I guessed; stripped all four wires, and kept trying randomly. =) I figured red would probably be the 5v, and tried diffrent wires hoping one would be ground (unless that one wire w/o plastic covering is the ground?)

Do the colors vary from keyboard to keyboard?

Does the side the wire touches of the resistor matter?

Thanks!

The colors for PS/2 are not standardized from what I know. You should be able to use your multimeter and figure out which pin on the PS/2 cable is which colored wire, and then look at the OP's post to determine what it's function is.

Knightofoldcode · 10-19-2006, 03:58 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Termina

I guessed; stripped all four wires, and kept trying randomly. =) I figured red would probably be the 5v, and tried diffrent wires hoping one would be ground (unless that one wire w/o plastic covering is the ground?)

Do the colors vary from keyboard to keyboard?

Does the side the wire touches of the resistor matter?

Thanks!

While you were randomly tickling your computer, did you allow the PC to sit at the "keyboard not found" error, and just randomly try wire combinations? Because you have to reboot the computer after each random attempt.

No, red is probably not 5V+.

A simple resistor may or may not work with your computer/bios. On the old style AT keyboards, yes, 99% of the time it'll work. This method with the resistor may or may not work. I know for a fact it won't work on 99% of all server motherboards. However, desktop motherboards, and micro motherboards it's a %50/%50 chance it will work. Some motherboards are "smarter" than others, and actually talk to the keyboard, instead of sensing a voltage drop/lack of floating line.

There is a commercial solution. This is typically called a "dummy keyboard", there are many other types including, "dummy video", "dummy keyboard", "dummy mouse", etc. Search google, it's not easy to find on google, but you can find them. Here's a link for a intelligent dummy keyboard.

http://www.multibug.co.uk/keyboard_dummy.html

Knight.

Bugbyte · 10-19-2006, 08:08 AM

Of course, if you are going to buy a keyboard dummy, for just a few dollars more, you can get an iPac interface that will turn switch presses into keyboard commands. That would also fool your keyboard.

Knightofoldcode · 10-20-2006, 04:28 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Bugbyte

Of course, if you are going to buy a keyboard dummy, for just a few dollars more, you can get an iPac interface that will turn switch presses into keyboard commands. That would also fool your keyboard.

Very nice. I didn't even think of the iPac.

Knight.