Re: a USB for the Apple II smoke test

[pausch@saaf.se (Paul Schlyter)]

In article <pan.2005.07.30.17.04.52.540967@emeraldcity.gov>,
The Wizard of Oz  <wizard@emeraldcity.gov> wrote:
 
> The point I was trying to make was there is a cheap device which can be
> bought which will allow a USB mouse to be connected to the 9 pin
> connector. It works. I seen it.
 
Me too ... a lot of USB mice includes such a device, in effect making
them both USB and PS/2 mice.  And yes, they work --- at least for the
mouse with which it is delivered.
 
> If there is circuitry on the mouse to detect the eventual connection to
> the computer then it's not in the device. This means a USB mouse will
> work with a 9 pin connection. I've seen it. I can't remember if I've
> seen the reverse.
 
Of course ... however you base your argument on "If there is
circuitry on the mouse to detect the eventual connection to the
computer then it's not in the device".  It could be that way, just
like some other device could be made to run on either 220 V AC or 12
V DC and to autodetect its power source (*) -- but that doesn't mean
an adapter plug with only wiring inside would be a "220 V AC to 12 V
DC converter".  Likewise a converter plug from USB to PS/2 with only
wiring cannot be called "USB to serial port converter".  BTW it ought
then to be trivial to make a PS/2 to USB "converter" plug with only
wiring: dissect a "USB to PS/2" converter, check the wiring, and
then do the inverse wiring on your "PS/2 to USB" converter.
 
 
(*) I've never actually seen any device which does this.  But there
are electrical railway engines which runs on either 25 kV AC or 750 V
DC and which autodetects the voltage and runs fine on either of them,
and which doesn't even need to stop when the voltage changes.
 
-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------
Paul Schlyter,  Grev Turegatan 40,  SE-114 38 Stockholm,  SWEDEN
e-mail:  pausch at stockholm dot bostream dot se
WWW:     http://stjarnhimlen.se/