GA-870-UD3 - PS2 Splitter

[hopper]

About to specify this mobo on a new build. The mobo has 1 combined kb or mouse ps2 port.

I have a legacy keyboard and mouse and I would like to retain both. There are ps2 splitters available, but internet wisdom seems to indicate that these do not work on all systems. There is also a usb to 2x ps2 available.

Has anyone any experience with these beasties on this mobo?

Am I right in assuming that loading the ps2 socket with 2 devices will cause no damage?

[Dark Mantis]

Hi and welcome to the Gigabyte Forum.

There is no reason why you shouldnt run both at once off the PS2 port. I don't know if anybody is doing it but I would have thought that you wouldn't be the first. The only thing I don't like about this type of thing is that the adapters make the connection stand out so far that it puts a lot of leverage on the port.

[hopper]

Thanks for your comments.

I've ordered in a splitter cable and I'll try it out. My only concern is that i've read that those things are designed mainly for laptops where the spare two pins on the ps2 socket are dedicated to the mouse. I suppose the bios sorts it all out.

The IT8720 chip on the mobo seems to support to distinct ps2 ports (as well as parallel, serial and goodness knows what else besides). I suppose it all depends on how the socket is wired and/or the bios on the board. In the end there's only one way to prove it.

If I get no joy I'll try the usb to ps2 option. I'd really like to keep that rodent. I'll have to do some rewiring at that end first as it's an old serial/ ps2 beastie. Yeah, daft, but I've got fond of it

No, I need the serial port for a modem - I'm going to be running Linux and internal winmodems are bad news.

I'll post back when I get the parts and get them assembled.

[JSladen]

I have an 880GA-UD3, and in my experiance, using a PS/2 splitter from the combo PS/2 port doesn't appear to work. (I suspect it isn't wired for it)
I also had to try 2 different USB->PS2 adapters, since the first one I used wasn't picked up by the board until after boot, so I couldn't reach the BIOS, the 2nd one I got works fine.

If Anyone does have 2 working PS/2 ports working from the Combo PS/2 port please do say so, so that people know if it is actually do-able.

[Dark Mantis]

If you want my best guess it is that it is not possible on Gigabyte boards as I was trying to help someone else on the Intel Section and they had the same problem. I agree that it is most likely only a case of wiring as there seems to be no reason why it should not work.