Project: The Ultimate PS/2 Adapter

[skurk]

Allright, this is my first electronics project for the Amiga.  I'm going to use this thread as a project/status thread so those interested can follow the progress.

[size=16]WHAT IS IT?[/size]
My first project, an ambitious one if I may say, is a PC mouse adapter.  "But skurk," you say, "those already exist!"  Yes they do, but this is going to be the ULTIMATE one: PS/2 and USB* inputs, and a DB9 for joystick passthrough.  No switches or buttons, everything will be autosensed and mastered by a PIC16F84 microcontroller.
[size=10]*) PS/2 compatible USB mice only.[/size]

[size=16]BUDGET AND STUFF[/size]
To make things a bit more exciting, this will be on a tight budget: The unit, assembled and ready-to-use, should cost no more than US$15.  When (or if) I'm finished, everything will be released under the GNU General Public License.



[size=16]PLANS[/size]
I'll breadboard a typical PS/2 adapter first, then work my way to introducing the USB and DB9F later.  I have a job, a girlfriend and a kid to take care of too, so don't expect this to be completed tomorrow. :-)

[skurk]

Thanks for all the thumbs up, everyone!

@leirbag:  I doubt it will work with modern USB mice, sorry.  They depend on various drivers, and I obviously cannot implement them all.  If the USB mouse works on a PS/2 port (using an adapter) then it will work on this unit as well.

@others: I haven't really thought much about appearance yet, but if it ever gets on a PCB, it'll be small, slim and compact.  I hate huge, boxy dongles.

Anyway, day 1 is over, and this is as far as I got.  Not that an image says too much, but you can see it's connected to the Amiga:



Yes, it looks ugly and a bit of a mess, but it actually does something:  it reports left and right mouse button events.  No movements are "translated" yet, I might get to that tomorrow.  No drivers are required on the Amiga side.

[skurk]

Hehe, well it's not something I'll put up for sale (I'm no businessman), it's just a project I'll GPL when it gets done.

Anyway, other projects have occupied me lately, so this one's on hold for now.  Also, other (and better) adapters have arised since then...

[skurk]

alexh wrote:
Are you REALLY going to support USB HID or are you just going to put a USB connector on so you dont need a USB to PS/2 adapter?

It's just to eliminate the need for a PS/2->USB adapter (as mentioned earlier)