VGA and keyboard switcher

[flaviosr]

Hi to all,

a strange question.
I would like to use an A2000 and an A3000 but space is not so much: 2 Amigas, 2 monitors or more (the A2000 with an A2286AT and dedicated ISA VGA card), 2 mice, 2 keyboards...
I would like to use the following object:
http://cgi.ebay.it/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=330153745087&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=014
Ok... it's in Italian but you can see VGA and 2 PS2 plugin for every PC (4 out and 1 in).
Do you think (I think so!) is it possible to use one PS2 adaptor for an AT style A2000/A3000 keyboard and the other PS2 adaptor for the serial Amiga mouse (obviously with adaptors: PS2=>AT and PS2=>Serial if exists)?

anf, anf, anf...

Clear enough...? :-o

Ciao and thank you

[amigadave]

Give it a try and let us know how well it works.  I have the same problems as you with multiple Amigas that I want to set up on the same desk and use only one keyboard, one mouse and one monitor.

I have thought about getting a similar KVM switch to make it all work.

[rkauer]

 I think it's possible, IF the switch is only hardware link (with no extra "translators" inside).

 But the price of this piece of h/w is so cheap... Give it a go.

[Thomas]

for the serial Amiga mouse  ...  PS2=>Serial

Do not try this !!! You will fry both the mouse (or the switch) and the Amiga !! Although the Amiga mouse has a standard 9-pin D-Sub connector, it is *not* a serial mouse ! The Amiga mouse works completely different !

Do you think (I think so!) is it possible to use one

No, it does not work with Amiga hardware, at least not with cheap adapters. You need a PS/2 mouse and a PS/2 keyboard for the switch to work and you need real PS/2->Amiga mouse / keyboard converters for each Amiga.

Keyboard: Lyra or MMKeyboard
Mouse: TopolinoIII, Cocolino or ps2m

And it's not sure if this special KVM switch works with the Amiga. I had to try several switches before I found one which worked.

This is the one I currently use (the one with four ports): http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=260736

Bye,
Thomas

[amigadave]

@Thomas,

I figured that mouse converters would have to be used, but I thought the keyboards would work with just a dumb adapter.  Thanks for the heads up.

[madsjm]

I have the Lyra keyboard adapter, and I read that it doesn't work with a KVM switch..?

[derringer3]

I'm using my amiga and pc with digital vga/mouse/keyboard switch. Of course its uses ps/2. I use amiga-ps/2 mouse adapter, and external keyboard with din-ps/2 adapter on the amiga side. Working perfectly, only problem is that if my switch not to switch to amiga, my mouse is not working perfectly. (maybe its the adapter fault, or the switch, don't know)

[flaviosr]

Thomas wrote:

for the serial Amiga mouse  ...  PS2=>Serial

Do not try this !!! You will fry both the mouse (or the switch) and the Amiga !! Although the Amiga mouse has a standard 9-pin D-Sub connector, it is *not* a serial mouse ! The Amiga mouse works completely different !

Do you think (I think so!) is it possible to use one

No, it does not work with Amiga hardware, at least not with cheap adapters. You need a PS/2 mouse and a PS/2 keyboard for the switch to work and you need real PS/2->Amiga mouse / keyboard converters for each Amiga.

Keyboard: Lyra or MMKeyboard
Mouse: TopolinoIII, Cocolino or ps2m

And it's not sure if this special KVM switch works with the Amiga. I had to try several switches before I found one which worked.

This is the one I currently use (the one with four ports): http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=260736

Bye,
Thomas

Wow!!! :-( Thanx...
I found out this object (the ebayer sells many!):
http://cgi.ebay.it/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=140146026967&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=004
and the price seems fair... is this the same, right?

So now I have to find out a lot of mice/keyboards adaptors... right? :-(
Do you have a nice shop in Europe where I can find a bunch of them at a fair price?

Ciao and thank you

[flaviosr]

Thomas wrote:

for the serial Amiga mouse  ...  PS2=>Serial

Do not try this !!! You will fry both the mouse (or the switch) and the Amiga !! Although the Amiga mouse has a standard 9-pin D-Sub connector, it is *not* a serial mouse ! The Amiga mouse works completely different !

Do you think (I think so!) is it possible to use one

No, it does not work with Amiga hardware, at least not with cheap adapters. You need a PS/2 mouse and a PS/2 keyboard for the switch to work and you need real PS/2->Amiga mouse / keyboard converters for each Amiga.

Keyboard: Lyra or MMKeyboard
Mouse: TopolinoIII, Cocolino or ps2m

And it's not sure if this special KVM switch works with the Amiga. I had to try several switches before I found one which worked.

This is the one I currently use (the one with four ports): http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=260736

Bye,
Thomas

mumble... mumble...
Some more doubt...
The problem seems to be that the adaptors are always for using PC mice/keybs with Amiga... so how can be the signal converted first to PC and then to Amiga again? Only this last could be possible...
Could you send some photos of what you have done?
One more question: you told it's not possible with mice but it could be with keybs, right? I mean... in the worst case the keybs do not work but there are no frying problems, right?

Ciao and thank you very much