Review: Sun PS/2 Keyboard Interface Converter

Vendor: Sun Microsystems


Review Date: 5/2000

                                                                       
Sun part number: X465A / 370-2068, "Sible"                                      
List price: $75

NOTE: As of August 2003, Sun no longer offers this adapter for sale. However, you can still obtain it from Kinesis.
The Sun product was the same box that Kinesys still sells, with a Sun logo and part number added.

Pictures:

Comments:

Basically, this is a simple piece of hardware – and it works great.

I primarily use it to connect a Logitech Trackman Marble trackball

to my home SPARC. You plug the cable leading out of the box into

the keyboard port of your SPARC machine, and then you have a PS/2

keyboard, PS/2 mouse, and a duplicate Sun keyboard/mouse port.

One word of warning though – you’ll want a 3-button ps/2 mouse.

You can use the following combinations:

  • Sun keyboard, Sun mouse
  • Sun keyboard, Sun mouse, PS/2 mouse
  • PS/2 keyboard, Sun mouse
  • PS/2 keyboard, PS/2 mouse, Sun mouse

You *CANNOT* use a PS/2 keyboard and a Sun keyboard plugged in

at the same time. Also, I’ve found that the “roller button” on some

mice (Microsoft, etc) DOES NOT work properly as a 3rd mouse button,

but I havent tested the newer Logitech stuff yet.

Final Thoughts:

Excellent piece of hardware. Sun has sold this item for a few years

now, but just recently have they become easily available (i.e., not

4-months back ordered). I first used one with a Microsoft Natural

keyboard on a SPARCstation 10 in 1996. I’ve seen the exact same

thing (minus the Sun logo) for sale (at about $175) from Kinesis;

maybe Sun just OEMs them?