[Intuition]

For some reason my SGI keyboard CTRLs don't work anymore. Was wondering if anyone has had success using a USB to PS2 converter for SGI like the Octane or o2?

Or do I need to Ebay me a new PS2 keyboard?

Thanks. 

[Raion]

Most USB to PS/2 adapters are passive, meaning your keyboards MUST support the protocol for it to work.

Get an IBM Model M. There's no point in using the SGI keyboards other than the mechanical AT101 based ones, which because of mechanical keycap morons, are going for hundreds. Model Ms are the most reliable.

[Intuition]

Oh nice, thanks for the tip Fox.

[shrek]

Hey Raion, I have a Cherry reference keyboard that's USB type A but came with a PS/2 adapter in the box, and I can use it with a PS/2 port on a normal PC just fine. Does that mean it'll work on SGI machines as well? I read something a while ago about how non-SGI keyboards can damage the PS/2 ports on some machines.

[Raion]

Yeah, that should work if your keyboard is PS/2 compatible and supports Scan Code 3 (if it doesn't, it simply will behave a little strange, not hurt anything). You're thinking of the REALLY old SGIs that have a serial mini-din port similar to the PS/2, such as the Iris Indigo, Onyx 1, Crimson, Personal Iris, etc.

[shrek]

I went ahead and tried it out with my Octane2 about an hour ago and it works just fine. Everything that's supposed to work just works.

[Raion]

Yup

[Intuition]

I obtained a replacement accidentally yesterday.

I went to grab lunch at my usual japanese market in Santa Monica.

Down the street is a very old computer maintenance store called "Micro Computers"
I bought three 500 mhz systems from them back in the late 90s. Their store has downsized and honestly seems like a tax haven or simply just a place that older people take their old Dell, Gateway, etc computers to get fixed.

This place is one of those businesses you wonder how they survive.

There is still an old Warcraft 3 new in box on a shelf there.. but its been sitting there so long that the box is sunbleached so the colors have faded. Yet, it is still shrinkwrapped.

I walk in there asking if they have any Ps2 keyboards available.

Yep, a stack of them in the back corner. The guy brings one up and it has a Dell logo on it and says "$12".

It works in the Octane pefectly. *shrug*

[Irinikus]

I have used a Dell keyboard with all of my SGI's except the IRIS indigo, of cause, and it works well.

[bjames]

I know amazon still sells ps2 keyboards.

Also, I had a couple sgi keyboards that had unresponsive keys, I took the thing apart and cleaned it up. Depending on which keyboard you have, the a 2 layers of Mylar contact plates that sometimes accumulate debris. White those with a halo to clean them and if needed, use a pencil to add some carbon on the contacts giving problem. My keyboards work like new now.