PS2 Keyboard
============

Copyright 2009 Jonathan Oxer
Copyright 2009 Hugh Blemings

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| This project is featured in the book "Practical Arduino" by         |
| Jonathan Oxer and Hugh Blemings (Apress, 2009). More information    |
| about the book and this project is available at:                    |
|                                                                     |
| www.practicalarduino.com/projects/easy/ps2-keyboard-or-mouse        |
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Arduino isn't limited to taking input from sensors: you can even connect
up a full-size PS/2 keyboard just as if it were a "real" computer and
type away! Connecting a keyboard to an Arduino may sound a bit odd
(after all, it's just a little microcontroller) but keep in mind that an
Arduino actually has more processing power and memory than a complete
desktop machine of not so many years ago. Adding some peripherals that
you would normally associate with a full-size computer opens up some
interesting possibilities.

Perhaps PS/2 seems a bit dated and you'd rather use a modern USB
keyboard with your Arduino. After all, even finding a PS/2 keyboard can
be tricky now and you may have to go dumpster-diving or hunting through
that pile of crusty old hardware in the company storeroom to find one.
Using a USB keyboard may sound like the obvious solution but
unfortunately an Arduino just isn't up to the job of acting as a USB
host natively - it's simply not fast enough. All is not lost however
because many USB keyboards are designed for backward compatibility and
come with a little purple "USB to PS/2" adapter that allows them to be
plugged into a PS/2 port. Keyboards that come with those adapters are
designed to detect when they are plugged into a PS/2 port rather than a
USB port and automatically switch modes to become a PS/2 device, so this
project should work just as well with a modern USB keyboard connected
via an adapter as it does with a genuine antique PS/2 keyboard.

Or if you want to go even more retro you can use this same circuit with
an old-style "AT" keyboard because even though they use a different
connector they have the same electrical interface as a PS/2 keyboard.

Connecting a keyboard or mouse to an Arduino opens up a wide range of
possibilities in terms of non-human input, too. A hacked keyboard can
provide you 100+ digital inputs using only a couple of Arduino I/O pins,
and the X/Y encoders in a mouse are perfect for tracking movement of a
robot.