USB to ADB adapter

Question

Level 3

804 points

USB to ADB adapter

The mouse on my 6500/300 developed an intermittent fault in its cable which means the keyboard freezes until I can wiggle the mouse cable into just the right position for it to unfreeze then freeze again.

I bought a Logitech USB Trackball which works fine very the USB 1.1 card I have in one of my PowerMac's PCI slots. However the trackball will only work after all USB extentions have booted so I can't use it if I need to boot from a boot disk in an emergency.

With the Logitech trackball device came an adapter. Female USB one end and male PS/2 at the other. This enables the trackball pointer to be plugged into an old PS/2 keyboard.

Does anyone know where I may get a similar adapter for ADB keyboard? I've seen plenty of devices for ADB pointers to USB computers but not the other way around. Alternatively has anyone got one that they don't use and wouldn't mind passing on?

PM6500/300 (603e), Mac OS 9.1.x

Posted on Nov 25, 2006 9:18 AM

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Answer 1

Nov 25, 2006 5:02 PM in response to El Deanio

The Mac that I had before I got a G4 was a PM6500/275. I didn't like the smallish black kbd & "hockey puck" mouse (both USB) so I bought an iMate USB to ADB adapter & used my 6500 ADB kbd & mouse. The iMate allows you to use your favorite ADB mice, keyboards, trackballs, trackpads, hardware dongles and other ADB peripherals. You can use the iMate for just a ADB keyboard & use your USB mouse, or vice versa.

You can get more info & drivers at http://griffintechnology.com web site. The iMate is no longer being made but you can usually find one on eBay. I used it in both OS 9 & OS X. I have since sold the iMate & bought a USB kbd and trackball mouse.

 Cheers, Tom

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Answer 2

Allan Jones

Level 9

68,588 points

Nov 28, 2006 4:21 PM in response to Texas Mac Man

Hi Tom,

The Griffin web site still shows the iMate. Is the info about its being discontinued somewhere else on their site? If it's going, I'd like to lay in one or two.

I use a iMate on the G4 at work because I, too, cannot stand the new Apple keyboards. I have several of the sweet M3501 boards (ADB) and they are my choice for wordsmithing (I'm a technical editor so keyboard feel is really important.)

Regards,

Allan

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Answer 3

Nov 28, 2006 6:03 PM in response to Allan Jones

I'm not sure Griffin makes or sells them anymore. Here's some more info on the iMate. http://www.griffintechnology.com/support/imate/

If I recall, there were a few "boot related" functions that did not work with the ADB kbd connected to the iMate. Don't remember whether this was in OS 9, OS X or both. So I had to keep the Apple USB keyboard for troubleshooting.

I have since bought a new white USB kbd & sold the iMate (& the Apple kbd & mouse).

 Cheers, Tom

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Answer 4

daveptc

Level 1

14 points

Nov 29, 2006 12:36 PM in response to Texas Mac Man

I have an older ADB Flightstick Pro joystick and Pro Throttle, they're good controllers. I also have a Griffin iMate ADB/USB adapter that I used (when I was running OS9) for F-18 Hornet and Falcon 4.0. I now have an iMac G5, and would like to use these controllers to play X-Plane 8. (I wish I could run Falcon 4, will it work on OS X Classic?) Has anyone been successful in using an older ADB controller on an OS X machine? I've installed the Griffin iMate 1.5.3 OS X driver, but X Plane doesn't recognize my joystick or throttle. Apparently there are no OS X drivers for the iMate, and its not being updated by Griffin. Any suggestions?

If I can't get the older ADB joystick and throttle to work with OS X, any suggestions for a new joystick and throttle? Any suggestions for good airplane flight/combat simulation games?

iMac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.8)

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Answer 5

El Deanio Author

Level 3

804 points

Nov 29, 2006 4:12 PM in response to Texas Mac Man

Thanks for the link. However it's not quite what I'm after.

My USB trackball comes with an adaptor that enables its USB (male) plug to be connected into the older PS/2 type PC keyboard input, useful for older PCs that don't have any USB ports.

The adapter I do have is only a small device. Smaller than the iMate, being one piece, 5cm long at most, and is USB (female) one end, PS/2 (male) the other. The iMate appears to be ADB (Male) to USB (Male).
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The adapter I need will be as for the PC above but to ADB instead of PS/2. (i.e. for a Mac that only has an ADB keyboard port).

I know what you mean about these newer Mac keyboards. I'm constantly having to go back inserting letters that I have missed because the key seems to stick sightly when I'm typing (that should have read 'slightly' by the way). I suspect that 'moving parts' in the keys are a type of plastic moving past plastic rather than metal moving past metal. At least that is what the feel and touch of them seem like to me.

PM6500/300 (603e) Mac OS 9.1.x

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Answer 6

Nov 29, 2006 5:55 PM in response to El Deanio

The ADB connector on the iMate is female, to accept a keyboard/mouse cable.

Do you want to run USB devices on an ADB Mac?
That device is called a USB PCI slot card.

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Answer 7

Jeff

Level 6

12,058 points

Nov 29, 2006 10:02 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

He wants the functionality of a firmware-based bus (in this case his 6500's ADB port), to which he can connect his USB trackball. Because his 6500's USB PCI card is driver-based and his emergency startup disks don't always have USB support, he's looking for a simple hardware adapter to convert the USB plug on his trackball for ADB usage.

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Answer 8

El Deanio Author

Level 3

804 points

Nov 30, 2006 6:54 AM in response to Jeff

That's it!! Thanks Jeff

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Answer 9

varjak paw

Level 10

170,200 points

Nov 30, 2006 8:13 AM in response to El Deanio

I can't say for certain that there are none, but I've never seen an adapter to connect a USB device to an ADB port. If there were one, it would probably be more expensive than just buying an ADB mouse/keyboard to use for emergencies.

Kensington still sells and ADB mouse new at retail for under $25.00 US, and if you hunt around you can probably find a used mouse for a few dollars or even free (we threw out dozens a couple of years ago). Ditto an ADB keyboard if you need one of those (there are several on eBay for around $10 US).

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