Odd PS2 keyboard question

I'm looking for a device (like a KVM switch) that will split the signal from one PS2 keyboard into two PS2 keyboard outputs, but that doesn't switch between them (each keypress needs to be sent to both ends of the split at all times). This is not a PC application but for some custom built arcade controls going into a console.

I'm aware of the existence of PS2 KB/Mouse Y cables, but I'm not sure that will do what I'm attempting. If anyone has any experience with that please let me know.

Anybody seen something like this?

-Byshop

Nada? This is an obscure issue I know.

-Byshop

I don't see why a regular Y-cable wouldn't work. It's just splitting up the lines in parallel so they should keep the same signals across both.Marfoo

-Byshop

[QUOTE="Marfoo"]I don't see why a regular Y-cable wouldn't work. It's just splitting up the lines in parallel so they should keep the same signals across both.Byshop

-Byshop

Any reason you have to use PS/2? I think the easiest method would be to split it after the PS/2 interface and asign half the buttons to either controller and both could work simulatneously as PS/2 supports full n-key roll over. Then if you need it to support the same functions on both for ie menu controls then just use dual keybindings.markop2003

I'm not sure what you mean by "split it after the PS/2 interface".

-Byshop

Okay, here's the long version so everyone can understand what I'm trying to do. I have an arcade machine in my house (Gauntlet Legends) that I gutted and turned into a multi-arcade game cabinet by basically building a PC into it. I built a custom 4-player control board for this (much like the original Gauntlet Legends control board but with more buttons, a trackball, etc) that is controlled by an Ultimarc arcade to keyboard control converter that runs over PS/2. Essentially, my large 4 player arcade machine's buttons and joystick inputs are interpreted by the computer as keyboard input. When Street Fighter IV came out for PC, I added an 8800GTX so I could play that as well. Playing SFIV online with my own arcade machine has been a blast.

Now, Super Street Fighter IV is out on consoles but not PC. In order to get it working in my cabinet, I added an extra spare 360 into the cabinet and currently have that plugged into the arcade monitor. Wiring up the video and sound was easy, but the Xbox 360 has a specific issue with controllers in that you cannot build your own unlicensed 360 controller.

There is an adapter out there called the XFPS 360 that I have that allows me to plug a keyboard and mouse into my 360 and map them to controller inputs. By plugging my fake keyboard arcade joystick board into this adapter instead of my PC, I can map the joystick and button inputs of one of the controls to a 360 controller. The problem is, I can't do this for two players. Each adapter only works for one controller, and since all four players are built into the same control board on the arcade machine, even if I were to buy another $100 XFPS adapter the single KB output from the arcade controller is already plugged into the first adapter. Hence my need to split the KB signal out to two seperate signals.

The short version is, I'm stuck in a situation where I need to plug one keyboard into two "computers".

Any ideas?

-Byshop

[QUOTE="markop2003"]Any reason you have to use PS/2? I think the easiest method would be to split it after the PS/2 interface and asign half the buttons to either controller and both could work simulatneously as PS/2 supports full n-key roll over. Then if you need it to support the same functions on both for ie menu controls then just use dual keybindings.Byshop

I'm not sure what you mean by "split it after the PS/2 interface".

-Byshop

Well i bassically meant that effectively you split a keyboard in two, you'ld still have one PS/2 coming out of it and you'ld have easily enough buttons over half a keyboard for two controlers. However now i see your full situation that wouldn't work. So bassically you want to seperate certain button sets and send them to different output ports? I doubt there's anything on the market that does that, the only way i can think of doing it is using a PC as a bridge and then using 2 PS/2 cards (just check these do actually exist) you should be able to route the buttons you use to different output ports but i'm not sure whether you can send data bidirectional. Your best bet is probably just using standard 360 contorllers and routing them round the back or wirelessly if it's just for this one game. If you don't want to do that it may be easyer to just mod some 360 controllers than try to get it to work with this PS/2 business, I'm sure you could mod it so you can somehow slot these different controllers in and out with reletive ease.markop2003

There's no need in this situation to map different button presses to different controllers. Each button and joystick motion is mapped to a unique keyboard key, otherwise it wouldn't work on the PC I built it for. Even if every "keypress" is sent to both ends of the split that's fine. I'll just program the player 1 XFPS to recognize the player one keypresses and do likewise for the player 2 XFPS. Also, I don't need any data to come back from the PC to since there are no indicator lights on what I built.

You can't use a PC as a bridge because a PC won't output an Xbox 360 control signal to the Xbox, only a 360 controller will. Using standard 360 controls defeats the purpose of putting SFIV into an arcade cabinet. If I go the route of modding 360 controllers then the need to the XFPS is elminated. The only way to make that work though is to physically dismantle two wired controllers and double-wire every button and joystick microswitch for players 1 and 2 into each controller. This is the most common method modders use to make "universal" arcade sticks. That is, however, a last resort. I already took enough time building this:

Needless to say, that's a time consuming proposition.

-Byshop