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So how does a PS/2 keyboard interface work?

Name: So how does a PS/2 keyboard interface work?
Description: Ben Eater explains how the PS/2 keyboard interface works, covering its clocked serial protocol and scancodes. He builds up the hardware-level understanding needed to read keypresses.

Ben Eater

10 videos recommended on HN

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1 HN user recommended this tutorial1 month2021 score 1

Years with an HN recommendation, 2007–2026

HN commenters point to it as the clearest explanation of the PS/2 protocol, usually when keyboard interfaces come up.

Ben Eater explains how the PS/2 keyboard interface works, covering its clocked serial protocol and scancodes. He builds up the hardware-level understanding needed to read keypresses.

“There's a good video on how PS/2 works here” (HN, 2021)

1 recommendations · 3 citations · Tutorials · intermediate

Electronics & circuit design Embedded systems & DIY electronics Tutorials Hardware & Electronics

4 Hacker News comments

From the HN archive; up to 20 kept per video, favoring different commenters. Recommendations first.

@zackbloom Apr 2021 Recommends

on HN thread The last generation of typewriter repairmen (2010)

There's a good video on how PS/2 works here: [this video] It's pretty straight-forward. There are also pre-made kits for digitizing typewriters if that interests you.

Explains how the PS/2 protocol works

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Citations, criticism and jokes

@thristian Jul 2021 Cites it

on HN thread How does USB device discovery work? [video]

Piggy-backing this comment to add some context for the OP video: This "USB device discovery" video is actually the latest in a series of videos where Ben Eater is building a simple 8-bit computer on breadboards. He hooked up a PS/2 keyboard as an input device, and then got sucked into a tangent of investigating and explaining keyboard protocols. - He investigates the PS/2 keyboard protocol: [this video] - Somebody on Patreon asked about USB keyboards having higher latency than PS/2, so he made a video about the basic USB protocol: [link] - He made the OP video about USB keyboards being limited to holding six keys at once.

Part of Ben Eater's keyboard protocol video series

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@bear8642 Sep 2021 Cites it

on HN thread It's Time for Operating Systems to Rediscover Hardware

think might be at end of this one < [this video] > though there's a few he's done recently on USB spec

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@RJIb8RBYxzAMX9u Oct 2021 Cites it

on HN thread IBM PS/2 Keyboard Modification

I'd imagine it would be very difficult, and would require a relatively powerful MCU. Ben Eater's made a few videos discussing how PS/2[0] and USB keyboards[1] work. USB's a vastly more complicated protocol compared to PS/2. [0] [this video] [1] [link]

Explains how PS/2 keyboards work

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