Universal Serial Bus (USB) port technology has emerged in response to the proliferation of external peripheral devices (scanners, digital cameras, removable drives, etc.), that are increasingly being connected to the latest generation of PCs.

USB behaves in a similar fashion to conventional bus ports (i.e., serial, parallel, PS/2), but since it does not require any IRQs, more devices can be attached to the system, and the problem of IRQ conflict is eliminated. The PS/2 to USB Keyboard and Mouse interface converter provides the means for PS/2 type keyboards and mice to connect to a PC, notebook, laptop, or handheld computing device that supports the USB specification via the USB bus instead of using conventional bus technology.

An advantage of this for notebooks, for example, is that now an external mouse and keyboard can be connected at the same time without causing conflicts. This comes with two standard 6 pin mini DIN female connectors for the PS/2 keyboard and PS/2 mouse to plug into and has an attached USB cable with a type A plug for connection to the PC's USB port, or to a USB hub. For further convenience - especially to users of notebooks, laptops, and handhelds - the adapter derives its operating power from the Universal Serial Bus itself, so no bulky external power supply needs to be taken along. And because it is a USB Specification compliant device, the unit supports energy-saving suspend and resume operations.

• Connects a PS/2 keyboard and mouse to the USB ports on a computer

• Plug-and-play compact design