A PS/2 keyboard socket, also known as a PS/2 connection or Mini-DIN connector, is an electrical connector that is often used to connect a computer keyboard to a computer. This connection is spherical in form and has six pins placed in a circular arrangement. This connection, first introduced by IBM in 1987 as part of their Personal System/2 (PS/2) family of computers, rapidly became the standard for keyboards and mouse on IBM-compatible PCs. Although USB connectors for keyboard and mouse connections have mostly supplanted the PS/2 connector, certain older systems may still utilize it.

There are two versions of the PS/2 keyboard socket: a 6-pin mini-DIN socket for keyboards and a 6-pin mini-DIN socket for mice. The pins on the keyboard socket are placed in a circular configuration, but the pins on the mouse socket are arranged in a semicircular design. One of the major benefits of utilizing a PS/2 keyboard is that it supports “n-key rollover,” which means that many keys may be pushed at the same time and all of them will register. This capability is not generally seen on USB keyboards, which typically restrict the number of keys that may be pushed at the same time.

Finally, PS/2 keyboard connections are a dependable and effective method of connecting your keyboard to your computer. While USB connections have mainly supplanted them, PS/2 connectors may still be found on certain older computers. If you need a keyboard with n-key rollover, a PS/2 keyboard could be the best option.