The ATEN standard KVM cable (2L-1001P family) connects a computer to an ATEN KVM switch using a 15-pin HDB-15 (DB-15) connector that bundles VGA video, PS/2 keyboard, and PS/2 mouse signals into a single plug on each end. The computer end presents an HDB-15 male plus a 6-pin mini-DIN male (PS/2) for each input device, whilst the KVM-switch end uses the combined HDB-15 form. ATEN also produces an SPHD-15 variant with a proprietary modified connector; ATEN has not published a public pinout for those SPHD cables and the connector shape is deliberately non-standard to prevent third-party substitution. The PS/2 keyboard and mouse interface was introduced by IBM with the Personal System/2 line in 1987, using a 6-pin mini-DIN connector; pins 1 and 5 carry data and clock respectively, with pins 3 and 4 serving ground and +5 Vdc.
15 pin D-SUB male connector to the KVM
15 pin D-SUB male connector to the Computer
| KVM Name | KVM Pin | Direction | Computer Pin | Computer Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| red | 1 | ← | 1 | red | Video RED |
| green | 2 | ← | 2 | green | Video Green |
| blue | 3 | ← | 3 | blue | Video Blue |
| Keyb Data | 4 | ↔ | Keyb PS/2, Pin 1 | ||
| Keyb Clock | 5 | — | Mouse PS/2, Pin 5 (Clk) | ||
| GND/Video | 6 | — | 678 | GND/Video | |
| GND | 7 | — | 5 | GND | VGA/10, Mouse/3, Keyb/3 |
| Mouse Clk | 8 | ↔ | Mouse PS/2, Pin 5 (Clk) | ||
| Keyb VCC | 9 | ← | Keyb PS/2, Pin 4 (VCC) | ||
| GND | 10 | — | 10 | GND | VGA/5, Mouse/3, Keyb/3 |
| Mouse Data | 11 | ↔ | Mouse PS/2, Pin 1 | ||
| ID1 | 12 | ↔ | 12 | ID1 | |
| HSync | 13 | ← | 13 | HSync | |
| VSync | 14 | ← | 14 | VSync | |
| ID3 | 15 | ↔ | 15 | ID3 |
Signals
- red — VGA red analogue video signal
- green — VGA green analogue video signal
- blue — VGA blue analogue video signal
- Keyb Data — PS/2 keyboard data (open-collector; corresponds to pin 1 of the 6-pin mini-DIN)
- Keyb Clock — PS/2 keyboard clock (open-collector; corresponds to pin 5 of the 6-pin mini-DIN)
- GND/Video — ground return for VGA video signals (corresponds to VGA pins 6, 7, 8)
- GND — common ground shared by VGA and both PS/2 channels
- Mouse Clk — PS/2 mouse clock (open-collector; corresponds to pin 5 of the 6-pin mini-DIN)
- Keyb VCC — +5 Vdc supply for PS/2 keyboard (corresponds to pin 4 of the 6-pin mini-DIN); Vcc range +4.5 V to +5.5 V, max device current 275 mA
- Mouse Data — PS/2 mouse data (open-collector; corresponds to pin 1 of the 6-pin mini-DIN)
- ID1 — monitor identification bit 1 (DDC legacy)
- HSync — VGA horizontal synchronisation
- VSync — VGA vertical synchronisation
- ID3 — monitor identification bit 3 (DDC legacy); function not publicly documented for KVM use
Notes
- The HDB-15 combined connector is used at the KVM-switch end; at the computer end the cable separates into an HDB-15 (VGA) and two 6-pin mini-DIN (PS/2) plugs.
- Similar-looking LevelOne KVM cables use a different pinout and are not interchangeable.
- ATEN SPHD-15 cables (2L-5201P / 2L-5202P family) carry the same signals in a proprietary connector; ATEN has not published a public pinout for those cables.
- PS/2 data and clock lines are open-collector, pulled to +5 Vdc via pull-up resistors; lines remain high when idle and can tolerate reconnection without system disruption if power is maintained.