Using XP without a keyboard

[mpennin455]

I am setting up several touchscreen systems that have a magnetic card reader
that plugs into the PS2 keyboard port. If XP doesn't see a keyboard,it it
disables the port and doesn't load the drivers. It has a pigtail to then plug
in a keyboard bit I'd prefer not to have a keyboard hidden under the counter
just so XP will detect a keyboard and load the drivers and enable the port.
Is there any way to tell XP to ignore the fact that a keyboard is not
attached and go ahead and load the keyboard driver anyhow and enable the port?

 

[Paul]

I am setting up several touchscreen systems that have a magnetic card reader
that plugs into the PS2 keyboard port. If XP doesn't see a keyboard,it it
disables the port and doesn't load the drivers. It has a pigtail to then plug
in a keyboard bit I'd prefer not to have a keyboard hidden under the counter
just so XP will detect a keyboard and load the drivers and enable the port.
Is there any way to tell XP to ignore the fact that a keyboard is not
attached and go ahead and load the keyboard driver anyhow and enable the port?

Found a toy here. Looks like it costs somewhere between $40 and $53, but
it is a bit bigger than I'd hoped.

http://www.tripplite.com/products/product.cfm?productID=3571

In principle, a keyboard encoder chip is a single chip, so a decent package
for a "keyboard stub", would be a little bigger than a USB flash memory.
But I haven't managed to find just that part.

This company makes a variety of toys, but we're not doing much better
here than the Tripplite device. Some items are circuit assemblies, needing
a housing and maybe even connectors added.

http://www.vetra.com/Elimina2.htm
http://www.vetra.com/Encoder2.htm

Have fun,
Paul