Re: IRDA hardware - Today only

["paul gordon" <paul_gordon@xxxxxxx>]

Thanks James for a comprehensive reply!!

Of course its true what you say about motherboard capabilities, but not
everyone wants to rip out an existing perfectly good M/B - sometimes this
is
not easy (or possible) in certain machines (such as Compaq for example),
where the manufacturer makes their own M/B's which are not standard
form-factor... A cheap dongle to hang off COM2 is a much easier way of
retro-fitting it to an existing PC that doesn't have IR pins already fitted
on the M/B. - Of course it's always worth opening up the case &
checking
though, as a great number of PC's have the IR support on the M/B, but don't
fit any IR hardware to it...

Also, looking at the manufacturer's website for this device reveals that
they supply a range of hardware drivers in the handset management software
for precisely the reasons you have noted - you have to use the supplied
software to make it work, but they claim that so lang as you do, it will
interface with multiple IrDA devices without problems....

And for only £24, it's no great loss to try it and see....

I'll probably get one when I am up in the area at the end of the month...

Cheers.

Paul G.


>From: James Derrick <james@xxxxxxx>
>Reply-To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
>To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
>Subject: Re: [ukha_d] IRDA hardware - Today only
>Date: Wed, 17 May 2000 00:46:38 +0100
>
>On Tue, 16 May 2000 14:41:39 GMT, you wrote:
>
> >Hi all, you may be interested in something I've just spotted on
Scan
> >Computers' Today only page (www.scan.co.uk/today.htm) - It's a PC
IRda
> >interface that may have some HA potential, as it comes supplied
with some
> >handset management software to interface with (and control) a
range of
> >mobile phones.
>You can do this with most modern motherboards for about a tenner. The
>super IO chip on the motherboard often can switch COM2 to a set of 5
>pins on the board which can connect to an IrDA module. This is little
>more than a LED and photo transistor, although this assembly is made
>specially with optics, etc by several manufacturers.
>
>I made my own several years ago using HP's HSDL1000 (part code from
>memory), but Dabs sell them for about £14:
>
><snip>
>Type: Motherboards AT/ATX Manuf: TMC TECHNOLOGY
>Description Availability Price
>IRDA Connector
>Mfr code: IRDA CONNECTOR
>Quicklinx: G4KWS
></snip>
>
> >Of particular interest is the bit I've highlighted, about being
able to
>use
> >it to send SMS messages... If this is implemented in the right
way, it
>could
> >be an easy way to have HA event send SMS messages.
>This is the tricky bit. IMHO, IrDA has largely failed as it defines
>hardware, low-level protocols and completely failed to set application
>data transfer standards. This is a bit like inventing Morse code only
>to find everyone else speaks Spanish!
>
>This means when you have your IrDA dongle merrily transmitting from
>the serial port (via a BIOS setting on COM2), you also need software
>that will support what you want to do.
>
>Win95 and Win98 have basic IrDA support, however as the equivalent of
>FTP was not agreed, when Windows spots my Psion, negotiates a data
>transfer rate, exchanges capabilities, it then gives up as it can't
>speak the application protocols the Psion uses. 8-(
>
>After researching the hardware, building the board, wiring it up,
>writing BIOS setup code, etc, finding the software would not talk
>really cheesed me off.
>
>On the whole, you need _special_ software to implement a special
>protocol to talk to one device only. I have seen such Windows software
>for Nokia phones so you can in theory send SMS via a £14 unit an a
>6110.
>
>Linux also has a feature rich IrDA stack with some support for oddball
>devices such as Psion's own proprietary protocol:
>	http://www.cs.uit.no/~dagb/irda/
>
>Using this I can transfer files from my Psion 5MX to my Linux desktop
>PC, but not selections nor cut/ paste.
>
>
>So in summary, IrDA can be done for half the other price, but don't
>assume all your IR devices will talk together. Bluetooth has
>apparently learnt from this and is including data sharing standards.
>
>BTW, IrDA is not the same as your TV's remote. The bit rates are very
>different so it is almost impossible to change channel via IrDA.
>Palm's have direcly acessible hardware that gets past IrDA.
>
> >Best of all, it only costs 24 (+VAT) - beer money!!
>Remind me not to buy a round in your local! ;-)
>---
>James Derrick    james@xxxxxxx, Cramlington, Near Newcastle,
>England
>                  Forwarding Service: jderrick@xxxxxxx
>                  Beyond the Horizon of the place we lived when we were
>young,
>                  In a World of Magnets and Miracles. Pink Floyd.

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