Difference between revisions of "IrDA"

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== ThinkPad IrDA configuration ==
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{| width="100%"
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|style="vertical-align:top;padding-right:20px;width:10px;" | [[Image:irda.png|192px]] __NOTOC__
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<div style="margin: 0; margin-right:10px; border: 1px solid #dfdfdf; padding: 0em 1em 1em 1em; background-color:#F8F8FF; align:right;">
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===IrDA===
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IrDA is a technology which uses Infrared waves to receive and transmit information. It was convenient for data transfer (back then) as it did not require wires to be used, till it was eventually superseded by Bluetooth. It offered much greater convenience than IrDA as it was capable of transmitting and receiving data in all directions, unlike IrDA that required a direct line-of-sight to work.
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</div>
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|}
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==Overview==
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Some models have an integrated IrDA transceiver that can be used in one of two modes, SIR (IrDA 1.0 and 1.1) or FIR (IrDA 1.1).
 +
*SIR is limited to serial data rates up to 115.2Kb/s
 +
*FIR is the preferred mode of IrDA 1.1 and operates at a bandwidth of 4 Mbps
 +
A newer VFIR standard exists, which supports speeds up to 16 Mbps. However, no models support this.
  
IrDA can be used to communicate using Infrared to other IrDA compliant devices, such as other Notebooks, PDA's and mobile phones.
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===Linux support===
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See the [[How to make use of IrDA]] page.
  
All IBM ThinkPads manufactured in the last years have integrated IrDA that can be used in one of two modes, SIR or FIR.
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===External sources===
Some very old ThinkPads only support SIR mode, or might not have IrDA support at all.
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*[http://irda.sourceforge.net/ Linux-IrDA Project]
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*[http://pcmcia-cs.sourceforge.net/ Linux PCMCIA Project]
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*[http://tpctl.sourceforge.net/ tpctl homepage]
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*[http://www.lirc.org/ Linux Infrared Remote Control]
  
The purpose of this document is to get the IrDA hardware in your ThinkPad operational, setting up communication to other devices is not covered. However, the external links section can prove useful for this.
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==Models featuring this technology==
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===IrDA 1.0===
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* {{365C}}, {{365CD}}, {{365CS}}, {{365CSD}}, {{365E}}, {{365ED}}, {{365X}}, {{365XD}}
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* {{535}}, {{535E}}, {{560}}
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* {{755CD}}, {{755CDV}}, {{755CE}}, {{755CSE}}, {{755CV}}, {{755CX}}, {{760C}}, {{760CD}}, {{760E}}, {{760ED}}, {{760EL}}, {{760ELD}}, {{760L}}, {{760LD}}, {{760XD}}, {{760XL}}, {{765D}}, {{765L}}
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* {{PC110}}
  
=== Serial IR (SIR) ===
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===IrDA 1.1===
SIR is limited to serial datarates up to 115.2Kb/s
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* {{i1124}}, {{i1157}}, {{i1700}}, {{i1720}}, {{i1721}}, {{i1780}}, {{i1781}}
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* {{240}}, {{240X}}, {{240Z}}
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* {{380}}, {{380D}}, {{380E}}, {{380ED}}, {{380XD}}, {{380Z}}, {{385D}}, {{385ED}}, {{385XD}}, {{390}}, {{390E}}, {{390X}}
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* {{535X}}, {{560E}}, {{560X}}, {{560Z}}, {{570}}, {{570E}}
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* {{6 Series}}
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* {{770}}, {{770E}}, {{770ED}}, {{770X}}, {{770Z}}
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* {{A20m}}, {{A20p}}, {{A21e}}, {{A21m}}, {{A21p}}, {{A22e}}, {{A22m}}, {{A22p}}, {{A30}}, {{A30p}}, {{A31}}, {{A31p}}
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* {{T20}}, {{T21}}, {{T22}}, {{T23}}, {{T30}}, {{T40}}, {{T40p}}, {{T41}}, {{T41p}}, {{T42}}, {{T42p}}, {{T43}}, {{T43p}}, {{T60}}, {{T60p}}
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* {{X22}}, {{X23}}, {{X24}}, {{X30}}, {{X31}}, {{X32}}, {{X40}}, {{X41}}, {{X41 Tablet}}, {{X60}}, {{X60s}}, {{X60 Tablet}}
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* {{R30}}, {{R31}}, {{R32}}, {{R40}}, {{R50}}, {{R50p}}, {{R51}}, {{R52}}, {{R60}}
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* {{Z60t}}, {{Z61t}}, {{Z60m}}, {{Z61m}}, {{Z61p}}
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* {{TransNote}}
  
==== Linux 2.4 kernel config ====
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[[Category:Glossary]] [[Category:Ports, Connectors and Slots]]
Edit /etc/modules.conf and add the following lines
 
  alias tty-ldisc-11 irtty
 
  alias char-major-161 ircomm-tty
 
 
 
=== Fast IR (FIR) ===
 
FIR is the preferred mode of IrDA operation and operates at a bandwidth of 4 Mbps
 
 
 
Main problem here is that the chips FIR mode needs to be activated. On A, G, R, T and X model ThinkPads, the easiest way to activate FIR mode is by entering BIOS setup during boot-up by pressing F1 when prompted.
 
Then, selecting 'Config' followed by 'Infrared' will allow you to control the IrDA operation. Here you will need to select the option to Enable the infra-red port. Be sure to save the changes, and then Exit.
 
 
 
Note: Changing these BIOS settings do not affect Windows 2000 or XP operating systems, but may cause memory resource issues in older windows versions, or other legacy operating systems.
 
 
 
If changing the BIOS setting is not an option or if the settings cannot be altered, as on some older ThinkPads, the FIR mode can be activated by running Linux OS with one of the following:
 
 
 
* setpnp as part of the old pcmcia-utils source package
 
* tpctl, but only for some old ThinkPads
 
 
 
If the FIR mode is not activated, attempts to load the nsc-ircc module will result in an error in syslog of "Wrong chip version ff".
 
 
 
=== Very Fast IR (VFIR) ===
 
 
 
Some Thinkpads come with an even faster version of IrDA (VFIR) that operates at 16mb/s.  This may cause some incompatibilities with devices that expect to communicate in FIR mode.  You can check your speed by doing a:
 
cat /proc/sys/net/irda/max_baud_rate
 
and you can set it back to regular FIR by doing a:
 
echo 4000000 > /proc/sys/net/irda/max_baud_rate
 
or down to conventional serial port speed (SIR):
 
echo 115200 > /proc/sys/net/irda/max_baud_rate
 
 
 
==== Linux 2.4 kernel config ====
 
Edit /etc/modules.conf and add the following lines
 
 
 
      alias irda0 nsc-ircc
 
      options nsc-ircc dongle_id=0x09 io=0x2f8 irq=3
 
      pre-install nsc-ircc setserial /dev/ttyS1 uart none port 0 irq 0
 
 
 
==== Linux 2.6 kernel config ====
 
Edit /etc/modprobe.conf and add the following lines
 
 
 
      alias irda0 nsc-ircc
 
      options nsc-ircc dongle_id=0x09 io=0x2f8 irq=3
 
      install nsc-ircc /bin/setserial /dev/ttyS1 uart none port 0 irq 0; /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install nsc-ircc
 
 
 
=== Some other things you might want to do with IrDA ===
 
 
 
# add fast PPP support:
 
modprobe irnet
 
 
 
# if needed, limit further the size of the transmit window
 
echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/irda/max_tx_window
 
 
 
== External links ==
 
[http://irda.sourceforge.net/ Linux-IrDA Project] (External)
 
 
 
[http://pcmcia-cs.sourceforge.net/ Linux PCMCIA Project] (External)
 
 
 
[http://tpctl.sourceforge.net/ tpctl homepage] (External)
 

Latest revision as of 13:24, 22 November 2020

Irda.png

IrDA

IrDA is a technology which uses Infrared waves to receive and transmit information. It was convenient for data transfer (back then) as it did not require wires to be used, till it was eventually superseded by Bluetooth. It offered much greater convenience than IrDA as it was capable of transmitting and receiving data in all directions, unlike IrDA that required a direct line-of-sight to work.

Overview

Some models have an integrated IrDA transceiver that can be used in one of two modes, SIR (IrDA 1.0 and 1.1) or FIR (IrDA 1.1).

  • SIR is limited to serial data rates up to 115.2Kb/s
  • FIR is the preferred mode of IrDA 1.1 and operates at a bandwidth of 4 Mbps

A newer VFIR standard exists, which supports speeds up to 16 Mbps. However, no models support this.

Linux support

See the How to make use of IrDA page.

External sources

Models featuring this technology

IrDA 1.0

IrDA 1.1