Re: Have USB IrDA device on computer -- now what?
- From: "James M. Prange" <jmprange@xxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 07:52:51 -0500
John H Meyers wrote:
> On Fri, 30 Dec 2005 22:59:15 -0600, James M. Prange wrote:
>
>> well, how does it talk to any IrDA device?
>> Does it show up as some sort of "IrDA port"?
>
> After the driver installation,
> Windows 2000 adds an "IR" port to the list of ports
> available for configuring or adding printers,
> but Hyperterminal, Conn4x, etc. have no idea that it exists.
Okay. I suppose that there should be software that could use this
"IR port", but I don't know what the applications might be.
>> My RS-232/IrDA converter is an Extended Systems "JETEYE(R) PC"
>> model ESI-09680-7201, which comes with drivers to make it show up
>> as a "Virtual Infrared COM port" or "Virtual Infrared LPT port",
>> so HPComm or HyperTerminal PE can talk to my 49g+ much as they can
>> talk to my 49G.
>
> Does your converter itself plug into an existing physical serial port?
Yes.
> That would of course make it directly usable by any program for
> serial communications,
Well, If I plug it into COM1, then I can (in the "Infrared
Monitor" window) "Enable communications on COM1" "Providing
application support on COM4 and LPT3". After doing that,
HyperTerminal or HPComm can connect using COM4, but trying to use
COM1 will give me a "port in use by another application" error.
Note that COM2 is used by my USB/RS-232 converter, and COM3 by my
modem, so COM4 is the first available.
I haven't tried "printing" with the LPT3 port, although I see that
"LPT3: (Infrared Printing (LPT) Port)" shows up as an option for
configuring printers.
> but my device plugs directly into USB,
> has no physical relationship with any existing COM port,
> and is invisible to existing programs expecting a serial port.
>
> When it's plugged in, Windows 2000 Device Manager
> immediately recognizes it under "Infrared devices"
> as an "Edisonsoft ES-620 USB Infrared Adapter," but
> only the Printers control panel recognizes and uses it.
Now that you mention it, my Windows 98SE Device Manager has an
"Infrared" entry, showing "XTNDAccess PC (ESI-9680)", as well as
the "Virtual Infrared COM port" and "Virtual Infrared LPT port"
under "Ports (COM & LPT)".
> http://www.es620.com (which redirects elsewhere)
> might be a link to its Chinese manufacturer; seems just like
> MA-620 at http://www.shentech.com/moacmausbina.html
>
> People looking for drivers:
> http://www.qbik.ch/usb/devices/showdr.php?id=123
> http://www.qbik.ch/usb/devices/showdev.php?id=3296
>
> Here's someplace which says that under Win98/ME it installs
> as several types simultaneously (including "virtual COM port"),
> yet that under Windows 2000/XP it's only under "Infrared devices,"
> just as I myself have found:
> http://global.mobileaction.com/support/support_Faq_answer.jsp?faqId=4609
>
> It certainly didn't come with this phone software:
> http://ucables.com/ref/MA-620/search
>
> Other manufacturers of similar products:
> http://www.actisys.com/IrDAProd.html#catPCLink
>
> Aegis Technology (which made the SIR adapter mentioned below, and
> used to make IrDA devices) seems to have vaporized, unfortunately;
> it looks as though all such production has moved to China,
> just as has HP.
>
>> Also note that XON/XOFF still doesn't work, so "buffer overruns"
>> occur with IrDA similar to what occurs with the 49G's RS-232
>> compatible port. I work around this by using an assembly language
>> routine (based on Manjo's code) instead of the built-in SRECV
>> command.
>
> It's really too bad that flow control was tossed out,
> because this tosses out basic serial communication itself,
> rendering the built in commands somewhat useless,
> except for very short (or slow) transmissions.
I strongly agree.
Of course the Kermit and Xmodem file transfer protocols with their
small packets still work fine.
>> Something that I'm rather interested in is communicating with the
>> 49g+ via USB, using MS Windows applications besides Conn4x.
>
> I'd hoped to get Conn4x to use it, eliminating the need
> to plug in a cable, just as with various other IR devices.
It seems that Conn4x really isn't intended for use with IrDA. This
seems rather a shame, as I doubt that it would be all that
difficult to make it work. Even though using IR has the
complication of requiring a "line of sight" connection and may be
slower, it does have the advantage of the user not needing to mess
around with a cable. But maybe it would be much more difficult
than it seems to me.
With my RS-232/IrDA adapter enabled, Conn4x does show COM4 as an
option, but if I tell Conn4x to connect using COM4, the first
thing that happens is my "IrDA connection" (as shown in the
"Infrared Monitor") is broken, then Conn4x errors because it can't
find a calculator connected to COM4. The IrDA connection is
re-established after a few seconds, but by then, it's too late.
> Some time ago, in fact, I got a serial IR device
> which speaks SIR (the HP48 IR physical layer),
> which works fine with any HP48;
> since it is itself actually plugged into a COM port,
> Hyperterminal and Conn4x are perfectly happy to use it,
Yes, presumably using whichever COM port the SIR adapter is
plugged into, and not even being being "aware" of the adapter.
> whereas they can not see this USB IrDA device at all.
>
> EduCalc once also had a serial SIR device in its catalog;
> too bad the old technology permitted such simple wireless IR,
> while this latest technology just sits there, as yet useless :)
Well, so much for "progress".
--
Regards,
James
.
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