Infrared Data Association

Infrared communications is cool!

IrDA stands for the Infrared Data Association which is an association of companies formed to create low cost infrared communications standards. Here's an overview of the IrDA Serial Infrared Data Link from Hewlett Packard.

Useful IrDA information can be found at Donald Becker's IrDA Serial Infrared Interface technology page.

The IrDA port on the Butterfly allows it to perform serial communications at 115.2 Kbps with IrDA devices such as printers and other ThinkPad computers.

Upgrade your existing hardware to support IrDA

You can buy IrDA adapters from a number of sources. With them, you can upgrade your existing computers and printers to work with the IrDA link built into the Butterfly. Of course you can also buy new hardware that has native IrDA such as the HP LaserJet 5P printer and most new notebooks.

Extended Systems Inc. is one company that makes. Their JetEye series has applications for both parallel printer and RS-232.

Infrared DOOM?

It's probably possible to play Doom between two IrDA equipped laptops; but the range of IrDA is one meter so you'll have to be close.

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