Linux Infrared HOWTO

Werner Heuser

Copyright © 2000, 2001 by Werner Heuser

The Infrared-HOWTO (former IR-HOWTO) provides an introduction to Linux and infrared devices and how to use the software provided by the Linux/IrDA project. This package uses IrDA(TM) compliant standards. IrDA(TM) is an industrial standard for infrared wireless communication, and most laptops made after January 1996 are equipped with an IrDA(TM) compliant infrared transceiver. Infrared ports let you communicate with printers, modems, fax machines, LANs, and other laptops. Speed ranges from 2400bps to 4Mbps.

The Linux/IrDA stack supports IrLAP, IrLMP, IrIAS, IrIAP, IrLPT, IrCOMM, IrOBEX, and IrLAN. Several of the protocols are implemented as both clients and servers. There is also support for multiple IrLAP connections, via several IrDA(TM) devices at once. The Linux/IrDA project started at the end of 1997 and its status is still experimental, so please don't expect every feature working straight. AFAIK Linux/IrDA is the _only_ open source IrDA implementation currently available.

Remote Control (RC) via infrared is the aim of the Linux Infrared Remote Control - LIRC project, and also described in this HOWTO.

Table of Contents

1. About the Document and the Author
2. Status of the Document

1. About the Linux/IrDA Project

1.1. Project History
1.2. Code History

2. Getting Started

2.1. Software

2.1.1. IrDA-Utils
2.1.2. openobex
2.1.3. e-squirt
2.1.4. IrNET for Linux-IrDA
2.1.5. Java - IrDA Interface

2.2. Kernel

2.2.1. Preface
2.2.2. IrDA Specific Parameters
2.2.3. Current Kernel Patches

2.3. Kernel Module Options

2.4. Configuration

2.4.1. Device Numbers
2.4.2. Device Arrangement
2.4.3. /etc/modules.conf
2.4.4. /etc/irda
2.4.5. BIOS Configuration
2.4.6. Serial Port (setserial)
2.4.7. Starting IrDA

3. Specific Connections and IrDA - Protocols

3.1. Stating the IrDA Stack

3.1.1. SIR
3.1.2. Dongle Connection - Infrared Adapters for the Serial Port
3.1.3. Dongle Connection - Infrared Motherboard Adapter
3.1.4. Fast InfraRed (FIR)

3.2. Printer Connection - IrLPT, IrTTP, IrCOMM?

3.3. LAN Connection - IrLAN

3.4. HP NetBeamer Connection

3.5. Palm III Connection - IrCOMM

3.6. Linux Terminal on Palm (Handspring Visor) via IR

3.7. Psion 5 Connection

3.8. Connecting from Linux to WinCE

3.9. Cellular Phone Connection

3.9.1. Motorola Timeport GSM
3.9.2. Ericsson
3.9.3. SH888 Phonebook Tool
3.9.4. NOKIA
3.9.5. Siemens S25
3.9.6. German e-plus

3.10. Digital Camera Connection

3.11. Window$9x/NT and Linux/IrDA

3.11.1. Introduction
3.11.2. Connection between Linux/IrDA and Window$95 IrDA(TM)
3.11.3. Communication between Win98 and Linux

3.12. Linux to Linux Connection

3.12.1. Connection Methods
3.12.2. Compression

3.13. Multiple Instances

3.14. Connection to Docking Station

3.15. Connection to Keyboard

3.16. Connection via Serial Cable

3.17. Null Modem Cable Connection

3.18. Peer-to-Peer Mode / Direct Mode

3.19. Linux/IrDA with Toshiba Notebooks

3.20. IrDA Card in a Desktop Computer

4. Hardware Supported by Linux/IrDA

4.1. Obtaining Information about the Infrared Port in Laptops

4.1.1. SIR
4.1.2. FIR

4.2. Hardware Surveys

4.3. Big Endian

4.4. SMP

4.5. IrDA Hardware

4.6. IrDA and USB

4.7. Linux/IrDA on PDAs

5. Advanced Topics

5.1. Troubleshooting

5.1.1. General Information
5.1.2. Troubleshooting Techniques
5.1.3. PCI Device Numbers
5.1.4. scanport

5.2. Mailing List

5.3. How to Make Infrared Light Visible

5.4. Power Saving

5.5. Beyond IrDA

5.5.1. Extending Transmission Distance
5.5.2. Upcoming Standards (Bluetooth and IrDA)

5.6. IrDA Network Neighborhood

5.7. Linux/IrDA and APM

5.8. Performance Testing

5.9. IrDA Protocols

5.9.1. IrDA Stack
5.9.2. Existing IrDA Protocol Implementations

5.10. Known Bugs

5.11. FAQ

II. Infrared Remote Control

6. Introduction
7. Linux Infrared Remote Control - LIRC
8. Lego Mindstorm
9. Serial Infrared Remote Controller
10. Infrared Tools for the COREL Netwinder PC
11. ir
12. irmctl
13. IRManager
14. irXxD
15. gmd
16. Infrared Remote Control - IrDA

III. Appendix

B. Revision History

C. Serial Infrared Port Sniffers

C.1. Sniffer by Gerd Knorr
C.2. sersniff

D. Infrared Light and Eye Safety

E. Copyrights, Disclaimer, Trademarks

E.1. Disclaimer and Trademarks

E.2. Copyrights

E.3. GNU Free Documentation License - GFDL

E.3.1. 0. PREAMBLE
E.3.2. 1. APPLICABILITY AND DEFINITIONS
E.3.3. 2. VERBATIM COPYING
E.3.4. 3. COPYING IN QUANTITY
E.3.5. 4. MODIFICATIONS
E.3.6. 5. COMBINING DOCUMENTS
E.3.7. 6. COLLECTIONS OF DOCUMENTS
E.3.8. 7. AGGREGATION WITH INDEPENDENT WORKS
E.3.9. 8. TRANSLATION
E.3.10. 9. TERMINATION
E.3.11. 10. FUTURE REVISIONS OF THIS LICENSE

List of Figures
5-1. IrDA Stack

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