Windows 95 Support for Infrared Data Association Connectivity (139445)

SUMMARY

Microsoft has added support for Infrared Data Association (IrDA) connectivity to Windows 95. The latest release of the Infrared (IR) Communications Driver for Windows 95 is version 2.0.

Infrared (IR) communications, based on technology similar to that used in remote controls, offers a convenient and reliable way to connect to peripheral devices without cables. IrDA connectivity is designed to take advantage of mobile computing features already built into Windows 95 and supports Plug and Play.

The Infrared Communications Driver version 2.0 is an optional component of the Windows 95 operating system. The Infrared Communications Driver supports hardware devices which enable networking and communications over infrared media. The hardware device can be an infrared port built into the platform or an infrared adapter connected to one of the platform's serial or parallel ports.

Infrared devices and Infrared Communications Driver 2.0 provide the following benefits:

• You can use wireless infrared links instead of serial and parallel cables. For example, instead of using a serial or parallel cable, you can exchange files between two computers that are equipped with an infrared device and Infrared Communications Driver 2.0. You can also print to infrared-capable printers without the need for cable.
• With IrLan you can use wireless infrared links rather than network cable to access your local area network (LAN). IrLan currently supports Access Point Mode. Access Point Mode enables a computer with an IrDA adapter to attach to a local area network through an access point device that acts as the network adapter for the computer.
  
  An access point device is hardware supporting both a LAN network interface controller (NIC) and an infrared transceiver. For communication over the infrared link, the access point device runs a protocol stack that conforms to the IrDA standards and runs the IrLan protocol over the IrDA stack. The access point device implements a network adapter for the client using infrared as the bus for accessing the adapter.
  
  Currently there are two companies building Access Points: Hewlett- Packard (HP) and Extended System. Infrared Communications Driver 2.0 has been tested on both access points.

Infrared Communications Driver 2.0 supports infrared communications links running at speeds up to 115.2 Kbps.