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.
