Infrared Data Association Relnotes.doc File (Part 1 of 2) (139542)

MORE INFORMATION

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          Microsoft Windows 95 Infrared Communications Driver
                                                  Version 1.0
                                                Release Notes
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
=================

Quick Start
Installing the IR Communications Driver
Using the IR Communications Driver
Troubleshooting
Product Support

QUICK START
===========

Congratulations! You are the proud owner of the Microsoft(r)
Windows(r) 95 Infrared (IR) communications driver. After you install
the IR communications driver you can start replacing your serial and
parallel cable connections with wireless IR links.

Wireless communications between computers is a new thing. And you're
part of it! Have fun experimenting with wireless IR links between
your computers and printers.

The Version 1.0 IR communications driver is a set of software
components that you can add to a Windows 95 computer to enable that
computer to send and receive data over IR communications links.
Installing the IR communications driver is as simple as running the
Setup program that is one of the driver components.

The IR communications driver supports IR communications links running
up to 115.2 kilobytes per second (Kbps). The infrared hardware can be
built into your Windows 95 computer or added by attaching an infrared
adapter to a serial or parallel port. A future release of the IR
communications driver will add support for high-speed IR devices
which run at 1.152 and 4.0 megabytes per second (Mbps).

Installing the IR Communications Driver
---------------------------------------

NOTE: You must always remove any previously installed version of the IR
      communications driver every time you install the driver. For
      example, if you have an earlier (Beta) version of the IR
      communications driver already installed you must remove it before
      you install Version 1.0. You may also need to remove an installation
      of the Version 1.0 driver. For example, if you change the IR adapter
      model that is connected to your computer, you must remove the
      installed IR communications driver and reinstall it, specifying the
      new IR adapter type. Instructions for removing the IR communications
      driver are in "An Optional Step: Removing the IR Communications
      Driver."

A Quick Start overview of the IR Communications driver installation
procedure is:

 - If you are using an IR adapter (rather than a built-in IR device), make
   sure the adapter is physically attached to a COM port and note which
   COM port it is (COM1, COM2, and so on). If you are using a computer
   with a built-in IR device, note which COM port that device is assigned
   to.

 - Start the setup program SETUP.EXE, which is one of the IR
   communications components, to invoke the Windows 95 Add Infrared Device
   Wizard. Respond to the wizard's prompts for physical COM port
   information, IR device manufacturer and model information, and so on.

 - If the wizard announces New Hardware Found events for the IR serial and
   parallel ports, you can enable the IR device immediately after the
   wizard is finished. Enable the IR device by double-clicking on the
   Infrared device icon in the Control Panel. If the wizard does not
   announce New Hardware Found events before it is finished, you must
   restart the computer before you use the Control Panel icon to activate
   the IR device.

For a detailed description of each of these steps, see "Roadmap for
Installing and Using the IR Communications Driver" later in this
document.

Using the IR Communications Driver
----------------------------------

End-users can install the IR communications device driver on their
Windows 95 computer and run applications using wireless infrared
communications instead of serial or parallel cables. The driver has
been successfully tested on the following Windows 95 notebook
computers, which have built-in IR ports:

   Digital(r) HiNote Ultra CT475
   Gateway(r) 2000 Liberty
   Gateway Solo
   HP(r) Omnibook(tm) 600CT
   HP Omnibook 4000C
   IBM(r) ThinkPad(r) 701C (Butterfly)
   IBM ThinkPad 755 (most configurations)
   Midwest Micro Elite
   Midwest Micro Elite p90
   Sharp(r) PC 3050
   TI(r) TravelMate(tm) 5000
   Toshiba(r) Satellite Pro 400 CDT

In addition, the driver has been successfully tested on Windows 95
platforms with the following IR adapters connected to serial ports:

   ACTiSYS ACT-200L Infrared Wireless Interface
   ACTiSYS ACT-220L Infrared Wireless Interface
   Adaptec(tm) AIRport APA-9320 External Infrared Adapter (this adapter is
      also called the Adaptec AIRport 2000)
   Adaptec AIRport 1000
   AMP PhasIR Serial Adapter
   Extended Systems JetEye PC Infrared PC Interface (ESI-9680)
   Parallax IR Adapter LiteLink PRA9500A

To obtain any of the IR adapters listed above, contact the adapter
manufacturer. The addresses of  these manufacturers are listed in "IR
Adapter Manufacturer Names and Addresses" at the end of this
document.

The following applications have been run successfully over an IR
communications link, using the IR communications driver and the
hardware listed above:

   Windows 95 Direct Cable Connection (DCC)
   Various Windows communications applications, including HyperTerminal,
      DynaComm, and Carbon Copy.

Because the IR link is simulating a serial communications link, some
communications applications may not perform as expected after they
connect over the IR link. See the "Troubleshooting" topic for more
information.

For instructions on running DCC over an IR link, see "Notes on
Running the Direct Cable Connection Application Over an IR Link"
later in this document.

Numerous Windows 95 applications have successfully printed over an IR
link to an HP(r) LaserJet(r) 5P or 5MP printer, which have built-in
IR ports.

Troubleshooting
---------------

Some general troubleshooting tips are:

 - To get two IR devices to discover each other, you may have to realign
   the IR devices so they point right at each other, move them closer
   together, and/or change the batteries in an IR adapter or plug the AC
   power into an IR adapter. The devices must be three feet apart, or
   less, and the angle of the cone of IR transmission is 30 degrees. Some
   devices work best if kept at least six inches apart.

 - You must always remove any previously installed version of the IR
   communications driver every time you install the driver. For example,
   if you have an earlier (Beta) version of the IR communications driver
   already installed you must remove it before you install Version 1.0.
   You may also need to remove an installation of the Version 1.0 driver.
   For example, if you change the IR adapter model that is connected to
   your computer, you must remove the installed IR communications driver
   and reinstall it, specifying the new IR adapter type. Instructions for
   removing the IR communications driver are in "An Optional Step:
   Removing the IR Communications Driver."

Some troubleshooting tips related to using particular applications
over IR links are:

 - If you use the Windows 95 application HyperTerminal to transfer files,
   you will not be able to transfer files successfully over an IR link
   using the Zmodem protocol as it is implemented by HyperTerminal.

 - When you run the Windows 95 application Direct Cable Connection (DCC)
   and establish the connection between the host and guest computers, the
   guest computer may display the message "Direct Cable Connection was
   unable to display shared folders of the host computer" and prompt you
   to enter the computer name of the host computer. A convenient way to
   find the computer name of the host computer is on the Status tab of the
   Infrared Monitor interface screen.

Troubleshooting tips related to specific infrared hardware are:

 - The Adaptec AIRport 2000 infrared adapter can be powered by either the
   serial port, installed AA batteries, or an external power supply. In
   some cases, the serial port may not provide sufficient power for the
   operation of the adapter. This can cause reduced operating range and/or
   a failure to find another IR device which is nearby and aligned
   correctly. If you suspect such a problem, connect an AC adapter or add
   four AA batteries to the battery compartment in the infrared adapter.
   This will assure sufficient power. In some instances, you may need to
   separate the adapter by at least six inches the other IR device.

 - If you have an ACTiSYS 220L IR adapter attached to your computer and
   print to a printer that is using an Extended Systems ESI-9580 printer
   IR adapter, or you are printing to the HP DeskJet 340, you must use the
   Options tab in the Infrared Monitor to limit the connection speed to
   19.2 Kbps to print successfully. If you allow the IR devices to
   automatically negotiate the connection speed without setting this
   limit, they will negotiate a higher connection speed and your
   application will not be able to print.

 - The TI TravelMate 5000 may communicate over an IR link only at very low
   speeds (9600 baud).

 - The Sharp PC 3050 may communicate over an IR link only at speeds
   between 9600 baud and 19.2 Kbps.

 - If you have an HP Omnibook 4000C or an HP Omnibook 600CT, you must
   install a special echo-canceling serial driver in addition to the
   components that make up the IR communications driver. The echo-
   canceling driver, along with instructions on how to install it, are
   available from Hewlett-Packard.
				

Product Support

For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and information on support costs, please go to the following address on the World Wide Web: Be prepared to give the following information:

 - The version number of the Microsoft product that you are using.

 - The type of hardware that you are using.

 - The exact wording of any messages that appeared on your screen.

 - A description of what happened and what you were doing when the problem
   occurred.

 - A description of how you tried to solve the problem.