Establishing IR Communications with the PT878GC B-1
April 2004
Appendix B
Establishing IR Communications
with the PT878GC
As discussed in Chapter 2, the PT878GC includes an infrared
transceiver for communication with IR products that comply with
the IrDA protocol. Howeve r, you must also be sure that the
operating system of your personal computer offers IrDA
compatibility and either a built-in IR port (available on most
laptops) or an IR dongle (IR to RS232 adapter for PCs without a
built-in IR port). If your PC does not have an IR dongle, GE
Panametrics recommends the ActiSys ACT-IR220L+ infrared to
RS-232 adapter, which has been tested for compatibility with the
PT878GC. Be sure to position the interface in a way that permits
transmission between the interface and the infrared sensor on the
PT878GC, shown in Figure 2-2 on page 2-2.
Table B-1 on the next page lists IrDA compatibility for various
past and current Microsoft Windows operating systems.
IrCOMM is an infrared standard supported by Microsoft, while
OBEX is a newer infrared standard which allows more
straightforward use and faster file transfers, while tolerating IR
interruptions better.