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IrDA and Windows 98

The IrDA port is an infrared transceiver port built into many newer mainboards. IrDA is a wireless network interface and therefore not intended for use with normal home remote controls. However, some models seem to work with uICE to receive infrared signals from remote controls. You may try it, but there's no guarantee that it will work.

Note: the following procedure works - if at all - with Windows 95/98 only. Microsoft changed their driver architecture in later Operating System versions, you can not replace the IrDA driver with a Generic COM port in Windows ME/NT/2k/XP!

Settings you may try:

Enable infrared support in your computer's BIOS. Do NOT install IrDA Windows drivers if Windows detects the device.

If you already have Windows 98 with IrDA device drivers installed, you will experience problems accessing the IrDA COM port. You have to remove the Windows drivers first and reinstall a generic COM port to let uICE access it. Disabling the device is not enough! Note that you will not have access to the IrDA functionality any more after making these changes!

Here's how to remove the virtual port and reassign a generic port:

Warning! Changing system configuration files may damage your Windows installation! This is for experienced users only who know exactly what they are doing! Always make backups of the original file! Don't blame me if you blow up your computer with this.

Make the following changes to the file msports.inf under c:\windows\inf:

[...]

[Std]

%*PNP0400.DeviceDesc% = LptPort, *PNP0400 ; Printer Port

%*PNP0401.DeviceDesc% = EcpPort, *PNP0401 ; ECP Printer Port

%*PNP0500.DeviceDesc% = ComPort, *PNP0500 ; Communications Port

%*PNP0501.DeviceDesc% = ComPort, *PNP0501 ; Communications Port

;Uncomment/add the following lines:

%*PNP0510.DeviceDesc% = ComPort, *PNP0510 ; Generic IR device/Comm

%*PNP0511.DeviceDesc% = ComPort, *PNP0511 ; Generic IR device/Comm

;comment/remove the following lines:

; %*PNP0510.DeviceDesc% = InfraredComPort, *PNP0510 ; IR Communications Port used byr IrDA stack

; %*PNP0511.DeviceDesc% = InfraredComPort, *PNP0511 ; IR Communications Port used byr IrDA stack.

[...]

[Strings]

*PNP0400.DeviceDesc = "Druckeranschluss"

*PNP0401.DeviceDesc = "ECP-Druckeranschluss"

*PNP0500.DeviceDesc = "COM-Anschluss"

*PNP0501.DeviceDesc = "COM-Anschluss"

;Uncomment/add the following lines:

*PNP0510.DeviceDesc = "Generic Ir Serial Port"

*PNP0511.DeviceDesc = "Generic Ir Serial Port"

 

Now open the Device Manager and remove any occurences of virtual ports and infrared network devices (if installed):

  • Virtual COM ports
  • IrDa Network Adapter
  • Infrared devices

Reboot your machine. Windows should now detect a "Generic Ir Serial Port".

Select the Generic Serial IR Receiver device, and make the following changes to port and device settings:

Port Settings:

  • Baud rate 2400 or 4800
  • 8 data bits
  • No Parity
  • 1 Stop bit
  • DTR and RTS Line disabled

Device Settings:

  • No init and response strings
  • IR code length: you have to play around with this
  • Tolerance set to 0, increase if samples do not match
  • Learn samples set to 4 or higher

Good luck!

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