[mythtv-users] USB IrDa Dongles vs. LIRC

[Dan Wilga]

At 10:57 PM -0700 8/3/05, Russel Hill wrote:
>The LIRC FAQ says "it's technically not possible to use USB IrDA
>dongles with LIRC".  However, on the LIRC home page there's a link to
>http://usbirboy.sourceforge.net/ which claims to be LIRC compatible.

IrDA is a specific type of IR hardware. Unlike IR remotes, it uses a 
fundamental frequency that does not allow it to travel reliably over 
more than about a meter. That's why it's generally used for things 
like sending data from a laptop to a printer that is only a foot or 
two away.

 From my brief look at the USB-IR-Boy page, it doesn't look like it is 
IrDA at all, which is why it can work with LIRC. It seems to support 
the same IR protocols understood by LIRC.

>Can anyone explain the disconnect?  Is there something fundamentally
>different about the usbirboy?  Is it just a com port implementation
>with a USB back-end?

No, it is a native USB device.

-- 
Dan Wilga                                         dwilga at mtholyoke.edu
Web Administrator                             http://www.mtholyoke.edu
Mount Holyoke College                                Tel: 413-538-3027
South Hadley, MA  01075            "Who left the cake out in the rain?"