Infrared Standards Emerge

Infrared data links are becoming a low cost alternative for connecting systems and effecting data transfer between computers and peripherals. One reason for this is the crowding of the Radio Frequency (RF) spectrum, which threatens to raise the cost of RF wireless links and question its reliability.

Infrared (IR) links are at their best when they are used between facing units or within the confines of a room. They are very reliable for short distance links and can offer something very difficult for RF systems—privacy—that is, assuming the window blinds are drawn.

However, the greatest benefit for the manufacturers and users is the lack of international or domestic regulatory constraints, which hamper rapid product development and market delivery. This, and other advantages of IR links, should have made communication between various computers very easy. But this has not been the case, at least until the formation of the Infrared Data Association (IrDA).

At COMDEX, the IrDA announced a tentative date for releasing an infrared standard for data transmission between computers and peripherals. This comes out of necessity and perhaps frustration, as very few of today’s systems—including the Newton, Wizard, Zoomer, or Omnibook—can communicate easily with each other or each other’s peripherals.

The IrDA membership roster includes an impressive array of international industry leaders in mobile computing. A sample of the more than 50 member companies includes Apple Computer, AT&T, British Telecom, General Magic, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel, Philips, Motorola, Novell, Siemens, and Sharp.

The goal of the IrDA is to create a standard for using simple, low cost, point-and-shoot wireless links for data exchange. This would enable functions such as:

• exchanging fax or email using a public phone
• wireless printing
• retrieving and storing bank records from ATM machines

The IrDA will address several link possibilities including: point-to-point data exchange, point-to-multipoint exchange, two or more independent links working near each other, and the cross-exchange from several points. Additionally, the IrDA promises initial data speeds of 115.2 kbaud.

The worldwide IR connectivity standard for mobile computer users is scheduled to be announced at CeBIT in Hanover, Germany in March, 1994. For more information, contact John LaRoche, the IrDa Administrator at:

P.O. Box 495, Brookdale, CA 95007-0495
(510) 943-6546
(510) 934-5241 (fax)
[email protected]