Soft 19/Soft19.iso/win95-rc/win95_23.cab/infrared.txt

Text File | 1996-08-06 | 40KB | 877 lines

        -----------------------------------------------------------
                      Microsoft Windows 95 README
             for Infrared Communications Driver, Version 2.0
                                 August 1996
        ------------------------------------------------------------

              (c) Copyright Microsoft Corporation, 1996


This document provides complementary or late-breaking information to
supplement any other existing documentation.


------------------------
HOW TO USE THIS DOCUMENT
------------------------

To view Infrared.txt on screen in WordPad, maximize the WordPad
window.

To print Infrared.txt, open it in WordPad or another word processor,
and then use the Print command on the File menu.


CONTENTS
========

OVERVIEW OF THE INFRARED COMMUNICATIONS DRIVER, VERSION 2.0
USING THE INFRARED COMMUNICATIONS DRIVER
  Notebook Computers
  Infrared Adapters
  Programs
  Printers
  IrLan Access Points
TROUBLESHOOTING
  General Tips
  Troubleshooting Tips for Using IrLan Access Point Devices
  Troubleshooting Tips for Using Specific Programs Over IR Links
  Troubleshooting Tip for Developing an IrDA Standard IrComm
    Component for an IR Communications Driver
  Troubleshooting Tips for Specific Infrared Hardware
INSTALLING AND USING THE IR COMMUNICATIONS DRIVER
  Step 1. Installing the IR Communications Driver
  Step 2. Validating the IR Communications Driver Installation
  Step 3. Running Other IR-Capable Programs
  An Optional Step: Removing the IR Communications Driver
  Notes on Running Direct Cable Connection Over an IR Link
  Preparing to Use DCC
IR COMMUNICATIONS DRIVER COMPONENTS
IR ADAPTER MANUFACTURER NAMES AND ADDRESSES


OVERVIEW OF THE INFRARED COMMUNICATIONS DRIVER, VERSION 2.0
===========================================================

The Infrared Communications Driver, version 2.0, is an optional
component of the Windows 95 operating system. The Infrared
Communications Driver supports hardware devices that enable
networking and communications over infrared media. The hardware
device can be either an infrared port built into the platform or
an infrared adapter connected to one of the platform's serial or
parallel ports.

Users might want to install the infrared (IR) hardware device
and version 2.0 of the Infrared Communications Driver for the
following reasons:

- They can use wireless infrared links instead of serial and
  parallel cables. For example, files can be exchanged wirelessly
  between two computers that have an IR device and the version 2.0
  driver installed, instead of using a serial or parallel cable.

- Files can also be printed wirelessly on IR-capable printers.

- If the user has an IR-capable LAN access point product connected
  to the network, wireless IR links can be used instead of LAN
  cabling. For a list of LAN access point products the version 2.0
  IR driver has been tested with, see "Using the IR Communications
  Driver."

- The version 2.0 IR communications driver supports IR communications
  links running at speeds up to 115.2 kbps.


USING THE INFRARED COMMUNICATIONS DRIVER
========================================

The following sections list the hardware and software components on
which version 2.0 of the Infrared Communications Driver has been
tested.

Notebook Computers
------------------
This product has been successfully tested on the following Windows 95
notebook computers that have built-in IR ports:

     Gateway(R) 2000 Liberty
     HP(R)Omnibook(TM)600CT
     HP Omnibook 4000C
     IBM(R) ThinkPad(R) 701C (Butterfly)
     Sharp(R) PC 3050
     TI(R) TravelMate(TM) 5000

Some testing was also done on these Windows 95 notebook computers:

     Digital(R) HiNote Ultra CT475
     TI(R) TravelMate(TM) 5000

Infrared Adapters
-----------------
This product 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
       (also called the Adaptec AIRport 2000)
     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. For the addresses of these manufacturers, see "IR Adapter
Manufacturer Names and Addresses" at the end of this document.

Programs
--------
The following programs 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 programs, including HyperTerminal
  and DynaComm.

Because the IR link simulates a serial communications link, some
communications programs might not perform as expected after they
connect over the IR link. For more information, see "Troubleshooting."
For instructions on running DCC over an IR link, see "Notes on Running
Direct Cable Connection Over an IR Link" later in this document.

Printers
--------
Numerous Windows 95 programs have successfully printed over an IR
link to an HP Laserjet 5P or 5MP printer, which have built-in IR
ports. Numerous Windows 95 programs have also printed successfully
over an IR link to other printers with an Extended Systems JetEye
Infrared Printer Port ESI-9580 infrared adapter connected to the
printer parallel port.

IrLan Access Points
-------------------
Local area network access over an IR link has been tested with the
following IrLan access point devices:

- Extended Systems ESI-9910 JetEye Net Plus
- Hewlett-Packard NetBeam IR Infrared LAN Adapter


TROUBLESHOOTING
===============

General Tips
------------
- You must remove any previously installed version of the
  IR communications driver every time the driver is installed.
  For instructions on removing the IR communications driver,
  see "An Optional Step: Removing the IR Communications Driver."

- If you change the IR adapter model that is connected to the
  computer, you must remove the installed IR communications driver
  and reinstall it, specifying the new IR adapter type.

- If you select the wrong physical COM port during installation of
  the IR communications driver, the IR device will be unable to
  discover another IR device within range. If this happens, try
  the following steps:

  1. Put an actively searching IR device close to the computer's IR
     device.

  2. Click the Infrared Monitor Options tab, and then choose a
     different communications port (for example, COM1 instead of COM2).

  3. Continue selecting different COM ports in this way until the IR
     device on the computer discovers the nearby IR device.

     Note that the alternatives displayed in the IrMon Options tab are
     always based on the internal wiring of the computer platform:

     - COM1 always means a COM port wired to IRQ 4 and I/O address
       range 0x3F8 to 0x3FF.
     - COM2 always means wired to IRQ 3 and 0x2F8 to 0x2FF.
     - Physical COM3 always means IRQ 4 and 0x3E8 and 0x3EF.
     - Physical COM4 always means IRQ5 and 0x2E8 and 0x2EF.

- 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 or less apart, and the angle of the cone of IR transmission
  is 30 degrees. Some devices work best if kept at least six inches
  apart. If an IR adapter is attached to a COM port that is using an
  8250 UART instead of a 16550 UART, or if an IR adapter is connected
  to a relatively slow computer (such as a 386 running at 20 MHz),
  you might need to use the Limit Connection Speed To option in the
  Infrared Monitor Options tab to limit the connection speed to 19.2
  kbps. After establishing a successful IR connection at this speed,
  you can use the Limit Connection Speed To option to experiment
  with establishing a connection at a higher speed on that computer.

- If you change the port the IR adapter is attached to while IR
  communications are in progress, the IR connection is lost without
  prompting you to verify that it is OK to disconnect.

- Communication over a virtual COM port link between two computers
  might not be reliable if a printer's IR adapter is also within range.
  You should move the printer's IR adapter out of range.

- You should not suspend a Windows 95 computer while an IR connection
  is established. Wait until the IR link is disconnected or force a
  disconnection before putting the computer in suspend mode. For
  example, if an IrLan connection is established on a laptop computer,
  you must always move the laptop out of range of the IrLan access point
  before suspending the system or closing the laptop lid. Otherwise, the
  connection remains active and over time can drain the battery.

- Connecting and disconnecting over a low-speed IR link or over a poor-
  quality link can take a long period of time (a few seconds), during
  which the screen will appear to be frozen. To work around this,
  use a higher speed connection and/or take steps to improve the
  quality of the connection by, for example, realigning the IR devices
  so they point right at each other, moving the devices closer together,
  changing the batteries in an IR adapter, or plugging the AC power into
  an IR adapter.

Troubleshooting Tips for Using IrLan Access Point Devices
---------------------------------------------------------
- Do not assume that because an IR device on a PC communicates with
  an IR device on another PC at 115.2 kbps that the IR device will
  also communicate with an IrLan access point device at that speed.
  For example, suppose a user has two PC-based IR devices that have
  negotiated a link speed of 115.2 kbps. Then if the user points
  one of the devices at an IrLan access point device, these two
  devices can negotiate a link speed of 115.2 kbps but no subsequent
  communication takes place (the PC has no access to the network
  through the IR link). No error message is displayed in this case.

- Extended Systems ESI-9910 JetEye Net Plus users utilizing NETBEUI
  may receive an error message when copying large files (for example,
  5 MB files) to a network drive. If this happens, call Extended
  Systems, Inc. product support for NETBEUI configuration changes.
  For Extended Systems, Inc. contact information, see the topic "IR
  Adapter Manufacturer Names and Addresses."

- If there is a problem establishing an IR link to an IrLan access
  point device when the network is also connected to a network
  interface card in the computer, try disconnecting the LAN from
  the network interface card. Restart the computer and make sure
  the computer IR device and the LAN access point IR port are within
  range. Then use the Infrared icon in the Control Panel to activate
  the IR link between the computer and the LAN access point device.

- The IPX protocol may not communicate over an IrLan access point.
  This can be caused by the Dial-Up Adapter becoming the primary IPX
  adapter and no other adapter, such as the IrLan adapter, can take
  over. To work around this problem, create a profile that does not
  contain the dial-up adapter and use it when accessing the net
  through IrLan.

- During a file copy to a NetWare server running burst mode, if the
  IR connection between the computer and the IrLan access point is
  disconnected (for example, the IR beam is blocked), the file
  transfer cannot recover and the computer screen will stay the same
  indefinitely. If this happens often, turn off burst mode to enable
  recovery from a disconnection. There will be performance degradation
  with burst mode off.

- Using the virtual parallel port connection to an Extended Systems
  ESI-9910 JetEye Net Plus IrLan access point to send data to a printer
  might result in a program fault. To work around this problem, use the
  virtual serial port on the IrLan access point to reach the printer.

Troubleshooting Tips for Using Specific Programs Over IR Links
--------------------------------------------------------------
- If the Windows 95 program HyperTerminal is used to transfer files,
  there might be trouble doing file transfers successfully over an IR
  link. If the Zmodem protocol fails with a link speed of 115.2 kbps,
  use the IR Monitor Limit Connection Speed To tab to limit the link
  speed to 19.2 kbps and then retry the Zmodem file transfer.

- When the Windows 95 program Direct Cable Connection (DCC) is run to
  establish the connection between the host and guest computers, the
  guest computer might display the message "Direct Cable Connection
  was unable to display shared folders of the host computer" and
  prompt the user 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.

- When the Windows 95 program Direct Cable Connection (DCC) is run
  to establish an IR connection between the host and guest computers,
  DCC prompts you to select a communications port (this procedure is
  described in the topic "Establishing and Using the DCC IR Link
  Between Host and Guest"). Selecting the virtual Infrared port in
  this step will fail (DCC announces the virtual port is not available)
  in the rare case that you have suspended the Windows 95 operating
  system before invoking DCC in a session. To begin a new session,
  restart Windows 95, and DCC will work over an IR link.

Troubleshooting Tip for Developing an IrDA Standard IrCOMM
Component for an IR Communications Driver
-----------------------------------------------------------
- The IrCOMM implementation in the IR communications driver that
  runs on Windows 95 supports full emulation of 9-wire connections,
  but does not support emulation of 3-wire cooked connections. A
  specific example of this is the inability to print over an IR
  virtual COM port from the MS-DOS prompt, which uses a 3-wire
  cooked connection. IrDA drivers developed for platforms designed
  to communicate with Windows 95 platforms over IR links must
  implement full emulation of 9-wire connections (as specified
  in the IrDA IrCOMM specification). For example, a pair of
  handheld computer platforms might communicate with each other
  over IR links using 3-wire cooked emulation. However, if you
  also expect to use one of the handhelds to communicate with a
  Windows 95 computer, then the handheld IR driver must implement
  9-wire connections.

Troubleshooting Tips for Specific Infrared Hardware
---------------------------------------------------
- The Adaptec AIRport 2000 infrared adapter can be powered in three
  ways: by the serial port, by installed AA batteries, or by an
  external power supply. In some cases, the serial port might 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 such a problem
  is suspected, 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 might need to separate
  the adapter by at least six inches from the other IR device.

- If an ActiSys 220L IR adapter is attached to a computer and used
  to print to a printer that is using an Extended Systems ESI-9580
  printer IR adapter, or for printing to an HP DeskJet 340, you must
  use the Options tab in the Infrared Monitor properties to limit the
  connection speed to 19.2 kbps in order to print successfully. If the
  IR devices are allowed to automatically negotiate the connection
  speed without setting this limit, they will negotiate a higher
  connection speed and a program will be unable to print.

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

- The Sharp PC 3050 might communicate over an IR link only at speeds
  between 9600 bps and 19.2 kbps.

- For the HP Omnibook 4000C or an HP Omnibook 600CT, which have
  built-in infrared ports, 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, and instructions
  on how to install it, are available from Hewlett-Packard.


INSTALLING AND USING THE IR COMMUNICATIONS DRIVER
=================================================

The following three-step process is recommended:

1. Install the Windows 95 IR Communications Driver.
2. Validate the installation by printing over the IR link, using a
   program to transfer data over the IR link, and/or using a local
   area network (LAN) over the IR link.
3. Start using the IR link on a daily basis.

After you install the driver, it can be removed at any time (for
more information, see "An Optional Step: Removing the IR Communications
Driver").

Procedures for carrying out each of the recommended steps, including
the driver removal step, are presented in detail below.

Step 1: Installing the IR Communications Driver
-----------------------------------------------
NOTE:
If any version of the IR communications driver has been installed
on your computer before, you must remove it before carrying out
the following steps. To check whether an IR communications driver
is currently installed on your computer, open Control Panel. If
Control Panel displays an Infrared icon, there is a previously
installed version of the IR communications driver on your computer.

For a procedure you can use to remove a previously installed
version of the driver, see "An Optional Step: Removing the
IR Communications Driver" later in this document.

To install the IR communications driver, carry out the following
procedure:

1. In Control Panel, double-click the Add New Hardware icon, and
   then click Next.

2. When the Add New Hardware wizard prompts you "Do you want Windows
   to search for your new hardware?", click No, and then click Next.

3. In the list of hardware types, click Infrared, and then click
   Next.

4. When the Add Infrared Device Wizard prompts you to choose a
   manufacturer's name for the IR device:

   - If the computer has a built-in device, choose Standard Infrared
     Devices)
   - If an IR adapter is attached to the computer, choose the name
     of the manufacturer and the model of the adapter.

   Then click Next.

5. When the Add Infrared Device Wizard prompts you to choose the
   communications port that the IR device is physically connected to,
   click the port in the list. If you are uncertain which physical
   communications port the IR device is using, select the first COM
   port in the list (for example, COM1). Then click Next.

6. When the Add Infrared Device Wizard prompts you to select the
   virtual COM and LPT ports, accept the default values by clicking
   Next. After the wizard copies the IR communications driver files
   to the hard disk, watch for the wizard to display two New Hardware
   Found messages.

7. When you are prompted by the Add Infrared Device Wizard, click
   Finish to complete the IR device installation. If the wizard did
   not display New Hardware Found messages as it carried out step 4,
   then restart the computer. (If the New Hardware Found messages were
   displayed, there is no need to restart the computer).

8. Activate the IR device by double-clicking the Infrared icon in
   Control Panel. If there is no Infrared icon in Control Panel, then
   either click the View menu and then click Refresh, or press F5 to
   make the Infrared icon appear.

For general information about how to use the Infrared Monitor, click
the Help button in the lower-right corner of the Infrared Monitor
screen. For information about specific items in a dialog box, such as
check boxes, right-click the item, and then click the "What's this?"
command.

The Options tab of the Infrared Monitor interface contains the
following two particularly useful items:

- The Enable Infrared Communication On check box, which enables and
  disables the IR device.

- The Limit Connection Speed To option, which limits the link speed
  the IR device can negotiate.

   The Limit Connection Speed To option might be used if an adapter
   is attached to a COM port that is using an 8250 UART instead of a
   16550 UART, or if an adapter is connected to a relatively slow
   computer (such as a 386 running at 20 MHz). In these cases, this
   option can be used to limit the connection speed to 19.2 kbps.

Step 2: Validating the IR Communications Driver Installation
------------------------------------------------------------
You can use any of the following methods to validate the IR
communications driver installation:

- Print from a program over an IR link to the printer (if an IR-capable
  printer is available),

- Exchange data between two IR-capable computers over an IR link, using
  a communications program.

- View the computer's Network Neighborhood over an IR link (if an IrLan
  access point device is available).

Printing to an IR-Capable Printer:

To test the printing capability of a Windows 95 program over an IR link
to an IrDA-compliant printer, carry out the following steps:

- Make sure the IR communications driver is installed on the computer.
- Make sure the printer driver for the IR-capable printer is installed
  on the computer.
- Try the Print option in a program.

Printers without built-in IR ports can be made IR-capable by connecting
an IR adapter made for printers into the printer's parallel port. An
example of an IR adapter for printers is the Extended Systems JetEye
Infrared Printer Port ESI-9580. If a parallel cable is also used to
connect the computer to the IR printer adapter, you can use either the
IR link or the parallel cable to print. The IR link is used when you
select the virtual parallel port; the cable is used when you select the
physical parallel port.

To validate the IR link to the printer, make sure the correct printer
driver is installed for the IR-capable printer. (Most printers with
built-in IR ports are Plug and Play devices, which are installed
automatically.) Then use a program to print over the IR link.

If the program prints on an IR-capable printer, the IR driver
installation is validated. If there is trouble printing, see
"Troubleshooting" for more information.

Exchanging Data Between Two Computers:

To validate a link between two computers running Windows 95, install
the IR communications driver on both computers. To do this, carry out
the procedure in "Step 1. Installing the IR Communications Driver"
earlier in this document.

Note that the IR devices on the two computers do not have to be made
by the same manufacturer as long as both devices are IrDA-compliant.
For example, the IR link will work with a JetEye PC Infrared PC
Interface (ESI-9680) attached to one desktop computer and an Adaptec
AIRport APA-9320 External Infrared Adapter attached to the other
desktop computer.

One way to validate an IR link is to run HyperTerminal on both
computers and send characters from the keyboard of each computer
over the IR link. HyperTerminal is installed on a Windows 95 computer
as part of the typical installation recommended for most computers.
To validate the IR driver installation of the IR driver on both
computers, carry out the following procedure.

1. On both computers, click the Start button, point to Settings,
   and then click Control Panel. Double-click the Infrared icon.

2. Move the IR devices within three feet of each other, and make
   sure they're pointing at each other. When the two IR devices
   discover each other, the message "Available infrared devices
   in range" appears on the Status tab of the Infrared Monitor
   interface screen. Make sure Infrared Monitor reports both IR
   devices have the appropriate infrared device within range before
   proceeding. It might be necessary 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. For more information, see "Troubleshooting"
   earlier in the document.

3. On one of the computers, click the Options tab in the Infrared
   Monitor interface and find the information that starts with
   "Providing application support on ...". Write down the name of
   the COM port found there. This is the name of the virtual serial
   port that the IR link is using. The name of this virtual serial
   port might be COM4 or COM5, and it will differ from the name of
   the physical communications port the IR device is running on
   (which is typically named COM1 or COM2).

4. Run HyperTerminal on the computer with the virtual serial port
   name by clicking the Start button, pointing to Programs, pointing
   to Accessories, and then clicking the HyperTerminal folder. In the
   window that appears, double-click the Hypertrm.exe icon.

5. In the Connection Description dialog box, type a descriptive name
   (such as "Direct IR") for the new connection, and then click OK.

6. In the Phone Number dialog box, use the Connect Using drop-down list
   to click the "Direct to Comx" entry, where x is the number of the
   virtual COM port written down in step 2. Then click OK. It is now
   possible to start using HyperTerminal on one of the computers.

7. Repeat steps 2 through 5 for the other computer.

8. In HyperTerminal on either computer, type any characters at the
   keyboard. If the typed characters appear in the HyperTerminal window
   on the other computer, then it is confirmed that the IR link works
   in that direction. Repeat this step on the other computer. If the
   IR link works in both directions using HyperTerminal, the IR
   communications driver has been successfully installed on both
   computers.

   NOTE:
   When you type characters in HyperTerminal, status changes are
   displayed in the Status tab of the Infrared Monitor interface.

9. Disconnect the HyperTerminal direct IR connection by exiting
   HyperTerminal on both computers. When you are prompted to save
   the session, click Yes. This saves the direct IR connection
   setup information as an icon in the HyperTerminal main folder,
   enabling you to double-click this icon to restart one side of
   the HyperTerminal direct IR connection.

Viewing Network Neighborhood Over an IR Link:

The version 2.0 IR communications driver enables a computer with
an IR device either a built-in device or an adapter) to connect to
a local area network LAN) through an IrLan access point device acting
as the network adapter for the computer. An IrLan access point device
is hardware that supports both a LAN network interface controller
(NIC) and an infrared transceiver. Local area network access over
an IR link has been tested with the following IrLan access point
devices: the Extended Systems ESI-9910 JetEye Net Plus and the
Hewlett-Packard NetBeam IR Infrared LAN Adapter.

To test a computer's ability to use a local area network (LAN)
over an IR link, first install the IR communications driver on
the computer. Then carry out the following steps:

1. Run IR Monitor.

2. Turn on the IrLan access point device, such as the Extended
   Systems ESI-9910 JetEye Net Plus, and place the infrared
   receiver/transmitter of the IrLan access point device within
   range of the computer's infrared device.

3. When the computer infrared device and the IrLan access point
   infrared device discover each other, the Infrared Monitor
   interface indicates "Infrared communication in progress."

4. When the Infrared Monitor interface shows that the IR link
   has been established, click the Network Neighborhood icon to
   display the icons of the remote computers that can be accessed
   through the IrLan access point device. There can be a delay of
   some seconds before the remote computer icons are displayed.

If you have trouble accessing the LAN, see "Troubleshooting" for
more information.

Step 3. Running Other IR-Capable Programs
---------------------------------------------
Most programs that can communicate over a null modem cable that
connects serial ports on two Windows 95 computers should also be
able to communicate over an IR link. The procedure for setting up
and using the IR link with these other communicating programs will
probably be similar to the procedure used in "Exchanging Data Between
Two Computers," which uses HyperTerminal to validate the installation
of the IR communications driver. The procedure for running the
Windows 95 Direct Cable Connection is provided in detail in "Notes
on Running Direct Cable Connection Over an IR Link."

An Optional Step: Removing the IR Communications Driver
-------------------------------------------------------
The IR communications driver can be removed either by using Add/Remove
Programs in Control Panel or by using the Device Manager. Both methods
are documented in this file, but using Add/Remove Programs is the
preferred method.

To remove the IR communications driver by using Control Panel:

1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control
   Panel.
2. Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon.
3. Click Infrared Support for Windows 95, and then click Add/Remove.
4. When you are prompted to do so, restart your computer.

To remove the IR communications driver by using Device Manager:

1. Right-click the My Computer icon, click Properties, and then click
   the Device Manager tab.
2. Make sure that View Devices By Type is selected, then click the
   plus sign at the left of the Infrared device class label.
3. Click the infrared device name, and then click Remove.
4. When you are prompted to do so, click OK to confirm the device
   removal.

After Device Manager successfully removes the infrared device
installation information from the computer, the Infrared device
class label disappears from the System Properties dialog box.

NOTE:
The Infrared Monitor icon might still be displayed in the Windows 95
toolbar, even after the infrared device is removed. You can ignore it;
the Infrared Monitor cannot be used to establish an IR link after the
infrared device is removed.

Notes on Running Direct Cable Connection Over an IR Link
--------------------------------------------------------
With Direct Cable Connection (DCC), a direct serial or parallel
cable connection can be established between two computers to share
the resources of the computer designated as the host. DCC can also
be used over an IR link connecting the host and a guest computer.
If the host is connected to a LAN, the host can also be used as a
gateway to the LAN for the guest.

Preparing to Use DCC:

The computer that contains the folder to be shared is the host,
and the other computer is the guest. To share a folder on the
host, granting access rights to anyone using the guest computer,
carry out the following procedure.

NOTE:
The following procedure is just one of many that could be used
to share files in a folder on the host computer. For example,
there is user-level access control as well as share-level access
control. The following procedure is one of the simplest access
control procedures, which is all that is needed to get started
using DCC. To get information about all the ways files, folders,
and printers can be shared, use the Windows 95 Help.

1. Double-click the My Computer icon.
2. Double-click the icon for the drive that contains the folder you
   want to share (for example, double-click the icon for the C drive).
3. Right-click the icon for the folder you want to share, and then
   click Properties.
4. Click the Sharing tab, and then click Shared As.
5. Enter a share name, enter a comment, and then add user access
   rights (Full or Read-Only).

   The folder icon now changes to a folder held in a hand,
   indicating that this folder is now a shared resource.

Making Sure DCC Is Installed on Both Computers:

DCC is not installed with the typical Windows 95 installation
recommended for most computers. Check whether DCC is installed
on both of the two computers that will be using the IR link. To
do this, click the Start button, point to Programs, and then point
to Accessories. Direct Cable Connection appears on this menu if it
is installed.

If DCC is installed on both the host computer and the guest computer,
then skip the next step.

An Optional Step: Installing DCC:

Before establishing a DCC connection, DCC must be installed on both
the host computer and the guest computer. Carry out the following
procedure on each computer that does not have DCC already installed.

1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control
   Panel.
2. Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon, and then click the
   Windows Setup tab.
3. Click Communications, and then click the Details button.
4. Make sure that the Direct Cable Connection check box is selected,
   and then click OK.

Establishing and Using the DCC IR Link Between Host and Guest:

To run DCC over an IR link, carry out the following procedure:

1. Make sure the IR communications driver is properly installed and
   the IR devices are enabled by carrying out the procedures in
   "Step 1. Installing the IR Communications Driver" and "Step 2.
   Validating the IR Communications Driver Installation" earlier
   in this document.

   NOTE:
   To increase the likelihood of success with DCC over an IR link,
   use the Limit Connection Speed To option on the Infrared Monitor
   Options tab to limit the IR connection speed to 9600 bps for the
   first test of DCC over the IR link (and then increase the speed
   later).

2. On the host computer, click the Start button, point to Accessories,
   and then click Direct Cable  Connection.

3. Follow the steps in the Direct Cable Connection Wizard to set up
   the host computer.

   When the wizard prompts you for it, select the Host option.

   When the wizard prompts you to choose a port, use the same
   virtual port used in the procedure "Step 2. Validating the
   IR Communications Driver Installation" earlier in this document.

   The wizard also offers password protection. It is not necessary
   to establish password protection on the host computer for this
   test of the IR link. When you have finished the wizard, click the
   Finish button. DCC starts running on the IR link and displays the
   following message: "Status: Waiting to connect via Serial cable on
   Comx," where Comx is the name of the virtual port the IR link is
   using.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the guest computer, except select the
   Guest option instead of the Host option. When you have finished
   the wizard, click the Finish button.

   The DCC connection is automatically made over the IR link, and all
   the shared folders on the host computer are displayed on the guest
   computer's screen.

If you are working on the guest computer, and you want to copy a shared
folder from the host computer to the guest computer, select the folder's
icon in the window that displays all the shared folders that are on the
host computer, and drag the icon to the desktop.

To work on a shared folder on the host computer without copying it to
the guest computer, double-click the folder in the display on the guest
computer. Note that if the host computer is connected to a network, the
guest computer can reach shared resources on the network through the DCC
connection to the host.


IR COMMUNICATIONS DRIVER COMPONENTS
-----------------------------------

The following files make up the IR communications driver:

Filename        Description
--------        -----------
ACT200L.VXD        Support for the ACTiSYS ACT-IR200L IR adapter
ACT220L.VXD        Support for the ACTiSYS ACT-IR220L IR adapter
ADAPTEC.VXD        Support for Adaptec IR adapter
CRYSTAL.VXD        Support for AMP PhasIR Serial Adapter
ESI.VXD         Support for Extended Systems JetEye PC Infrared
                  Interface (ESI9680)
INFRARED.CPL    Infrared device in the Windows 95 Control Panel
INFRARED.DLL    Infrared device class installer
INFRARED.INF    IR device information file for Windows 95 Setup
INFRARED.HLP    On-line help topics for Infrared Monitor
IRCOMM.VXD      Top layer of IR communications for Windows 95
IRDALAN.INF     IrLan device information file for Windows 95 Setup
IRDALAN.SYS     IrLan driver
IRENUM.VXD      Enumerator for the "IR bus"
IRLAMP.VXD      IrDA protocol, middle layer of IR communications
                  for Windows 95
IRLAPFRM.VXD    Generic infrared framer, lower layer of IR
                  communications for Windows 95
IRMON.EXE       Infrared Monitor
IRMONHLP.EXE    IR Monitor on-line help utility
IR_BEGIN.WAV    Sound for Infrared Monitor user interface
IR_END.WAV      Sound for Infrared Monitor user interface
IR_INTER.WAV    Sound for Infrared Monitor user interface
MSPORTS.INF     IR port information file for Windows 95 Setup
PARALLAX.VXD    Support for Parallax IR Adapter, LiteLink PRA9500A
W_IR.CNT        Table of contents for Infrared Monitor on-line help

The documentation files supplied with the IR device driver are:

Filename        Description
--------        -----------
Infrared.txt    This document.


IR ADAPTER MANUFACTURER NAMES AND ADDRESSES
-------------------------------------------

The following manufacturers supply IR adapters that have been tested
successfully with the Windows 95 IR Communications driver:

ActiSys, Inc.
1507 Fulton Place
Fremont CA 94539
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]

Adaptec, Inc.
691 South Milpitas Blvd,
Milpitas CA 95035
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

AMP Product Information Center
AMP Incorporated
Harrisburg PA 17105
Tel: [phone]

Extended Systems, Inc.
5777 North Meeker Ave
Boise ID 83704-1520
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

The Parallax IR adapter distributor in North America is:

TSC Electronics
1610 Lockness Place
Torrance CA 90501
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
Contact: Daniel Tsai

The Parallax IR adapter distributor outside North America is:

Parallax Research
201 Innovation Centre
NTU
Nanyang Drive
Singapore 639798
Republic of Singapore
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]