Using a laptop's IR port as a learning tool?

[m1kew1lson]

I know I haven't done my research yet, but isn't it possible to develop a program that would allow you to learn a remote through the IR port on a laptop?

[Mark Pierson]

AFAIK, they're all based on IrDA standards and don't/can't work with simple IR signals.

[S13dg3]

AFAIK, they're all based on IrDA standards and don't/can't work with simple IR signals.

On the contrary, please check this link...

http://www.pcremotecontrol.com/irda.html

At present their info only relates to Win 95/98 compatibility. I'm using 2003, and am still searching.

[mr_d_p_gumby]

On the contrary, please check this link...
http://www.pcremotecontrol.com/irda.html

Contrary? I think not.

The hidden question usually being asked with questions such as the one starting this thread is if an IrDA port can be used to analyze an IR remote control signal with the same degree of precision as is the case when the signal is learned by a JP1 remote. The answer to this question is still no.

The focus of the disussion you linked to is not signal analysis, it is remote control of a PC. This can be done, since it does not require the PC to reproduce the original IR signal for another device. All it has to do is recognize the same garbled incomplete set of data that's been filtered through a UART each time the IR signal is sent to the PC. Even though the site is non-technical, they do make a brief mention that you must aim the remote precisely and even then you may not get good results from any distance. This is because the IR wavelength used by IrDA is usually 886 nm, while most remote controls use a wavelength of 950 nm, and because the IrDA IR devices used have a very narrow beam pattern. Some recent IrDA ports are starting to use two emitters to overcome this limitation in the transmit direction, but this does not make its receiver work any better.

For more details on IrDA use as a remote control, see this link.