Datasheet

“main” (Installation and Administration) — 2004/6/25 — 13:29 — page 348 — #374
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16.3.3 Usage
Data can be sent to the device file /dev/irlpt0 for printing. The device
file /dev/irlpt0 acts just like the normal /dev/lp0 cabled interface, ex-
cept the printing data is sent wirelessly with infrared light. Printers used
with the infrared interface are installed just like printers connected to par-
allel or serial ports. Make sure the printer is in visible range of the infrared
interface and the infrared support is started.
Communication with other hosts and with mobile phones or other sim-
ilar devices is conducted through the device file /dev/ircomm0. The
Siemens S25 and Nokia 6210 mobile phones, for instance, can dial and con-
nect to the Internet with the wvdial application using the infrared interface.
Synchronizing data with a Palm Pilot is also possible, provided the device
setting of the corresponding application has been set to /dev/ircomm0.
Only those devices that support the printer or IrCOMM protocols can
be accessed without any further adjustments. Devices that support the
IROBEX protocol, such as the 3Com Palm Pilot, can be accessed with spe-
cial applications, like irobexpalm and irobexreceive. Refer to the IR-
HOWTO on this subject. The protocols supported by the device are stated
in brackets behind the name of the device in the output of irdadump. Ir-
LAN protocol support is still a “work in progress” — it is not stable yet, but
should also be available for Linux in the near future.
16.3.4 Troubleshooting
If devices connected to the infrared port do not respond, use the command
irdadump (as root) to check if the other device is recognized by the com-
puter. Something similar to Example 16.3 appears regularly when a Canon
BJC-80 printer is in visible range of the computer:
Example 16.3: Output of irdadump
21:41:38.435239 xid:cmd 5b62bed5 > ffffffff S=6 s=0 (14)
21:41:38.525167 xid:cmd 5b62bed5 > ffffffff S=6 s=1 (14)
21:41:38.615159 xid:cmd 5b62bed5 > ffffffff S=6 s=2 (14)
21:41:38.705178 xid:cmd 5b62bed5 > ffffffff S=6 s=3 (14)
21:41:38.795198 xid:cmd 5b62bed5 > ffffffff S=6 s=4 (14)
21:41:38.885163 xid:cmd 5b62bed5 > ffffffff S=6 s=5 (14)
21:41:38.965133 xid:rsp 5b62bed5 < 6cac38dc S=6 s=5 BJC-80
hint=8804 [Printer IrCOMM ] (23)
21:41:38.975176 xid:cmd 5b62bed5 > ffffffff S=6 s=* earth
hint=0500 [ PnP Computer ] (21)
348 16.3. IrDA — Infrared Data Association