TI-H: Ein Reich, Ein IR Link
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TI-H: Ein Reich, Ein IR Link
pea@dalnet.se wrote:
> Now I also have a success with TI85-irlink! I did it just a while ago! My
Okay, so now we have at least _three_ different IR links that work at least
partially, and probably there will be more of them in the near future. I'd
strongly suggest that we make only one or at most two (e.g. for totally
different purposes) IR link(s). The definitive IR link must meet some
criteria, so it won't just be thrown away and replaced by another design,
because we'd soon have a really big mess. We already have quite a few IR
link designs, most of them which don't work very well, and many newbies ask
information about "the IR link". I wonder how much money has already been
wasted on building non-functional IR links?
So, instead of competing, I suggest that all IR link builders on this list
share their ideas and try to concentrate on one, definitive IR link.
Perhaps we could even have a name for the project (just like Fargo had), so
it wouldn't be confused with the old projects? Any suggestions?
I don't think I'm going to design any IR links anymore. I had my project
and I scrapped it, and that's it. But I'm going to give a few suggestions
for the criteria that the new, joint-forces IR link should meet:
- It _must_ be 100% compatible with _any_ protocol out there, including the TI
protocol, I2C, the Expander SF protocol, the protocol used by the TI Light
Flasher etc. The only allowed exception is speed, because it's impossible
to make an IR link that's as fast as a real link cable. But still, it
should be as fast as possible. Perhaps a high carrier frequency, like 500
kHz, would help here?
- Concerning I2C and possibly other multi-device protocols, it would be
really great if the link could operate between more than one calculator, so
that a wireless network could be built.
- It mustn't suffer too easily from interference from the sun, lamps and so
on. It would also be very good if TV, VCR and other remote controls
wouldn't interfere with its operation. Again, a high carrier frequency
might be the key.
- It must have a relatively long range. I don't know what's possible, but
I'd say ten metres in normal lighting conditions etc. is a minimum.
- It must be cheap and relatively easy to build, and not take up very much
space. I think it's quite unrealistic to fit it inside a calculator, but
that is an option.
- It mustn't use much battery power. It can, of course, have its own
batteries, or use the calculator's batteries via the SPinTerface.
You are, of course, allowed to disagree with me. It's possible that
somewhere out there someone has already made a link that meets all these
criteria (and possibly even more?), but I've not yet heard of such a
project. Mel Tsai is, as far as I know, going to implement an IR link in
his Expander II/III projects, so he should also be contacted.
I'm starting to believe that meeting these criteria without having a
microcontroller involved is just about impossible. However, if someone
thinks it's possible to do without, I can give some information about my
project.
-Ozone
PS. I'd like comments from all the IR link designers.
--
*** Osma Suominen *** ozone@clinet.fi *** http://www.clinet.fi/~ozone ***
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