Ideas for converting IrDA to RF link?

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nitrous2000

Member
Hi folks,

I've looked around the forums but not found anything that is able to answer this question.
Is there an easy ( if not easy, at least do-able ) way to convert a printer with USB and IrDA ports to wireless RF capabilities?

The device is an mPrint MW-100 Brother Thermal Printer. The IrDA link is for PocketPC / Palm OS but links are limited to a few inches distance.

Any suggestions?

Thanks
Nitrous
 
A

AllyCat

Senior Member
Hi,

AFAIK IrDA uses basically just an "RS232" format interface, so I would think that it's certainly "do-able" with just a PICaxe between the RF receiver and an IR LED. The PICaxe would remove the RF framing and run-in codes, etc. and then modulate the IR. I'll "research" a little if you need more help.

Cheers, Alan.
 
N

nitrous2000

Member
Appreciate your input. I found some references to the IrDA stack. There does appear to be a serial protocol in there, somewhere.

http://www.irdalite.com/irda/home.html

I'm considering purchasing a brother thermal printer, but it only has USB and IrDA links. I wonder if there might be an RS232 port on the board somewhere. The next model up (not available) has a serial port stuck on the side as well as the other two ports.

MPrint MW-100 and MW-120 bu brother

Thanks again
Nitous
 
N

nitrous2000

Member
I saw that with my initial search. Not sure how to use the information in this setting.
I have started to wonder if it might be as easy to try and find a thermal printer head/PIC driver board interface project that someone might have already taken a swing at. Of course, tht leaves drivers as an issue.

If I could get a schematic of the MW-100 printer board, it might be possible to pull serial data off to a Bluetooth or RF data transfer
Nitrous
 
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