An outstanding issue

For setting up IrDA have you checked this article?

https://www.hpcfactor.com/support/cesd/200121/guide_to_synchronising_windows_ce_over_infrared/

I read the guide, but it doesn't solve the problem for me.
Here is a video to help you understand the problem.

FYI it is [ video=] for youtube embedding


To confirm, it says this on the firstpage of the manual:


So do you need their driver, or have you tried the 98 native one?

It also says


https://www.actisys.com/Manuals/ACT-IR2x0L-IR220Lplus-IrDA-Manual-v1.5.2.4-101116.pdf

So yes, I installed the drivers provided by Windows 98 and the device, as you can see from the video, does not turn on. Also don't install anything, same thing.

This is the BIOS:
So I honestly don't understand anything, it seems to me that it is already set to 2F8H/IRQ3. I attach images. Obviously the BIOS is in Italian.

As you can see in "Dispositivo porta disp. ad infrarossi" (Infrared port device available) it is set with 2F8h.
In "IRQ porta dispositivo ad infrarossi" (IRQ port infrared device) it is set with IRQ 3.



I have no idea if it is possible to make settings for infrared on this screen. Maybe this is where we have to say which device to use?

Maybe in "Modalità della porta parallela" (Parallel Port Mode) I should put "manual"?

Maybe in "IRQ per la porta parallela" (IRQ for the parallel port) I have to insert IRQ 3?

It isn't the parallel port, that's the 25-pin printer port.

Aren't you connecting this dongle to COM1 rather than the Infrared header? In which case, you should disable the porta infrarossi and set A porta to be the infrared port. If you are using the infrared header on the back of the machine, this is all correct.

As shown in the image, the device is connected here.



The device is connected to COM port 1 and not to the infrared support.
So since Windows 95 only detects the device connected to COM 1, I assume there is a conflict in Windows 98.
now I tried from Device Manager to deactivate everything related to the infrared support integrated into the motherboard. The red circle appears telling me that the card is disabled, but the problem remains, Windows 98 persists in not using the connected external device. I can't completely uninstall the built-in Infrared support device, because when I uninstall it and restart windows, it reinstalls it and I can't stop the installation.

In the BIOS instead of setting an I.O IRQ range for the Infrared device, set it to disabled, then set Porta A to 2F8h / 3 as advised in the dongle's manual.

I did as suggested.
As you can see, where I highlighted green I changed the correct parameters 2F8H/IRQ3.
Where highlighted in red, it has been "Disabilitare" (deactivated).



As you can see in device management the situation has not changed much. Now only the PnP infrared card (PNP0510) appears the yellow exclamation mark.
Error 45 appears on the Infrared monitor: an internal error has been detected. Check the infrared device software configuration in the network properties. If the device is external or installable, check the connection. Then restart Windows.

If you uninstall all the IR and faulting network adapters and reboot?

Yes, and I can't stop the installation. I don't understand why Windows 98 creates all these problems!

In device manager on the faulting PNP0510 go to Properties > Driver > Update Driver > Next > Display a list of all > Show all devices > scroll to the top and on the left select (Infrared COM port or dongle) then on the right select (Generic Infrared Serial Port or Dongle)

When prompted select the correct ActiSYS model and COM port

Reboot

Although everything happened without problems and there were no problems in device management. The device does not work. It doesn't turn on. I want to be honest, I got bored. For this problem Windows 98, sorry the term is "crap". With Windows 95 there were no problems and the device worked immediately. I didn't have to make any changes to the BIOS, I doubt that's the problem.

Edited by NarakuITA 2024-05-02 1:48 PM

Does the windows infrared control panel now work correctly? Did you set it up with the correct ports etc?

If you hold up your digital camera to the lamp, can you see the lamp blinking if you try a file transfer?

Unfortunately, there were a lot of problems with systems of this time and the transition between 95 and 98 was not as smooth as you might think in spite of them looking almost identical. I had systems where devices just wouldn't work any more and it was all down to the BIOS. Unfortunately, the way the BIOS was coded and not something fixable. The manual for that dongle says it works on 98, 2000 and XP as well. So I doubt that it is the dongle.

Unfortunately no, the light does not flash. I think Windows is trying to use internal infrared, which obviously isn't there. And he doesn't even try to use the external one. In fact Windows 95 does not detect the internal one. Consequently it does not appear installed in Device Manager, but only the external one.

EDIT:
I forgot one important thing. Once I update the driver with a generic one, this step (When prompted select the correct ActiSYS model and COM port) doesn't let me do it. Windows simply restarts.

Edited by NarakuITA 2024-05-02 9:02 PM

If you disabled its I/O and IRQ lines, it can't be touching the on board header.

Can you confirm/ screenshot the resources tabs in the device manager listings for the IR hardware? That will confirm it.