HP620LX and IrDA max sync speed 9600, can I get better than this?

I want to join the club of those who got themselves a free HP LX620 recently. Wondering what I could do with it, I noticed I didn't get the serial sync cable with it, which serverly hampered its overall use.

I decided pretty quickly that without synching, the 620 would just end up as a dust collector, so I hunted around for viable alternatives and found infrared comms to be commonly available and pretty cheap. Especially compared to trying to source a new cable (some of those prices and availability are *ouch*).

I went to Ebay and picked up just a generic brand USB-IrDA unit, which when it arrived I also found had no markings, no model number, no manufacturer identification. Theres a long winded story also about the IrDA coming with the totally incorrect Windows XP USB driver for it (how convenient), and me tearing out my hair trying all manner of drivers and websites on the net in potshot fashion, in the hope one of them, just one would be the correct one. This went on for almost a week. Incidentally I had zero help at all from the vendor, who also conveniently decided to stop answering emails from that point on. Suffice to say I eventually found a compatible driver just by total sheer luck and the IrDA is now happy. While I was at it I managed to source a Xircom Ethernet 10/100 card also from Ebay for fairly cheap price.

Anyway, I eventually managed to get the IrDA link between desktop and PC working, but the fastest speed that I can create a partnership link with Activesync 3.8 is 9600 baud, which is incredibly slow. This was after troubleshooting the whole setup for 2 days all at various speeds. Nothing over 9600 baud seems to work reliably enough. Don't get me wrong, I was happy just to have the whole kit working at all. I was at a point I was going to dump the whole project. So while I had the connection I synched and installed the Xircom Ethernet 10/100 driver, CE2 SP1, and the Network SP all found on this site, and I am thrilled I finally am able to make the 620 networkable and internet capable.

But are there tips, or issues or anything anyone knows I can possibly do to get the IrDA sync faster than 9600 baud? The whole synch, installation and file transfer process took hours at this speed. I don't know if there is something I missed or overlooked and I went through all the relevant support pages on this forum to make sure I hadn't overlooked the obvious. I suspect the IrDA isn't up to the task, especially all the issues I had originally with it, but I don't want to go blaming the unit automatically, just because of my experience with it and the vendor.

Do I even need the IrDA anymore? Can I circumvent the IrDA by synching the 620 via the network?

Any advice in speeding up the whole synching and file transfer process would be largly appreciated.

http://www.hpcfactor.com/support/cesd/c/0012.asp

http://www.hpcfactor.com/support/cesd/h/0024.asp

here are 2 articles one about ir troubleshooting and one about syncing over lan. Where if you dont mind me asking did you get the 620lx?

Edited by Funnyman2002 2006-03-09 11:32 PM

The second article about IrDA connectivity I had read previously and followed it. Still for some reason cannot sync beyond 9600, but I no longer care because the good news is, I hadn't seen the top article about syncing through LAN and it worked perfectly! Lightning fast sync and transfers now!

Thanks for the pointer Funnyman.

Since you asked, I recieved the 620 after a family member had loooong since upgraded their palm unit. It had been collecting dust for years.

Britty, glad to hear of your success story.
Is there any chance that you can give us more details on the Ir adapter and the driver - may be a link to the eBay (or similar) auction where you picked it up, and the site from which you downloaded the driver.
Thanks

Sure thing, if it saves anyone else any heartache like I went through then it's time well spent.

The IrDA is totally non descript. There are no markings on it other than just the words "IrDA wireless" in small black font on both the top and bottom of the unit. The main body is just plain white colour.

This is the Ebay number for the unit to search with : 5875968429 or here is the direct link if you prefer.....be warned though, none of what I received looks like what is in the picture. I should have known this meant trouble right from the start.

IrDA

The actual supplied driver on the CD was for a KS-959 IrDA but the front end installer software supplied with the same CD insisted it was trying to install a Mobile Action MA620 driver. I found the MA620 on the net easily enough after finding out by trial that the KS-959 wasn't the correct one. Suffice to say neither is correct. At this stage with no identifiable marks on the unit, I was left between a rock and hard place.

Anyway the correct driver for the unit is for a Kingsun IrDA model SF-620. After a long time trial and erroring lots of different IrDA drivers a Google search for Kingsun SF-620 driver found some on the Driver Guide website. Tons of rubbish to wade through before you get to the actual meat you are after though. Here are the direct links....

SF-620 Driver I ...or....
SF-620 Driver II

Hope this helps.

Is it this one by any chance


If so the manufacturers site is: http://www.sun-usb.com/

Possibly. The packaging looks the same, but the contents don't. But then the contents of what I received looked different to the photo while the packaging looked the same once again. The packaging could possibly be generic since the contents seem to be also.

It's possible it could be that, but I can't say 100% for sure that it is.

Looking at the linked website reveals the driver for their IrDA is for model type S-IR-620 which sounds close to the driver I used to finally get my IrDA going. I'll try to see if I can find a S-IR-620 driver just in case it is more compatible with what I have, possibly raising the actual useable baud rate beyond 9600.

Thanks for the lead on this. I'll let you know how it goes.



Edited by Britty 2006-03-10 9:48 AM

Can you spot the exact one in this list:
http://chinasuppliers.alibaba.com/search/china_products/IRDA.html

Hmmmm none of those look like it. It's probably better if I take a digital photo of the unit, the CD and the packaging and link them here so you can see directly what it looks like. Would save a lot of guessing. I'll do this once my daughter returns from her afternoon out with the camera.

As far as the S-IR-620 driver goes, searching online for one proved more difficult than I first anticpated, have not found one yet.

Ok, here is a screenshot of the IrDA. It is the little white unit, with a coin in front of it for size relevance along with the CD included in the package, and the package itself. The package itself looks similar to the one you linked, but the IrDA looks very different.

Hope this helps.



Edited by Britty 2006-03-11 4:27 AM

Interesting. Do you have a VE### number on there at all?
My money is currently on Viewcon: http://www.viewcon.net/

Possibly VE083 or VE122. There are however a raft of different Ir drivers on their downloads page that you could try. Be warned that their download server is as slow as a turtle though.

Nice 10p

Edit: I eventually managed to download the VE122 USB 2.0 driver that is on there, unfortunately looking at the driver code, I am unable to tell you conclusively whether this will do any good as the device itself doesn't identify its presence to the operating system very well at all "VID_066F&PID_4210". I am still downloading the VE083 driver and will look at the code there if I can.

wha...hey. You are the master! I bow before you.

This is the exact same looking unit even down to just the "IrDA Wireless" text on the body. Model VE104.

IrDA Wireless VE104

How did you even know where to look?

Years of experience in troubleshooting dodgy drivers written by generic Chinese hardware companies who have not got a clue about device identification or driver testing.
So you only have the slow version! Well, the ebay listing you specified above points to a FIR adapter, the VE104 is a SIR adapter!

So, the 7.10 MB driver. 2005-7-19 file date. Worth a try?

I know I received something different to what I ordered, just by looking at the difference in the Ebay photo and what I actually got when I first unwrapped the packing. Problem is complaining and paying postage to send it back yada yada is going to cost me more in money and time than what I actually paid for the unit. Was hoping the vendor would just email me the correct drivers, or where I could find them. To date, I have received no response.

Most I could do was give the vendor negative feedback and they only limit that to 80 chars! I needed more than that to express my opinion on the matter

I have already started on the 7MB download, going to make some coffee and come back and see. I have to say, you've been awesome help. Most I was hoping for was maybe just a few pointers and tips, but you took the ball, ran, broke through defense and scored. Even if the IrDA doesn't perform any faster with it's proper driver, you've been a real help.

Thanks very much.

Edited by Britty 2006-03-11 8:12 AM

I understand where you are coming from on the eBay issue. This is the problem with OEM reselling by people who know nothing about what they sell. It's a big problem in my book.

You're most welcome. We're a pretty friendly bunch around here. I hope you'll stick around.
...and that we can get this sorted.

If this is the manufacturer, you also have the option available to you of using their support form too.
16% into this download. Think I'll go have a kip

Edit: OK, I have had a look at the driver in the 7 meg release, and the driver identification string calls the device a

The ID info is: VID_9710&PID_7703 and VID_9710&PID_7784

The driver was written by MosChip Semiconductor Technology