On this page you will a find a short guide on how to set up this USB infrared adapter with Linux.
All comments, suggestions etc. are welcome. Please contact me at wf-hp@gmx.net.
I assume you have the USB-subsystem up and running.
The Belkin F5U235 works with a vanilla-kernel at least since kernel 2.6.12 (what I am using right now).
You need the stir4200.c module, ver. 0.4 works for the SigmaTel
STIr4200 chip.
If you are using an older version of the kernel where the module is not
included you can download a patch from
http://developer.osdl.org/shemminger/stir4200/.
Compile (recommended: as a module)
irda.ko
irda-usb.ko
stir4200.ko
The necessary Parameters in the kernel-.config-file are
CONFIG_IRDA=m
CONFIG_USB_IRDA=m
CONFIG_SIGMATEL_FIR=m
Install the following software packages:
for debian users:
install the necessary packages:
apt-get install irda-utils
for non-debian users:
Go to irda.sourceforge.net
Download and compile/install irda-utils.
The loading of the module works out-of-the-box.
You only have to bring the interface up
ifconfig irda0 up
and start detection of other infra-red devices
echo -n "1" > /proc/sys/net/irda/discovery
JFTR:
In former versions of irda-utils for this purpose the program irattach had to
be used.
You have to enter the appropriate parameters when installing the irda-utils
package.
This is the contents of the file /etc/default/irda-utils (this is
Debian, the location of such a config-file depends on your
distribution).
ENABLE="true"
DISCOVERY="true"
DEVICE="irda0"
DONGLE="none"
SETSERIAL=""
Now you can connect to another device via infrared and the device
/dev/ircomm0. Fire up any terminal program like
minicom to test and play.
SieFS doesn't work with this IR-adapter (altough it does on the same machine with my serial IR adapter). I can mount the phone but it cannot display any directory contents (after some time I get an Input/output error). Obexftp works.
I cannot tell if FIR-mode works, too, since I don't have a FIR-device to test it. If you can try FIR please send me an e-mail whether it works.
Have fun!
Infrared Devices at tuxmobil.org
Written 2005-06-22 - last update 2006-08-19