Pocket PC Infrared Information

Most Pocket PC platforms contain an IrDA port to allow infrared communications with other IrDA devices such as computers, digital phones, and other PDAs. Although the Pocket PC's IrDA port was not designed to be compatible with consumer IR devices, UniversalRemoteCE enables the Pocket PC to control many consumer IR devices by transmitting carefully crafted infrared packets from the Pocket PC's IrDA port.

Since the Pocket PC's IrDA port was not designed to be compatible with consumer IR devices, the intensity of the IR signal emitted from a Pocket PC is much lower than the intensity of the IR signal from a typical factory remote control; this results in reduced range when controlling some consumer devices. The range can also be affected by the type and brightness of the room lighting. Additionally, the IR signal from a Pocket PC is more sharply focused than that of a typical factory remote, so the Pocket PC's IrDA port must be pointed in the general direction of the device being controlled.

Some consumer IR devices use protocols that are incompatible with the Pocket PC and cannot be controlled with UniversalRemoteCE; however, UniversalRemoteCE contains Infrared profiles for more than 1000 different consumer IR devices from over 250 manufacturers. UniversalRemoteCE was developed and tested using the Compaq iPAQ 3135 / 3635 series of Pocket PC. The typical control range for most tested consumer devices is between 10 - 15 feet in typical home lighting conditions; however some devices work well at 20 feet while others only function at less than 10 feet.