>         I might have an IRDA application and have never done anything with
IRDA

Most likely the mode you are looking for is IRCOMM, which is basically
RS-232 emulation for legacy applications.  Since there is only one "wire"
for the IR stuff, some behind the scenes negotiations have to take place.
(Which are transparent to the windows application program).  BUT, the PIC
program will have to implement the IRDA stuff.

There are IRDA controller chips that may take care of all of the
handshaking stuff for you, in which case your PIC app would be allowed to
be just as stupid as the windows app (ie it thinks it is talking to a
RS232 port)

Check out
www.irda.org

for all of the protocol specifications.  IRCOMM is most likely the one you
want.

-Steve

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