IrDA
Summary
A historical deep dive into the Infrared Data Association (IrDA), outlining the stack from physical layers (SIR, MIR, FIR, VFIR) to link and transport protocols (IrLAP, IrLMP, TinyTP) and upper layers (LM-IAS, LM-MUX), including OBEX and IrCOMM. It explains why IrDA rose in the 1990s but declined due to Bluetooth and Wi‑Fi, and notes persistent embedded use and security advantages. The piece emphasizes design tradeoffs, interoperability challenges, and lessons for modern connectivity strategies.