Once you have a couple IR devices that are designed to meet the IrDA specifications, you can use the Windows 95 IR communications driver to start exchanging data between applications using the IR devices. To work with the IR Communications driver, applications can use the Windows communications APIs. To learn more about the IR Communications driver, see Windows 95 IR Communications Driver Version 1.0 Release Notes.
IHVs and OEMs can use the sample C-language source code in the Windows 95 IR Communications DDK to develop an IR device driver for new IR-capable devices. The DDK documentation pinpoints the few lines of code you will have to change in the sample IR driver source code to implement your own low-level driver. The IR Communications DDK is available on the MSDN Development Platform CD or from your Microsoft OEM sales representative. To learn more about the IR Communications driver, see Windows 95 Infrared Communications Device Driver Kit (DDK) Release Notes.
Looking ahead, the Windows 95 IR Communications SDK is slated for release around the second quarter of 1996. The SDK will provide a set of APIs and protocols for IR links that go beyond the Win32 communications APIs. These include: