The irDA protocol though ancient is still used for some applications such as Medical, in the Energy Sector – for power meter communications and also military applications.
The challenge is not that there are not USB irDA adapters available. It is rather the lack of software support for newer modern operating systems.
This gap is filled by a company called Hardware Group Ltd, which offers a inexpensive USB irDA adapter module, compatible and usable on modern operating systems . It is currently compatible with Linux, Mac OS X and Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10.
The unit is a possible replacement for the following USB irDA adapters that are used for Medical Applications:
- ZOLL AED plus IrDA adapter
- Actisys ACT-IR2002UL
- ACT-IR220L+
- IR750: USB to IrDA adapter
More information about the module capabilities can be found by visiting this link: https://irdroid.eu/product/irdroid-usb-irda-transceiver-2/