Modeling IrDA performance: the effect of IrLAP negotiation parameters on throughput

The Infrared Data Association’s (IrDA) infrared data transmission protocol is a widely used mechanism for short-range wireless data communications. In order to provide flexibility for connections between devices of potentially disparate capabilities, IrDA devices negotiate the values of several transmission parameters based on the capabilities of the devices establishing the connection. This paper describes the design and implementation of a software tool, Irdaperf, to model IrDA performance based on negotiated transmission parameters. Using Irdaperf, we demonstrate that for fast data rates, maximizing window size and data size are key factors for overcoming the negative effects of a relatively long link turnaround time. At slower speeds (especially 115.2 Mbps and below), these factors have a less pronounced effect.