The "brightness" of the CCD camera is misleading. The "native" (IrDA emitter) uses a wavelength (850nm) that is closer to visible light than a CIR emitter (940nm) and the camera, being optimized for the visible spectrum will show the IrDA emitter as being brighter but the CIR emitter should give better range. If it doesn't, there's probably something else amiss, like the carrier frequency being too far off what the receiver is designed for.

The Powermid uses a 40kHz IR receiver.

The duty cycle of the carrier will also have an effect on perceived "brightness".

The latest PDAs from Dell, HP and others use a compromise wavelength of ~885nm which explains why they offer better CIR range than earlier PDAs.

This message was edited by Dave Houston on 09/27/04 11:32 ET.