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The interface used by EFKON has been disclosed in 1997 in CEN TC 278, and all systems built since adhere to this standard. However, the German system requested higher data rates and an enhanced German specification was developed between suppliers, consultants and the winning consortium.
ISO TC 204 CALM (CEN TC 278)
is developing a final standard which will merge Active Infrared, Microwave and GSM communication. The German specification will also be compatible within ISO-CALM-Infrared-Standards. After TC 204 CALM, focus may at last move from time-consuming interface discussion to application development.
Active High Speed Infrared will, at the same time also extend into IrDA and IrFM standardisation. IrDA standardises Infrared on hand-held computers and cellular phones; IrFM is the Infrared Financial Messaging Protocol which is recognized by Europay, Mastercard and VISA.
Infrared also co-exists with all current Microwave installations, enabling a migration to a final standard via a path that avoids dumping of millions of Euros invested in incompatible equipment. The ten-year old debate on Microwave interoperability can be bypassed in an easy and elegant way by adding co-existent interoperable Active Infrared equipment.
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