An abbreviated form for Infrared Data Association (IrDA), a group of device manufacturers who have worked on the development of a standard device for transmitting data via infrared light waves, the IrDA port. Because of the availability of this device, computers and printers have increasingly come with IrDA ports, enabling users to transmit information from one device to another without using cables.

For example, if both a laptop computer and a printer have IrDA ports, a user can simply put his or her computer in the line of sight of the printer and print a document without needing cable to connect the two devices. IrDA ports support transmission rates similar to those of the original parallel ports, except that there is a restriction on the IrDA ports. The devices simply need to be close enough together, and a clear line of sight is needed between the two devices.

See Also: Computer; Port and Port Numbers.