The unknown IC and the Sony SBX8025-F

[Colin McGregor]

I am looking to build the simple serial receiver noted
on the Linux Infared Remote Control website:

   http://www.lirc.org/receivers.html

My problem is IC information, I have two unknown IR
receiver ICs (which I have had sitting on a shelf for
several years), but I don't know the
make/model/pinouts. On the back of the IC in the upper
left corner is "40", in the lower left is "21", in the
lower right is "99" and in the upper right is "0" can
anyone ID this IC? Further can anyone point me at
datasheet for this chip?

Alternatively there is the Sony SBX8025-F IR IC which
Sayal Electronics (http://www.sayal.com/) near
Victoria Park and Steeles seems to have in quantity.
>From this Sony press release this IC sounds EXACTLY
like what the doctor ordered:

   http://products.sel.sony.com/semi/nrirre.html

But having spent some two days attempting to get some
(any) data on this chip I am in a a state of
frustration. I have searched the Sony websites, called
Sony Canada, called Sony's Canadian sales reps., and
called Sayal. Empty handed on all counts. So the
questions regarding the Sony SBX8025-F are:

- Will it work with the circuit presented on the LIRC
website?
- What are the pin-outs for the SBX8025-F?

As a final fall back option, any thoughts about how to
determine what the pin-outs for an unknown IC? Do I
just build the rest of the circuit, connect the IC,
try it, if it doesn't work hope I have not blown
something,  try a different pin combination and
continue until I have either tried all possible
combinations or until it works?

Thanks in advance to all.

Colin McGregor
--
The Toronto Linux Users Group.      Meetings: http://tlug.ss.org
TLUG requests: Linux topics, No HTML, wrap text below 80 columns
How to UNSUBSCRIBE: http://tlug.ss.org/subscribe.shtml