This has been mentioned a number of times, but the conclusion seems to be that it's not to be trifled with and buying-in a protocol stack is the best option.

I don't have a problem with buying-in a protocol stack, so does anyone have a recommendation for an 8051 IrDA stack?
Can it be done on an 8051?

I've heard "IrDA Lite" mentioned, but don't know if that's a real product or just someone's generic description.

This is really just out of interest at the moment.