Refreshabraille 18 User's Guide
Copyright 2009
American Printing House
for the Blind, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Copyright 2009
American Printing House
for the Blind, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
2009/5/19
Congratulations. You now possess a unique refreshable braille display that sets a new standard in functionality, flexibility, and portability. Measuring only approximately 3 X 5 X 1 inches and powered with state-of-the-art battery and energy management firmware, Refreshabraille 18 is an ideal braille display and braille keyboard for mobile devices like notebooks, mobile phones and PDAs. It serves as an excellent reading environment for desktop computers as well.
Refreshabraille 18 works with common screen readers like Window-Eyes and JAWS for the PC running Windows and screen readers like Talks and Mobile Speak for mobile phones and PDAs. Accessible mobile managers like Icon™ and Braille+™ already work with the display and do not require a screen reader.
Refreshabraille works under Linux using the BRLTTY program. Version 4.0 or higher is required.
Refreshabraille 18 features:
Refreshabraille connects to your mobile device or desktop PC via USB or wireless Bluetooth interface. Leave your mobile device in your pocket while you control its full functionality with Refreshabraille's keys and joystick and read the device's screen with Refreshabraille's braille display.
Outstanding battery life time of about 30 hours on Bluetooth or up to 100 hours on USB allows total freedom and mobility when using Refreshabraille with portable devices.
Refreshabraille does not come with an AC adapter. It is designed to charge through your PC's USB port or with an optional USB AC adapter which you may purchase at places like Radio Shack or Best Buy. Since most modern phones use such adapters, chances are you already have a charger you can use.
Developed with the excellent engineering and attention to quality by Baum to APH specifications, Refreshabraille combines elegant design, reliability, and ease of use with a rugged metal case, small size, and extended battery life.
If any of these items are missing, please contact APH promptly.
This guide represents the complete user documentation for Refreshabraille 18. It is complete and accurate at the date of writing. As other programs evolve and new ones are created, there may be additional information available at a later time. For the latest version of this documentation and any additional information, see the Refreshabraille web site at www.aph.org/tech/rbd_info.htm.
There are many programs that run on many devices that support refreshable braille displays, and these programs constantly evolve while new ones are introduced. It is the purpose of this guide to help the user get Refreshabraille connected with the device, install any needed communication and display drivers, and configure the software running on the device. In most cases, the screen reader itself will provide the most current information about the specific commands supported for that software.
This documentation assumes you have some familiarity with the operating system and the software for the device you plan to use. The guide does not provide a tutorial on how to perform each step for each device or operating system. Instead, it provides general guidelines. The guide may say, for instance, to open the main menu on a Symbian smartphone. Since each phone's keys are in different locations, it is not practical to describe every phone and its key layout. Likewise, this guide provides the Windows user with instructions about accessing the Control Panel or the System Tray. This guide assumes you know the various ways to get to the Control Panel in the version of Windows you are using, and it does not attempt to teach you all the ways to successfully use Windows with keyboard commands.
In addition to this documentation, there is a Refreshabraille list serve where users and the development team discuss various aspects of this versatile new display.
To subscribe to the Refreshabraille email list, send a blank email to rbd-subscribe@tech.aph.org. Once you send the message to join the list, it returns a confirmation to which you must respond before you may write to the list. When the list gets your confirmation response, it mails you a welcome message telling you all about the list.
Once you receive your welcome message, you may write messages to the list by addressing them to rbd@tech.aph.org.
The CD supplied with Refreshabraille contains documentation and software to help you get started using your new display.
When you insert the CD into a Windows PC, a menu appears. If it does not, or if you are using another operating system, you may display the menu by browsing to the folder named setup. Open that folder, and then open the file setup.htm.
The USB drivers are located in a folder called usbdriver, but you generally won't need to know the exact location of these drivers. Windows will find them when you connect the display as outlined in the following sections of this guide.
The JAWS driver and the Talks driver are located in a folder named rbd_image. They are in the files rbd_jfw.exe and rbd_tbi.sis respectively. The remainder of this documentation provides instructions on how and when to install these drivers.
To familiarize yourself with the buttons and controls on Refreshabraille, place it on a flat surface in front of you with the braille cells on the side farthest away from you. Later, you may flip this orientation so the braille cells are closest to you if you desire.
Refreshabraille 18 features 18 eight dot braille cells. If you are new to refreshable braille displays, you may not be familiar with eight dot braille. It is like six dot braille with additional dots below dot three and dot six. These two additional dots are called dots seven and eight, and they are used to indicate capitalization in computer braille (dot seven) or to indicate some attributed text or a cursor. Their exact use depends on the software you use with the display. Check the software's documentation for exact usage.
The 18 cursor routing keys are located immediately below the braille cells. Each braille cell has its own routing key. These keys work in conjunction with the screen reader or portable device (such as Braille+) to move the editing cursor to the place in the document that corresponds with what appears on the display. This makes it easy to edit a document without having to try to synchronize the program cursor and where you are reading on the display. These cursor routing buttons also activate a menu selection or button in many of the supported screen readers.
The power button is in the middle of the edge surface facing you. Hold it in for 2 seconds to turn the device on or off. When Refreshabraille comes on, it vibrates once. When you turn it off, it vibrates twice.
Press the power button quickly to wake Refreshabraille up from standby.
Hold the power button in for 10 seconds to reset the device.
When you turn it on, Refreshabraille places the characters APH and the unique serial number on the display. This name is customizable, and it makes it easy to identify a specific display when there are more than one of them in an office or classroom.
The braille input keys are arranged with the six traditional keys in a straight line. Refreshabraille's ability to flip the display means you can type in either orientation.
The Spacing key resides in its traditional position below the six dot keys. Flanking it on the left and right are the keys to produce dot seven and dot eight. These keys are called K1 through K8. They are used to type text.
Depending on the application, K7 is often used as a capital letter modifier, much like pressing shift. K8 is often used as Enter, but check the documentation for the program or device with which you use the display to see how that software defines the action of the key.
Some 8 dot input displays are arranged so you press K7 and K8 with the pinky fingers. The limited width of the Refreshabraille 18, however, makes it necessary to use your thumbs for these two keys.
The advance bars are located below the cursor routing keys at the left and right sides of the unit. The right bar advances the display to show the next length of text that fits on the display. The left bar reverses or scrolls back so you may read text before what is currently displayed.
The Aux Space is located between the two advance bars. It is used when you flip the display or when using the display in its normal position while holding it with your thumbs below the device. Use your index finger to depress the Aux Space.
The joy stick is located between braille input keys for dot 1 and dot 4. It is a five position switch, and depending on the software you use with the device, these five different positions usually act like the four arrow keys and select.
Press on the edge of the joystick to move in the indicated direction like an arrow key.
Press in to Select.
The center of the joy stick is also how Refreshabraille sends the six dot display keys found on many Baum displays. Normally, these displays have three small buttons on each side of the display, and combinations of those dots make different commands for different programs. They are called the Display keys, and software documentation usually refers to them as D1 through D6.
Since Refreshabraille does not have these six buttons, it uses the center of the joy stick along with the regular braille input keys to produce the Display keys. If your screen reader requires the key combination D5 and D6, you produce that on Refreshabraille by pressing and holding the center joy stick while you press K5 and K6.
The mini USB port is located in a recessed cavity on the front left corner of the device. It is in this protected location to help prevent breaking the connector pins in case the display is dropped.
This connector serves two purposes. It charges the display, and it communicates with a PC or other device to serve as its keyboard and braille screen.
Refreshabraille has a built in rechargeable lithium ion battery. This battery technology provides one of the best weight to energy ratios available today, does not suffer from the negative "memory effect" characteristic of other battery technologies, and discharges very slowly when not in use.
Please fully charge the display before its first use.
To charge the display from a PC or other device with a USB host port, follow these steps:
To charge the battery with an optional AC adapter that terminates with a mini USB plug, skip steps one and two and plug the battery charger into a wall outlet instead.
When the battery is low, Refreshabraille periodically flashes, "Battery Low" on the display. Use this as the signal to recharge the battery.
When the battery becomes extremely low, Refreshabraille turns itself off.
The battery in Refreshabraille is not user replaceable. It is estimated to last for several years of constant use, and it must be returned to APH for replacement.
Refreshabraille, like a computer's monitor and keyboard, is a device designed to be used with other equipment. It does nothing by itself. Refreshabraille provides the screen and keyboard for that other device. Therefore, you must connect Refreshabraille to the device with which you wish to use it. Whether that device is a cell phone, a PC, or APH's own Braille+, every effort has been made to make the process simple, reliable, and trouble-free. Be aware, however, that the device you plan to use must have software running on it that has the ability to communicate with a braille display. In the case of your PC, that software is the screen reader program like JAWS or Window-Eyes. For phones and off-the-shelf PDAs, screen reader software like Mobile Speak or Talks is required. Accessible devices like Icon and Braille+ already have software as of version 2.0 that integrates with the display.
There are three steps to the successful use of Refreshabraille with your device.
You must first decide which interface to use. How you do that depends on the device to which you wish to connect and what interface possibilities that device supports. In most cases, you will choose the Bluetooth wireless method of communicating between the two devices. This is especially true if you want to use Refreshabraille with a mobile phone or PDA running a screen reader or other already accessible portable devices like Icon and Braille+.
Most new laptops, net books, and even desktop PCs come with a Bluetooth radio, and if your computer does, you may still elect to use the Bluetooth option for its convenience and lack of clutter otherwise caused by extra cables on the desk. Even if your PC does not come with a Bluetooth adapter, you may purchase one at any computer store.
If Bluetooth is not an option, the USB cable serves as an excellent method of interfacing with a host device and offers the advantage that the display is always charged.
The best place to get specific instructions about connecting a braille display like Refreshabraille will be with the software to which you wish to connect. In other words, look in the documentation for Mobile Speak Smartphone if you plan to use the display with a smartphone running this screen reader software.
If Refreshabraille 18 is not a specific choice, which may be the case in older versions of screen reader software, you may be able to use Baum as an option. Pick a Baum display that features both braille cells and keys for input such as the Vario Connect.
The Bluetooth connection process consists of scanning for Bluetooth devices in range, selecting that device, then confirming the pairing of the two devices by entering a pairing number. Refreshabraille's pairing code is 1234. Remember, this pairing process is required only when you first connect Refreshabraille to a new device.
If using Windows XP, it is recommended that XP users upgrade to Service Pack 2 or later. Check Windows Update for a free upgrade to SP2.
You may either copy this file to the phone with wireless file transfer or with a cable using the Nokia PC Suite software. The method you use depends on your phone's capabilities and on your preferences.
Once the program is copied, find it on the phone and install it. After the program is installed on the phone, you must start it. Find Program Manager on the main menu, then start TBI from the Program Manager list. TBI opens the Bluetooth manager and asks you to identify the Bluetooth device.
Whichever device you use, the Bluetooth manager informs you that you should turn on the device and make sure it is discoverable. Since Refreshabraille is automatically discoverable, press Next to start the scan. The Bluetooth manager responds with a list of Bluetooth devices in range of the Bluetooth radio. Refreshabraille shows up in the list as the word Refreshabraille followed by its unique serial number or a customized name you have defined.
Connecting Refreshabraille to a PC with USB is equally simple, but on Windows, this interface requires the installation of two drivers, one for the USB and one to make the USB port appear like a com port. This second driver is required, because many screen reading programs treat braille displays like a serial device.
The two USB drivers are located on the Refreshabraille CD. If you cannot find the CD, you may download them at www.aph.org/tech/rbd_image/rbd_usb.zip. If you download the zip file, you must unzip it into a folder somewhere on your PC or on a portable drive of some kind. When you connect the display, Windows will ask for the location of these drivers.
Insert the CD that came with the display. Windows responds by installing two drivers. Follow the prompts displayed on the screen.
During installation you may receive a warning that the driver is not certified by Microsoft - install it anyway.
The com port assignment driver shows the port number it assigns to communicate with the display, but if you need to look it up later when it is time to configure the screen reader software, go to Device Manager while the display is connected and look in the section for Ports: Com and lpt. One of the com ports is assigned to APH Refreshable Braille Display. You need to use that number when you set up your screen reader.
Once the display is connected to the device with which you wish to use, configure the software to use Refreshabraille.
If using the JAWS screen reader, install the JAWS driver supplied on the Refreshabraille CD. If you cannot find the CD, you may download and run www.aph.org/tech/rbd_image/rbd_jfw.exe. Before using this driver, you must have already:
Start JAWS, and open its main screen. Select the Braille item in the Options menu. Select Refreshabraille from the braille display list and type the com port number noted earlier.
There is currently no driver for Window-Eyes. You may use Refreshabraille, however, by selecting any Baum display with input keys. The Vario Connect and the Braille Connect are two that work. To select a display, open the Braille Display option in Window-Eyes' File menu. Select both the display and the com port number established by the drivers you just installed.
To let Mobile Speak know which braille display you use, select Mobile Speak from the Start menu, then select Device Manager from the Mobile Speak menu. Use Vario Connect or Braille Connect as the display name.
After the display is connected to the device to use and the software on that device knows to use Refreshabraille, you may turn Braille support on and off.
On Icon and Braille+, hold Program 1. The commands used from Refreshabraille's keyboard are exactly the same commands used by Braille+'s built-in keyboard, so you may wish to consult the Icon and Braille+ documentation.
JAWS turns on braille output when you configure it for the display. To turn off braille support, select No Display from the Options/Braille menu.
To see a list of the keys assigned to control the PC from the braille keyboard, see the file Start/All Programs/JAWS BrailleDriver APH/Keyboard Assignment which gets installed when you install the JAWS driver.
In Mobile Speak Smartphone, use Home followed by B.
In Mobile Speak for Symbian, use Edit, Dial.
On Mobile Speak Pocket, press Alt+Tap 1 to turn on and off braille.
In Talks, press Talks, End.
The keys Talks uses are as follows:
| Backspace | K7 |
| Enter | K8 |
| Confirm Selection | Joy stick Center |
| Key 2 | D4 |
| Key 1 | D6 |
| Menu Key | D1D4 |
| Talks Key | D2D5 |
| Start/Accept Call | D4D5 |
| End Call | D5D6 |
| Delete Character Left | D1D2D3 |
| Digit 1 | D1D6 |
| Digit 2 | D1D2D6 |
| Digit 3 | D1D4D6 |
| Digit 4 | D1D4D5D6 |
| Digit 5 | D1D5D6 |
| Digit 6 | D1D2D4D6 |
| Digit 7 | D1D2D4D5D6 |
| Digit 8 | D1D2D5D6 |
| Digit 9 | D2D4D6 |
| Digit 0 | D2D4D5D6 |
| Asterisk | D3D5 |
| Number Sign | D3D4D5D6 |
| Space | D3D6 |
Talks uses the following prefixes to help orient you about which portions of the system you are using:
To turn braille support on and off in Window-Eyes, pick Select Braille Display from the Window-Eyes File menu. Window-Eyes responds by showing a dialog listing all its supported displays and the com port for the selected display. Select No Display from the list of displays.
To discover all the keys Window-Eyes supports, select Hot Keys from the Window-Eyes Braille menu. A dialog appears listing all the functions and the keys to perform each function.
When you turn on Refreshabraille, the system menu appears on the braille display. Its first line says, "APH" followed by the unit's unique serial number or a name you assign to it. In normal use, this is the only portion of the menu you see, because as soon as the connected device sends any data to the display, the menu gets replaced with that data. If, however, you wish to see the rest of the menu options, press the right advance bar. Each press of the advance bar moves to the next menu item, and the reverse bar moves to the previous one. These items include Serial Number, Battery Status, Bluetooth Name, etc.
There are two ways to exit the system menu. The last item in the system menu is labeled "Menu Off." Press any of the cursor routing keys below the word "Off," and the menu disappears. You may also use your PC or mobile device to communicate with the display, and the system menu will disappear.
Many options in the menu present choices among two or more items. The currently selected option is indicated on the display by raising dots 7 and 8.
To select an option, press one of the cursor routing keys below the option to select.
When you exit the menu, Refreshabraille automatically saves all your setting changes.
To return to the menu, follow these steps:
The first line of the menu shows the name of the braille display. It says APH 27002968. The number after "APH" is the display's serial number and is what shows up as its Bluetooth name. You may edit this name to provide a more personalized greeting message.
To edit the name, follow these steps:
The Battery Status option shows the amount of battery power available. The level is expressed as either 1, 2, or 3 full cells. When the battery is very low, there will be no full cells.
The next menu item shows the setting for the number of minutes Refreshabraille waits with no communication from the connected device before it blanks the display and enters its power saving standby mode. When in standby, Refreshabraille wakes up when the connected device sends any data to the display.
There is a minus sign to the left of the number and a plus sign to the right of it. Press the cursor routing button associated with the minus to reduce the standby time, and press the cursor button associated with the plus sign to increase it. Set the standby time to zero to turn off the standby capability.
The Automatic Power Off time determines the number of hours Refreshabraille waits after entering standby mode before it completely shuts down. As with the Standby menu option, this menu contains a plus and minus sign. Press the cursor routing button under either of these characters to change the value.
The Serial Number option shows the unit's serial number. This number is not editable. It is a unique number that you use to keep track of a specific device for maintenance or warranty purposes.
The Firmware version number represents the level of software running on the Refreshabraille.
To restore all settings to their defaults, press one of the cursor routing buttons under the word "Default."
To exit the menu, press one of the cursor routing buttons under the word "off."
In the System Menu, press the first two and the last two cursor routing keys on the Braille display. The display responds by activating each dot of each cell, one after the other and then clearing them.
To clear the self test, press the first two and last two cursor routing buttons at the same time.
Refreshabraille features the ability to use it either with the braille cells farthest away or closest to the user. To flip the display and all controls so the orientation meets with the user's preference, press both the Reverse and Advance bars at the same time. Refreshabraille responds by immediately flipping the braille display and controls, so you may rotate the device 180 degrees and use it for both reading and input.
When using Refreshabraille with the cells closest to you, the Aux Space may be used. This key is located between the two advance bars. Some users may also find it just as convenient to use the normal space bar which is in the unconventional position of above the braille dot keys.
Some programs use what they call Display keys on the braille keyboard to perform various functions. These are usually six small round buttons that supplement the kinds of things you can do with the normal keys.
Refreshabraille uses a key combination to produce the Display keys. The combination consists of pressing and holding the center of the joy stick while you press the button numbers of the braille keys. For example, to produce the combination for D2 D3, you would use Center+K2 K3.
Refreshabraille is designed so that updating it to the latest version is easy.
The web page www.aph.org/tech/rdb_info.htm contains all information about updates.
If updates are available, you may download software that contains both the new firmware for the display and the code to install it.
Minor things can happen which visibly affect the performance of a braille display but which cannot be called a "real" malfunction. A few examples and hints are described below.
Congratulations on your purchase of the APH 18 cell refreshable Braille display. Your purchase includes a warranty against defects in workmanship and materials under normal use for a period of one year from the date of purchase. This warranty does not include any third party hardware or software used in conjunction with this refreshable Braille display.
APH will, at no charge, repair or replace (at APH's option) the product during the warranty period so long as the damage or defect is covered. This warranty does not include the following:
Product No. 1-07446-00
Price: $250.00
The initial warranty can be extended for an additional 12 months beyond the one-year limited warranty included with the initial purchase. The extended warranty must be purchased within 90 days of the purchase.
There are no other expressed or implied warranties for Refreshabraille 18, including claims for consequential damages of any kind.
ORDER YOUR EXTENDED WARRANTY within 90 days of your purchase by contacting APH Customer Service. Your order must include the Refreshabraille 18 serial number and date of purchase.
Claims under this Limited Warranty will be governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, USA.
Should you have any questions, please contact APH customer service as follows:
American Printing House for the Blind (APH)
1839 Frankfort Ave.
P.O. Box 6085
Louisville, KY 40206
e-mail - cs@aph.org
800-223-1839
| Refreshabraille 18 - technical specifications: | |
|---|---|
Braille: |
|
| - | 18 8-dot piezo electrical braille cells |
| - | 18 cursor routing button associated to each cell located at the bottom of the cell (std. mode) |
Input keys: |
|
| - | 18 routing buttons |
| - | 2 panning buttons |
| - | 10 braille buttons |
| - | 5 way joystick |
| - | Power button |
Interfaces: |
|
| - | USB full speed device - complies with USB specification 2.0 |
| - | mini-USB connector Type B |
| - | Bluetooth (class 2 - Bluetooth Standard 1.2) |
Battery: |
|
| - | LiIon 3.7V, 700mAh |
Power Supply: |
|
| - | charge over USB port - 5V, max 500mA |
| - | charge time : ~2.5h |
Certifications: |
|
| - | CE - EN 55024, EN 55022 |
| - | FCC - FCC 47, Part 15 |
Mechanical - device: |
|
| - | weight: 310g |
| - | size: 130 x 90 x 25 mm |
Mechanical - package: |
|
| - | weight: 745g (incl. device) |
| - | size: 31 x 24.5 x 9.5 cm |