Freedom Scientific Braille Blazer User manual

Braille Blazer
The Portable Embosser
Owner’s Manual
December 2002
440102-001 Rev. A

PUBLISHED BY
Freedom Scientific
11800 31st Court North
St. Petersburg, Florida 33716-1805
USA
http://www.freedomscientific.com
Information in this document is subject to change without notice. No part
of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or any
means electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without the express
written permission of Freedom Scientific.
Copyright © 2002 Freedom Scientific, Inc., All Rights Reserved.
440102-001 Rev. A

Table of Contents
Introduction ...................................................................................... 1
Getting Started.................................................................................. 2
Computer and Hardware .................................................... 2
Braille Translation Software .............................................. 2
Braille Paper........................................................................ 2
Brailling Speed of the Blazer ............................................. 3
Using the Blazer as a Speech Synthesizer....................... 3
Touring the Blazer .............................................................. 4
Connecting the Blazer to Your Computer ...................................... 7
Parallel Connection ............................................................ 7
Serial Connection ............................................................... 8
Handling the Paper......................................................................... 10
Loading the Paper............................................................. 10
Setting Top of Form.......................................................... 12
Brailling a File................................................................................. 14
Preparing a File for Brailling............................................ 14
Preparing the Blazer to Receive a File............................ 15
Brailling a Different File.................................................... 15
Looking at the Last Page ................................................. 16
Removing the Paper ......................................................... 16
Customizing your Blazer ............................................................... 18
440102-001 Rev. A

Introduction....................................................................... 18
Printing Mode and Menu Mode........................................ 18
Configuration Menus ........................................................ 19
Appendix: Commonly Asked Questions ...................................... 40
440102-001 Rev. A

Introduction
The Braille Blazer is a portable Braille printer that lets you
produce Braille documents, graphics, and labels. With Braille
translation software on your computer, you can produce well-
formatted Braille documents in Grade 2, Grade 1, or computer
Braille. And with Braille graphics software, you can produce
tactile diagrams and maps, as well as graphs of mathematical
equations.
You can customize many of the Blazer's features through its
various configuration menus. These menus are all audible
through the Blazer's built-in speech synthesizer. In addition, the
speech synthesizer can be used with screen access programs,
even while the Blazer is Brailling a document.
The Braille Blazer is very portable as it closes up into a
compact, 12-pound case with a sturdy handle. Although you
probably will not carry it around on the subway every day, it is
small enough that you can run it across the street to your
colleague's desk or carry it with you on your next airplane trip.
440102-001 Rev. A 1

Getting Started
To produce Braille on the Braille Blazer, you need to connect
the Blazer to a computer through either its serial or its parallel
port, and use Braille translation software to translate your
document for Brailling.
Computer and Hardware
• If you want to use an IBM PC-compatible or Apple computer
with your Blazer, use a standard serial or parallel cable to
connect to the Blazer's serial or parallel port.
• If you want to use Freedom Scientific’s own Braille 'n Speak
with the Blazer's serial port, use the special serial cable that
comes with the Braille 'n Speak to connect to the Blazer's
serial port.
• If you want to use Freedom Scientific’s Type 'n Speak 2000,
Braille Lite 18, Braille Lite 40, or Braille Lite 2000 models,
use either the special serial cable that comes with the device
to connect to the Blazer's serial port, or use a standard
parallel cable to connect to the Blazer's parallel port.
• If you want to use another device, such as a PocketBraille or
a BrailleMate, use that device's serial cable to connect to the
Blazer's serial port.
Braille Translation Software
Braille translation software converts a document that is
formatted as a text file or formatted through a word processor
into Grade 2 or Grade 1 Braille, then sends the converted
document to a Braille printer. Some popular Braille translation
programs include Duxbury System's Duxbury Braille Translator,
MegaDots, and Freedom Scientific’s own QuickBraille.
Braille Paper
The Blazer only works with fanfold paper, not single sheets.
You can use standard 8-1/2 inch by 11-inch fanfold Braille
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paper or any other smaller width fanfold paper. The Blazer
works with Braille labels and index cards as long as they come
in fanfold form. Contact us directly to find out what paper we
sell at Freedom Scientific, or contact your local Braille paper
dealer to see what sizes they offer.
Brailling Speed of the Blazer
When Brailling a document in Grade 2, Grade 1, or computer
Braille with no graphics, the Blazer Brailles at 15 characters per
second. But Brailling sideways on the page or Brailling graphics
slows down embossing.
Using the Blazer as a Speech Synthesizer
Although you use the Blazer mainly to produce Braille, you can
also use it as a speech synthesizer. In fact, you can run the
Blazer as a speech synthesizer and as a Braille embosser at
the same time.
To run the Blazer as a speech synthesizer, you need a screen
access program that supports the Braille 'n Speak as a speech
synthesizer. Most screen access programs have a driver for the
Braille 'n Speak. So you should be able to direct your screen
access program to work with the Blazer. Popular examples of
screen access programs that support the Braille 'n Speak
include ASAP, JAWS, and Vocal-Eyes. (Contact us directly, or
check with your local adaptive technology vendor, for more
information about screen access programs that support the
Braille 'n Speak.)
To make the Blazer work as a speech synthesizer and still
function as a Braille embosser at the same time, you need to
establish both a parallel connection and a serial connection
between the Blazer and your computer. You use the parallel
connection to direct the Braille translation software to send
documents to the Blazer through the parallel port on the
computer. You use the serial connection to direct the screen
access software to send speech to the Blazer's speaker
through the serial port on your computer.
440102-001 Rev. A 3

Touring the Blazer
The Blazer is a compact unit. We send it to you closed up into
what looks much like a carrying case. Both the outside and
inside are important. So we'll examine first the outside
components. Then we'll lift up the lid and check out the inside.
The Outside of the Blazer
When you take the Braille Blazer out of the box for the first
time, you can see how small and compact it is. It only weighs
about 12 pounds and looks like a carrying case with a nice
sturdy handle.
Notice the four rubber feet on the bottom of the Blazer. These
feet prevent the Blazer from sliding around as it Brailles.
Set the Blazer on a flat surface with the handle facing away
from you and the Braille labels on the top of the unit facing up.
First, let's check out the top of the Blazer. Starting from the
front, the side closest to you run your hand along the top of the
Blazer to the right side. Now move toward the back of the
Blazer along the top right side. About halfway toward the back
are three buttons. To the left of each button is a Braille label
describing what each button does.
The button closest to you is labeled Form Feed. The next one
back is labeled Line Feed, and the one furthest back is labeled
On line. These buttons are very important because they help
you move the paper in the Blazer and configure the unit to your
particular needs.
Now slide your hand to the left side of the Blazer along the top
of the machine. On the top left side about halfway back is a
single curved button, a rocker switch, that lets you move the
paper toward you or away from you. To the right of this button,
a Braille label reads, Paper Advance.
Before we open the Blazer to check out its inside components,
let's look at the back side of the Blazer. This is where all the
connectors are located.
4440102-001 Rev. A

Run your hand over the top of the Blazer to the backside of the
machine. The first thing you should notice is the handle that
runs across the middle of the back of the Blazer. Just above the
middle of the handle is the Blazer's speaker.
Now run your hand over to the lower right-hand corner of the
back of the Blazer to find the On/Off rocker switch. To turn on
the Blazer, rock the switch up toward you. To turn it off, rock the
switch down away from you.
About an inch above the On/Off rocker switch, find a small
rectangular hole with a small square button in it. This button is
the voltage selector. For 120 volts, make sure the selector is in
the Up position. Now feel to the left of the On/Off rocker switch
to find the 3-pronged connector for the AC power cord.
A power cord should have come with your Blazer. The
connector feels like the standard three-pronged connector on a
computer or ink printer. Plug the female end of the power cord
into this A.C. connector to power up your Blazer.
About an inch to the left of the AC power connector, find the
parallel port that connects the Blazer to the parallel port on a
computer, a Braille Lite, or a Type 'n Speak. You can use a
standard Centronix parallel cable like the one you use to
connect your computer to your parallel ink printer on the
Blazer's parallel port. This port is the Centronix end of the
connection. It feels like a rectangular opening with a smaller
rectangular object within it. Use the clips on either side of the
port to secure the parallel cable in place.
Continuing to the left of the parallel port, find the Blazer's serial
port. This is a 25-pin, female port. It feels like a rectangular
object with a bunch of tiny holes in it. A standard 25-pin, male
serial cable connects to this port. The small screw holes on
either side of the serial port help you secure the screws of the
serial cable in place.
Finally, about half an inch to the left of the serial port, find the
small 1/8th inch earphone jack. This earphone jack works with
any standard RCA-style headphone connector so you can hear
440102-001 Rev. A 5

the Blazer's voice with an earphone instead of through the
Blazer's speaker.
The Inside of the Blazer
To lift up the Blazer's lid, simply find the front side of the
machine and run your hands along the indentation for the
cover. Gently lift and pull back the cover to expose the inside of
the Blazer where you can load the paper and adjust the
machine to Braille graphics. The cover should stay upright and
rest comfortably along the top backside of the Blazer while we
check out the inside.
Starting from the front side of the Blazer, the side closest to you
first, notice the bar that runs across the width of the Blazer from
left to right. This is the platen. It rests on a flat metal plate and
is about an inch in from the front side of the Blazer.
Now run your hand along the platen all the way to the right and
find a small rubber-coated knob along the back of the platen.
This knob is used for adjusting the platen to Braille graphics.
Right now, it's set so the Blazer can Braille a standard
document. We'll check out how to adjust the platen for Brailling
graphics later.
About an inch behind the platen is the tractor mechanism that
holds the paper in place.
6440102-001 Rev. A

Connecting the Blazer to Your Computer
The Blazer works with an IBM PC-compatible or Apple
computer, a Braille 'n Speak, Braille Lite, or Type 'n Speak.
The Braille Lite, Type 'n Speak, and most computers let you
print (or Braille) through a parallel connection, so the Blazer
comes from the factory with the parallel port activated and the
serial port off. But if you do need to use the Blazer's serial port
to connect it to your Braille 'n Speak, or to a serial port on a
computer, we'll show you how to do that, too.
Parallel Connection
You need a standard Centronix parallel cable like the one you
use to connect your computer to an ink printer. The Centronix
end of the cable has a rectangular housing with a long
rectangular object on the inside of the housing.
It feels similar to the parallel port on the Blazer itself, which has
a ridge around the rectangular opening where it mates with the
housing of the Centronix connector.
The parallel port on the Blazer is located on the backside of the
unit about an inch to the left of the AC power connector. Align
the Centronix end of the parallel cord with the parallel port on
the Blazer and gently push until the connector mates with the
port. If the connector doesn't slide easily into the port, you may
have the connector upside down. Turn it around and try again.
Once the cable is connected to the port, the connection should
be snug. But to secure it, bring the clips on either side of the
port in toward the connector until they click in place.
On the computer side of things, make sure you plug the male
connector of the parallel cable into the female parallel port on
the computer. If you're using a Braille Lite, or Type 'n Speak, its
parallel port feels just like the parallel port on a computer.
Computers like IBM PC-compatibles generally recognize
parallel ports as LPT1, LPT2, etc.
440102-001 Rev. A 7

As long as you direct the Braille translation software on your
computer to transmit to the parallel port you're using for
Brailling documents, your Blazer and computer should
communicate easily once the parallel connection is established.
Serial Connection
The serial connection is a little trickier because you may have
to use an adapter to make the connectors match the ports both
on the Blazer and on the computer. The end of the cable you
need for the Blazer must be a 25-pin, male serial connector.
Check whether the serial port on your computer is 25-pin or 9-
pin. Either works with the Blazer. But you may need a gender
bender or pin adapter on the computer side of the connection.
Find the serial port on the Blazer to the left of the parallel port.
Align the 25-pin male serial connector with the serial port on the
Blazer and gently push until they mate. The connector should
slide in easily because it can only go into the port one way. So
if you're having trouble, you may have the connector upside
down. Turn it around and try again.
Once the serial connector is snugly connected to the serial port
on the Blazer, you should secure it by tightening the finger
screws on the connector (if it has them), or by using a small
screwdriver to tighten the screws on either side of the
connector.
If you want to connect a Braille 'n Speak, Braille Lite, or Type 'n
Speak to the serial port on the Blazer, make sure to use the
serial cable that came with your device. This cable is
specifically designed to work with your unit and another serial
device like the Blazer.
Whether you're transmitting a document from your computer or
your Braille 'n Speak, Braille Lite, or Type 'n Speak to the
Blazer, a serial connection needs some extra care beyond just
cabling the devices together. Here we have to get a little
technical, but don't worry about the terminology. What's
important is that telecommunications settings on both ends of
the connection have to match. In other words, the Blazer and
8440102-001 Rev. A

your computer have to be talking the same language, at the
same rate of speed, and so on.
The Braille translation software you use to translate your
documents into Grade 2 Braille should have some kind of
printing facility. If the printing facility lets you configure your
printer connection so you can use your computer's serial port
instead of the more common parallel connection, the printing
facility should also set telecommunications settings for you.
However, suppose you have documents that are already
translated or that you don't want to translate into Grade 2, and
you want to send them to your Blazer through a serial
connection. You can use a telecommunications program on
your computer to do the job.
Here are the settings you need to check:
Baud rate: 9600
Parity: None
Data bits: 8
Stop bits: 1
Handshaking: Software
If telecommunications settings match on your computer and the
Blazer, everything should work without a hitch. Your Braille
translation software should be able to send documents to the
Blazer through the computer's serial port.
Likewise, using the Braille 'n Speak driver, your screen access
software should be able to send speech to the Blazer's speaker
through your computer's serial port. If you get garbage on the
Blazer, or nothing at all, chances are the Baud rate is wrong on
one end of the connection or some other setting is set
incorrectly. Check the appendix for some possible solutions.
This is all you need to know to establish a connection between
the Blazer and your computer. Next, let's see how to prepare
the paper so you can be ready to Braille your first document.
440102-001 Rev. A 9

Handling the Paper
To prepare the paper in the Blazer for Brailling a document, you
need to load the paper into the Blazer and align it to the top of
the first page so that your text Brailles in the right place. Here's
how it works.
Loading the Paper
You load paper into the Blazer from the front of the machine.
Although this process wastes the first sheet of paper before
Brailling actually begins, it keeps the paper from jamming.
As we said earlier in this chapter, the Blazer accepts standard-
size 8.5 by 11 inch fanfold Braille paper. Use heavyweight
Braille paper, 100- pound tag, to produce sharper, durable
Braille and use lighter weight paper for documents you don't
need to keep for a long time. In addition, you can use paper
narrower than 8.5 inches.
But we'll first look at how to load standard-size paper.
You can load paper into the Blazer whether the machine is on
or off. Since this is our first time out, we'll start with the Blazer
turned off.
First, lift the cover of the Blazer and find the tractor mechanism
behind the platen. On either side of the tractor mechanism are
the paper guides that hold the paper in place. Right now they
are closed and locked at either end of the tractor mechanism so
they can accept standard-size paper.
Now lift up the hinged covers of the paper guides. Notice that
each paper guide has four pins. These pins are used to align
the sprocket holes on the paper to the paper guides.
Starting from the front of the Blazer, slide the paper under the
platen, over and past the pins of the paper guides, until the top
edge of the paper is lying on the metal plate in back of the
tractor mechanism.
10 440102-001 Rev. A

If you need to straighten the paper, here's what to do. About
two and a half inches from the left side of the Blazer on the
metal piece where the paper is resting is a small square hole.
This is the Top-of-Form sensor used by the Blazer to detect the
top edge of the paper.
To straighten the paper, align its top edge to the front of the
Top-of-Form sensor. This way, the sprocket holes on the paper
easily fit onto the pins of the paper guides.
To make sure the paper is straight, count the sprocket holes on
the paper that are behind the ones fitted onto the pins on the
paper guides. The number of sprocket holes should be the
same on either side of the paper.
Finally, to secure the paper in place, close the hinged covers of
the paper guides and close the cover of the Blazer itself.
You're now ready to turn on the Blazer.
Loading Narrow Paper or Labels
To load paper narrower than 8.5 inch wide into the Blazer, you
need to unlock one of the paper guides on the tractor
mechanism and move it toward the other paper guide so that
the distance between the two paper guides is the right width.
Although you can unlock either paper guide, or both of them,
we recommend that you only unlock the right one.
First lift the hinged covers of the paper guides as you would
when loading standard-size paper. Starting from the front of the
Blazer, slide the paper under the platen, over and past the pins
of the left paper guide, until the top edge of the paper is lying on
the metal plate in back of the tractor mechanism.
In fact, this is probably a good time to fit the sprocket holes on
the left side of the paper into the pins on the left paper guide
and close its cover. This way, one side of the paper is already
secured in place.
Now reach over to the right paper guide and find the lever that's
between the cover of the paper guide and the side of the Blazer
itself. Push this lever away from you to unlock the paper guide
440102-001 Rev. A 11

so you can move the paper guide in toward the right edge of
the paper.
Gently lift the right edge of the paper and move the right paper
guide toward it until the pins on the paper guide slide under the
sprocket holes of the right side of the paper. Fit the sprocket
holes of the paper onto the pins of the paper guide and close its
cover. Then immediately push the lever that's just to the right of
the paper guide toward you to lock the paper guide in place.
At this point, your paper should be secured in place on both
sides. Make sure the paper is taut between the paper guides.
You don't want any waffling at all because this will make the
paper go crooked and jam in the Blazer. If the paper does seem
to be crooked or you feel any looseness at all between the
paper guides, unlock the right paper guide again and readjust it
so that the paper lies flat between the paper guides. Once
you're sure the paper is flat, close the cover of the paper guide
and lock it back in place before doing anything else.
You're now ready to turn on the Blazer.
Setting Top of Form
The Blazer needs to know where the top edge of the paper is
so it can begin Brailling in the right place. When you first turn it
on, the Blazer moves the paper back and forth a bit to adjust it
but it's still a good idea to set Top of Form manually to insure
your Braille pages come out the way they should. Here's how it
works.
To turn on the Blazer, find the On/Off rocker switch on the right
side of the back of the machine and rock the switch up toward
you. Within a couple of seconds, you should hear the paper
move slightly and the Blazer say, "Braille Blazer ready.”
Now find the three keys midway along the right side of the top
of the Blazer. From front to back, these keys are labeled, "form
feed", "line feed", and "on line.”
To set Top of Form, press the "form feed" key together with the
"on line" key. The Blazer says, "Set top of form" as it moves the
12 440102-001 Rev. A

paper back and forth to align to the Top-of-Form sensor we
talked about earlier. And you'll feel part of the first page come
out the back of the Blazer between the back of the Blazer's
cover and the back side of the machine itself. This is the sheet
that has to be wasted so the paper won't jam in the Blazer.
Setting the Top Margin
Where Braille actually begins on each page depends on how
you have your top margin set from within your word processor
or Braille translation software.
If you have your top margin set to 0, the Blazer assumes you
want it to start Brailling immediately below the perforation.
Usually, this also means that you've set a page length of 27, the
maximum number of lines that can fit on a standard Braille
page.
If you want the Blazer to start Brailling one line below the
perforation, you need to set your top margin to 1 in your word
processor or Braille translation software. And you should
probably set your page length to 25. This way, the Blazer will
give you top and bottom margins of 1 on each Braille page.
440102-001 Rev. A 13

Brailling a File
To send a file from your computer to the Blazer, you must make
sure your file is ready for Brailling, not printing, you must make
sure the Blazer is ready to receive your file, and that it knows
where the top edge of the page is, and so on.
And of course, when the Blazer finishes Brailling your file, you
must tear off the set of sheets it Brailled the right way so the
Blazer can receive more files to Braille. Here's how to go about
it.
Preparing a File for Brailling
In order to Braille a file on the Blazer, you must issue the
appropriate command from your word processor or Braille
translator that transmits the contents of your file to the Blazer.
We can't spend time here explaining how to do this because
each word processor and Braille translator has its own set of
commands. But here are some important things to keep in mind
before you try to Braille a file.
If you want the Blazer to Braille your document in Grade 2
Braille, you must run it through your Braille translator's Grade 2
Braille translation and formatting procedures. This may include
telling the translator what margins you want, what page length
and line width to use, and so on.
If you don't run your file through a Braille translator, the Blazer
Brailles the file in computer Braille because it doesn't know the
difference among computer Braille, Grade 1 Braille, and Grade
2 Braille.
This may be just what you want it to do (especially if the text
you're Brailling is programming code). But unless you specify a
page length and line width that works with the size Braille paper
you're using, your word processor assumes you're printing, not
Brailling, and therefore formats pages using print formatting
parameters. So the outcome in Braille may be quite a mess.
14 440102-001 Rev. A

Make sure your text is really ready for Brailling before you issue
the command on your computer that tells the Blazer to start
Brailling. Also, you must make sure the Blazer is ready to
receive data.
Preparing the Blazer to Receive a File
When you first turn on the Blazer and set Top of Form, it's
ready to receive a file. So when you do issue the command that
tells the Blazer to begin Brailling, it should start right away. If it
doesn't start Brailling, it may be "off line.” In other words, it may
not be ready to receive data.
Find the "on line" key on the right side of the top of the Blazer.
It's the rearmost key of the set of three we've mentioned before.
When you press this key, the Blazer says either, "on line" or "off
line.” When the Blazer is "on line", it's ready to receive data.
But when it's "off line", it can't receive any data at all. Press the
"on line" key to make the Blazer be able to receive data again.
The "on line" key is also useful if you want to stop the Blazer
from Brailling the file you just sent to it - for example, if you
realize it's the wrong file or that you didn't run the Braille
translator on the file yet.
Brailling a Different File
Suppose you decide not to finish Brailling the file you sent to
the Blazer because it's the wrong file or because you forgot to
run it through the Braille translator before you sent it to the
Blazer.
The first thing to do is to take the Blazer "off line" by pressing
the "on line" key once. The Blazer should stop Brailling
immediately. In addition, you may have to issue some type of
Cancel command from within your word processor to stop
transmitting data from your computer to the Blazer, but even
that may not be enough.
The Blazer holds several pages worth of information in its
memory buffer at one time. So if it still has part of the file in its
440102-001 Rev. A 15

buffer when you take it "off line", it will resume Brailling that
data the instant you press the "on line" key again.
Your safest way to clear the Blazer's buffer is simply to press
the three keys on the right side of the top of the Blazer
simultaneously. This puts you into menu mode and clears the
Blazer's print buffer. To return to printing mode, press the three
keys all together again.
Looking at the Last Page
Sometimes, you may want to see what's on the last page
before removing it from the Blazer or before sending another
file to the Blazer for it to Braille. Here's how you can check out
what's on the last page of your file without taking it out of the
Blazer.
Find the key labeled "line feed.” This is the middle key of the
three keys midway along the right side of the top of the Blazer.
Every time you press the "line feed" key, the paper moves one
line out the back of the machine. As you continue to press the
"line feed" key, more of the last page that was Brailled emerges
for you to read.
Once you're satisfied about what's on this page, you can
remove the set of sheets altogether (see next section) or you
can reset Top of Form so the Blazer is ready to receive another
file. This is one way to reduce wasting a sheet of paper
because the Blazer will start Brailling your next file on the very
next blank page; whereas, if you tear off the last Brailled page,
the Blazer wastes a sheet and starts Brailling on the second
page.
Removing the Paper
Once the Blazer finishes Brailling your file, you may want to
Braille another file right away or remove the current set of
sheets from the Blazer. Depending on how your word processor
or Braille translator works, the last page of your file may still be
partially under the Blazer's cover. So you may need to move
this page out manually. There are a couple of ways to do this.
16 440102-001 Rev. A