Handheld Scientific BT-600 User manual

Main Functions
• Turning a USB keyboard/mouse into a Bluetooth one.
• Acting as a USB to USB bridge. Switching between BT and USB
• Key mappings, macros, timers, layers and output throttling.
Key Features
• Based on Bluetooth 5.2 (Bluetooth Low Energy or BLE) with reduc-
tion in power consumption and fast connection time.
• Works with all types of hosts including MacOS, iOS (iPad & iPhone),
Android tablets/smartphones, all versions of Windows and Linux as
long as they have Bluetooth 4.x and up. Note that Windows 7 or prior
supports only BT 2.x so you need at least Windows 8.
• Compatible with all types of USB keyboards including those with a
built-in hub. See the Compatibility list on our web site for a list key-
boards we have tested. Additional devices connected to a keyboard’s
built-in hub is not ocially supported so it may or may not work.
• Most media keys on keyboard will work including Volume +/-, Mute,
Play/Stop, Previous/Next, Browser, Calculator, Home, Help, Search
and Sleep. Programmable keys (for example, those marked as G1, G2,
… on some Logitech keyboards) will not work unless they are cong-
ured as standard keys.
• Many keyboard-emulating USB devices will work if they appear as
keyboards in the operating system. ose include keypads, foot ped-
als, bar code readers, magnetic strip readers, and PS2 to USB adapters.
Most 2.4G wireless dongles (e.g., Logitech Unifying Adapter, HP
wireless keyboard adapter) will also work.
• No keycode pairing: pairing just works without typing in any code.
Currently this is the only pairing option. If security is a concern,
caution must be taken to make sure the adapter is paired with the
intended host.
• Advanced Firmware Features:
o Key mappings: you can map any key to another key, to mouse
movement or to a macro (see full manual for limitations). Users can
turn a Qwerty keyboard into a Dvorak or Colemak one with a simple
command.
o Timers: periodically send a key, mouse movement or macro. ere
can be up to 4 timers.
o Macro: a sequence of keys and/or mouse movements used in other
commands such as key mappings or timers.
o Layer: group a set of settings together so you can switch between
them quickly using shortcuts.
o Repeat: use a key to toggle on/o to generate fast succession of
keystrokes. Useful in gaming.
TFT Color Display
e Adapter incorpotes a 0.96 inch TFT color display. It shows several
pages of useful information. e main page shows the status of Blue-
tooth and USB connectivity, whether they are enabled, connected and
activated. ere is a screen displaying useful USB information such as
voltage and cumulated power consumption.
Nevigation Button & Mode Button
e navigation button switches dierent screens.
e mode button has 3 functions, depending on how long it is pressed
and held.
• short press: can be congured to switch between USB and Bluetooth
or send out a key/macro.
• Press and hold for 2 seconds: enter command mode.
• Press and hold for 10 seconds: reset all settings to factory default.
USB-USB Bridging
When plugged into a laptop, the USB male port shows up as a compos-
ite keyboard/mouse device. If activated, any keystrokes or mouse move-
ments will be output to this port, eectively bridging the keyboard/
mouse to the host computer with all the useful features such as key
mapping and layers that are not available in most keyboards.
Quick Start Guide
As soon as the adapter is powered on, if it is not connected to a host,
during the rst 30 seconds, it will advertise its present and become
available for pairing. Follow the process below to pair:
• Turn on the adapter with or without a keyboard connected. Screen
should display the VID/PID of the keyboard, or error information if it
fails to detect or enumerate the keyboard.
• On the host, search for Bluetooth devices. e name of the adapter is
ADAPTER_nnnn where nnnn is the last 4 digits of its MAC address.
• Aer the host nds the adapter, select it and click “pair”. ere is no
need for any pairing code. If pairing succeeds, the adapter will then
be connected to the host and ready for use. e screen will also show
that status.
If you can’t nd the adapter in the host’s list of Bluetooth devices, make
sure the host has BT 4.0 and up. If the adapter is listed but fails to pair,
make sure the host supports HID keyboard/mouse. Some low-cost
smartphones/tablets have Bluetooth but support only earphones not
keyboards.
Pairing needs to be done only once. Next time when the adapter is
turned on, it will connect to the paired host if it is available.
Once paired, if you would like to pair it with a dierent host, you must
Bluetooth Adapter
for Keyboards and Mice
User Manual v6.0 (Firmware 6.0.x)
Model: BT-600
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USB Device Port
For Power and/or
Connecting to
Computer
Mode Button
Nevigator Button
Included USB-C to
USB-A Convertor
TFT Color
Display
Enclosure color
may vary in actual
product
USB Port for Key-
board/Mouse

rst unpair it from the current one. Erasing all paired devices in the
adapter itself (the device clear command) is not enough to erase the
bonding. If you pair a new host without unpairing the old one rst, and
if both hosts are present at the same time, the adapter will connect to
either of them at random.
Command Mode
Command mode is used to congure adapter features. To use com-
mand mode, pair the adapter with a host. Use any app that can display
text (i.e., Notes, Notepad, Word, or even a browser input window).
Make sure when you type on the keyboard connected to the adapter,
the text appears on the app. is can be through either Bluetooth or
USB. Press and hold the mode button until the following text is emitted
(which will happen in about 2 seconds):
Bluetooth Adapter Firmware v5.2.8
Copyright (C) 2019 Handheld Scientic, Inc.
Type help or ?
>
Alternatively, you can use the shortcut Ctrl+Alt+Insert to enter com-
mand mode, so you don’t need to reach to the adapter to press the but-
ton. at 3-key combination is similar to the well-known Ctrl+Alt+Del
3-nger solute in Windows. But instead of Del, the Insert (Ins) key
is used. In the unlikely event this 3-key combination is used by some
other application, so you don’t want the adapter to intercept it, you can
disable it in settings.
When attempting to enter command mode, if you see funny charac-
ters instead of the above text, make sure the language setting of your
operating system is English. To exit command mode, press the mode
button again, or type exit in command line. In command mode, key
strokes are intercepted and interpreted by the adapter as commands.
Outputs of the commands are directed to the host. Commands are all
lower cases and terminated by Return or Enter. is is pretty much like
the command line in a terminal window in Linux. Type “help” or “?”
for a list of commands, and “help command” for help with a specic
command. Our goal is to make the help messages concise and compre-
hensive so one does not need any other reference to understand and use
the commands. We appreciate any suggestion for improvements.
e keyboard must be in English layout, otherwise the adapter may
not generate the right texts. Most features such as key mappings, timers
and layers are disabled in command mode (in other words you have to
exit command mode to see them working, or the eect of any changes
you make). To exit command mode, press the mode button or type the
command exit.
e syntax of the commands is very straighforward. Curly brackets {}
signify a name that needs to be substituted with the actual value. For
example, {time} should be 10 or whatever value you want to set. Any-
thing that is not in a curly brackets should be typed as is. Square braces
mean the argument is optional. Vertical bar means “or”. For example,
dvorak|colemak means dvorak or colemak, as is without substitution.
e following is a summary of available commands for the current
rmware being shipped. Note we add new commands frequently so
some commands in the list may not be available in early versions of the
rmware.
syntax – Display concise explanation of command syntax.
show – Display useful adapter information such as TFT screen settings (enabled/
disabled), throttle interval and interface status.
save – Save changes so they will persist across re-starts. If you don’t execute this
command, all changes are lost when the adapter is turned o.
exit – Exit command mode. Same as pressing the mode button (so you don’t
need to move your hand away from the keyboard to press the button)
device clear – Clear paired devices in the adapter. Note you also need to unpair
the adapter from the paired host. is command alone will not rease the
bonding between the adapter and the host.
reboot [hard] – Restart adapter so you don’t need to disconnect the power. Op-
tional argument hard to perform a factory reset.
key name – Print out the list of key names used in key mappings, macros and
timers. is is displayed in multiple pages.
set – Set system parameters.
set usb enabled|disabled – Enable or disable the USB interface. Eective upon
next reboot. Default is enabled.
set bt enabled|disabled – Enable or disable the Bluetooth interface. Eective
upon next reboot. Default is enabled.
set bt name {name}– Set the Bluetooth device name to name.
set time throttle {n} – Set throttling time to nmilli seconds (ms). rottling
time is the delay added between keystokes to slow down the output. is
is useful if the output of a keyboard emulating device (e.g, magnetic strip
reader) is too fast for Bluetooth to handle.
set ctrlaltins enabled|disabled – Enable/disable the Ctrl-Alt-Ins to enter com-
mand mode. Default is enable. Eective immediately.
timer – set up timers used to send out keys periodically. is can be useful
in preventing Bluetooth connections from timing out or the host from
entering into sleep. is feature was called “keepalive” in older rmware
versions. You can create up to 4 timers.
timer list – list timers with their periods and keys. By default, all timers are
disabled (period = 0)
timer {n} period {m} – set the period of timer n(n=1-4) to mseconds. Setting
the period to 0 disables the timer.
timer {n} key {key} – set the key of timer nto key which can be a single key or
a macro.
map – manage key mappings. See full User Manual for detailed explanation of
the commands and examples.
map – without any argument, this command lists all key mappings.
map add {source_key} {dst_key} – add mapping from source_key to dst_key.
In the full user manual, there is detailed information on what can be used as
source_key and dst_key.
map add dvorak|colemak – add all mappings to turn an ANSI/ISO QWERTY
keyboard into a dvorak or colemak keyboard.
map del {key} – delete the mapping specied by source key key.
map del all – delete all mappings.
map names – show all the key names that can be used in key mapping (and
anywhere a key parameter is expected). Same as the key names command.
macro – display and set up macros. A macro is a series of keys, mouse move-
ments and delays in between that can be triggered by a single key.
macro list – list all macros.
macro edit {n} – edit the nth macro where n=0-63. ere is no need to delete a
macro since it has no eect unless used somewhere.
layer – A layer is a group of settings (mappings, timers and macros) that can be
switched together quickly using shortcuts. See full manual for details.
repeat – Use a key to toggle on/o to send keystrokes in fast succession. Useful
in gaming. See full manual for layer and repeat (due to space limitation in
this short manual).
Restore to Factory Defaults
Press and hold the mode button for more than 10 seconds (it will enter com-
mand mode aer 2 seconds. Ignore that and continue to hold). e device will
eventually turn itself o. Upon next reboot, all congurations will be restored to
factory defaults. e “reset hard” command achieves the same eect.
Further Information
Download the full manual (30+ pages) from the product page: http://handheld-
sci.com/kb. It has much greater details especially with regarding the commands.
We love to hear from our customers. Please send comments/suggestions to
[e-mail]. We appreciate your business.
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This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not
cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause
undesired operation
NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of
the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential
installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance
with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that
interference will not occur in a particular installation.
If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the
equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
-- Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
-- Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
-- Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
-- Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Warning: changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's
authority to operate the equipment
The devices has been evaluated to meet general RF exposure requirement，the device can be used in portable exposure
condition without restriction