HandyTech Basic Braille Plus User manual

U s e r M a n u a l
Basic Braille Plus
Version 4.0
Horb, July 2019
©Handy Tech is a trademark of Help Tech GmbH
All Rights Reserved
Help Tech GmbH; Brunnenstraße 10; 72 160 Horb, Germany
Phone: [phone]; Fax: [phone]
E-Mail: [e-mail] - Internet: www.helptech.de

Basic Braille Plus
Table of Contents
Seite 1
Table of Contents
1GENERAL........................................................................................................... 2
1.1 Preface......................................................................................................... 2
1.2 Basic Braille Plus at a Glance ................................................................... 2
2INSTALLATION .................................................................................................. 4
2.1 Package Contents ...................................................................................... 4
2.2 Software Installation .................................................................................. 4
2.3 Installation of the Bluetooth Tie-In............................................................ 5
2.3.1 Bluetooth-PC Tie-In ........................................................................... 5
2.3.2 Bluetooth Apple iOS Device Tie-In .................................................... 6
2.3.3 Bluetooth-Android Device Tie-In........................................................ 6
2.4 Connecting the USB Cable........................................................................ 7
2.5 Using USB and Bluetooth at the same time............................................. 7
2.6 Technical Specifications............................................................................ 8
3START-UP .......................................................................................................... 9
3.1 Turning the Power On................................................................................ 9
3.2 Energy Saving Features............................................................................. 9
3.3 Operation as a Braille Display................................................................... 9
3.4 Configuration Mode.................................................................................. 10
4SETTINGS FOR HANDY TECH BRAILLE DISPLAYS .................................... 13
4.1 Connection................................................................................................ 13
4.2 ATC............................................................................................................ 14
4.3 Status Cells............................................................................................... 14
4.4 Key Actions............................................................................................... 14
4.4.1 Key Lock.......................................................................................... 15
4.4.2 Fast Keys......................................................................................... 15
4.4.3 Repeat Keys.................................................................................... 15
4.5 Miscellaneous........................................................................................... 16
4.6 Info............................................................................................................. 16
5SCREEN READER OPERATIONS................................................................... 17
5.1 Screen reader using Windows, Example Window-Eyes........................ 18
5.1.1 Overview.......................................................................................... 18
5.2 Screen readers using Windows, Example JAWS .................................. 19
5.2.1 Overview.......................................................................................... 19
5.3 Screen reader using Windows, Example Hal/SuperNova ..................... 21
5.3.1 Overview.......................................................................................... 22
5.4 VoiceOver: Screen reader for Apple iOS Devices ................................. 23
6IMPORTANT INFORMATION........................................................................... 25
6.1 Symbols on the Device ............................................................................ 25
6.2 Safety Notes in Accordance with the Standards for Medical Devices. 25
6.3 General Safety Information...................................................................... 25
6.4 Handling the Basic Braille Plus............................................................... 26
6.5 Warranty.................................................................................................... 27
6.6 Technical Support .................................................................................... 27
7COPYRIGHT NOTICE....................................................................................... 28

Basic Braille Plus
General
Seite 2
1 General
1.1 Preface
Thank you for choosing the Basic Braille Plus. Please take the time to review this user
manual. We have tried to make using the Basic Braille Plus as easy and as intuitive as
possible, but this manual will help you utilize your Basic Braille Plus's features even better.
The Basic Braille Plus is available in different sizes in order to serve a variety of customer
needs. The handling of the different models is identical therefore you find all necessary
information about your device in this manual.
It is very important that you read the safety information regarding the appropriate handling
of the Basic Braille Plus before starting it up for the first time. You will find this information
in chapter 6 of this manual.
In order to use the Basic Braille Plus as a Braille display under Windows, an output
program called a screen reader is needed which is also available from Handy Tech. The
screen reader program NVDA will be provided for free if needed.
The Basic Braille Plus has been developed and tested with great care. However, if you
have any ideas or suggestions for improvements, please do not hesitate to contact your
Handy Tech customer service representative. Your opinion is very important to us.
We hope you will enjoy using your Basic Braille Plus.
1.2 Basic Braille Plus at a Glance
This section will help familiarize you with the Basic Braille Plus and its control elements.
We recommend keeping the device handy, so that you can follow along with the
instructions in this section.
Please place the Basic Braille Plus in front of you, facing the Braille cells on the top edge.
The hand resting surface with the Braille keys is facing in your direction. Above the Braille
cells you find for each Braille element an integrated cursor routing key, which is
designated as [CR]-key. With this cursor routing keys you can place the cursor directly at
the text position of that Braille module.
To the left and right of the Braille display are six function keys, 3 each on the right and 3
on the left. They are embedded in the housing so that they do not stand out from the
Braille modules. These buttons can be operated at the top, center and bottom. The
function keys have the following functions:
The top button (up) on the right and left side serves as a read button to move back in the
text and is called [FLU] or [FRU] in the following.

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General
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The bottom button (down) on the right and left side is used to read forward and is referred
to below as [FLD] or [FRD]. In the event that both the right and left function keys can be
pressed up or down, they are referred to as [FU] or [FD].
Pressing the center function key left or right triggers different additional functions. Below
you will find an overview of the naming of the function keys:
Left upper function key: [FLU]
Left middle function key: [FLC]
Left lower function key: [FLD]
Right upper function key: [FRU]
Right middle function key: [FRC]
Right lower function key: [FRD]
Below the Braille modules you will find 9 ergonomically arranged Braille input keys. They
correspond to the usual Braille keyboard layout and are, from the left to the right as
follows:
7 3 2 1 SPC 4 5 6 8
The Braille input keys are ergonomically shaped and coated with a rubber layer to prevent
dirt from entering the device.
On the right side of the device there is a magnetic USB interface for connection to a PC or
power supply. If you put the USB cable on the USB interface, the magnetism automatically
pulls it into the correct position.
The Basic Braille Plus is powered via the USB interface. You can switch it on by briefly
pressing [FRU]. To switch off the Basic Braille Plus, press [FRU] for approx. 5 seconds. It
is advisable to switch off the device when it is not in use, as this will protect the Braille
modules.
Your Basic Braille Plus has a built-in lithium battery. This battery is charged via the USB
interface and can only be replaced by authorized service personnel if necessary. If your
Basic Braille Plus should ever get into a state in which it no longer reacts to inputs and
cannot be switched on and off, you can reset it with the small reset button on the bottom of
the device. You will need a pointed object, such as a paper clip, to carefully pierce the
small hole in the right part of the bottom of the device. You will feel the resistance of the
button, which you have to overcome in order to trigger the reset function.

Basic Braille Plus
Installation
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2 Installation
2.1 Package Contents
Please verify that your package contains all of the parts listed below. If one of the
components is missing or damaged, please contact us in order to request the missing part
or a replacement.
You should find enclosed the following:
•Basic Braille Plus
•1 magnetic USB interface cable
•1 USB extension cable
•1 power supply for USB
•Dust cover
•Short Reference for the Basic Braille Plus
•StartStick with screen reader drivers
(Window-Eyes, JAWS, Hal/SuperNova)
and this user manual
2.2 Software Installation
Before you connect the Basic Braille Plus to your computer, you should install the software
delivered with the device.
To install the required software, plug the included USB memory stick with the inscription
StartStick into a free USB port on your PC. The StartStick with the HTStart program is a
USB stick that contains all the relevant drivers and documents that you need to operate
your Handy Tech Braille display. In addition, it contains the free NVDA screen reader, so
that you can operate the PC immediately, even if no screen reader (Window-Eyes, JAWS
or Supernova) is installed.
After plugging the StartStick into your PC, run the start.exe program from the root
directory. If a screen reader is already installed, it is available for use. Otherwise, the
supplied screen reader NVDA provides access via speech output and Braille support.
HTStart recognizes which Handy Tech display is connected to your PC and automatically
makes the pre-selection for the installation of all the necessary drivers and software
components. Depending on the security settings of your operating system, you may be
prompted to allow the execution of the program HTStart. To enable HTStart to determine
and display the installed screen reader, your consent is required. Please allow the
execution of HTStart because otherwise the use of the program is not possible.
Once you have selected a screen reader, the HTStart window appears in which all
supported Handy Tech products are listed. The national language is pre-selected based
on your Windows settings. However, in the selection list, you can select another language.
In the product list you find the manuals in the selected language. If the manual in the

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Installation
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selected language is not available, the English manual appears instead.
You can choose the following components of the software, to be installed:
•JAWS driver: latest Braille display driver for JAWS for Windows
•Window-Eyes driver: latest Braille display driver for Window-Eyes
•HAL/Supernova driver: latest Braille display driver for HAL/Supernova
•User manual: this user manual.
We recommend that you use the default setting for the installation. All required software
components will be installed. After completion of the installation program you will find a
group named "Handy Tech" in programs in the start menu. Here you find the following
subfolders:
•BrailleDriver: here you find the key settings of your Basic Braille Plus for your
screen reader and the configuration program for the Braille display driver.
•Basic Braille Plus: Here you find this user manual and the uninstall program.
After installing successfully, you can hook on your Basic Braille Plus on to your computer.
2.3 Installation of the Bluetooth Tie-In
If your Basic Braille Plus features a Bluetooth transmission module, you can also establish
a wireless connection between the Basic Braille Plus and a computer or a cell phone, if
they are equipped with wireless Bluetooth technology. You need to make sure that the
wireless Bluetooth interface on your Basic Braille Plus is active, by enabling the option
“Bluetooth on” in the configuration menu like described in chapter 3.4 Configuration Mode.
The wireless transmission radius is approximately 10 meters (10 yards or 33 feet).
2.3.1 Bluetooth-PC Tie-In
1. Please make sure, that the Basic Braille Plus is switched on and the Bluetooth
function in the configuration mode is enabled.
2. Select "Bluetooth Devices" from the control panel or from your system tray and
press the context menu key.
3. Select the “new device/connection” item
4. "Add Bluetooth Device Wizard" will appear.
5. All detected Bluetooth devices will be listed. Select the Basic Braille Plus from the
list and press "Next".
6. Normally the PC will create a pairing code which you accept by pressing “Next”.
7. Now the pairing will be done and the needed drivers will be installed. Please wait a
moment. Please confirm by pressing "Finish".
Your Basic Braille Plus now has a wireless connection to the PC, and you can utilize all of
its functions, as if it were connected via the USB cable.
Note: If you move the Basic Braille Plus beyond the Bluetooth connection's
communications radius (10 meters/yards), the connection to the PC will be interrupted.
The connection will automatically be re-established by Handy Tech's Braille device driver
once you move back within range. For this you need to have installed the latest Braille
display driver (see chapter 2.2 Software Installation).

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2.3.2 Bluetooth Apple iOS Device Tie-In
Mobile Apple devices, such as the iPhone or iPad, include a screen reader by default,
which enables blind people to operate the devices by speech and Braille output.
Since the operation of a Braille display in iOS requires changes that have not been done
yet, the Basic Braille Plus can emulate an already supported Braille display - in this case
the Active Braille. If you want to connect the Basic Braille Plus to an Apple device, you
must first activate the "Active Braille Emulation" option in configuration mode (see 3.4
Configuration Mode). Then activate VoiceOver on the Apple device. Proceed as follows:
1. Please make sure that the Basic Braille Plus is turned on, the Bluetooth option and
Active Braille emulation in Config mode is turned on.
2. Open “Settings” on the home screen of your iOS device.
3. Choose „Accessibility from the „General“ page.
4. Turn VoiceOver on.
5. Choose “Braille” on the Accessibility page.
6. If Bluetooth is off, the iOS device will remind you and you should turn it on now.
7. The iOS device is now searching for Bluetooth Braille displays. Please choose the
Active Braille from the list.
8. The Bluetooth connection will be established and you can read the text from the iOS
device on the Braille display.
Note: if the connection was interrupted because you have turned off or put to sleep mode
the Basic Braille Plus and/or the Apple device, please turn on/wake up the Basic Braille
Plus first.
2.3.3 Bluetooth-Android Device Tie-In
Android devices, such as the Samsung Galaxy Sx, include the screen reader TalkBack by
default, which enables blind people to operate the devices by speech. This is pre-installed
on most Android devices and can be activated under Settings>Accessibility. For Braille
support an additional App, called BrailleBack, is needed which you can download and
install via Play Store. Since the operation of a Braille display in Android operating system
requires changes that have not been done yet, the Basic Braille Plus can emulate an
already supported Braille display - in this case the Active Braille. If you want to connect the
Basic Braille Plus to an Android device, you must first activate the "Active Braille
Emulation" option in configuration mode (see 3.4 Configuration Mode). In order to connect
the Basic Braille Plus via Bluetooth with an Android device, proceed as follows:
1. Please make sure that the Basic Braille Plus is turned on and the Bluetooth option
in Config mode is turned on.
2. Activate Bluetooth on the Android device and search for new devices.
3. After some seconds, the Basic Braille Plus will be found and listed as Active Braille
in the device list.
4. Start the pairing process by double click on the Active Braille.
5. If the paring was successful, you’ll hear the message “device connected”.
6. Open BrailleBack on the Android device. You can find it under
Settings>Accessibility.
7. The Bluetooth connection will be established and you can read the text from the
Android device on the Braille display.

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Note: if the connection was interrupted because you have turned off or put to sleep mode
the Basic Braille Plus and/or the Android device, please turn on/wake up the Basic Braille
Plus first.
2.4 Connecting the USB Cable
To connect your Basic Braille Plus to a PC or laptop computer via USB interface, you will
need the included USB cable. The USB cable has a small magnetic USB plug on one end.
The other end features a bigger flat plug. If you want to use a different USB cable, please
make sure that it is not longer than 3 meters (118 inch).
Please connect the magnetic USB plug to the USB port on the right side of your Basic
Braille Plus. The plug is pulled by the magnet into the correct position. It does not matter
how the magnetic plug is placed around. The flat plug is then plugged into the PC's USB
port.
If the Basic Braille Plus is to be used as a medical device, the PC must conform to all
Medical Device Standards, or else it must have a ground connection or be connected to an
isolating transformer. Even if you are not using the Basic Braille Plus as a medical device,
we recommend connecting it only to a grounded PC. Otherwise you might feel the voltage
on the housing, which is harmless and permitted for non-medical devices but unpleasant.
When the PC is turned on, the Basic Braille Plus will automatically be recognized by USB-
enabled operating systems. If recognized by the PC, the USB connection becomes
primary.
The power for the Basic Braille Plus is supplied via the USB interface.
You can turn on the Basic Braille Plus by a short press on [FRU] and turn it off by pressing
[FRU] for 5 seconds.
Note: If using the Basic Braille Plus with Windows 8, 8.1 or 10, a screen reader must be
active. If there is no screen reader running, Windows will disconnect the Basic Braille Plus
when pressing any Braille key. In order to use the Basic Braille Plus again, you must
switch it off and on.
2.5 Using USB and Bluetooth at the same time
You can use an USB and Bluetooth connection at the same time. If you have connected
the Basic Braille Plus for example via USB to your PC or laptop, you can hook on parallel
a smart phone or a second PC via Bluetooth.
To switch between these two connections, press both center function keys [FLC] and
[FRC] together for 1 second. Please note, that the Bluetooth setting in Config Mode must
be “ON” or “AUTO”.
If you choose “AUTO”, the Bluetooth channel will be active for 15 minutes after switching
on the Basic Braille Plus. If no connection will be established in this time, the Bluetooth
interface will be deactivated in order to save battery live.
After switching the interface channel, the Basic Braille Plus shows the following messages:
•Disconnected: no connection, switching not possible

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•Bluetooth only / USB Only: only one connection, switching not possible
•USB Bluetooth: the USB connection becomes primary
•Bluetooth USB: the Bluetooth connection becomes primary
Note: While switching between USB and Bluetooth it might happen, that the screen reader
is sending data to the Basic Braille Plus and you cannot see this message because it
appears very shortly.
2.6 Technical Specifications
•32/40 concave piezoelectric Braille cells with cursor routing keys
•8 keys for Braille input
•1 space key
•6 function keys, 3 right and 3 left of the Braille display
•1 magnetic USB Port
•Supply voltage: 5 V, 200 mA
•Lithium Polymer Battery
•Battery charging time: 3 to 4 hours
•Battery duration: approx. 12 hours, depending on the number of modules
•Power consumption while charging: 500 mA
Dimensions and weights:
•Height: 0.76 inch (1.95 cm)
•Depth: 3.6 inch (9.15 cm)
Number of
Modules
Width
Weight
32
11.6 inch (29.5 cm)
1.43 lb (650 g)
40
13.6 inch (34.7 cm)
1.65 lb (750 g)

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Start-Up
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3 Start-Up
3.1 Turning the Power On
Please make sure that the Basic Braille Plus is connected to your PC with a USB interface
cable, and the PC is on. If necessary, turn on the Basic Braille Plus by pressing [FRU]
shortly. The Braille display shows the following welcome message:
’HT Basic Braille Plus xx V y.y BT ON’ or
’HT Basic Braille Plus xx V y.y BT OFF’or
’HT Basic Braille Plus xx V y.y BT AUTO’
If the option „Battery charge disable“ in Config mode is enabled, you will see this
message approx. 2 seconds before the welcome message.
xx stands for the length of the braille display (e.g., 32 or 40) and y.y stands for the version
number of the firmware of your Basic Braille Plus (e.g., 4.0).
Please notice that there is a number sign in front of the version number.
As soon as the screen reader sends information to the Basic Braille Plus, the welcome
message disappears, and the new data will be displayed.
3.2 Energy Saving Features
If no key is pressed or the display does not change on the Basic Braille Plus for 30
minutes, the device will switch into sleep mode. In sleep mode, the Braille modules are
turned off and some of the electronic modules are also deactivated. As soon as any key is
pressed or receiving any information from the screen reader, the Basic Braille Plus is
immediately fully operational again. You will recognize this because the tactile pins of the
Braille modules will be pushed back up.
After 8 hours in sleep mode the Basic Braille Plus turns itself completely off. You can turn
it on again by a short press on [FRU]. Read chapter 3.4 Configuration Mode to learn how
to switch off the energy saving feature.
3.3 Operation as a Braille Display
In order to operate the Basic Braille Plus as a Braille display under any Windows operating
system, you need a screen reader program to control the display, which is not included
with the Basic Braille Plus.
Please make sure that your Basic Braille Plus is properly connected and switched on
before starting up the screen reader program, because otherwise the screen reader will
not be able to detect it. As a rule, the screen reader will display the currently selected
position within the active window on the Braille display. For example, if you are moving
through a menu, the selected menu item is displayed. In word processing programs such