Prentke Romich Company SideKick User manual
Operator's Manual
for
SideKick™
PRENTKE ROMICH COMPANY
Corporate Headquarters:
1022 Heyl Rd. • Wooster, Ohio 44691
Telephone: (330) 262-1984
Fax: (330) 263-4829
Service: (800)-262-1990
Web Site Address: www.prentrom.com
Worldwide Headquarters
Prentke Romich International, Ltd.
Whitegates • Swinstead • Grantham • Lincs.• NG33 4PA • UK.
Fax: 44 1476 550872
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ÂData can be uploaded from this unit to a personal computer for storage on a hard disk,
floppy diskette, or other storage medium. Be sure to make multiple copies of all important
data to protect against accidental loss.
SideKick, Liberator, DIRECTOR, Control-1, MTI-MAC, MTI-IBM and Memory Transfer Interface are
trademarks of Prentke Romich Company; use of the name "Liberator" with permission from Liberator,
Ltd.
Minspeak is a registered trademark of Semantic Compaction Systems. Minspeak uses the methodology
derived from the concepts covered by U.S Patent Numbers 4,661,916; 5,097,425; 5,210,689 and
subsequent patents and applications of Bruce Baker.
Unity is a registered trademark in the USA of Semantic Compaction Systems.
IBM and PC-DOS are registered trademarks of International Business Machines, Inc.
Macintosh and AppleTalk are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
Windows 3.1, Windows95, Windows98 and MS-DOS are registered trademarks of Microsoft, Inc.
T-TAM is a trademark of Trace Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Apple, Macintosh and AppleTalk are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines.
©Prentke Romich Company 1998, 2000.
All rights reserved. Under copyright laws this manual may not be copied, in whole or in part, without
written consent of Prentke Romich Company.
7
ELECTRONIC INTERFERENCE INFORMATION
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.
You can determine whether this product is causing interference in your radio or television by turning this
product off. If the interference stops, it was probably caused bythis product or one of its accessories.
You can attempt to correct the interference by using one or more of the following measures:
• Turn the television or radio antenna until the interference stops.
• Move this product to one side or the other of the television or radio.
• Move this product farther away form the television or radio.
• Plug this product into an outlet that is on a different circuit from the television or radio; that is, this
product should be controlled by different circuit breakers/fuses from the television or radio.
• If necessary, contact a Prentke Romich Company service technician for assistance.
ÂIMPORTANT
Changes or modifications to this product which are not authorized by Prentke Romich Company could
exceed FCC limits and negate your authority to use this product.
CE ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION: Use: 0o - 45oC; Storage: (-20o) - 50oC; 95%
maximum relative humidity @ ambient temperatures less than 40oC.
Attention! Consult accompanying documents.
Type BF Applied Part: F type applied part complying with the specified
requirements of 60601-1 to provide protection against electric shock, particularly regarding
allowable leakage current.
Not intended to be an emergency call device or sole communication device.
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Table of Contents
GENERAL
What is the SideKick?............................................................................................................7
What's on the Front of the SideKick.................................................................................9
What's on the Rest of the SideKick?..............................................................................11
Charge the Batteries Regularly........................................................................................13
About the Control Panel.....................................................................................................15
About the ON/OFF Key in the Control Panel....................................................17
How to Change an Overlay...............................................................................................19
About the Toolbox...............................................................................................................21
Using Location Codes to Find Keys................................................................23
Minspeak Allows You to Have a Large Vocabulary and
Makes the Vocabulary Easy to Access.......................................................................25
An Example of Icon Associations...................................................................................27
About Selecting Your Own Minspeak Icons to Represent a Message...............29
Icon Prediction Lets You Know Where You Have Messages Stored .............31
SELECTION TECHNIQUES
Keyboard.........................................................................................................35
1-Switch-Scan Mode 1....................................................................................37
1-Switch-Scan Mode 2....................................................................................39
Dual Switch-Scan Mode 1 ..............................................................................41
Dual Switch-Scan Mode 2 ..............................................................................43
Set Scan Speed................................................................................................45
Set Acceptance Time and Release Time.........................................................47
STORING PROCEDURES
Choose Standard or Extended Speech...........................................................................51
About Storing Messages....................................................................................................53
About User Areas.................................................................................................................55
Store Your Message ............................................................................................................57
Some Storing Tips................................................................................................................59
Longer Icon Sequences Might Hide Shorter Icon Sequences...............................61
Erase a Message....................................................................................................................63
About One-Icon Themes....................................................................................................65
Set and Clear a Theme by Turning the THEME Button On or Off........................67
Erase the Entire Contents of the SideKick (Zorro)...................................................69
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TOOLBOX TOOLS
Predictive Selection Only Lets You Activate Keys Where
Messages are Stored..........................................................................................................73
About Auditory Prompts....................................................................................................75
Modify Auditory Prompts..................................................................................................77
Change the Feedback You Hear/See When You Activate Keys..........................79
Use SYSTEM LOCK to Lock the Control Panel and the Toolbox...........................81
Reset All the Defaults.........................................................................................................83
SYSTEM INFORMATION Tells You How Much Recording Time Remains
And What Software Version You Are Using ................................................85
MEMORY TRANSFER
Tips for a Successful Memory Transfer........................................................................89
Save the SideKick’s Memory to an IBM using the MTI for Windows ‘95®...91
Place the ’95 MTI on your Hard Drive...........................................................92
Save the SideKick's Memory to an IBM using the MTI-IBM-DOS ...............93
Save the SideKick's Memory to a Macintosh using MTI-MAC...........................95
The Computer Baud Rate and SideKick Baud Rate Must be the Same.............97
Transfer Vocabulary from One SideKick to Another..............................................99
APPENDICES
Appendix A: Add an External Speaker and/or Earphone...................................103
Appendix B: STORE and ERASE at a Glance............................................................105
Appendix C:Troubleshooting Tips...........................................................................107
INDEX...................................................................................................................................109
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General Information about the SideKick
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ERASE
THEMES
RECORD
STORETOOLS
SET
ACCEPTANCE
TIME
.01 .10 .20
.40 .50 .60 .80
1.0 1.2 1.5 2.0
2.5 3.0 4.0 5.0
300 1200
57600
MEM
FULL BAT
USER
AREAS
ON/OFF
SET
RELEASE
TIME
PREDICTIV E
SELECTION FEEDBACK
BEEP FEEDBACK
LIGHT
STANDARD
OR EXTENDED
SPEECH
AUDITORY
PROMPTS
ON/OFF
KEY OR
CONTENT
PROMPT
MODIFY
CATEGORY
PROMPT
RESET
DEFAULTS SYSTEM
LOCK
SY STEM
INFORMATION
BAUD
RATE
SAVE
MEMORY
TO DISK
LOAD
MEMORY
FROM DISK
.30
MODIFY
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AUTO
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HOLD
ROW/COL
OR
COL/ROW
1 SWITCH
SCAN 2 SWITCH
SCAN
SET
SCAN
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SCAN
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OR SCAN
MODE 2
The SideKick
Control Panel and Toolbox
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What is the SideKick?
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The SideKick is a small, portable communication aid that uses the
Minspeak visual language system. SideKick is designed for "on
the go" communication. It is small enough to fit in a pocket or to
hold in your hand. This makes it ideal to use when traveling,
shopping, eating out, or participating in activities where a larger
communication device might be a problem. SideKick makes a
good device for those who already use a larger, more powerful
communication aid or for people who are new to AAC.
The SideKick has been designed to be as easy to use as possible.
The device is limited in part by its memory (6 ½ minutes of
standard or 11 1/2 minutes of extended speech). Nonetheless, the
SideKick has been engineered for the diverse community of people
who need a communication aid.
The SideKick has all the functions that will help AAC users to
develop interactive communication skills at their own pace. You
can access the SideKick by pressing the keys or by scanning. Icon
Prediction and Auditory Prompts help you to remember where
messages are stored. As with all PRC communication devices, you
can transfer the SideKick's memory to a computer disk and load it
back into the device from the disk.
This manual will help you to set up your SideKick so that it does
what you want it to do.
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USER
AREAS
Front of the SideKick
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What’s on the Front of SideKick
Control Panel Area-contains the most often used functions. Use
the buttons in this area to store, record and erase messages. The
TOOLS button turns the Toolbox On or Off. You can select a
theme by pressing the THEMES button or select one of four User
Areas.
Keyboard and LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes)—the SideKick
comes with a 24 location keyboard. Activate the keys by pressing
on them or by using a single or dual switch. When a key is
activated its LED lights and you hear a beep.
Keyguard—the keyguard fits over the keyboard and outlines the
keys on the keyboard. It is made of durable plastic and is held in
place by two screws at the bottom and two push-pins at the top.
Loosen the keyguard by pulling up on the top edge till the push-
pins come loose. To completely remove the keyguard you must
unscrew the bottom two screws. ÂYou received 4 extra keyguard
screws to replace the push-pins if you find that you need them.
Overlay Protector—the overlay protector is a thin piece of vinyl
that fits on top of the overlay and helps to protect it from spills,
crumbs, etc.
Overlay—the overlay fits underneath the overlay protector, on top
of the keyboard keys. The Unity general vocabulary overlay is in
place on your device. You also received a Unity overlay with a
blank top row and some completely blank overlays.
Toolbox—lift up on the keyguard and slide the overlay protector
and overlay out to see the Toolbox. The Toolbox contains various
"tools" (or functions) which you can change to increase the
SideKick's usefulness to you. The keys with text on them are the
tools.
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Warning!
Do not plug the earphone into the
EXTERNAL SPEAKER jack. This could
cause damage to your hearing.
Jacks and Connectors on the Top Panel
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What's on the Rest of SideKick
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On the Top Panel of the SideKick
Microphone—Speak clearly into this area when you record
messages.
Ear Volume Control—Rotate up or down to control the
volume you hear if you are using an earphone.
Speaker Volume Control—Rotate up or down to control
the loudness or softness of the internal speaker.
Dual Jack—Plug a switch in here.
External Speaker Jack—Plug an external speaker in here.
External Earphone Jack—plug an external earphone in
here.
On the Right Side Panel
Battery Charging Jack—Plug in the battery charger that came
with the SideKick here. When the charger is plugged in, the LED
marked BAT on the front of the SideKick lights. When the
batteries get low the SideKick says, "Battery low" so you will
know to plug in the charger.
On the Bottom Panel
RS-232—The cable that is used for a memory transfer plugs in
here. This cable came with your MTI.
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Charging the Batteries
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Charge the Batteries Regularly
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Warning! You must use the correct battery charger
with the SideKick. Using an unauthorized battery charger may
damage the batteries. See page 107 for complete information.
The SideKick should run for about 10 hours of normal use before
you will need to charge the batteries. If you use the device
everyday, we recommend that you charge it overnight. Charge the
batteries for approximately 8 hours. The SideKick will not lose
its memory, even if the batteries go dead.
When the batteries are low the SideKick speaks, "Battery low."
You hear this warning at the end of any spoken message and when
you try to store or erase messages. You will not be able to store or
erase until you plug in the battery charger.
When the battery charger is plugged in, the battery charging LED
lights/flashes to indicate one of three battery states:
1. A solid light means the SideKick batteries are dead.
2. If the LED is flashing quickly (every 1/2 second), the
SideKick is fast-charging.
3. If the LED is flashing slowly (once every 2 seconds), the
SideKick is trickle-charging. This means the batteries are fully
charged but you may keep the charger plugged in.
To find out about changing the battery pack, please read Appendix
C-Troubleshooting: Changing the Battery Pack.
The SideKick also has a Memory Transfer Interface program for
Macintosh and IBM computers. See pages 89-97 for more about
the MTI programs.
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The Control Panel
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About the Control Panel
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The Control Panel area is on the top front of the SideKick. You
can Store, Record and Erase messages by pressing the keys. The
TOOLS key opens the Toolbox. The THEME key allows you to enter
a theme when you are storing or retrieving messages. You can
select one of four User Areas to use. You can turn the SideKick
On or Off in the Control Panel.
ÂIf you turn the SideKick Off by using the ON/OFF button in the
Control Panel, you must turn it back On using this button.
The MEM FULL LED automatically lights when the SideKick's
memory is full.
When you press a key in the Control Panel, an LED next to the key
lights. This indicates that that particular function is in use. When
you press the button again, the light will go out to indicate that the
function is no longer in use.
Notice that the USER AREA key has four LEDs. This allows you to
set up four different User Areas. Press the key to go to Area 2.
Press it again to go to Area 3. Press it again to go to Area 4. The
next press returns you to Area 1. See page 55 for more information
about User Areas.
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The ON/OFF Key
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About the ON/OFF Key in the Control
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When you first receive your SideKick you must press the ON/OFF
key in the Control Panel to turn the unit On.
Once the SideKick is On, if no activations are made for 2 minutes,
the unit will "go to sleep" (turn itself partially Off) to conserve the
batteries. Just press any key to wake it back up.
If you press the ON/OFF key to turn the SideKick Off, you must
press the ON/OFF key again to turn the SideKick back On. The
ON/OFF key turns the unit completely Off. You cannot press any
key to "wake it up." You must use the ON/OFF key.
ÄRemember!
If you use the ON/OFF key in the Control Panel to turn the SideKick
Off,
you must press the ON/OFF key again to turn the SideKick back
On.
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Changing an Overlay
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How to Change an Overlay
A Unity overlay is in place on your SideKick. Three (3) blank
overlays have also been included with your device. Each overlay is
divided into 24 squares. You also received two icon sticker sheets.
You can choose from these icons and put those you select on your
blank overlays in any order you want.
The keyguard is held in place with two screws at its bottom and
two push-pins at its top. You received 4 extra screws that you can
use to replace the push-pins if you find that you would rather have
the entire keyboard attached to the case with screws.
How to Change an Overlay
Lift up on the top of the keyguard until the two push-pins come
loose from the case.
ÂDo not try to yank the keyguard off the case. The bottom of
the keyguard is screwed into the case. If you want to remove the
entire keyguard, unscrew the two screws on the bottom of the
keyguard.
Hold the top of the keyguard away from the case and gently pull
the overlay protector and the overlay out from under the keyguard.
What you see now is the Toolbox keyboard. Slide the new overlay
face up onto the Toolbox keyboard and place the overlay protector
on top of the overlay. Line up the holes so that you will be able to
see the LEDs when they light. When the overlay and overlay
protector are aligned, push the keyboard push-pins back into their
holes.
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USER
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SET
RELEASE
TIME
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About the Toolbox
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