SMART Brailler User Manual
Contents
1. User Manual Rev 041814 Brailler a clean soft cloth may also be used as a cover Returning the Brailler for Repair If there is a problem using the brailler you can review more information online including training videos and Frequently Asked Questions FAQs at www smartbrailler org Please review this information first as it may help solve the issues you are experiencing For any remaining issues please contact Perkins Products Perkins Products Customer Service 175 North Beacon St Watertown Massachusetts USA Telephone 1 617 972 7308 Email perkinsproducts perkins org Staff will assist you to either solve the problem or make arrangements for returning your brailler Please contact Perkins Products before returning the brailler in order to receive a Return Material Authorization RMA number The SMART Brailler has a one year warranty covering defective materials and workmanship Note Please do not attempt to take the brailler apart This will void the warranty If you are having minor difficulties with your brailler contact Perkins Products before sending it in for repairs to see if the problem can be solved If you do need to return the brailler and have received an RMA www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 41 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 from Perkins Products send a letter along with the machin2. downward pressure If it slides back to the right when you release it the Carriage may have gotten slightly jammed during shipping press the Carriage Release Button down and slide the Carriage over to the right to release it www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 6 Perkins Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 PRODUCTS The SMART Brailler has a transparent blue film covering the metallic parts of the frame to protect it during manufacturing and shipping You may notice this film starting to peel off in places It can be removed or left on the brailler at your discretion Installing the Battery Notes Do not plug in the brailler until the battery has been installed To avoid risk of personal injury do not install the battery if it is damaged You will need a small Phillips head screwdriver to install the battery 1 Set the brailler on its back so the bottom of the brailler is facing you Locate the battery door on the bottom of the brailler unscrew the two screws and remove door Remove the battery from the small box and the plastic bag Connect the battery power plug in the right corner of the battery compartment The plug fits into the port in only one position Once connected place the battery in the compartment and hold it in place make sure the wires aren t caught underneath the battery or pinched when the door is inserted Insert t
3. surrounded by the four Navigation Buttons is located to the right of the screen At the right end of the top of the Smart Module is the Headphone Jack At the top of the right side of the module are two Volume Buttons The USB Port is located at the bottom of the right side of the module Quick Buttons The four black Quick Buttons are located to the left of the video screen 1 The first top Quick Button turns the screen on or off to aid with practicing tactile braille for privacy or to save battery power It is a small smooth oval button 2 The second from the top Quick Button toggles between two screen display modes It is an oval button with one raised line at the bottom a SimBraille mode shows six simulated braille cells above their corresponding print characters in 42 point type b In Large Print mode the SimBraille is replaced by four large print characters in 70 point type Both modes display a full line of 28 print characters at the bottom of the screen in 12 point type In Contracted Mode see below words containing contractions are underlined www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 15 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 3 The third from the top Quick Button toggles between the two braille translation modes Uncontracted and Contracted This button has two raised lines on it 4 The fourth bottom Quic
4. 25 and 0 very low battery Battery The SMART Brailler is powered by a lithium ion Li ion battery e To avoid risk of personal injury do not install the battery if it is damaged e For best performance do not let the battery completely run out of charge or leave the brailler constantly plugged in as this can reduce the battery life e Dispose of a used battery according to your local ordinance e Do not dispose of the battery in the trash or expose it to fire Smart Module The Smart Module is located in the center of the front of the Brailler The Smart Module is attached to the brailler with hinges on the bottom of the module It can be tilted forward for optimal screen viewing angle and to access the Margin Guides See also the illustration under Machine Layout Front View At the center of the module is the 4 inch color video screen While you are brailling the screen displays a visual representation of a portion of www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 14 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 your current braille line Two display modes and six color combinations are available To the left of the screen are four Quick Buttons and a speaker The speaker is located to the left of the Quick Buttons The small round Menu Button is located next to the upper right corner of the screen The diamond shaped Select Button
5. Files Deletes all files for the current user Print File Requires USB connection to printer Copy File to USB only displays if a USB drive is plugged into the unit Copy All Files to USB Only displays if a USB drive is plugged into the unit www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 45 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 Exit Menu USB Files Only displays if a USB drive is plugged into the unit Open File Opens and reads a saved text file and stores it in active memory Save File Saves the current text to the USB drive This can also be used to add text to an existing file Save New Saves the current text in a file with the same name as the current file or up to 24 characters of that name but with after it starts at 1 and increases by 1 for each subsequent Save New Read File Delete File Delete All Files Deletes all files on the USB drive Copy File to Memory Copy All Files to Memory Exit Menu Exit Menu Users Change User Select to log in as another existing user New User Select to create a new user Delete User Deletes a user and all the internal files for the user The current user cannot be deleted Exit Menu Apps Building on Patterns K Install Application Uninstall Application Exit Menu Settings Language Displays and announces current setting default is US English but others available are
6. against the raised line on the Reading Rest which acts as a paper guide Slide the paper into the brailler under the Embossing Head and between the rollers Step 5 Hold the paper in place with one hand and push the Paper Release Levers away from you with your other hand as far as they will go Step 6 Turn one or both Paper Feed Knobs toward you to roll the paper into the machine Keep turning the knobs toward you until you cannot turn them any further At this point the paper should be in the machine as far as it will go with about 1 inch showing at the top of the brailler If the Paper Feed Knobs will not turn then the paper was not inserted correctly Roll the paper back out of the brailler pull the Paper Release www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 24 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 Levers forward and remove the paper Then reposition the paper and repeat steps 1 through 6 Step 7 Press the Line Spacing key once Doing so engages the Line Spacing mechanism and positions the top margin correctly Removing Paper To remove paper from the brailler first roll the paper out all the way by either pressing the Line Spacing key repeatedly until it stops moving the paper or turning the Paper Feed Knobs away from you until they will not turn any more Note If you use the Paper Feed Knobs Braille Tracking turns off After you
7. listed www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 46 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 Exit Menu Voice Displays and announces current setting default in US English is Heather Change to Ryan Change to Laura Exit Menu Colors Displays and announces current setting default is Black on White Change to White on Black Change to Yellow on Black Change to Black on Yellow Change to Pink on Black Change to Black on Pink Exit Menu Brightness Displays an image of the Navigation Buttons and displays and announces Use up and down buttons to adjust a bar indicating the setting is displayed and the screen brightness changes as it is adjusted Exit Menu Power Select to change the time the screen stays on when the brailler is not in use Power Adapter Select to change screen timer when the brailler is plugged in Screen Timer Default is 30 minutes Change to 5 minutes Change to 1 hour Change to Never Exit menu Exit Menu Battery Select to change the screen timer when the brailler is on battery power Screen Timer Default is 5 minutes Change to 1 minute www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 47 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 Change to 10 minutes Change to 30 minutes Exit menu Exit Menu Exit Menu System System Info S
8. load a new piece of paper press the Select Button to turn Braille Tracking back on Once you have rolled the paper out all the way pull the Paper Release Levers toward you and remove the paper Do not pull the levers toward you unless the paper is completely rolled out Do not yank or roughly pull paper out of the machine by force Brailling Tips When the paper is rolled in you have pressed the Line Spacing key once and the Carriage is at the far left you are ready to start brailling The following tips should help you produce high quality braille e The spacebar will move up and down when you press keys for dots 1 6 this is normal s A maximum of 28 cells will fit in one line of braille If you try to www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 25 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 braille past the cell at the right margin the Smart Module will interpret any new dots as part of the last cell For example with the right margin guide set to its rightmost position any dots you try to braille past cell 28 will be added to cell 28 e Try to press all the keys for a particular character at the same time If you press one key a little after the others the Smart Module may not realize the key has been pressed and or the key may stick or jam e A consistent pressure when brailling will ensure the evenness of your braille The SMART Braill
9. the Users Menu the brailler will return to that menu The new user s initial settings will be the same as those of the previous user www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 29 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 To save any information for a particular user that user must logged on either in the Welcome Menu or by changing users in the Users Menu of the Main Menu After logging on as the desired user braille the text to be saved or change the settings to be saved You can exit the New User grid without creating a new user by selecting Esc You can create up to approximately 30 different users See the Appendix B Main Menu and Submenus section of this manual for a list of other options in the Users Menu Changing User Settings The SMART Brailler has several setting options available in the Settings Menu to tailor the audio and visual feedback to a particular user in addition to the options available via the Quick Buttons Voice For most languages multiple Acapela voices are available the user can change the default and save their favorite Colors Six combinations of text and background colors are available The default is Black on White Brightness Ten brightness settings are available www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 30 Perkins PRODUCTS
10. DUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 onto the brailler or use any type of abrasive cleaner General Care Try not to drop your brailler Though it is designed to withstand normal wear and tear and deliver years of service it is a precision machine which can be damaged by a fall The brailler is thoroughly oiled at the factory with non oxidizing oil so you should not oil it yourself Only non oxidizing oil should be used Oiling should be done by a trained brailler repair technician otherwise your brailler may be permanently damaged or made inoperable Do not leave the brailler in hot places such as on a radiator or in direct sunlight The rubber feet on the bottom of the machine and in the paper feed roller could degrade Though the brailler is designed to withstand corrosion try not to expose it to excessive dampness Exposing the machine to salt water and spilling liquid into it are particularly damaging Storage When you are not using your brailler push the Paper Release Levers away from you and cover it with a dust cover Dust combines with oil to form an abrasive substance which can damage the machine over time The dust cover available from Perkins for the Standard Perkins Brailler or the APH Light Touch Perkins Brailler will fit over the SMART www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 40 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler
11. Perkins PRODUCTS SMART Brailler User Manual Revision Date September 19 2014 KE CE V S Product and User manual developed in partnership with d American Printing House for the Blind Inc www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 Perkins Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 Contents IW OG UCONN EE 4 Gelling Starile WE 6 Unpacking Your SMART Braller y eee e ees 6 stalling Ku 7 Machine LAYOUT Aegweguae age eER ee ENRSie E gege KREE ENNER KEN 9 PONEN IEN raie er EE E E E EE a 9 omar ele EE 10 BACK TEE 11 Terms tO KNOW ects Ee E ENEE Ee SE Ee 12 Exploring the Parts of the SMART Brailler ssssss00 13 Inserting and Removing Braille Paper ssssssseeeeeeeenes 23 Inserting Paper ccc cece cece cee e eee ee eee eeeeeeeeeeeeaeenenes 23 Removing Pape E 25 Braillihg TIDS ssas Ra 25 Correcting Brailling Errors ssssssnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 27 USEF ACCOUNTS isisesiendcctsiciiiniminnmnanciteanaieinmaciondanaasicinn 29 Setting Up a User Account 29 Changing User Settings sesnsserrerrrrsrrsrrrrerrrrene 30 Changing User Accounts 31 SAVING YOUR WOlK E 33 Creating and Saving a File ccc ceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee ees 33 Tips for Naming a File EE 34 elek ele RI 35 PRINTING a a UE 35 www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 2 Perkins P
12. Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 The default Language is US English although other languages available are UEB French German UK English Swedish Polish Russian Turkish Spanish Latin American Portugese Brazilian and Arabic Please check www smartbrailler org for additional languages and voices that may now be available The Power settings let you set the amount of time the screen will stay on when the brailler is not being used When the Power Adapter is in use the default time is 30 minutes When the Battery is in use the default time is 5 minutes See the Appendix B Main Menu and Submenus section of this manual for a complete listing of other options in the Settings Menu Changing User Accounts You can log in as a different existing user from the Welcome Menu or the Change User option in the Users Menu When you change from one user to another any text the brailler has been keeping track of for the first user is saved for the next time you log on as that user Then text that was brailled by the second user is loaded along with the second user s settings voice color etc Following that the brailler will go to Braille Entry mode and automatically read the saved text via text to speech Pressing any button that provides audio feedback will stop the reading of the text pressing the Screen Off On Quick Button twice is recommended You can also use the up Navigation Button to scroll up to review the
13. W License displayed and announced OS Version displayed and announced OS Date displayed and announced App Version displayed and announced Exit Menu Test Carriage Calibrates the brailler Check with Customer Service before performing this process Follow the instructions Do not press any other keys than the Space key until the calibration is complete Battery Status AC Line displayed and announced Flag displayed and announced Capacity displayed and announced Raw data displayed and announced Voltage displayed and announced Current displayed and announced Refresh Status Exit Menu Exit Menu Exit Menu Exit Menu www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 48
14. al memory Insert a USB drive and then go to the File Menu for the location from which you want to copy To copy a single file select Copy File to Memory or Copy File to USB then select the file you would like to copy The brailler will tell you that the file has been copied from Memory to USB or from USB to Memory To copy all files from one location to the other select Copy All Files to Memory or Copy All Files to USB Printing a File Printing Directly from the Brailler Internal files can be printed directly from the brailler to most printers if you connect the brailler to the printer via the USB port You will need a USB cable with a USB standard A connector at one end and the appropriate connector at the other end for your printer Many printers have a USB standard B port Insert the USB A end of the cable into the USB A port and the other end into the printer s port Once you connect the brailler to the printer with the cable go to the www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 35 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 Main Menu select File then Internal Files then Print File Scroll to the file you would like to print and press the Select Button The file will be transmitted to the printer There is no voice feedback from the brailler when a file is printed If you wish to print a USB file directly from the brailler to a printer you
15. ame as a text file with the first line of text maximum 28 print characters as the file name The brailler will say filename has been saved Note For files saved in internal memory you must be logged in as the same user as when a file was saved in order to retrieve that file You can then start a new file or continue brailling in the current file The brailler will not clear what you ve typed until you select New File from the File Menu Follow the process described above to save the additional information in the same file If you add to the current file and wish to save it under a different name select Save New from the www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 33 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 Internal or USB Files menu The brailler saves the updated file with a name composed of the first line maximum 28 characters of text followed by the number 1 in parentheses 1 The number in parentheses is increased by 1 in the name of each subsequent selection of Save New for example Bobby 1 Bobby 2 Bobby 3 To start a new file select New File from the File Menu When you turn the brailler off or change users it saves what you ve typed under the current user from the last time you selected New File When you turn the brailler on it loads any text that was typed from the last New File selection for the Guest user If you chan
16. arriage to the far left and then push down and shift the right margin guide Once the margin guides are positioned you may need to move them slightly from left to right until they click up into place Note If the margin guides are not in the up position the Carriage may not move freely to the set margins The carriage may appear to be stuck or not able to braille properly to the right or left ends of the paper In many cases this is because the margin guide was left in the down position and not clicked back up so that there is a small space between the brailler and the www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 22 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 margin guide Once you have checked the margin guide and made sure that it is up in its home position the carriage will move cleanly Inserting and Removing Braille Paper The SMART Brailler is designed to use paper up to 8 1 2 inches wide and 11 inches long It can accommodate up to one sheet of heavyweight braille paper which is 7 1000 thick or between 60 and 100 pound weight measurement or the same thickness as two sheets of newspaper Paper thicker than this will not easily fit between the rollers Lightweight braille paper or any other paper that is relatively stiff approximately 60 pound weight is fine Notebook or copy paper should not be used becaus
17. by pressing one of the brailler keys User names Names of other user accounts that are on this Brailler select to log in as that user and go to Braille Entry mode New User Navigates to a screen where you can enter a user name Audio Tour Starts an audio tour of the SMART Brailler www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 44 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 Appendix B Main Menu and Submenus This list contains the options in the Main Menu and its submenus Additional information is given for some of the options Note Selecting Exit Menu always takes the brailler completely out of the Main Menu and into Braille Entry mode You can also press the Menu Button from most locations in the menus to return to Braille Entry mode Main Menu File New File Clears the active memory and puts the brailler in Braille Entry mode Internal Files All internal file information is for the current user only Open File Opens and reads a saved text file and stores it in active memory Save File Saves the current text in internal memory This can also be used to add text to an existing file Save New Saves the current text in a file with the same name as the current file or up to 24 characters of that name but with after it starts at 1 and increases by 1 for each subsequent Save New Read File Delete File Delete all
18. e movement Easy Erase Button or Paper Feed Knobs Before toggling Braille Tracking back on make sure that you move the Carriage to the line and cell that you were on before Braille Tracking was turned off Alternately you can just move the Carriage to the last line you brailled turn Braille Tracking on press the line spacing key and move the Carriage all the way to the left to start a new line To turn Braille Tracking back on press the Select Button Braille Tracking may turn off when you remove paper from the brailler and insert a new piece of paper See the Inserting and Removing Braille Paper section of this manual for instructions After loading the new piece of paper press the Select Button to reenter Braille Entry mode and turn Braille Tracking on www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 12 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 Exploring the Parts of the SMART Brailler Note To explore the parts of the brailler using the information in this section place the brailler in front of you with the keys toward you Easy Grip Handle The Easy Grip handle is the rounded portion of the frame below the keys Since the bottom of the brailler is flat you can rest the brailler against your leg while you carry it as you might carry a briefcase Power Switch The power switch is a round rocker switch on the lower right side of the braill
19. e and resume the Audio Tour in the Welcome Menu e Toggle Braille Tracking on or off e Select a menu item or action e Select numbers letters delete soace escape or OK while setting up a new user Headphone Jack The headphone jack is located at the right end of the top of the Smart Module Note It is recommended that you do not have headphones on during the brailler power up routine and that you remove headphones before turning off the brailler This is due to the volume of the start up and shutdown sounds Volume Buttons The Volume Buttons are located at the top of the right side of the Smart Module Press and release the top Volume Button to turn the volume up Press and release the bottom Volume Button to turn the volume down Once the brailler has powered up the Volume Buttons adjust the loudness of the audio speaker or the headphones if they are inserted www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 18 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 USB Port The USB Port is located at the bottom right side of the Smart Module Using this port you can save or copy files to a USB flash drive or connect the brailler to a printer with a USB cable to print text documents from the internal memory of the brailler Once a file is on a USB drive you can plug the USB into a device to save it on the device or e mail it Keys There are nine keys across
20. e describing the problem Be sure to include your contact information and the serial number of your machine The serial number is on a label on the bottom of the brailler IMPORTANT If you do not have the original packing material for the brailler contact Perkins Products before shipping your brailler When packing up your brailler please do the following to protect it during shipping 1 Remove the battery 2 Make sure the Paper Release Levers are pushed away from you as far as they will go 3 Use the original packing material and pack the brailler as you received it e Be sure to move the Carriage all the way to the right and secure it with the Carriage foam insert that held it in place when it was shipped to you The debossed word REMOVE on the insert should be facing up and read from left to right from the front of the brailler e Place the brailler in the anti static bag e Place the bagged brailler in between the two foam inserts in the box 4 Include the battery and the power adapter with the brailler If you are mailing your brailler from within the U S write Free Matter www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 42 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 for the Blind or Handicapped in the upper right corner of the address side of the box This allows you to send it without postage in accordance with Free Mat
21. e it can easily tear and get caught in the paper rolling mechanism It also does not hold braille dots well Please be aware that the use of self adhesive labels in the brailler can cause difficulties Over time glue from these labels can build up on the rollers and embossing pins Labels can also peel off in the brailler and adhere to the rollers or other parts of the machine If this should happen maintenance by a trained brailler repair technician is recommended Inserting Paper Step 1 Press the Line Spacing key the key farthest to the left until it will not depress any further Or turn the Paper Feed Knobs away from www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 23 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 you until they stop turning Step 2 Move the Carriage to the left as far as it will go by placing your hand to the right of the Carriage and pushing to the left Do not press the button on the top of the Carriage or exert any downward pressure Step 3 Pull the Paper Release Levers toward you as far as they will go You can use either or both levers This separates the two rollers slightly so you can insert the paper between the rollers Step 4 Genily lift the Reading Rest until it clicks into place and is parallel with the table surface Take the shorter edge of the paper and place it on the Reading Rest Slide the left edge of the paper
22. er is designed so that once you apply enough pressure to the keys to make good braille dots extra pressure will not make the dots bigger e For comfort when brailling keep your fingers curved rather than extended straight Whatever position works best for you is acceptable e Try to keep any fingers not needed for brailling a particular character out of the way of other keys This is so you do not inadvertently press keys or get unwanted dots in your writing e Be sure to release all keys completely after brailling each character If you do not release all keys the Carriage may not advance properly along the line e If the backspace key is depressed even slightly while other keys are pressed all the keys may become locked To release them move the Carriage slightly to the left by pressing down on the backspace key or by pulling back gently on the Carriage e If the Carriage sticks or is sluggish as it moves across a line the paper probably was not inserted correctly Finish the line then roll the paper out and reinsert it Braille Tracking will turn off when you do this The spacing between the line you just finished and www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 26 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 the one you braille after reinserting the paper may not be quite right so if exact spacing is important you may need to start over o
23. er Rock the switch away from you to turn on the brailler and you will hear a short audible tone After a pause you will hear some introductory music and the words Perkins SMART Brailler Then after approximately 40 50 seconds you will hear the word Welcome and the name of the current user The default user is Guest At this point the brailler displays the Welcome Menu See the Appendix A Welcome Menu section of this manual for a list of the menu options Note Regular manual brailler functions including embossing are available when the power is off Power Supply Port The power supply port is located on the bottom left side of the back of brailler Plug the power adapter into this port and the other end into a power outlet to power the brailler or charge the battery www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 13 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 When the brailler is plugged in and charging the Smart Module displays a battery icon with a lightning bolt inside it on the upper right corner of the screen When the brailler is fully charged you will hear the words the battery is fully charged and the icon will go away When the brailler is not plugged into a power source it displays a battery icon with the charge level in the upper right corner of the Smart Module screen The levels displayed are 100 75 50
24. erkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 Printing Directly from the Brailler ccceceeenee eee 35 Printing via Other Devices cc cece cece cece eeeeeeeeeeees 36 Additional SMART Brailler Information and Tips 37 Care and StOFa LE 39 Cleaning the Brailler ccccccecseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees 39 General CANS EE 40 O Te EE 40 Returning the Brailler for Repair ccceeseeeeseesseeenenees 41 Refurbishment and Recycling of the brailler 5 43 Appendix A Welcome Menu see 44 Appendix B Main Menu and Gubmenus ek Ke 45 www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 3 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 Introduction Perkins Products welcomes you to the SMART Brailler please consult this manual for detailed information on the operation of this device In addition to embossing braille the SMART Brailler provides immediate feedback to a child or adult who is learning braille via text to speech and a screen that displays what is brailled This audio and visual feedback also provides access for someone who does not know braille including parents peers and general education teachers The SMART Brailler features include e Acolor video screen that displays SimBraille and large print e A speaker that provides audio feedback via Acapela Text to Speech from Acapela Group e Tra
25. ge to a different user in the Main Menu or Welcome Menu the brailler loads any text that was typed from the last New File selection for that user and reads back the text You must select New File in the File Menu to clear this text See the Appendix B Main Menu and Submenus section of this manual for more information about the options available for files Tips for Naming a File The file name is the first line of the file or the first 28 characters of text in a file if the print version of the line has more than 28 characters For example if you type your name followed by a line space your name will be the file name If you do not want the file name to be on the embossed braille document you can insert another piece of paper write the desired file name then remove that paper and insert the paper for the actual document www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 34 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 If you create another document with the same first line or select Save New after adding to an existing file the brailler saves the second file with the same name followed by the number 1 in parentheses 1 The number in parentheses is increased by 1 in the name of each subsequent file saved with the same name Copying Files You can copy one or all files from the brailler s internal memory to a USB drive or from a USB drive to intern
26. he tabs of the battery door into the slots on the right and close the door Screw the two screws back in place Remove the power adapter from the small box and plug the adapter into a wall power socket Plug the adaptor cord into its port located on the left rear side of the brailler Leave the brailler plugged in until it receives a full initial charge www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 7 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 This should take no longer than 8 hours You can use the SMART Brailler while it is charging When charging is complete the charging icon on the screen will go away Please go on to the next page www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 8 Perkins Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 Machine Layout Front View Left Margin Right Margin Guide Guide Paper Feed Paper Feed Kn O b a Kn O b Line Spacing Backspace Key Key Keys Keys dn Zi A 4 5 6 Easy Grip Spacebar Handle www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 9 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 Smart Module Quick Keys 1 Screen Off Screen On 2 SimBraille Mode or Large Print Mode 3 Uncontracted Mode or Contracted Mode 4 Speak Letter
27. ins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 Easy Erase Button If you make a mistake simply backspace until the Easy Erase Button is directly over the mistake the Embossing Head and the cursor on the screen will be over the cell before the mistake Then press down firmly on the Easy Erase Button several times to eliminate all of the dots in the cell The brailler will tell you what it is erasing the first time you press the button To braille a new character press the space bar once so that the Embossing Head is in the correct cell The Embossing Head must always be one cell to the left of the cell in which the mistake was made before using the Easy Erase Button Because of this the first cell of a line cannot be erased with the Easy Erase Button See also the Correcting Brailling Errors section of this manual Reading Rest The Reading Rest is a panel at the back of the brailler that can be raised to provide a flat surface for reading the page a raised line on the left side can be used to help guide the paper into the brailler To raise the Reading Rest locate the finger indentations on the back panel of the brailler The indentions are on both sides and at the bottom of the panel Gently pull up on the rectangular piece so it is level and parallel with the table surface Do not push down hard on the Reading Rest or it will drop back down into position against the brailler Also be sure to lower the Reading Rest to its original po
28. k Button switches speech modes The brailler can speak letters words letters and words lines or everything Additionally this Quick Button allows you to turn speech off This button has three raised lines on it Menu Button The Menu Button is a small round green button with a raised dot in the middle It is located at the top right of the screen Use this button to enter and exit the Main Menu where you can save files switch users change settings or access other features The menu choices in the first level of the Main Menu are listed here See Appendix B Main Menu and Submenus in this manual for a complete list of the menu options File Users Apps Settings System Exit Menu The Menu Button may also be used to exit to Braille Entry mode from most levels of the Main Menu and Welcome Menu While in Braille Entry mode if you press and hold the Menu Button for at least 6 seconds and then release it the brailler will announce the following information www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 16 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 e Battery status percent charged or charging e Current user name e Braille Mode setting Contracted Braille or Uncontracted Braille e Speech Mode setting Speech Off Speak Letters Speak Words Speak Letters and Words Speak Lines or Speak Everything When setting up a new user you can
29. must first copy the USB file to Internal Memory Then follow the steps above to print the file If you follow these instructions and your file does not print you will need to follow the instructions below for printing via another device Printing via Other Devices To print a file via a personal computer or other device save the file to the USB drive Then plug the USB drive into your other device and print or send it as you would any other file You may also send files with or store files in another device by transferring the files from the brailler this way www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 36 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 Additional SMART Brailler Information and Tips e The SMART Brailler cannot be used as an embosser for retrieved files or for another device e The brailler is not intended to be a substitute for a notetaker e The brailler will not take the place of a computer e The brailler does not support the Nemeth Braille Code for Mathematics and Science Notation e f you feel that the brailler is repeating letters or words you may want to try changing the Speech Mode to Speak Words or Speak Lines e To stop the read back of a file after you change users select Open File or select Read File press any button or key that gives text to soeech feedback any Quick Button the Menu Button the Select But
30. n a fresh sheet of paper Press the Select Button to turn Braille Tracking back on when you are ready to start brailling again When you have brailled as much as you want on a line press the Line Spacing key and move the Carriage back to the left margin If you move the Carriage to the left before pressing the Line Spacing key it may damage the dots you have brailled Correcting Brailling Errors If you want to correct errors on a page it is best to correct them as you go The Smart Module will only keep track of erasures made with the Easy Erase Button and will only keep track of erasures and added dots if they are made on the current line as indicated by the cursor on the screen If you just need to add missing dots backspace until the Embossing Head and the cursor are located over the cell that needs the dots and then press the keys needed to add the new dots To erase dots on the current line of braille either use the Easy Erase Button or erase them manually Bear in mind that the Easy Erase Button cannot be used for the first cell of a line To use the Easy Erase Button backspace until the Easy Erase Button is directly over the mistake the Embossing Head and the cursor on the screen will be located over the cell to the left of the mistake Then www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 27 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 p
31. nd Please turn off the brailler and then turn it back on If you encounter additional problems after receiving this message please contact Perkins Products See the section in this manual on Returning the Brailler for Repair for contact information Care and Storage Cleaning the Brailler Turn the brailler off and unplug it before cleaning it Use a microfiber cloth to clean the SMART Brailler s video screen Rub the cloth gently across the screen do not use a circular motion If needed lightly dampen a section of the cloth with water and gently wipe the screen and then go over it again with a dry section of the cloth to wipe away any moisture Distilled water is preferred because it will not leave a film when it dries A microfiber cloth is also preferred for cleaning the body of the brailler and the plastic parts of the Smart Module However another type of soft cloth can be used You can lightly dampen the cloth with plain water or water with a small amount of mild dishwashing liquid if needed Dry the brailler immediately after cleaning it Do not allow moisture into the speaker around the bases of the buttons or into the headphone jack or USB port on the Smart Module Do not allow moisture around the base of the power switch or into the power supply port Do not spray any type of cleaning liquid directly www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 39 Perkins PRO
32. nslation of uncontracted and contracted English braille contracted braille translation is provided by Duxbury Systems e The ability to save and transfer electronic text files via USB Universal Serial Bus port e A headphone jack and volume control e Arechargeable and removable battery Additional applications are available for purchase and download from www perkinsproducts org These include exercises to supplement the APH Building on Patterns Kindergarten curriculum www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 4 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 This Brailler embosses epaper up to 8 1 2 inches wide by 11 inches long and 25 lines of up to 28 cells when using 8 1 2 inch wide by 11 inch long paper Note Regular manual brailler functions including embossing are available when the power is off This manual is written with the assumption that the braille code is familiar to the braille user or to the instructor or parent who works with a beginning braille student The latest version of this manual is available online at www smartbrailler org Additional Instruction Manuals amp Videos are also available at www smartbrailler org Instructional information for the SMART Brailler is also available in the Audio Tour located in the Welcome Menu of the brailler The SMART Brailler has been tested to meet relevant certification
33. of the brailler they are used to roll the paper in and out of the machine The top roller is metal with rubber O rings at intervals to hold the paper securely in place The bottom roller is coated with rubber and rotates when you turn the Paper Feed Knobs Carriage including the Embossing Head Carriage Release Button and Easy Erase Button The Carriage is located at the top of the brailler and includes the smooth Carriage Release Button The function of the Carriage is to move the Embossing Head across the paper brailling the dots and spaces keyed as it moves from left to right To move the Carriage to the left in order to begin brailling on a new line simply place the inside of your right hand to the right side of the Carriage and gently move it to the left You must do this WITHOUT depressing the Carriage Release Button on the top of the Carriage or exerting any downward pressure To move the Carriage to the right use the spacebar to move cell by cell You can also depress the Carriage Release Button and slide the Carriage to the right to move multiple cells The Embossing Head which makes the braille dots is located at the base of the Carriage Immediately to the right of the Embossing Head is the Easy Erase Button It is a smooth oval button connected to the Embossing Head and is slightly raised www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 20 Perkins PRODUCTS Perk
34. press the Menu Button to repeat the instructions for that process Navigation and Select Buttons The Navigation and Select Buttons are located directly to the right of the video screen The left right up and down black Navigation Buttons form a circle around the diamond shaped green Select Button The Select Button has a raised checkmark on it Navigation Button functions Menus e Use the up and down buttons to scroll up and down through the menus e Use the left button to return to the previous level of a menu or to exit the Main Menu level and return to Braille Entry Voice Feedback and Screen Display e Use the up and down Navigation Buttons to review brailled lines using the screen and speech As you review lines in this manner the cursor remains on the line you last brailled if you start brailling again the braille will be entered on the line the cursor is on Therefore you may wish to scroll back to the line with the cursor before you resume brailling However the screen will go www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 17 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 back to showing the line with the cursor if you press and release any of the keys with the exception of the backspace key New User Screen e Use the Navigation Buttons move to the number letter or function you would like to select Select Button functions e Paus
35. requirements for sale around the world including CE and FCC Part 15 Class B standards for information technology equipment The brailler meets requirements for ROHS meaning no lead is used in manufacturing as well as WEEE standards for disposal Test certificates available upon request FE CE LES A www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 5 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 Getting Started Unpacking Your SMART Brailler IMPORTANT Be sure to keep the original box and all the packing materials described below in case the brailler ever needs to be shipped for any reason Along with the SMART Brailler you will find the following items in the box e battery e power adapter e Quick Start Guide 1 Remove the small box with the power adapter and the battery 2 The brailler is packaged between two foam inserts Remove the top insert from the box 3 Remove the Quick Start Guide d The brailler is covered with an antistatic bag Grasp the brailler through the bag by the Easy Grip Handle and lift it from the box 5 Remove the antistatic plastic bag from the brailler 6 Carefully remove the foam Carriage insert by pulling it straight up out of the brailler The insert fits tightly in the brailler so you may need to rock it back and forth a little to remove it 7 Gently push the Carriage to the left without exerting any
36. ress down firmly on the Easy Erase Button several times to eliminate all of the dots in the cell The first time you press the Easy Erase button the brailler tells you what it is erasing When finished erasing space once so that the Embossing Head is over the correct cell to braille a new character To erase manually move the Carriage so the Embossing Head is one or two spaces to the right of the character The plate under the Embossing Head provides a hard surface for manually erasing the dot The Smart Module will not keep track of changes made this way Another option is to finish brailling the page manually erase any unwanted dots then reinsert the page and work through it adding necessary dots in the order you find the errors The Smart Module will not keep track of changes made this way The two methods above are preferred to correct errors because repeatedly rolling the paper back and forth can cause it to creep or move out of alignment Any additional characters you braille would then be higher or lower than those already on the line making correcting mistakes difficult The more you roll the paper back and forth the more noticeable the creeping becomes The amount of creeping also depends on the thickness and stiffness of the paper you are using If you roll a sheet of paper out of the brailler and reinsert it using the method discussed above text should be aligned within five thousandths of an inch which is fine for most prac
37. ry second two thousand and thirty four e The brailler will not track movements made by the line spacing key while you are in the menus It will however track left and right movements of the Carriage whether you move it manually or with the backspace key e The default for the Screen Timer while on battery power is 5 minutes To turn the screen back on press the top Quick Button If you press any other button or key the screen will come on but the function of that button or key will also be performed e The second third and fourth Quick Buttons have no function in the menus or the BOP App e f you set the Speech Mode to off the brailler will still speak when you enter the menus and in the BOP App e f you leave the brailler in any of the menus it will periodically repeat the name of the menu item the cursor is on If you want to leave the brailler on while not working with it but do not want it to speak put the brailler in Braille Entry mode It will then only speak if there is a change in the battery status to fully charged or very low battery e There is a remote chance you may receive a message from the brailler that a serious error has been encountered and the brailler must shut down This message is accompanied by a repeating www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 38 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 two tone sou
38. s Words Letters and Words Lines Everything or Speech Off Headphone Jack Menu Button ae GE L Molume ZE Buttons USB Port Select Button Navigation Buttons Left Right Up Down www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 10 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 Back View Easy Erase Button smooth oval button Carriage Release Button Paper Release Lever Power Supply Port Reading Rest Power Switch ON OFF www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 11 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 Terms to Know Braille Entry Mode and Braille Tracking When the brailler is in Braille Entry mode and Braille Tracking is on the brailler records your keystrokes as you braille It also displays a visual representation of a portion of the current braille line You can enter any combination of the six braille keys to braille characters or use the space bar to enter a space The SMART Brailler also tracks the Carriage position if you manually move the Carriage use the backspace key or use the line spacing or advance key Any time the paper is moved using the Paper Feed Knobs Braille Tracking is automatically turned off When Braille Tracking is off the Smart Module ignores any input from the brailler keyboard Carriag
39. saved text See Creating and Saving a File for more information on the text the brailler keeps track of www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 31 Perkins Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 If the second user has a different voice setting than the first user the brailler will notify you that it is loading the new voice before going to Braille Entry mode www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 32 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 Saving Your Work Creating and Saving a File You can save files to the SMART Brailler s internal memory or to a USB drive When the SMART Brailler first enters Braille Entry mode it says Braille Entry As you braille the brailler converts the braille to text and keeps track of what you type as well as showing it on the screen To save what you ve typed into a file for later retrieval or for printing press the Menu Button to go to the Main Menu Note If you wish to save your file to a USB drive the drive must be plugged in at this point Next scroll to the Files option and press Select You then have the option to select Internal Files USB Files if you have plugged in a USB drive or Exit Menu After you select the desired file storage select Save File This saves what you have typed under the current user n
40. sition before picking up the brailler with the Easy Grip Handle Do not pick up the brailler by the Reading Rest www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 21 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 Left and Right Margin Guides and Bells The left and right margin guides are located in a long slot on the front of the machine underneath the Smart Module video and audio panel Tilt the module towards you from the top to access the margin guides Above the slot are 36 raised lines to indicate cell markings for orienting the cell position The marking for every fifth cell is slightly longer to assist in setting the margin more quickly The first five markings on the left and the last three markings on the right represent the permanently set minimum margins No braille can be embossed in these cells There are two warning bells that indicate you are nearing the end of the line The first bell is fixed at cell 21 The second bell is attached to the right margin guide and rings at three cells before the end of the line If you try to braille past the right margin the brailler will make a low bong sound When setting the margins use the markings above the slot To set the left margin first move the Carriage to the far right Then push down on the left margin guide and shift it to where you want the margin to be set To set the right margin move the C
41. ter for the Blind Public Law 87 793 Current relevant U S Postal Service standards are available at http pe usps com text dmm300 703 htm wp1 113979 online Perkins Products does NOT pay for shipping damage so it is recommended that you insure your brailler U S Postal code allows the sender to pay for additional insurance on braillers shipped as Free Matter for the Blind or Handicapped Once your brailler is received a repair technician will examine your machine identify problems and make necessary repairs We understand a broken machine is an inconvenience and will repair and return your brailler as soon as possible Refurbishment and Recycling of the brailler When the SMART Brailler has reached the end of its useful life for you please contact Perkins Products for a recommendation on the future of the device Do not dispose of the brailler in regular refuse collection as the device can likely be refurbished and older components recycled eS JX www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 43 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 Appendix A Welcome Menu This list contains the Welcome Menu options and explanations of their functions Welcome name of last user User name of last user default is Guest Puts the brailler in Braille Entry mode You can also get to Braille Entry mode by pressing the Menu Button or
42. the front of the SMART Brailler The spacebar is in the middle To the left of the spacebar you will find the keys for dots 1 2 and 3 then the line spacing or advance key at the far left To the right of the spacebar you will find the keys for dots 4 5 and 6 then the backspace key at the far right Each time the keys for dots 1 6 are released the Carriage advances one cell to the right Paper Feed Knobs These flat wing knobs project out from the left and right side of the brailler They are used to roll or feed the paper into and out of the machine To move the paper back roll the knobs toward you A click occurs each time the paper moves back a line It is important to know that any time the paper is moved with the Paper Feed Knobs Braille Tracking is automatically turned off To turn it back on press the Select Button See the Inserting and Removing Braille Paper section for more information Paper Release Levers There are two release levers one at each end of the brailler on the top near the back If you move one lever forward www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 19 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 or back the other moves as well They are used to secure the paper in place before rolling it into the brailler Paper Rollers There are two rollers that extend from left to right on the back top portion
43. tical purposes www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 28 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 User Accounts Setting Up a User Account You can select New User to create a user account in the Welcome Menu or in the Users Menu of the Main Menu After you select New User you will be prompted to use the Navigation Buttons to locate and select characters for a user name from the following grid mM H CC Cc A gt lt m DI N S zZ olw xX Z o amp lt OI Mo N U T OO ALO OIN J I Sp Esc OK The cursor starts on the letter A The left and right Navigation Buttons move one letter or number at a time the up and down Navigation Buttons move row to row for faster navigation Selecting lt deletes the previous character and Sp inserts a space For example To enter the letter D press the right Navigation Button until D is announced and highlighted then press Select When you have completed the creation of a user name navigate to OK and select it After a few seconds the brailler will say User name of user has been created At this point this user is logged on and any information that you wish to be saved will be in this user s account If you created the user from the Welcome Menu the brailler will go to Braille Entry mode if you created the user in
44. ton or any of the six braille keys The function of the button or key will also be performed so it may be simplest to press the Screen Off On Quick Button twice e f you hyphenate a word at the end of a line the text to speech will say the two parts of the word as separate words even when you save the file and have the brailler read it back e In Contracted Braille Mode the voice output only says the dot numbers for most punctuation e In Uncontracted Braille Mode the brailler does not translate square brackets the two cell slash the asterisk the dash or the double dash e In both Contracted and Uncontracted Braille Modes if you use the up and down Navigation Buttons to select lines to review punctuation is not spoken It is also not spoken when a saved file is read back to you www perkinsproducts org tel 1 617 972 7308 175 North Beacon Street Watertown MA USA 02472 37 Perkins PRODUCTS Perkins SMART Brailler User Manual Rev 041814 e f you want to change the Braille Mode from Uncontracted to Contracted it is best to start a new line before you do this The translation of what you have already brailled on a line will not be changed if you change the Braille Mode within the line e f you braille three one or two digit numbers separated by fraction lines the brailler will translate the completed sequence as a date as long as the third number is a two digit number For example 1 2 34 is read as Janua
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