Artic Mini TransPort USER REFERENCE MANUAL This file has been arranged to assist the reader in navigating the manual using a word processor. The Table of Contents is present showing Chapter Titles, Section Headings within each chapter, and Sub-Section Headings within each Section. These are identified within the file as follows: Chapter: At the start of each Chapter and Appendix is a line consisting of equal signs (======). Section: Sections are identified by a capital letter. Within the body of the text, there is a single asterisk, followed by a space, followed by the capital letter of the Section, a period, two spaces, and then the Section title. For example: * B. Touring Mini TransPort Sub-Section: Sub-Sections are identified by a number. Within the body of the text, there are two asterisks, followed by a space, followed by the number of the Sub-Section, a period, two spaces, and then the Sub-Section title. For example: ** 8. The Battery Pack Sub-Sub-Section: Sub-Sub-Sections are identified by a lower case letter. Within the body of the text, there are three asterisks, followed by a space, followed by the lower case letter of the Sub-Sub-Section, a period, two spaces, and then the Sub-Sub-Section title. For example: *** a. Installing the User Replaceable Battery Back Following these conventions should assist you when you are searching for information within the manual. ARTIC TECHNOLOGIES International, Inc. 55 Park Street, Troy, Michigan 48083 (810) 588-7370 FIRST EDITION (March, 1995) TransType, TransBook, TransPort, Mini TransPort II, SynPhonix, SONIX, VEST, Artic Vision are Trademarks of Artic Technologies. Artic-263 is a Trade Name of Artic Technologies International, Inc. IBM is a Trademark of IBM Corporation. Copyright 1995 by Artic Technologies. All rights reserved, including those to reproduce this book or parts thereof in any form without written permission from Artic Technologies. AN IMPORTANT NOTE TO CUSTOMERS. PRODUCT REGISTRATION. As with any major purchase, it is important to promptly register your Artic Technologies product. Artic Technologies International, Inc. needs you, the owner, to supply us with your name, address and the serial number of your product. As a Registered user, you will receive our product newsletter and information regarding product updates. To be eligible for any special offers that Artic may extend in the future, you must be a registered owner in advance of those offers. In addition you can use the Artic Technical Support Line if you have a problem that cannot be solved by reading the manual. These services are only available to registered users. Please fill out the enclosed registration card, and return it to Artic Technologies within 10 days of the purchase date. TECHNICAL SUPPORT. Artic Technologies has Technical Support staff to assist customers in solving problems. Please help us provide efficient technical support by first reading the chapter of this manual that addresses your question. If you still have problems after reading this manual, then call: (810) 588-1425 Please be at your computer and prepared to give us your serial number so we can quickly assist you. INTRODUCTION. Congratulations, you own Artic Technologies' latest and most advanced external speech synthesizer, the Artic Mini TransPort. However, you are about to discover that it's much more than a simple speech synthesizer. Have you ever had to go away for the weekend, with no room for a computer, but you must review a document for work? Simply load the document into Mini TransPort, and study it in the car, on the plane, or in a rowboat. Mini TransPort reads it to you anywhere, anytime. Our smallest multi-purpose external speech synthesizer allows you to store important files and read them in the same way you would read a book. Mini TransPort allows you to store PAL (Personal Appointment Look- up) files in its internal ROM. That's not all. Mini TransPort can turn any IBM compatible or laptop computer with a serial port into a completely accessible work station using Artic Technologies' powerful and featured-filled screen readers (Business Vision for DOS and WinVision2 for Microsoft Windows). Alternatively, you may use any screen reading program that supports the SynPhonix or Accent command set. Mini TransPort allows you to set alarms with customized messages to remind you of important meetings, daily events such as lunch and television shows, or anything else that is important. It will also read personally created reminder files to help you keep track of important events in your day. Mini TransPort has a fully adjustable voice and keeps an accurate clock/calendar. It has a low battery alarm, user replaceable battery pack, backup batteries to maintain stored files in memory during battery pack switching and user upgradeable firmware via a diskette. The Mini TransPort also has PAL files such as a phone list, address book, and a To-Do list to help you organize your day-to-day living. No bigger than a small paperback book, your new Mini TransPort is lightweight (13 ounces), small enough to easily fit in a coat pocket and works anywhere you do. Mini TransPort operates on batteries or house current, is simple to connect, easy to use and, most importantly, has the clarity, speed and responsiveness you expect from Artic Technologies speech products. This manual guides you step-by-step through installing and operating Mini TransPort. If, after reading this manual, you still have questions about Mini TransPort, please call our Technical Support staff at 1-810-588-1425. You can reach us from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. Eastern Standard Time. Please be at your computer and have Mini TransPort available so we can provide you with effective support. If you are a current user of Artic Technologies' Business Vision with an internal SynPhonix speech card, you need to reinstall Business Vision from the disk supplied with your Mini TransPort as described in Chapter 1 of this manual or use the automatic Business Vision installation procedure outlined in Chapter 3. This switches you from using the internal SynPhonix card to using Mini TransPort as the speech access device for your computer. TABLE OF CONTENTS. CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED A. Unpacking Mini TransPort B. Touring Mini TransPort 1. Dimensions 2. Physical Characteristics/Appearance 3. The Keypad 4. Resetting Mini TransPort 5. The Speaker/Headphone Jack 6. The A-C Adapter 7. The Serial Port 8. The Battery Pack a. Installing the User Replaceable Battery Back C. Installing Mini TransPort 1. Connecting Mini TransPort to a Computer 2. Connecting the A-C Adapter 3. Using Mini TransPort's Batteries a. Power Saving Modes 4. Powering Up Mini TransPort 5. Controlling Mini TransPort with Business Vision a. Installing Business Vision b. Starting Business Vision CHAPTER 2: THE MENUS: KEYS TO THE PROGRAM A. Getting Acquainted With The Keypad 1. The CURSOR Mode 2. The Function Keys 3. TURBO Mode 4. VOL/TONE Mode B. Number, Cursor, and Turbo Keys 1. The Number/Cursor Keys 2. Entering Letters 3. The Turbo Keys 4. Setting the Tone and Volume CHAPTER 3: ORDERING FROM THE MENU A. The Main Menu 1. Using the Arrow Keys to Hear the Choices 2. Choosing A Sub-Menu B. The Sub-Menus 1. The Voice Menu a. Speech Rate b. Voice Pitch c. Speech Volume d. Voice Tone e. Identify Capital Letters f. Speak Symbols 2. Setting Alarms a. The Set Alarms Menu b. Saving Alarms c. Deleting Alarms d. Loading Alarms e. Checking and Setting the Time f. Turning Off Alarms Temporarily g. Responding To Alarms 3. Mini TransPort's File Menu a. The Filter String b. The List Directory c. Erasing Files d. Renaming Files e. Copying Files f. Memory Left g. Format Your User ROM 4. The Options Menu a. Verbose Mode b. Power Mode c. Battery Check d. Device Status e. Download Speech Access 1) Creating and Loading the Necessary Files 2) Performing a Remote Transfer f. Reprogramming Mini TransPort g. Speak Serial Number h. Burn-In User Name 5. The Serial Menu 6. P.A.L. Files a. Creating a PAL File b. Sending a PAL File to Read c. PAL File Reader Keys 7. Reminder Files CHAPTER 4: THE REST OF MINICOM A. Using MINICOM With Other Screen Readers B. Using MINICOM With Business Vision C. Sending and Receiving Files D. Controlling Mini TransPort From Your Computer Keyboard E. Setting Mini TransPort's Clock F. MINICOM Switches APPENDIX A: CONTROLLING MINI TRANSPORT WITH OTHER SOFTWARE APPENDIX B: MINI TRANSPORT SPEECH COMMANDS 1. Mini TransPort Primary Command Codes a. Speech Characteristic Commands b. Speech Flow Controls c. Miscellaneous Controls 2. Mini TransPort Auxiliary Command Codes APPENDIX C: TROUBLE SHOOTING GUIDE ======================================================================== CHAPTER 1: Getting Started * A. Unpacking Mini TransPort. Before using Mini TransPort for the first time, take a moment to check the contents of your package to make sure that everything is there and undamaged. The following items should be present at the time you unpack the unit: One Mini TransPort synthesizer. One Mini TransPort disk containing the MINICOM Utility and Business Vision (depending on the model of Mini TransPort you purchased) One external speaker. One pair of Headphones. One A-C adapter. One serial cable with one DB9 male and one DB9 female connector. One DB9 male to DB25 female adapter. If you notice any damage or problems with your equipment, please contact Artic Technologies immediately. Our staff is ready to help you resolve these problems. * B. Touring Mini TransPort. Take some time to familiarize yourself with Mini TransPort, its keypad, jacks and ports. Once you know where things are located, you can easily connect Mini TransPort to your computer and use it. ** 1. Dimensions. Mini TransPort is approximately 1 inch high by 4.25 inches wide by 5.18 inches long. Mini TransPort easily fits in your coat pocket. Its light weight and rugged construction serves you at home, at work or on the road. ** 2. Physical Characteristics/Appearance. Let's take a closer look at Mini TransPort. To begin, take Mini TransPort out of the box and set it on a table, rubber feet down, controls facing you. Place your hand on the top of the unit. Mini TransPort is housed in a black aluminum case. The labels for its controls and ports are in gold lettering. Mini TransPort's cover has holes over the internal speaker to enhance its sound. ** 3. The Keypad. The first thing you notice when exploring the top surface of Mini TransPort is its keypad. It consists of a single row of five keys located just above Mini TransPort's front edge. They are label, from left to right, ESCAPE, UP ARROW, DOWN ARROW, ENTER, and MODE. ** 4. Resetting Mini TransPort. In most cases you should not have to reset Mini TransPort. However, if the need arises, simply disconnect the A-C adapter and pull the battery pack. Wait about ten seconds, then reattach the battery pack and ac adapter. This will automatically reset Mini TransPort to its default state. ** 5. The Speaker/Headphone Jack. On the front panel near the right end is a headphone or speaker jack to connect Mini TransPort to an external speaker or headphones. When used with an external speaker or headphones, the internal speaker is automatically disconnected. You should use a speaker or headphones with a 1/8 inch stereo mini plug to connect to this jack. ** 6. The A-C Adapter. On the back panel of Mini TransPort at the right end is the connector for the A-C power adapter. It is larger in diameter than the earphone jack, making it easy to identify. We supply an A-C power adapter that connects to the jack on the back of Mini TransPort. DO NOT USE AN A-C POWER ADAPTER OTHER THAN THE ONE SUPPLIED WITH MINI TRANSPORT. YOU MAY RISK DAMAGING MINI TRANSPORT OR INADEQUATELY CHARGING ITS BATTERIES. ** 7. The Serial Port. To the left of the A-C adapter is a small oblong female port. This is Mini TransPort's serial port where you connect the serial cable that links Mini TransPort to your computer. ** 8. The Battery Pack. To the left of the serial port is a large slot for the USER REPLACEABLE BATTERY PACK. When installed, the battery pack protrudes slightly from Mini TransPort making it easy to grab when removing or replacing it. *** a. Installing the User Replaceable Battery Pack. Let's examine the battery pack supplied with Mini TransPort. It is a large rectangle that slides into the back of the unit. If you run your finger over the two short ends of the battery pack, you will find that one of them has a connector that is almost flush with the surface. This is the end that goes into the slot on Mini TransPort. Examine the flat surfaces on either side of the connector. You will find that one of the flat surfaces has a slight cutout at the connector. This is the top side of the battery pack. On newer battery packs, you will also find a raised dot on the top side of the battery pack in the corner opposite the connector. To install the battery pack, grasp it top side up, with the connector facing Mini TransPort's Battery Pack slot. Slide the pack into Mini TransPort's Battery Pack slot. Make sure it is firmly in the slot and pushed in as far as it can go. You do not need to use excessive force to install the battery pack. * C. Installing Mini TransPort. Now that you know something about how Mini TransPort looks, let's learn how to connect it to a computer. We will discuss how to use Business Vision with Mini TransPort later in this chapter. ** 1. Connecting Mini TransPort to a Computer. Mini TransPort connects to any computer that has a serial port via a serial cable. We provide a serial cable that connects Mini TransPort to IBM PC's and compatibles. It has a 9 pin male connector that attaches to Mini TransPort, and a 9 pin female connector that attaches to the 9 pin male serial port on your computer. If you want to connect the serial cable to a 25 pin male serial port found on older IBM-compatible computers, plug the 9 pin female connector into the serial cable adapter included with Mini TransPort. If you are using another computer that requires a different cable, contact Artic Technologies for assistance. Once you select a serial port, perform the following steps: 1. Plug the 9 pin male connector into the 9 pin female serial port on the back panel of Mini TransPort. Make sure the connector is oriented in the right direction and lined up properly so that you avoid bending the pins. You can orient yourself by examining the connector cover that surrounds the pins on the male end of the serial cable. The connector cover is like a lop-sided rectangle, with two long sides and two short sides. The two short sides slope slightly making one long side longer than the other. The same is true for the female connector on Mini TransPort. The longer of the two long sides is on the top. Plug the cable into the unit with the longer of the two long sides facing up. The cable fits snugly, but do not use excessive force when pushing the serial cable into the connector on Mini TransPort. If you cannot get the cable to fit, turn it over and try again. 2. Plug the 9 pin (or 25 pin if adapted) female end of the cable into the serial port on your computer. The same rectangular sloping configuration exists on your computer regardless of the connector size. ** 2. Connecting the A-C Adapter. Mini TransPort operates on household current (AC) or on its Nickel-Cadmium battery pack. NOTE: do not operate Mini TransPort on the battery pack until it is fully charged. We will discuss charging Mini TransPort's batteries in the next section. To connect Mini TransPort to the A-C adapter: 1. Insert the metal connector into the jack on the back panel of your unit. 2. Plug the other end of the adapter into a wall outlet. The A-C adapter serves 2 purposes. It powers Mini TransPort and it charges the Nickel-Cadmium battery pack. Do not worry about over-charging the batteries. Mini TransPort's design prevents this from happening. ** 3. Using Mini TransPort's Batteries. You must fully charge Mini TransPort's batteries before using them for the first time. It takes about twelve hours to completely charge its batteries. Once charged, Mini TransPort operates approximately 8 hours. This estimate varies due to the amount of time Mini TransPort speaks and how high you set the volume. If you use other appliances with rechargeable batteries, you know that proper use and charging of batteries extends their working life. We suggest that you operate Mini TransPort on batteries until they are completely discharged. If you charge the batteries before they are dead, you risk developing Battery Memory. This condition causes batteries to hold less charge then it would normally. To avoid this problem, fully discharge the battery before recharging it. See Battery-Drain Mode under the Options menu in Chapter 3 for a quick discharge procedure. Repeat this procedure for a few cycles if you experience short battery life. Your batteries should begin to bounce back after a while. If not, contact Artic Technologies. Mini TransPort has a built in battery check option that tells you when it's time to charge the batteries. This feature is explained in Chapter 3 (under the Options Menu). *** a. Power Saving Modes. Mini TransPort has two modes that conserve battery use. They are IDLE MODE POWER SAVER and AUTO-STANDBY. IDLE MODE POWER SAVER automatically shuts down Mini TransPort's audio amplifier after a short period of inactivity. You may hear a slight clicking sound confirming that IDLE MODE POWER SAVER is active and has powered down the audio amplifier. Any keystroke automatically wakes Mini TransPort up causing it to speak. AUTO-STANDBY occurs when Mini TransPort remains inactive for approximately one hour. In this mode, Mini TransPort powers down and ignores all input. You must turn Mini TransPort on to wake it up. NOTE: The power saving modes only apply when operating Mini TransPort from the internal batteries. When connected to an adapter, these modes are disabled. ** 4. Powering Up Mini TransPort. You learned how to connect Mini TransPort to a computer and operate it on A-C current or batteries. Now lets turn Mini TransPort on and start using it. To start: 1. Put Mini TransPort in front of you on a desk (table). 2. With your hands on the keypad, find the second and fourth keys from left to right on the keypad. They are labeled Up Arrow and Enter. 3. Press both keys together and hold them down until you hear a beep, then release them. You will hear the message: MINI TRANSPORT This confirms that Mini TransPort is on and ready for operation. Mini TransPort has different models that reflect the presence or absence of various software options. Please read Appendix C for more information concerning the different models and their definitions. If you do not hear the power up message, make sure the A-C adapter are plugged snugly into the wall outlet and into Mini TransPort. If you still do not hear anything, contact Artic Technologies for assistance. To turn Mini TransPort off, hold down the second and fourth keys (the same keys used to turn it on). You will hear the message: TURNING OFF This is a toggle, meaning that the same keys are used to switch back and forth between two states (in this case, ON and OFF). Once you hear Mini TransPort's greeting, you are ready to select an option from its menu. The next chapter discusses these menus in detail. ** 5. Controlling Mini TransPort with Business Vision. Now let's look at how to use Business Vision with Mini TransPort. Like internal synthesizer boards, external speech synthesizers do not know what to speak on their own. They need programs to control what they speak. *** a. Installing Business Vision. All Mini TransPort models work with the Artic Business Vision screen access program. If you own a copy of Business Vision that supports Mini TransPort, you should read this section to help you get started. If not, skip the rest of this chapter. With Mini TransPort ON and the supplied serial cable attached to your computer and the unit, perform the following steps: 1. Place the Business Vision diskette supplied with Mini TransPort into the floppy drive on your computer (normally drive A). 2. Change to the drive that contains your Business Vision diskette. For example, if your disk is in drive A, type: A: followed by the ENTER key. 3. Type INSTALL, followed by the drive where you want Business Vision to go, followed by a colon, followed by two ENTER keys. For example: INSTALL C: followed by two ENTER keys (hit the enter key twice) This installs Business Vision on drive C. If you want to install Business Vision on a floppy drive, see Chapter 1 of your Business Vision manual. There is a way to transfer Business Vision or a screen reader of your choice from Mini TransPort to your computer without using a disk. You will learn about this in Chapter 3's discussion of Mini TransPort's Options menu. *** b. Starting Business Vision. To start Business Vision, perform the following steps: 1. Go to the drive where you installed Business Vision. If drive C is the drive that contains Business Vision, type: C: followed by the ENTER key. 2. Now go to the root directory by typing: CD\ followed by the ENTER key. 3. Type one of the following commands: TV1 followed by the ENTER key to start Business Vision with Mini TransPort attached to COM1. The commands TV2, TV3, and TV4 start Business Vision with Mini TransPort attached to COM port 2, 3, or 4 respectively. If you want Business Vision to start up each time you turn ON your computer, add the following statement to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file: CALL TV1 Here is the contents of the TV1.BAT file with a brief explanation: TVISION /M3 /C1 TVISION.COM is Mini TransPort's version of Artic Business Vision. Remember, it is not necessary to specify the extension of a program to start it. Therefore, TVISION starts the Business Vision program for Mini TransPort using COM1 (/C1). NOTE: some users familiar with SynPhonix speech cards may wonder why VEST.COM is not loaded before running TVISION.COM. This is because VEST.COM is a permanent part of Mini TransPort and starts every time you turn it ON. /M3 is a command line switch that disables the Memory Miser in Business Vision. This is the recommended setting to use unless you need to conserve memory. For more information on Memory Miser, consult Chapter 1 of your Business Vision manual. /C1, /C2, /C3, or /C4 chooses the communications port for Business Vision. The number following the letter C corresponds to the appropriate COM port. For example, to instruct Business Vision to use COM 1 use /C1. NOTE: if you do not specify a COM port, Business Vision defaults to COM1 (/C1). If you successfully start Business Vision, you will hear a message, something like the following, spoken: ARTIC BUSINESS VISION VERSION 3.09. This is followed by the copyright message. If you do not hear this message, check to see if Mini TransPort is connected to the right COM port. If you chose the wrong COM port, restart your computer by pressing the reset button or by simultaneously pressing the CONTROL, ALT and DELETE keys and then releasing them. Restart Business Vision with the batch file that corresponds to the right COM port. If this fails, check your serial connections and cable. Make sure that Mini TransPort is connected and turned ON. If you are still having trouble, contact Artic Technologies for help. Once Business Vision is active, you will likely be in drive C at the \ARTIC\VISION subdirectory. Business Vision and WinVision (our Windows screen review software) control Mini TransPort in the same manner as they control our other synthesizers. If the Volume of Mini TransPort is too loud or too soft, or you do not like the Pitch or Tone, you can control these options. These voice parameters can be changed using Mini TransPort's keypad (refer to Chapter 3), using Business Vision Control Mode options (refer to the Business Vision manual) or using the WinVision dialogue box (refer to the WinVision manual). We recommend you become familiar with Business Vision and WinVision so that you can get the most out of your Mini TransPort. The rest of this manual familiarizes you with Mini TransPort and its many features. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 2: The Menus: Keys To The Program Mini TransPort has a wealth of features for you to use. However, this does not mean that Mini TransPort is difficult to operate. You can access Mini TransPort's many features through a cleverly designed menu system controlled by Mini TransPort's keypad. NOTE: You can access Mini TransPort's menus from your computer's keyboard by using a special utility called MINICOM. MINICOM's features are discussed in Chapter 4. * A. Getting Acquainted With The Keypad. As stated earlier, you can use Mini TransPort's five key keypad to enter text, choose a menu, leave a menu, set the clock and calendar, and so on. For a small keypad to control these functions in a simple yet effective manner, Artic Technologies devised a special key called the MODE key. It is the large key on the right end of the keypad. Pressing then releasing the MODE key shifts the keypad between three control modes called CURSOR, TURBO, and VOLUME/TONE. ** 1. The CURSOR Mode. In CURSOR Mode (Mini TransPort's default setting) you can use the Mini TransPort keys to navigate menus. When the MODE key is not held down, the keypad is in Menu Navigation mode. The four small keys are defined from left to right as follows: KEY 1 = Escape. KEY 2 = Up Arrow. KEY 3 = Down Arrow. KEY 4 = Enter. KEY 5 = MODE. When navigating menus, the ESCAPE key exits you from a sub-menu and returns you to the previous menu level. The UP and DOWN ARROW keys permit you to scroll through menu options. The ENTER key permits you to choose the current menu setting. ** 2. The Function Keys. When the MODE key is depressed, the ESCAPE, UP ARROW, DOWN ARROW, and ENTER keys (KEY 1, KEY 2, KEY 3, and KEY 4) become general purpose function keys labeled from left to right as follows: FUNCTION KEY A FUNCTION KEY B FUNCTION KEY C FUNCTION KEY D Each function key has several numbers or letters assigned to it to facilitate number and text entry. A complete list of function keys and their values are listed later in this chapter. ** 3. TURBO Mode. When Mini TransPort is in TURBO Mode, you can fast forward or rewind through previously spoken text stored in its speech buffer. You can also get the current date and time as well as determine the model and serial number of your Mini TransPort. ** 4. VOLUME/TONE Mode. The VOLUME/TONE Mode permits you to change the volume and tone of Mini TransPort. We will discuss the keys used to control these options later in this chapter. * B. Number, Cursor, and Turbo Keys. Now that you know something about Mini TransPort's keypad, it's time to learn how to use it to enter numbers and letters. We will discuss how to use the keypad to navigate menus in the next chapter. ** 1. The Number/Cursor Keys. There will be times when you want to enter numbers or letters into Mini TransPort to set the time, set an alarm, or write a quick note. Let's look at how to use the Mini TransPort's keypad to enter numbers and letters. If you hold down the MODE key while repeatedly pressing FUNCTION KEYS A, B, C or D, you will hear a series of letters, numbers, or symbols that you can enter into Mini TransPort. For example, holding down the MODE key while repeatedly pressing FUNCTION KEY A presents the following keystroke choices: MODE Key with FUNCTION KEY A (Key 1) Backspace, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 To enter the number 3, hold down the MODE key, press FUNCTION KEY A until you hear "3" spoken, then release the MODE key. As soon as the MODE key is released, the number 3 is entered into Mini TransPort. All other numbers can be entered in this way. ** 2. Entering Letters. Entering letters is just as easy as entering numbers. Holding down the MODE key while repeatedly pressing FUNCTION KEYS A, B, or C will give you all of the letters of the alphabet as well as some special symbols. To choose a letter or symbol, simply hold down the MODE key, press the appropriate FUNCTION KEY until you hear the letter or symbol, then release the MODE key. Here is a list of FUNCTION KEYS and their associated keystrokes. MODE Key with FUNCTION KEY B (Key 2) A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J MODE Key with FUNCTION KEY C (Key 3) K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T MODE Key with FUNCTION KEY D (Key 4) Space, U, V, W, X, Y, Z, Asterisk, Period, Delete ** 3. The Turbo Keys. As previously mentioned, pressing the MODE key once shifts the keypad from CURSOR to TURBO Mode. In this mode, KEYS 2 and 4 rewind or fast forward through the text in the speech buffer. They perform the same functions as Turbo pedals do with our internal speech card. In TURBO Mode, the keys are defined as follows: KEY 1 = Speak serial number and software version. KEY 2 = Turbo backward through text. KEY 3 = Turbo forward through text. KEY 4 = Speak date and time. KEY 5 = MODE key. ** 4. Setting the Volume and Tone. In VOLUME/TONE Mode, the keys are defined as follows: KEY 1 = Volume down (decrease volume). KEY 2 = Volume up (increase volume). KEY 3 = Tone down, decrease high frequencies. KEY 4 = Tone up, increase high frequencies. KEY 5 = MODE key. Adjust the volume and tone controls until you are satisfied with the way Mini TransPort sounds. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 3: Ordering From The Menu * A. The Main Menu. Now that you are familiar with Mini TransPort's keypad, let's explore its menu system. The first time you turn Mini TransPort ON, you are in its Main Menu. If you turn the unit OFF while in a sub-menu (such as the File Manager) you are there when you turn the unit ON again. Hit ESCAPE to return to the Main Menu (KEY 1 in CURSOR mode). ** 1. Using the Arrow Keys to Hear the Choices. Turn Mini TransPort ON by holding down the UP ARROW and ENTER keys (KEYS 2 and 4). If necessary, press ESCAPE to place Mini TransPort in the Main Menu. Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys (KEYS 2 and 3) to move through the menu choices. As you move down, you will hear the menu choices in order: Voice, Alarms, and so on. ** 2. Choosing A Sub-Menu. Choose sub-menus by using the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to find the appropriate one, press ENTER to select it, and press ESCAPE when you want to return to the Main Menu. * B. The Sub-Menus. Now let us look at Mini TransPort's features and how they serve you. The sub-menus are the key to Mini TransPort's operation. Let's take a closer look at them. Study the previous sections carefully before continuing. The material covered is referenced frequently. ** 1. The Voice Menu. The Voice Menu is the first option under the Setup Menu and is used to set Mini TransPort's voice parameters (Rate, Pitch, Volume, Tone). Adjusting these parameters will only effect how Mini TransPort's voices speak when going through the menus or speaking PAL files. They do not effect how Business Vision or other screen access programs speak when using Mini TransPort as a speech synthesizer. Screen access programs control their own voice parameters. Locate the Voice Menu under the Setup Menu using the UP and DOWN ARROWS and press ENTER. Once there, you will be placed at the top of a list of voice parameters. Move among these parameters using the UP and DOWN ARROWS. Starting from the top, they are: RATE. PITCH. VOLUME. TONE. CAPS. SYMBOLS. Let's take a closer look at what each parameter does. *** a. Speech Rate. The Rate setting determines how fast or slow Mini TransPort's voice speaks. Use the ARROW keys to go to the Rate option. Press ENTER and you will hear the message: USE UP AND DOWN ARROWS TO CHANGE VALUE. PRESS ENTER TO SELECT OR ESCAPE TO ABORT. You then hear the current value of the Rate setting. Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to scroll through the Rate settings, which range from 0 (slowest) to 9 (fastest). When you locate the setting you want, press ENTER to select it and return to the Voice Menu. *** b. Speech Pitch. The Pitch setting determines how low or high Mini TransPort's voice sounds when speaking. Use the ARROW keys to go to the Pitch option and press ENTER. Mini TransPort prompts: USE UP AND DOWN ARROWS TO CHANGE VALUE. PRESS ENTER TO SELECT OR ESCAPE TO ABORT. You then hear the current value of the Pitch setting. Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to scroll through the Rate settings, which range from 0 (lowest) to 9 (highest). When you locate the setting you want, press ENTER to select it and return to the Voice Menu. *** c. Speech Volume. The Volume setting determines how loud or soft Mini TransPort's voice speaks. Use the ARROW keys to go to the Volume option and press ENTER. Mini TransPort prompts: USE UP AND DOWN ARROWS TO CHANGE VALUE. PRESS ENTER TO SELECT OR ESCAPE TO ABORT. You then hear the current value of the Volume setting. Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to scroll through the Volume settings, which range from 0 (softest) to 9 (loudest). When you locate the setting you want, press ENTER to select it and return to the Voice Menu. *** d. Speech Tone. The Tone setting determines how bright or dull Mini TransPort's voice sounds when speaking. Use the ARROW keys to go to the Tone option and press ENTER. Mini TransPort prompts: USE UP AND DOWN ARROWS TO CHANGE VALUE. PRESS ENTER TO SELECT OR ESCAPE TO ABORT. You then hear the current value of the Tone setting. Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to scroll through the Tone settings, which range from "A" (dullest) to "Z" (brightest). When you locate the setting you want, press ENTER to select it and return to the Voice Menu. *** e. Identify Capital Letters. This option permits you to determine whether or not capital letters are announced when reading information. Use the ARROW keys to go to the Caps option, at which point Mini TransPort will inform you of the current Caps setting. When you press ENTER to select the option, Mini TransPort prompts: USE UP AND DOWN ARROWS TO PICK CHOICE. PRESS ENTER TO SELECT OR PRESS ESCAPE TO ABORT. Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to scroll through the available Caps modes. The choices are: OFF: There is no indication of capitalized letters. SAY: Each capitalized letter or word is preceded by the spoken word "CAP". PITCH: Each capitalized letter or word is spoken with a temporary increase in Pitch. Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to scroll through the capitalization options. When you locate the setting you want, press ENTER to select it and return to the Voice Menu. *** f. Speak Symbols. This option permits you to choose how you want characters such as punctuation, math symbols and border characters to be handled by Mini TransPort. Use the ARROW keys to go to this option, at which point Mini TransPort will tell you the current value of the Symbols setting. When you press ENTER to select the option, Mini TransPort prompts: USE UP AND DOWN ARROWS TO PICK CHOICE. PRESS ENTER TO SELECT OR PRESS ESCAPE TO ABORT. Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to scroll through the available Symbol settings. They are: NONE: No symbols are spoken. SOME: Speak a minimal number of symbols MOST: Speak all symbols except punctuation. ALL: Speak all symbols. Use the UP and DOWN ARROWS to locate the appropriate mode and press ENTER to select it and return to the Voice Menu. ** 2. Setting Alarms. The Alarms menu is one of Mini TransPort's most useful features. You can set "one time" alarms with stored playback messages, or set daily and/or weekly alarms with stored playback messages that trigger on specified dates and times. You can use this feature to remind yourself about lunch appointments, important meetings, television shows, etc.. Unlike an alarm clock, the stored message reminds you why you set the alarm in the first place. Furthermore, you can save your preset alarms in different files. For example, you might set ten alarms (the maximum number in an alarm file) that go off once a week to remind you of calls and appointments for work and home. Then, if you have to take a trip, Mini TransPort can be used to keep track of your important appointments while you are on the road. You don't have to lose your preset alarms. Just save them to a file before you reset the alarms for your trip. Reload the weekly alarm file when you return home. Here is a quick overview of the Alarm Menu options. The Alarm Menu is the second entry in the Main Menu (after the Voice Menu). Find it with the UP and DOWN ARROW keys. Select it with ENTER. The first time you enter this sub- menu you are at the top of the menu on the "Set Alarms" option. In order, the Alarm sub-menu choices are: Set Alarms: allows you to set one-time, weekly, or daily alarms. Load Alarms: allows you to load a file containing previously saved alarm information. Save Alarms: allows you to create a file with all of your alarm information for later use. Check Time: announces the current date and time. Set Time: allows you to set the current date and time. Clear Alarm: allows you to clear all alarms from memory. Now, let's take each choice and see how it works. *** a. Set Alarms Menu. Pressing ENTER on the Set Alarms option takes you to a list of ten alarm slots, labeled "A" through "J". When you enter this menu, Mini TransPort prompts: UNUSED ALARM A. Your UP and DOWN ARROWS scroll through the ten slots. To set slot A's alarm, scroll to this unused alarm slot (if you are not already there) and press ENTER. Mini TransPort prompts: EDIT ALARM MENU. READ MESSAGE. Press DOWN ARROW to get to the next choice. Mini TransPort prompts: EDIT MESSAGE. Press DOWN ARROW again and Mini TransPort Prompts: CHANGE ALARM TIME. Use your UP and DOWN ARROW keys to find: CHANGE ALARM TIME. Hit ENTER to set the date and time. Mini TransPort prompts: PICK ALARM TYPE. Use your UP and DOWN ARROW keys to select one of the following options: ONE TIME. WEEKLY. DAILY. ONE TIME is an alarm that goes off only once at the indicated date and time. WEEKLY is an alarm that goes off once a week at the indicated day and time. DAILY is an alarm that goes off once a day at the indicated time. Use your UP and DOWN ARROW keys to select the appropriate alarm type and press ENTER. >>From here, your prompts will vary depending upon the type of alarm you select. If you choose a ONE TIME alarm, Mini TransPort prompts: ENTER IN THE DATE AS A SET OF THREE TWO-DIGIT NUMBERS WITH A SPACE BETWEEN NUMBERS. Use the keypad (as described in Chapter 2) to enter numbers. For example, to enter February 19, 1994, hold down the MODE key and press FUNCTION KEY A until you hear the number 0, then release the MODE key. Hold down the MODE key and press FUNCTION KEY A until you hear the number 2, then release the MODE key. So far, you have entered the digits 02 to represent February (the second month of the year). Now you need to enter a "space". Hold down the MODE key and press FUNCTION KEY D. When you hear the word "SPACE", release the MODE key. Continue in this fashion until the month, day, and year are successfully entered. When you have finished entering the digits, press ENTER to terminate the string of digits. Remember, mistakes are easily erased by accessing the "backspace" with the MODE key and FUNCTION KEY A. If you choose a WEEKLY alarm as your alarm type, Mini TransPort skips the date question and prompts: CHOOSE THE DAY OF THE WEEK. Use your UP and DOWN ARROWS to select the day on which you want the alarm to go off and press ENTER. If you choose DAILY as your alarm type, Mini TransPort skips the date and day of the week questions and proceeds to the alarm time query. At this point, the prompts for all alarm types become the same. Now Mini TransPort prompts: ENTER IN THE TIME AS A SET OF 2 TWO-DIGIT NUMBERS WITH A SPACE BETWEEN. For example, enter 1:35 as "zero, one, space, three, five" using the MODE and FUNCTION keys as described previously. After you enter the time correctly, press ENTER again and Mini TransPort Queries: IS THE TIME PM? If so, press UP ARROW to confirm. If not, hit DOWN ARROW to tell Mini TransPort that the time is A.M.. You are now back to the Edit Alarm Menu, Change Alarm Time (where you were before you entered the date and time for the alarm). Now hit the UP ARROW to go to the Edit Message menu choice and press ENTER to select it. You can enter a message to be spoken when the alarm goes off. Try something simple like "hello" or your name using the letter entry method described in Chapter 2. When finished, hit ENTER to get back to the Edit Alarm menu. When you return to the Edit Alarm menu, use the UP ARROW key to find the top menu choice, "Read Message", and hit ENTER. You should hear the text you typed in, followed by Mini TransPort confirming that you are still in the Edit Alarm menu and on the Read Message option. Press ESCAPE to get back to the Set Alarms menu. Now, instead of hearing: UNUSED ALARM A. you should hear: 02 19 94 SATURDAY 01 35 PM ON. If you had hit DOWN ARROW back when you were asked if the alarm was P.M., Mini TransPort would speak the date and time of the alarm and the word "ON" without saying "A.M.". In other words, A.M. is silent, P.M. is spoken. The alarm is now set. It will go off one time, once a week, or once a day according to the selected alarm type. Mini TransPort will announce the date, the day of the week, and the word ON for a ONE TIME alarm. For a WEEKLY alarm, the day of the week (Sunday, Monday, etc.) and the time will be spoken, followed by the word ON. For a DAILY alarm, the time and the word ON will be spoken. (Remember, P.M. is spoken, A.M. is not.) *** b. Saving Alarms. You just set an alarm. Now let's save it. Press ESCAPE until you return to the Alarm sub-menu. You are still on the Set Alarms option. Arrow down past Load Alarms to the next option which is Save Alarms and press ENTER. Mini TransPort prompts: ENTER IN NAME WITH NO EXTENSION FOR ALARM FILE. Enter a filename eight letters or less with no file extension and hit ENTER. For this example, type the filename: MYFILE and hit ENTER. You will return to the main Alarm Options menu. *** c. Deleting Alarms. >>From the Alarms menu, use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to locate: CLEAR ALARMS. and hit ENTER. Mini TransPort prompts: ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO DELETE ALL THE ALARMS? Press the UP ARROW key to confirm deleting the alarms. The alarms are deleted and you will return to the Alarms menu. To avoid clearing the alarms, you may press either ESCAPE or the DOWN ARROW key and you will be returned to the Alarms menu with all alarms intact. In this example, you pressed the UP ARROW key to confirm deleting the alarms. Now, go up to the Set Alarms option and hit ENTER. You will hear: UNUSED ALARM A. This is because all of the alarm slots (including the one you set earlier) are now empty. You can delete an individual alarm by going into the Set Alarms menu (locate it with the UP and DOWN ARROW keys and press ENTER). Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to find the alarm you want to delete. Once there, hold down the MODE key and press FUNCTION KEY D until you reach "DELETE". Release both keys and the alarm is deleted and you are returned to the empty alarm slot. *** d. Loading Alarms. Press ESCAPE to go back to the main Alarms menu. Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to find the Load Alarms menu option and press ENTER to select it. You are now in a menu that lists your alarm files. There is only one file in this list now, and it's the one you just saved: MYFILE.ALM The extension ".ALM" was automatically supplied by Mini TransPort. Press ENTER now and the alarm you created earlier is instantly loaded into Mini TransPort. Confirm this by using your UP and DOWN ARROW keys to locate the Set Alarms menu and press ENTER to select it. You will find that the alarm you previously set is now loaded into the first slot. If there had been more than one alarm file available, you would simply have used the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to select the desired file and then pressed ENTER to load it. *** e. Checking and Setting the Time. The fourth and fifth entries in the Alarms menu allow you to check and set the time and date. The Check Time function announces the date and time when you press ENTER. Because checking the time is something you may do often, Mini TransPort has a special Check Time feature that allows you to check the current date and time from anywhere without having to enter the Alarms menu. Press the MODE key to place Mini TransPort's keypad in TURBO mode and then press FUNCTION KEY D (KEY 4) to check the date and time. The Set Time function prompts you to enter the current date and time exactly as in the Edit Alarm menu. However, in this situation you cannot skip the date field. *** f. Turning Off Alarms Temporarily. Suppose you have a daily alarm set to get you up in the morning, but you do not want it to go off on the weekend and you do not want to go to the trouble of clearing all of your alarms. You want to keep your current alarm file and do not wish to load another one. From the Main menu, use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to find the Alarms menu option and select it with ENTER. Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to locate the Set Alarms sub-menu and select it with ENTER. You are now in the list of preset alarms. Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to find the alarm that wakes you up and enter a BACKSPACE (using the MODE key and FUNCTION KEY A). You will now hear that alarm's information spoken, but with the word OFF instead of ON. All of your alarms may be toggled ON and OFF with the BACKSPACE, regardless of their type. Of course, if you want to wake up on week days, but don't want to toggle the Daily alarm off for the weekend, you can set five Weekly alarms to go off at the same time, each for a different weekday. By using combinations of Weekly, Daily, and One-Time alarms, you can meet all of your scheduling needs with Mini TransPort's alarm menu. *** g. Responding To Alarms. Now that you know all about creating and modifying alarms ... what happens when an alarm actually goes off? When Mini TransPort's time and date match the time and date of an active alarm, Mini TransPort will start to issue a series of beeps to alert you. This beeping will continue until you let Mini TransPort know that you've heard the alarm. You do this by pressing any of the four FUNCTION keys. Once you do that, Mini TransPort stops beeping and says: ALARM MESSAGE followed by the message associated with the alarm (if you entered one when you created the alarm). ** 3. Mini TransPort's File Menu. Every computing device needs a file management system to help the user organize and manipulate files. Mini TransPort's File Menu provides the following functions to manage files: FILTER STRING. LIST DIRECTORY. ERASING FILES. RENAMING FILES. COPYING FILES. MEMORY LEFT. FORMAT USER ROM. *** a. The Filter String. The first File Menu option is Filter String. By modifying this string, you can determine which files get presented when you ask for a directory listing. The default setting for the Filter String is *.* (star period star). Mini TransPort will announce this as: FILTER STRING STAR STAR. You will notice that Mini TransPort does not speak the period between the two asterisks. Since this period is always present, it is dropped from the speech for efficiency. Those of you familiar with DOS know that the stars (or asterisks) are wildcard characters that literally mean "anything". If you ask for a list of files in a directory, Mini TransPort will use the Filter String to decide which files to present and which files to ignore. With the default setting of the Filter String, Mini TransPort lists ALL files, looking for "anything" as a name or extension. If you only want to see the files sent to Mini TransPort with an extension of ".DOC", use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to find the Filter String option and press ENTER. Mini TransPort prompts: ENTER IN THE NEW FILTER. To list files with a DOC extension, use the MODE and FUNCTION keys (as described in Chapter 2) to type: *.DOC then press the ENTER key. Mini TransPort responds: FILTER STRING STAR DOC. This means that any file function invoked while this Filter String is active brings up only those files with the .DOC extension. All other files are ignored until the Filter String is changed. If you only want to see your Alarm files, set the Filter String to *.ALM (star dot A L M). We recommend that you leave the Filter String at *.* (star dot star) unless you want to filter out unwanted file names. *** b. The List Directory. The second File Menu option is Directory. This speaks the names of files in the Current Directory and their sizes. If you want to know what files are stored in the user ROM, use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to find the List Directory option under the File Menu and press ENTER. Mini TransPort begins speaking the list of files located in the user ROM (within the parameters of the Filter String which was explained in the previous section). While Mini TransPort speaks the list of files, press ENTER. Immediately, Mini TransPort will spell the current file name making it easier to understand non-standard file naming conventions. Practice this by pressing ENTER again to list the files and ENTER to spell file names. If you press the UP and DOWN ARROW keys while the directory is speaking, Mini TransPort stops speaking the list of files and allows you to navigate through the file list using the ARROW keys. As you move from file to file, the name of the file and its size is announced. When you are done navigating the file list with the ARROW keys, press ESCAPE to return to the File Menu. As files are added, renamed or erased, the directory is automatically updated so you always have an accurate accounting of its contents. *** c. Erasing Files. The third option under the File Menu is Erase File. This allows you to get rid of a file by removing it from the user ROM. This is also referred to as "deleting" a file. To erase files, use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to find the Erase option under the File Menu and press ENTER. Mini TransPort will prompt: PICK FILE TO DELETE. It speaks the name of the first file you can delete. Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to move through this list and find the file you wish to erase. Once you have located the file, press ENTER to delete it and return to the File Menu. Rather than scanning through the list of files with the ARROW keys, you may simply enter the name of the file to delete. Use Mini TransPort's keypad to enter text (refer to Chapter 2) and press ENTER. As before, the file is deleted and you are returned to the File Menu. Do not use this function unless you are sure you want to delete files. Unless you have another copy stored, once a file is deleted it is gone for good. *** d. Renaming Files. The fourth entry in the File Menu is the Rename option. This allows you to change the name of files within the user ROM. To rename a file, use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to find the Rename option under the File Menu and press ENTER. Mini TransPort will prompt: PICK FILE TO RENAME. It then speaks the name of the first file in the directory list. Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to move through this list and find the file to rename. Once you have located the file, press ENTER and Mini TransPort prompts: ENTER IN THE NEW FILE NAME. Type the new file name using Mini TransPort's keypad (described in Chapter 2) and press ENTER. The file name must have no more than eight characters, a period and three more characters for the extension (Mini TransPort's file names follow the standard DOS file naming conventions). After entering the filename, Mini TransPort will respond: DONE. You are then returned to the File Menu. As with the Erase File option, you do not have to use the ARROW keys to move through the list of files to select the file to be renamed. You may simply type the name of the file, press ENTER, type the new name for the file when prompted and press ENTER again. While you may change the name of an Alarm file, do not modify its "A L M" extension. Without this identifying extension, the files will not function properly. *** e. Copying Files. Use this command if you want to create a second copy of an existing file but under a different name. >>From the File menu, use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to find the Copy option and select it with ENTER. Mini TransPort will prompt: PICK FILE TO COPY. and then speak the first file in the file list. Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to find the file you want to copy and press ENTER. Mini TransPort prompts: ENTER IN THE NEW FILENAME. Type the new name for the file and press ENTER to complete the process. Mini TransPort will copy the file and then respond: DONE. You are then returned to the File menu. *** f. Memory Left. The Memory Left option tells you the amount of memory in kilobytes (one kilobyte is approximately 1000 characters) free in your user ROM. This option reports the amount of free memory left for storing files. From the File menu, use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to find this option and press ENTER to instantly hear the memory available report. *** g. Format Your User ROM. The seventh and final option in the File Menu is Format Device. In order to store files in Mini TransPort's User ROM, it must be formatted so that it can be detected and interpreted properly. Mini TransPort's User ROM is formatted prior to being shipped from the factory. However, should you decide to reformat it, here's what to do. We will assume that you have connected the A-C adapter to Mini TransPort and plugged it in to the wall or outlet strip. >>From the File Menu, use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to locate the Format Device option and press ENTER to select it. Mini TransPort prompts: FORMATTING DEVICE WILL REMOVE ALL DATA FROM IT. CONTINUE? To abort the format, press the DOWN ARROW or ESCAPE keys and you will return to the File Menu. To continue with the format, press UP ARROW. The ROM disk takes around a minute to format. You will hear a series of beeps to let you know that the format is progressing. When finished, Mini TransPort announces: DONE. You are returned to the File Menu, placing you on the Format Device option. ** 4. The Options Menu. The fourth entry in the Main Menu is the Options Menu. This menu handles a number of Mini TransPort's miscellaneous utilities and contains the following entries: VERBOSE MODE. POWER MODE. BATTERY CHECK. DEVICE STATUS. DOWNLOAD SPEECH ACCESS. REPROGRAM MINI TRANSPORT. SPEAK SERIAL NUMBER. BURN IN USER NAME. Enter the Options Menu from the Main Menu by using the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to find it and press ENTER. *** a. Verbose Mode. For those of you who like the reassurance of more detailed prompting, Mini TransPort has a "verbose" feature which, when ON, speaks expanded prompts and instructions. When you first enter the Options Menu, you are on the Verbose Mode option which will be spoken along with its current setting. If it is OFF, press ENTER to toggle it ON. Once ON, you will hear: OPTIONS MENU. USE UP AND DOWN ARROWS TO PICK CHOICE. PRESS ENTER TO SELECT, OR PRESS ESCAPE TO ABORT. VERBOSE MODE ON. Press ENTER again and this time you will hear: OPTIONS MENU. VERBOSE MODE OFF. With Verbose Mode ON, go through some of the menus you have previously visited. Listen to the instructions given for different menus. After a while, you will feel comfortable enough with Mini TransPort so that you won't need the additional instruction and you can turn the Verbose Mode OFF. In general, Verbose Mode reminds you to use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to cursor to a choice, press ENTER to select an option, press ESCAPE to abort, and so on. *** b. Power Mode. The second entry in the Options Menu is Power Mode. The Power Mode determines whether you want the battery saving options ON or OFF. Find the Power Mode option with the UP and DOWN ARROW keys and press ENTER to select it. You will find that there are two settings; Normal and Drain. Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to locate one and select it with ENTER. Mini TransPort defaults to the Normal option so that all of the battery saving circuitry is active. The battery Drain option allows you to completely discharge your batteries before recharging them. This may be necessary if your battery develops a charge "memory" (see explanation in Chapter 1). You may also use this option when running Mini TransPort on batteries but need to eliminate noise introduced by the battery saving features when, for example, using a tape recorder to record speech output from Mini TransPort while in the field. The A-C adapter must be unplugged for this feature to be effective. *** c. Battery Check. The next menu option is Battery Check. Again, locate it with the UP and DOWN ARROW keys and enter it by pressing ENTER. Like the Verbose Mode feature, Battery Check is toggled ON and OFF by pressing ENTER. With Battery Check ON, Mini TransPort informs you when the battery is getting low. Thereafter, you will not hear the warning again unless Mini TransPort is turned OFF then ON which prompts the battery low message to repeat. Once you receive a "battery low" warning, plug in the A-C adapter or replace the user replaceable battery pack with a fresh one. We recommend you leave this feature ON all of the time for maximum protection. *** d. Device Status. The Device Status option provides you with a quick run- down on some of Mini TransPort's settings that might effect your performance. Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to find this option and press ENTER to select it. You might hear: ADAPTER NOT PLUGGED IN. ADAPTER POWER OFF. SERIAL PORT NOT READY. BATTERY POWER GOOD. Or you might hear: ADAPTER PLUGGED IN. ADAPTER POWER ON. SERIAL PORT NOT READY. The first two announcements tell you whether or not your A-C adapter is plugged in and whether or not Mini TransPort is receiving power from your A-C outlet. These are not redundant. If, for example, your adapter is plugged into Mini TransPort but it is not plugged into a wall socket or is not functioning properly, Mini TransPort reports that the adapter is plugged in but that it is not receiving any power. If you hear this, check the connections on your A-C adapter. If these are proper, you may have a problem and should call Artic Technologies for assistance. "Serial Port Not Ready" means that no cable is connecting Mini TransPort to your computer. However, if a cable is connecting these two devices and you still get this message, it might mean that your cable is bad or that your computer is not communicating correctly with Mini TransPort. The last status announcement tells you about the present status of your battery pack. *** e. Download Speech Access. You can take advantage of a special Mini TransPort feature that allows you to store your favorite screen review program in Mini TransPort's ROM and, when necessary, transfer it to a computer via the serial port. With this function, any IBM computer can become instantly accessible. This comes in handy should you need to work with a computer that does not contain your screen access software and the master diskette is unavailable. **** 1) Creating and Loading the Necessary Files. If you are using a screen review program other than Business Vision, you must create two files with specific filenames and upload them to Mini TransPort's User ROM or this feature will not work. These two files are TRANSFER.EXE and TRANSFER.BAT. You must also upload the MINICOM.EXE file which is supplied on the diskette that comes with Mini TransPort. TRANSFER.EXE is the file that contains all of your screen reader files. TRANSFER.BAT is a batch file that copies TRANSFER.EXE to your computer, extracts its files, and issues the necessary commands to run the screen review program. MINICOM.EXE is the program used to copy TRANSFER.EXE from your supplied floppy disk or hard disk subdirectory to Mini TransPort's ROM drive. NOTE: Business Vision users will find the files TRANSFER.BAT and TRANSFER.EXE customized for Business Vision on a diskette supplied with Mini TransPort. Therefore, you will not need to create these files, but you will need to copy them from the diskette to Mini TransPort's user ROM. The following procedure describes how to create TRANSFER.EXE and TRANSFER.BAT, then copy them to Mini TransPort. You will then learn how to use the Download Speech Access feature in Mini TransPort to install and automatically run your screen review program. CREATING TRANSFER.EXE: In order to create TRANSFER.EXE (the file that contains your screen review software) you must use a file compression program that combines and compresses many files into one. We recommend you use the file compression utility PKZIP, version 2.04G. You can obtain this utility from Artic's BBS or from bulletin boards in your area. The examples listed here will assume that you have and will use PKZIP version 2.04G. To begin, go to the subdirectory on your computer that contains your screen reader files. It is a good idea to move any files that are not required to run your screen review program (such as documentation files) to a temporary subdirectory. Compressing only the required files saves storage space and shortens the time it takes to install your screen review program. After paring your files down to what is absolutely needed, type the following command on the computer keyboard from the DOS prompt: PKZIP TRANSFER -RP A *.* and then press the ENTER key This command creates a file called TRANSFER.ZIP which contains all of your screen reader program files, honoring subdirectory and path names where applicable. While PKZIP creates the file TRANSFER.ZIP, it prompts you regarding file progress and notifies you when it is finished working. Now type: ZIP2EXE TRANSFER and press the ENTER key. This command converts the TRANSFER.ZIP file to a file called TRANSFER.EXE (the required self-extracting file). CREATING TRANSFER.BAT: Now, lets create a batch file called TRANSFER.BAT that, when executed, unpacks the screen review files in TRANSFER.EXE and runs them. Here is a sample screen review batch file. Feel free to modify it to suit your own needs. IMPORTANT: You must start your batch file with the first three commands as shown below and end it with the command that starts your screen review program. The first command in TRANSFER.BAT is: CTTY CON This command returns control of the computer to the console and is required at the top of the batch file. The next command is: MINICOM /C% /S# /T This command starts the MINICOM.EXE program passing three parameters. They are: /C% where % is the number of the appropriate serial port. /S# where # is the appropriate character to determine the Baud rate. /ST = Top speed. /SF = Fast speed. /SM = Medium speed (9600 Baud) (default if no value specified) /SS = Slow speed. /T the command instructing MINICOM to perform a remote transfer. This command is required. The third command is: TRANSFER.EXE -O -D This command unpacks TRANSFER.EXE, honoring subdirectories and overwriting screen review files by the same name. This command is required. The next command in the batch file is: START PROGRAM Do not type these words literally. Simply enter the command that starts your screen review program. NOTE: you can perform other batch file commands before starting your screen review program, but you must end your batch file with the command that starts your screen reader. COPYING FILES TO MINI TRANSPORT: Now that you have created the necessary files, let's transfer them to Mini TransPort. Let's start by creating a subdirectory on your computer's hard disk that contains the following three files: MINICOM.EXE TRANSFER.EXE TRANSFER.BAT and the update files supplied by Artic Technologies. To do this, from the DOS prompt, type the following on your computer's keyboard: MD \UPDATE and then press the ENTER key. UPDATE is the name of the subdirectory you are going to use for this process. Change to this subdirectory by typing: CD \UPDATE followed by the ENTER key. Next, copy all of the files starting with the word TRANSFER from your diskette or the subdirectory containing your screen review program into this directory. For example, if the files are on floppy disk drive A, type: COPY A:\TRANSFER.* and press the ENTER key. If the files are on hard disk drive C, in a subdirectory called VE, you would type: COPY C:\VE\TRANSFER.* and press the ENTER key. Make sure there is a space after the word COPY when you type this command. After copying the TRANSFER.EXE and TRANSFER.BAT files to the UPDATE subdirectory, copy the file MINICOM.EXE from the floppy disk that was supplied with your Mini TransPort by typing the following command on your computer's keyboard: COPY A:MINICOM.EXE and press the ENTER key. If your floppy drive is B:, substitute B: for A: in this command. Now you are ready to run MINICOM.EXE to transfer the files from the UPDATE directory on your computer's disk to Mini TransPort. You should still be in the UPDATE subdirectory, so all that you need to do is type the following command from the DOS prompt: MINICOM and press ENTER. You should hear the prompt: MINICOM CONNECTED. confirming that MINICOM.EXE is loaded and ready to go. Now press Function Key 3 (F3) on your computer's keyboard. This instructs MINICOM to send a file to Mini TransPort. When you do this, you will be asked for the name of the file you wish to transfer. In this example, type the file name: TRANSFER.EXE and press ENTER. Your file will be sent to the User ROM on Mini TransPort and you will be notified when it is finished transferring. Repeat these steps to send TRANSFER.BAT and MINICOM.EXE. When you finish transferring these files, you will be ready to perform a remote transfer (use the Download Speech Access function). **** 2) Performing a Remote Transfer Sending your screen review program to your computer is easy. You need only memorize the first step. Mini TransPort prompts you the rest of the way. Listed below are all of the steps with an explanation so that you can see how it works. Before you start, make sure that your computer is at the DOS prompt and in the disk drive where you want your screen review program installed (preferably Drive C). Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to locate the Download Speech Access entry in the Options Menu and press ENTER. >>From here on, you will follow instructions from Mini TransPort. Mini TransPort prompts: PICK THE SERIAL PORT TO USE FOR THE TRANSFER. followed by: COM1. This is the first entry in a menu which lists COM1 through COM4. You will need to know to which serial port on your computer Mini TransPort is connected before proceeding. Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to find the appropriate port and press ENTER to select it. Mini TransPort prompts: PICK THE SPEED TO USE FOR THE TRANSFER. NORMAL. This is another menu with three choices: SLOW, NORMAL, and FAST. For computers with only floppy drives, or those older XT models that have hard drives but extremely slow CPU speeds, use the NORMAL setting. For 286, 386, and faster computers, the FAST option safely transfers Business Vision from Mini TransPort. Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to choose the speed to use and press the ENTER key to select it. You will hear a warning message concerning the DOS SHARE and other programs that might interfere with the procedure. After this warning, Mini TransPort informs you that you can skip further instructions by pressing ENTER (to proceed immediately) or obtain instructions by pressing any other key. We recommend that, until you are familiar with the instructions for transferring your screen access program to a computer, you press any key other than ENTER to get prompting. Press any key other than ENTER and you will hear the following message: YOU WILL NEED TO TYPE TWO COMMANDS FROM YOUR COMPUTER KEYBOARD TO INSTALL YOUR SCREEN READER. PRESS ANY KEY WHEN READY FOR THE FIRST ONE. When you press a key, Mini TransPort spells the first command so that you will type it in as you hear it. The command is: MODE COM#:1200,N,8,1,P followed by the ENTER key. Substitute the actual COM port number for the number sign (#) in the above command. This command sets the serial port on your computer for a Baud Rate of 1200 characters per second, no parity bits, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit and a parameter to improve handshaking between the computer and Mini TransPort. This command ensures that the settings for your computer match the ones Mini TransPort expects or file transfers will not happen. Complete the step as instructed and proceed to the next command. When finished, Mini TransPort prompts: PRESS ENTER FOR THE NEXT INSTRUCTION OR ANY OTHER KEY TO REPEAT THE LAST INSTRUCTION. If you missed any of the first instruction and did not type in the command, press any key to repeat it. If you have entered the first command correctly on your computer keyboard, then press the ENTER key on Mini TransPort's keypad to hear the second and final command that you must enter on your computer's keyboard. Mini TransPort now prompts you to type the following command: CTTY COM# followed by the ENTER key. Substitute the actual COM port number for the number sign (#) in the above command. Again Mini TransPort prompts you to press ENTER to go to the next instruction or any other key to repeat. Repeat the last instruction as many times as you wish, and when you are ready, press ENTER to initiate the file transfer. You will hear Mini TransPort say: STARTING TRANSFER, MAKING DIRECTORIES. This lets you know that Mini TransPort and your computer are successfully communicating. For each file transferred, Mini TransPort reports the number of kilobytes sent for that file. At the end of each transfer, Mini TransPort informs you that the file was successfully sent. When all files are transferred, TRANSFER.BAT is automatically executed on your computer to extract the files from TRANSFER.EXE, and run your screen review program. If you hear the following message, you know you have a problem: ERROR IN TRANSFER. UNABLE TO COMPLETE REMOTE BOOT. PRESS ANY KEY TO CONTINUE. It is usually due to an incorrectly typed instruction on the computer keyboard, choosing the wrong COM port, improper cabling or a faulty serial cable. Repeat the steps outlined above. Make sure to accurately follow the instructions from Mini TransPort and select the proper serial port. If that does not work, check your connections. If they are sound, then try replacing the serial cable. If you are still having trouble, contact Artic Technologies for assistance. NOTE: If you have purchased Business Vision with your Mini TransPort, see the documentation enclosed with Business Vision for instructions on its use. *** f. Reprogramming Mini TransPort. Mini TransPort performs a variety of useful functions to assist you in your day to day activities. It does this because, like any computer-based device, it contains an operating system and a set of programmed instructions stored in a special ROM. We are constantly evaluating and developing improvements to its operation as well as new features designed to increase its utility. This means that from time to time, we will issue special upgrades to Mini TransPort's operating system, applications or utilities. The next entry in the Options Menu is Reprogram Mini TransPort. It provides a way to transfer the upgrade information sent to you on disk to Mini TransPort's internal ROM. NOTE: Mini TransPort's internal system ROM is different from the User ROM and is not accessible to the user. The reprogramming of Mini TransPort is accomplished with the MINICOM utility. (We will cover the rest of MINICOM in the next chapter). To reprogram Mini TransPort, you must connect it to a wall outlet via the A-C adapter and to your computer using the serial cable. Let's start by creating a subdirectory on your hard disk that contains MINICOM.EXE and the update files supplied by Artic Technologies. To do this, from the DOS prompt type: MD \UPDATE followed by the ENTER key, where UPDATE represents the name of the subdirectory used for this process. Change to this subdirectory by typing: CD \UPDATE followed by the ENTER key. Copy the MINICOM utility into this directory. For example, if MINICOM is in the \ARTIC\VISION subdirectory, type: COPY C:\ARTIC\VISION\MINICOM.EXE and hit ENTER. Make sure there is a space after the word COPY when you type this command. Copy the update file contained on the update disk to the \UPDATE subdirectory. For example, place Mini TransPort's update disk in drive A. Now type: COPY A:*.* followed by the ENTER key. Remember, leave a space after the word COPY in this command. The \UPDATE subdirectory should now contain the MINICOM utility and Mini TransPort's update file. Now you can update Mini TransPort. Make sure that your Mini TransPort is ON and properly cabled to the computer. It does not matter where you are in Mini TransPort's menu. On your computer's keyboard (not Mini TransPort's keypad) type: MINICOM /ST where /ST sets MINICOM to top transfer speed. You could have used /SF to set MINICOM to a fast speed. In either case, press ENTER. You should hear: MINICOM CONNECTED. from Mini TransPort's speaker. If not, check your cabling, make sure Mini TransPort is ON, connected to the A-C adapter and plugged in. Once you hear the "MINICOM CONNECTED" prompt, find Mini TransPort's Options Menu with the UP and DOWN ARROW keys and press ENTER. Locate the Reprogram Mini TransPort Option with the UP and DOWN ARROW keys and press ENTER again. You will hear two important messages. First, Mini TransPort reminds you that it must be connected to a computer with MINICOM loaded for the reprogramming to work. Second, Mini TransPort reminds you that the A-C adapter must be connected. Mini TransPort then prompts: DO YOU WANT TO CONTINUE? Press UP ARROW or ENTER to continue the reprogram. To abort the reprogram, press DOWN ARROW or ESCAPE. If you continue, Mini TransPort prompts you to press ALT-F3 on your computer keyboard to begin the reprogramming. Mini TransPort beeps during its reprogramming and will re- start once the process is complete. The READ.ME file that comes on the update disk provides you with information on changes and additional Mini TransPort features implemented with the upgrade. *** g. Speak Serial Number. This choice in the Options Menu speaks your Mini TransPort serial number (and your name, if it's burned in), the model of your Mini TransPort, and the version number of the current software every time you press the ENTER key. This is useful when calling Artic Technologies for technical support. You can also access this feature without going through the menus by pressing the MODE key to place Mini TransPort's keypad in TURBO Mode and then pressing FUNCTION KEY A. *** h. Burn-In User Name. This option allows you to permanently burn your name or other identifying information into Mini TransPort for security purposes. This identifying information may be up to seventy characters in length. If you press ENTER while on this option, you will be asked for your name. Type in your name (or any other identifying information you wish to use) and press ENTER. From that point on, your name will always be a part of your Mini TransPort and cannot be removed or changed unless your Mini TransPort is sent back to Artic Technologies. ** 5. The Serial Menu. The fifth entry on the Main Menu is the Serial Menu. It controls four parameters that govern serial communications. Locate the Serial Menu under the Main Menu using the UP and DOWN ARROWS and then press ENTER to select it. Once there, you will be placed at the top of the list of the four communications parameters and two default functions: BAUD RATE. CHARACTER LENGTH. PARITY. STOP BITS. SET TO ACCENT DEFAULTS. SET TO MINI TRANSPORT DEFAULTS. Briefly, the Baud Rate determines the number of bits per second at which data is transmitted to and from your computer. The Character Length determines how many binary digits make up each character. The Parity setting determines the method of error checking in data transmissions. The number of Stop Bits determines how many binary digits are sent after each character. If you only use Business Vision, you should never need to change these options since the MINICOM utility and the Business Vision screen review software handle the setting of serial port parameters automatically. If you use other screen readers (especially those that use a nonstandard parameter set such as the default settings for the external Accent synthesizer), you will need to set Mini TransPort to match them or your speech will not work. Mismatched serial parameters cause speech to sound unintelligible. Your screen reader software manual should instruct you in the proper parameter settings for an external accent synthesizer and these parameters should be matched with Mini TransPort. Mini TransPort uses the standard parameter set when using Business Vision and MINICOM: Baud Rate of 9600, Character Length of 8, no Parity, and 1 Stop Bit. However, some packages may instruct you to set the Parity to "Even", a Character Length of 7, and the number of Stop Bits to 2. To do this, go to the Main Menu and use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to locate the Serial Menu. Select it with the ENTER key. Mini TransPort prompts: SERIAL MENU. BAUD RATE. followed by the current setting for the Baud Rate. To change this rate, press ENTER. You are placed in the list of Baud Rates which range from 300 to 115,000 baud. Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to locate the speed you want and press ENTER to select it. You are then returned to the Serial Menu. Use your DOWN ARROW to move to the next parameter. You will hear: CHARACTER LENGTH. followed by the current value. This option is also entered with ENTER, which places you on a menu of two choices: seven and eight. Like the Baud Menu, these options are accessed with the UP and DOWN ARROW keys. Use the ARROW keys to locate the number you desire and press ENTER to select it and return to the Serial Menu. Move down to the third parameter and you will hear: PARITY. followed by the current setting. Press ENTER to go into the Parity Options Menu. Your choices are ODD, EVEN and NONE. They are accessed with the UP and DOWN ARROW keys. After choosing the Parity setting you want, select it with ENTER. You are then returned to the Serial Menu. Moving to the fourth and last parameter, you will hear: STOP BITS. followed by the current setting. Use ENTER to go into the Stop Bits Options Menu. You are placed on a list containing two choices: ONE and TWO. Use your UP and DOWN ARROW keys to locate your choice and hit ENTER to select it and return to the Serial Menu. The final two entries in this menu will set the four communications parameters to predefined values. For the Accent defaults, the values are: BAUD RATE: 9600 CHARACTER LENGTH: 7 PARITY: None STOP BITS: 1 For the Mini TransPort defaults, the values are: BAUD RATE: 9600 CHARACTER LENGTH: 8 PARITY: None STOP BITS: 1 ** 6. P.A.L. Files. As previously stated, Mini TransPort supports special kinds of files that you customize to suit your own needs. These are called P.A.L. files, which is short for Personal Appointment Look-up. There are four PAL files that you can create, store and reference as needed. They are: PHONE. ADDRESS. TO DO LIST. OTHER. PHONE is a quick name and phone number list that you can use to keep track of clients, friends or other important numbers. You can also dial the phone number in a PAL phone entry. We will describe how to do this later in this section. ADDRESS allows you to store and retrieve a list of names and addresses. How you use this is strictly up to you: a client list, names and addresses of family or friends. In any case, the PAL system is flexible enough to serve your needs. TO DO LIST is a file you can create to list the things you need to do. Change the items as you accomplish your tasks. OTHER is file to use if the PHONE, ADDRESS or TO DO LIST files do not meet your specific requirements. *** a. Creating a PAL File. The best way to learn how to create a PAL file is to demonstrate how they are built. The following is a listing of three sample files supplied with Mini TransPort. Read the accompanying explanations. Note that PAL files are created on your computer, stored as ASCII files and saved using the following file conventions: PHONE = PHONE.TXT ADDRESS = ADDRESS.TXT TO DO LIST = TODO.TXT Sample PHONE.TXT file entries: (ENTRY TITLE) ** John (ENTRY) 453-3234 (ENTRY TITLE) ** Stan (ENTRY) (513) 342-2313 (ENTRY TITLE) ** Mark (ENTRY) (123) 456-7890 Ext 3234 (ENTRY TITLE) ** Pete (ENTRY) 1-800-324-4124 Do not use the words ENTRY and ENTRY TITLE when creating your own PAL file. We use them here to help you see how a PAL file is constructed. The ENTRY TITLE consists of 2 asterisks, a space, and any text that can fit on the first line of the record. The ENTRY consists of text starting on line 2 and ending at the next set of asterisks. Though your ENTRY TITLE is limited to one line, the ENTRY itself can be as long as it needs to be. The sample ADDRESS and TO DO LIST files illustrate this point. Sample ADDRESS.TXT file: ** Artic Technologies 55 park St. Troy, Michigan 48083 ** Clark Kent 1234 Lois Lane Metropolis, MI 48321. ** Mr. Anyone 150 Anywhere Dr. Anytown, USA 12345 Sample TODO.TXT file: ** Chores Take out the garbage. Pick up the kids. Do the dishes. Buy more Mini TransPort's. ** Appointments 10:30 A.M. Meeting with boss 12:00 P.M. Lunch with a friend. 2:00 P.M. Meeting with executive board. As previously stated the OTHER file is meant to cover any needs that you might have which are not logically included within the PHONE, ADDRESS and TODO files. OTHER files can be anything in the form *.TXT. When OTHER is selected, you will be taken to a list of all the files with the extension TXT on the ROM Drive. *** b. Sending a PAL File to Read. After creating your PAL files, you must load them into Mini TransPort. To do this, copy the files into the directory that contains your MINICOM.EXE file. Then type on your computer keyboard: MINICOM to start the program. Press the F3 key (Function Key 3) on your computer keyboard to transfer files from your computer to Mini TransPort. When asked for the name of the file to send, type the name of the appropriate PAL file and press ENTER. The file will be sent and Mini TransPort will announce: DONE. to let you know that the process is finished. For more information concerning transferring files between your computer and Mini TransPort, please read Chapter 4. *** c. PAL File Reader Keys. Now that you have sent a PAL file to Mini TransPort, it is time to read it. To do this, go to Mini TransPort's Main Menu. Use your UP and DOWN ARROW keys to locate the PAL File option and press ENTER. You are placed at the top of a list of PAL file options that correspond to the PAL files you may have created: PHONE opens the PHONE.TXT file. ADDRESS opens the ADDRESS.TXT file. TO-DO LIST opens the TODO.TXT file OTHER places you at the top of the list of all files with an extension of .TXT. Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to locate the specific PAL file that you want and press ENTER to open it. Use your UP and DOWN ARROW keys to locate the specific PAL file that you sent to Mini TransPort and press ENTER. You will hear the first field in the file you created. To access the remaining portions of the file, use the following PAL file reading keys: UP & DOWN ARROWS Scroll through ENTRY TITLES. ENTER Read the ENTRY itself. ESCAPE Return to PAL menu. MODE+KEY1 Scan ENTRY TITLE list MODE+KEY2 Page-Down to the next page of ENTRY TITLES. MODE+KEY2+KEY2 Current ENTRY TITLE MODE+KEY3 Page-Up to the previous page of ENTRY TITLES. MODE+KEY3+KEY3 Dial the current telephone number in the PHONE file. MODE+KEY4 Move to start of ENTRY TITLES. MODE+KEY4+KEY4 Move to end of ENTRY TITLES. NOTE: As previously stated, MODE+KEY3+KEY3 dials a number that is in the ENTRY section of your current PAL file record. Mini TransPort will generate the corresponding touch tones and output them through its speaker. In order for this to work well, the speaker must be close enough to the telephone to be picked up cleanly. ** 7. Reminder Files. If you create an ASCII file called REMIND.TXT and send it to Mini TransPort, it will automatically be read each time you power up Mini TransPort. You can also read this file by accessing the Read Reminders option (the last entry in Mini TransPort's Main Menu.) To do this, locate the Read Reminders option from the Main Menu and press ENTER. You do not have to use asterisks to create an ENTRY TITLE in the REMIND.TXT file since, by definition, the file is automatically read if it is present. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 4: The Rest Of MINICOM In the last chapter you used MINICOM to reprogram Mini TransPort and to upload other files. These are only some of MINICOM's capabilities. Let's take a closer look at the MINICOM help screen to see what else it has to offer. Pressing the F1 key (Function Key 1 on the computer's keyboard) after MINICOM loads will call up the MINICOM Help screen. It is reprinted here to quickly familiarize you with MINICOM's functions. PRESS F1 (FUNCTION KEY 1) FOR THIS SCREEN. PRESS F2 (FUNCTION KEY 2) TO RECEIVE A FILE FROM MINI TRANSPORT. PRESS F3 (FUNCTION KEY 3) TO SEND A FILE TO MINI TRANSPORT. PRESS F5 (FUNCTION KEY 5) TO USE THE COMPUTER'S CLOCK TO SET MINI TRANSPORT'S TIME. PRESS ALT-X TO EXIT THE MINICOM UTILITY. PRESS CONTROL-C TO ABORT A SERIAL TRANSFER. NOTE: ALT-F3 IS USED IN THE REPROGRAMMING OF MINI TRANSPORT.ALL OTHER KEYS ARE USED TO SIMULATE THE MINI TRANSPORT KEYPAD. ---------------END OF HELP SCREEN----------------- NOTE: when reading this material, make sure to notice the difference between references to the four function keys on Mini TransPort's keyboard and references to the function keys on the computer keyboard. Mini TransPort's function keys are presented as FUNCTION KEY A, FUNCTION KEY B, FUNCTION KEY C, and FUNCTION KEY D or KEY 1, KEY 2, KEY 3, and KEY 4 while the computer keyboard's function keys are referred to as F1, F2, F3, etc. or Function Key 1, Function Key 2, Function Key 3, etc.. * A. Using MINICOM With Other Screen Readers. MINICOM is designed to work in perfect harmony with the Business Vision screen access software supplied by Artic Technologies. If you are using a screen access program other than Business Vision with Mini TransPort, you must unload it or MINICOM will not function properly. If this is the case, restart your computer without the screen access software by booting from a floppy disk or from your hard disk without loading the other screen reader. MINICOM works with Mini TransPort and does not need a screen reader to verbalize its prompts. When finished using MINICOM, load the screen access software as before and proceed normally. * B. Using MINICOM With Business Vision. You can load MINICOM when Business Vision is running with the SynPhonix card as long as you use the "/B" switch. You would enter the following command from the DOS prompt on your computer's keyboard: MINICOM /B This switch informs MINICOM that Business Vision is running with the SynPhonix card. You do not need to use this switch when running Business Vision with Mini TransPort. * C. Sending and Receiving Files. Occasionally you may want to share files with a friend who may not have a modem or may not have the same floppy drive size as you do. You can still transfer files by first storing them in Mini TransPort's ROM disk. Then, simply download Business Vision (along with the MINICOM utility) onto your friend's machine. When you run MINICOM, your friend's computer can receive files from Mini TransPort. With MINICOM active, Function Key 2 (F2) instructs MINICOM to receive a file from Mini TransPort. Function Key 3 (F3) sends a file to Mini TransPort. When F2 is pressed, MINICOM prompts: ENTER IN THE FILENAME TO RECEIVE. When F3 is pressed, MINICOM prompts: ENTER IN THE FILENAME TO SEND. Once you type the appropriate filename and press ENTER, the file is transferred from Mini TransPort to your computer or from your computer to Mini TransPort. You are told about the progress of the transfer every 10 kilobytes (10 thousand characters) depending on the size of the file. Mini TransPort reports when the transfer is complete. To summarize, you know that F1 brings up the MINICOM help screen; F2 allows you to receive a file on your computer from Mini TransPort; and F3 allows you to send a file to Mini TransPort from your computer. You also learned that the ALT-F3 key combination, when prompted to press it, re-programs Mini TransPort. * D. Controlling Mini TransPort From Your Computer Keyboard. All of the other MINICOM keys simulate Mini TransPort's keypad. In this way, you can operate the unit from your computer's keyboard instead of Mini TransPort's keypad. For example, the UP and DOWN ARROW keys on your computer keyboard equal the UP and DOWN ARROW keys on your Mini TransPort's keypad. Pressing the ESCAPE key on your computer keyboard moves you up a level in Mini TransPort's menu system (until you reach the Main Menu). Pressing ENTER on your computer keyboard has the same effect as the ENTER key on Mini TransPort's keypad. Therefore, you can enter and operate any Mini TransPort application or utility from your computer keyboard. You can enter text for alarm messages using your computer's normal letter and number keys (making the use of key combinations on Mini TransPort's keypad unnecessary). Some may wonder why we waited until now to demonstrate how easy it is to operate Mini TransPort from your keyboard. The answer is that to do this, you must have a computer connected to Mini TransPort which defeats the usefulness afforded it by its portability. MINICOM does give you this option, but we recommend that you first learn to operate Mini TransPort and enter text using its keypad. To get out of MINICOM and back to DOS, press the ALT-X key combination on your computer keyboard. Once in DOS, your computer's keyboard no longer controls Mini TransPort and you will use its keypad to operate it. * E. Setting Mini TransPort's Clock. You can use MINICOM to set Mini TransPort's clock using the date and time from your computer. Press F5 and Mini TransPort will report: DATE AND TIME SET. confirming that its clock has been successfully updated. * F. MINICOM Switches. Here is a brief list of command line switches for MINICOM: /? Brings up MINICOM's command line help screen. /B Instructs MINICOM that the SynPhonix card is installed and that Business Vision is running. /C% Where % is the number of the appropriate serial port. MINICOM /C2, for example, runs MINICOM on COM2. If no COM switch is specified, MINICOM defaults to COM1. /S# Where # is the appropriate letter to set the Speed MINICOM uses to connect Mini TransPort and your computer. "/ST", for example, is for top speed and recommended for most computers. MINICOM /ST = Top speed. MINICOM /SF = Fast speed. MINICOM /SM = Medium speed (9600 Baud) (default if no value specified) MINICOM /SS = Slow speed. /U: Lets you upload (send a file) to the Mini TransPort. The form is /U:FILENAME.EXT where FILENAME.EXT is the name of your file. /D: Lets you download (receive a file) from the Mini TransPort. The form is /D:FILENAME.EXT where FILENAME.EXT is the name of your file. /T the command instructing MINICOM to perform a remote transfer. ======================================================================== APPENDIX A: Controlling Mini TransPort With Other Software When using Mini TransPort with other programs, follow the instructions in the application program's manual to ensure proper setup and installation. If Mini TransPort is well supported, you can use the commands supplied by the manufacturer to control it. NOTE: we do not always know how other companies choose to support our synthesizers. Therefore, if after following their instructions you cannot get Mini TransPort to respond properly, call the software manufacturer for technical support. Mini TransPort accepts speech commands in either PortTalk or External Accent format. No mode switching is required. Business Vision automatically selects the PortTalk format and needs no setup. If you are using third party software, you will need to instruct the program to use the PortTalk or Accent format (reference your third party software manual for its requirements). Appendix B references Mini TransPort commands that third party programmers or developers must use when writing speech drivers for Mini TransPort. Ignore these commands unless you intend to write a customized program and speech driver for Mini TransPort. ======================================================================== APPENDIX B: Mini TransPort Speech Commands Mini TransPort accepts speech commands in either PortTalk or Accent format. No mode switching is required. Artic Business Vision automatically selects the PortTalk format and needs no setup. If you are using third party software you will need to instruct the program which format to use (see the user manual for the third party software's requirement). The Mini TransPort command list contained in this Appendix is provided for use by software developers. ** 1. Mini TransPort Primary Command Codes. Third party software that is compatible with PortTalk-based speech synthesizers may access Mini TransPort. *** a. Speech Characteristic Commands. CONTROL-E R ? = Set Speech Rate, where ? is a number from 0 to 9. CONTROL-E P ? = Set Speech Pitch, where ? is a number from 0 to 9. CONTROL-E V ? = Set Speech Volume, where ? is a the number from 0 to 9. CONTROL-E T ? = Set Speech Tone, where ? is a letter from A to Z. CONTROL-E N ? = Set Number Processor, OFF (? = 0), ON (? = 1). CONTROL-E F ? = Set Flat Pitch. OFF (? = 0), ON (? = 1). CONTROL-E A ? = Set Acronyms. OFF (? = 0), ON (? = 1). CONTROL-E S ? = Set Spelling. OFF (? = 0), ON (? = 1). *** b. Speech Flow Controls. CONTROL-X = Abort speech and be quiet (Instant Flush). CONTROL-E H ? = Set Host Timeout, where ? is a number from 0 to 9. CONTROL-E I ? = Set Speech Index Marker, where ? is a letter from A to Z. CONTROL-E Q = Query Speech Index Marker. CONTROL-E W = Wait for Speech to complete. NOTE: To make Mini TransPort send back a response when a certain point in the text string is reached, use a WAIT followed by a QUERY. For example, the string: "hello": CONTROL-E W CONTROL-E Q sends back an index marker after "hello" speaks. *** c. Miscellaneous Controls. CONTROL-E $ = Reset Mini TransPort. CONTROL-A P = Read Turbo Port. ** 2. Mini TransPort Auxiliary Command Codes. Mini TransPort is compatible with Accent Commands. However, the power-up defaults are different. You must send an Accent reset in order to get Accent defaults. Third party software that is compatible with Accent type speech synthesizers may access Mini TransPort (see Accent Manual for details). ======================================================================== APPENDIX C: Trouble Shooting Guide Below are some commonly asked questions with answers we hope will benefit you. 1. How much memory does Mini TransPort use? Mini TransPort does not use any memory in your computer. The only memory used is the memory required by your screen access program. 2. Is the Mini TransPort manual on disk? Yes! It is on the diskette you received with the unit. 3. Can I use Mini TransPort with a note book computer? Mini TransPort is designed to support a variety of Laptop computers. You need to make sure that the laptop in question has a serial port and can run your screen review program. 4. If I loose power for Mini TransPort, do I have to reboot my computer? No. Plug Mini TransPort in and turn it ON. Normally, you can resume where you left off. If not, reboot the computer and restart Mini TransPort. 5. How do I find Mini TransPort's Serial number? Mini TransPort's serial number is printed on the bottom of the unit. You may also hear the serial number by accessing the "Speak Serial Number" menu option from the Options Menu or by pressing the MODE key to shift the key pad to TURBO Mode and then pressing FUNCTION KEY A (KEY 1). From Business Vision, the serial number is spoken by pressing the question mark (?) key in Control Mode. 6. Can I get a new serial cable or serial adapter replaced if the originals get lost or broken? Yes! Check with Artic Technologies for price and delivery.