Help Tech Activator Pro User Manual

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U s e r M a n u a l

A c t i v a t o r P r o

Version 1.0

Horb, September 2024

Handy Tech is a trademark of Help Tech GmbH & Co. KG

Help Tech GmbH & Co. KG; Brunnenstraße 10; 72 160 Horb, Germany

Phone : +49 7451 55 46 0; Fax: +49 7451 55 46 67

E-Mail:

info@helptech.de

- Internet:

www.helptech.de

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Summary of Contents for Help Tech Activator Pro

Page 1 A c t i v a t o r P r o Version 1.0 Horb, September 2024 Handy Tech is a trademark of Help Tech GmbH & Co. KG © All Rights Reserved Help Tech GmbH & Co. KG; Brunnenstraße 10; 72 160 Horb, Germany Phone : +49 7451 55 46 0;...
Page 2 4.2.6.1 The file transfer program HTCom 4.2.6.2 Transferring a File using HTCom from the Activator Pro to the PC 4.2.6.3 Transferring a File using HTCom from the PC to the Activator Pro The Activator Pro in combination with the iPhone...
Page 3 The HelpTech+ app 4.3.1.1 Braille Monitor 4.3.1.2 Voice recording 4.3.1.3 Smart Services 4.3.1.4 Transferring Files between Activator Pro and iPhone 4.3.2 Creating, editing and saving Word files OPERATION OF THE ACTIVATOR PRO The 10 QuickAccess keys The Internal Menu 5.2.1 menu 5.2.2...
Page 4 Activator Pro Table of Contents 5.2.10.6 Quick entry 5.2.10.7 One hand mode 5.2.10.8 show file attriButes 5.2.10.9 Startup mode 5.2.10.10 Tone signals 5.2.10.11 Vibration 5.2.10.12 Date/time format 5.2.10.13 Input indication 5.2.10.14 dot Firmness 5.2.10.15 atc sEnsitivity 5.2.10.16 staNdby 5.2.10.17 Language 5.2.10.18 Left USB port...
Page 5 Table of Key Commands for Controlling the PC THE COMPUTER KEYBOARD The Function Keys F13 to F24 The Three Blue Special Keys THE ACTIVATOR PRO AS A BRAILLE DISPLAY Starting the Screen Reader Screen readers using Windows: Example JAWS 7.2.1...
Page 6 Activator Pro Table of Contents Tips for Utilizing ATC for the Experienced Braille Reader ATC-Monitor Settings IMPORTANT INFORMATION 10.1 Technical Support LIST OF KEY COMBINATIONS 11.1 Navigating in the internal Menu 11.2 Keys while controlling connected devices 11.3 Key commands in the editor ERROR MESSAGES 12.1 Error Messages English only...
Page 7 1.2.1 Top of the Unit Please place the Activator Pro on the table in front of you so that the Braille display is directly in front of you. The two keys in the front center are the two space bars. The left space bar is later referred to as [SPCL] and the right one correspondingly as [SPCR].
Page 8 6 The Computer Keyboard. The Activator Pro 80 is also equipped with 10 QuickAccess keys to the right of the keyboard. These are labeled from the top left to the bottom right with [QA1] to [QA10]. This means that the top two keys are called [QA1] and [QA2], below them are [QA3] and [QA4] and so on.
Page 9 Single Braille key presses: [Key2] e.g. [N2] Key/dot combination in Braille input mode: [SPC + 1 2] Display on the Activator Pro: 'Display Text' such as 'File' Single keystrokes on PC keyboard: {Key}, e.g. {ENTER} Text input on PC keyboard: {input text}, e.g.
Page 10 • Lightning Adapter (optional) Software Installation To enable you to operate the different systems with your Activator Pro, we have developed programs for connecting the Activator Pro. You will find these software components together with the current manual and brief instructions on the StartStick supplied.
Page 11 "Help Tech" in the Start menu under Programs. In it you will find the following subgroups: • Braille Driver: Under this you will find the Activator Pro's key assignment for your screen reader.
Page 12 If the PC is switched on, the Activator Pro is automatically recognized by USB-enabled operating systems. If the Activator Pro is connected to the PC with a USB cable on the left side, its power supply is ensured via the PC. Please make sure that the PC is plugged into a power outlet.
Page 13 If there is only one connection, switching is not possible. Bluetooth is automatically active when you turn on the Activator Pro. If you don't connect to Bluetooth within 15 minutes, the Bluetooth interface will automatically turn off.
Page 14 Bluetooth interface to ensure that the connection is made via the USB-C cable. If the Activator Pro is powered by a PC or a power outlet, the excess power that is not used to power the Activator Pro is used to charge the iPhone.
Page 15 ’Help Tech Activator Pro 64’ The Activator Pro is preset so that it can be used to operate the PC at the left USB port immediately after switching it on. If you switch to menu mode with the left special key, the detailed startup message appears: 'Help Tech Activator Pro 80 F1.0 SBFri02.08.24 09:49 ?'...
Page 16 Confirmations setting in the Options menu under Tone signals, a startup melody will also sound when you switch on. You are now in the main menu of the Activator Pro, where you can activate the various functions.
Page 17 Even when entering Braille with JAWS and NVDA, our One hand mode can be used. 3.3.4 Signal Tones The Activator Pro utilizes various signal tones to indicate its status or to alert you about prompts or possible errors. Page 17...
Page 18 3. Error signal: These are three consecutive signals with an ascending tone pitch, which may be emitted, for example, before you delete a file. Note: You can specify which types of acoustic signals you want the Activator Pro to emit (see chapter 5.2.10.10).
Page 19 Options menu (see chapter 5.2.10.4 show sYstem files). 3.3.9 staNdby If no key is pressed or the Braille display is changed on the Activator Pro for a certain period of time, it is put into a so-called "sleep mode" (standby). The Braille cells are switched off to protect them when they are inactive.
Page 20 Braille cell at position 49 a divider. Both Braille ranges behave like two separate Braille displays. On the left as a 48 Braille display and on the right as a 31 (Activator Pro 80) or 15 (Activator Pro 64) Braille display. Thanks to the intelligent control, JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver dynamically adapt to the respective Braille display length, and thanks to BrailleHID, this also applies to iPhones and iPads connected via USB.
Page 21 [QA4]. The Activator as a note-taking device The internal menu mode allows you to use the Activator Pro as a note-taking device. To switch to internal menu mode, press the left special key until menu mode appears. You can also press [QA1] or {Fn+1}.
Page 22 Activator Pro Quick Start 4.2.1 Navigating the Menu Use the [N1/N4] and [N3/N6] keys to move through the menu. With [N5] or the [CR] keys, you activate functions or open submenus, which you can recognize by the larger sign at the end of the entry.
Page 23 Braille character sets into the Activator Pro. It has the task of transferring files from a PC to the Activator Pro via the USB port. In addition, you can also use HTCom to send files from the Activator Pro to the PC in reverse.
Page 24 Enter key. The PC will show all the files on your Activator Pro. You can select one or more files to transfer. Use the tab key to move to the input field that allows you to specify where the transmitted files should be stored.
Page 25 To do this, simply open the desired text file in the Activator Pro before starting the voice recording and place the cursor at the position where the recognized text is to be inserted.
Page 26 "HelpTech+" app on the iPhone. 2. Open the "File Manager" menu item in the app. 3. You can choose to copy a file from iPhone to Activator Pro or from Activator Pro to iPhone. 4. Apple's "Files" app will open in a window. This is pre-installed on every iPhone. From there, select the file you want to copy.
Page 27 Activator Pro Quick Start Use {arrow left } to move the focus of VoiceOver to the "Close File" button in the menu bar and activate it by pressing {arrow up + arrow down} at the same time. The iPhone will ask if you want to save the changes to the document. If you select "save"...
Page 28 A total of 26 functions can be assigned to each of the 10 [QA] keys. On the Activator Pro 64, press {Fn} and a number key to enter the function of the corresponding [QA] key. The number keys in combination with {Fn} are equivalent to the [QA] keys.
Page 29 Activator Pro Operation of the Activator Pro 8. Open previous file in editor: Opens the last opened file in the editor. If the editor is already open, it will close and restart. This is only possible if there are no unsaved changes in the editor.
Page 30 (see Chapter 5.2.2.5 File and Folder list), but do not open it. When the focus of the Braille display is on the file name, press {Ctrl+g}. The Activator Pro now translates the entire file into contracted Braille. To do this, the Activator Pro creates a new file with the same name, but with the file extension BRL.
Page 31 Note: This menu item is dynamic and will appear only if you have already edited a file in the Editor and saved it. The name of the last edited file will remain stored in your Activator Pro even when it is turned off.
Page 32 If you want to open a txt file in Grade 2, you can simply type {Ctrl + g} directly. The txt file is translated into Grade 2 by Activator Pro and opened directly. By pressing {End} you move directly to the end of the file list. With {Home} you can also move directly to the first object (file or folder) within the list.
Page 33 Activator Pro's Options menu is set to output warning tones. Assuming that the file is opened for the first time, the cursor is located at the beginning, if not, it will be located at the previous cursor position.
Page 34 For example, if you were to delete the file (msg.hsf), you could not work on the Activator Pro until you have loaded this file again. Because of this, you will receive the following warning before you can delete any system file: ’Warning: Deleting this file can cause system instability'...
Page 35 After selecting this entry, our specially developed iOS app HelpTech+ opens. It is under constant development (updates can be downloaded from the AppStore) and extends the Activator Pro with additional Smart Services such as an optimized message area. This will be discussed in more detail in chapter 5.2.4 Smart Services.
Page 36 Activator Pro vibrates with every keystroke while typing. With {Tab} you can switch between input and read mode on the Activator Pro. The previous entries in the current chat input will be retained. Pressing {Escape} will also switch from input to read mode, but in this case the previous input will be discarded.
Page 37 5.2.5.1 Display date/time After selecting this item, the time of the internal clock of the Activator Pro is displayed. The time is displayed in hours, minutes and seconds, each separated by a colon. The time format (12 or 24 hours) can be set in the "Options" menu (see chapter 5.2.10.12 Date/time format).
Page 38 5.2.6.2 Hangman This is a variation of the classic game of Hangman, in which the Activator Pro generates a mystery word. Your goal is to guess the word by finding its individual letters. When Hangman starts, there will be several dots on the Braille display. Each dot represents a letter of the mystery word.
Page 39 When you finish changing characters, you can save the modifications under a new name. 5.2.8.2 Loading Braille Character Sets As mentioned above, nine additional Braille tables can be loaded into the Activator Pro in addition to the default character set. For example, if you have created a table under the designation Mytable.asc, you can load it into the Activator Pro with the HTCom program.
Page 40 Activator Pro. If you attempt to activate an empty slot, the Activator Pro will respond with the message: 'Braille set n is empty' where n is the number of the currently selected character set.
Page 41 Pro. Keyboard tables which are available in several languages, the included Keyboard Layout Compiler (BKC) can be used to create custom key assignments. 5.2.9.3 Serial number With this function, you can check the serial number of your Activator Pro. This can be useful for service purposes. 5.2.9.4 Versions Here you can check the versions of several software modules of the Activator Pro.
Page 42 This is useful when you are working in 6 dot Braille or while you are still learning the hotkeys. 5.2.10.4 show sYstem files If you activate this checkbox, the system files needed by the Activator Pro will be displayed in the file list, along with the files created by you. WARNING!!! We recommend not to activate this option.
Page 43 To turn on one-handed mode permanently, enable this feature. If you turn on one-handed mode by pressing and holding [N2] while turning on the Activator Pro, one-handed operation will only be active until the Activator Pro is turned off. You can read how Braille input works in one-handed mode in chapter 3.3.3.
Page 44 This option is the most useful one if you frequently use the Activator Pro to make notes in the same, already existing file after switching it on.
Page 45 The Activator Pro generates a tone and/or vibration only in case of warnings. 5.2.10.11.3 action Confirmations The Activator Pro generates a signal when a complex action, such as opening a file in the editor, was successful. If this option is activated under Signal tones, a start-up melody sounds when the Activator Pro is switched on.
Page 46 Activator Pro will not shut down. For activated standby you can choose a delay of 15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes. If you do not work with the Activator Pro or press any key, the Activator Pro will automatically switch off. The Braille display shows "standby", which is slowly fading out.
Page 47 5.2.10.19 Right USB port In order to be able to set the correct protocol for a device connected via the right USB-C port, so that the Activator Pro can operate the device correctly, it is necessary to select the appropriate protocol: •...
Page 48 5.2.10.24 Restore factory defaults By pressing the [N5] key over this item, you can restore factory defaults for all options. Activator Pro will prompt you whether you are sure to proceed. The default settings are the following: 6 dots braille: off...
Page 49 The Editor provides the following features: • Text input, moving the cursor and setting bookmarks. • Quick transfer of files or text blocks from the Activator Pro to a connected device. • Translation from uncontracted Braille into contracted Braille and reverse.
Page 50 Operation of the Activator Pro The Editor uses the following tone signals and/or vibrations that alert you of all successful actions or errors. You can turn off the tone signals and vibrations in the Activator Pro's Options menu.(see chapter 5.2.10.10 and 5.2.10.11).
Page 51 Braille elements is used to press the [CR] keys. The [CR] keys' shape is designed to facilitate navigation. If you attempt to use the [CR] keys to move beyond the end of a line, the Activator Pro will beep and the cursor will be positioned such that you can continue to enter characters.
Page 52 There is one more editing mode, the read-only mode, in which the text can only be displayed, not modified. If you are in read-only mode and attempt to enter text, the Activator Pro will only generate warning beeps. Read-only mode is specified when opening a file and once it is open, the editing mode cannot be changed.
Page 53 Activator Pro Operation of the Activator Pro • The file's modification status (modified or not) • The beginning and end of a marked block • The position of the character in the text which is the current cursor location • The number of the current column 5.3.9 Set Mark (N1/N4 + N3/N6)
Page 54 Activator Pro Operation of the Activator Pro 5.3.12 Block Functions This feature enables you to work with entire blocks of text at a time. The procedures for working with blocks resemble those familiar from modern PC operating systems: • You mark a certain selection of the text.
Page 55 [N1/N4 + N3/N6] and respond to the dialog prompting you for the name of the mark with {Ctrl + v}. The contents of the clipboard remain intact as long as the Activator Pro is in operation, so that you may paste several times, including into other files. However, once the Activator Pro is turned off, the contents of the clipboard are deleted upon turning the device back on.
Page 56 {Ctrl + f} again, as long as you do not press [N2]. However, this only applies to the current editing session. Once the Editor is closed or the Activator Pro switched off, the search string will be deleted.
Page 57 The message 'Replace:' appears on the Activator Pro. Enter the search term. By pressing [N5], you indicate that you have finished entering the search string and the message 'Replace x with:' appears instead, (x is the previously entered search string).
Page 58 The calculation steps can also be saved. To do this, enter [SPC + 2 3 4] (Chord s). The Activator Pro suggests a file name from the first characters, but you can change it as you wish before saving.
Page 59 Operation of the Activator Pro Files may be opened from within the Editor as follows: 1. The {Ctrl + o} function opens a file which can then be edited. The Activator Pro will show: 'Open file:'. Alternatively, you can open a file in read-only mode with {Ctrl + w}. This file cannot be modified.
Page 60 Editor utilizes certain regions of memory which are needed during file transmissions for processing data. Also, the transfer of certain files causes the Activator Pro to restart. Any open files would not be saved, and all changes would be lost.
Page 61 In addition to the marks and the cursor position, the Activator Pro also notes the file's current size while saving it. When the file is opened again, the Activator Pro checks the size to see if it is the same as that recorded at the last save. If it is, the marks and the cursor position will be restored.
Page 62 This option is relevant only when using ATC and can be set to a value in the range from 1 to 10. It determines how long the Activator Pro will wait before automatically scrolling to the next line of text. Lower values are better for skimming, while higher values prevent you from missing characters at the end of the displayed text.
Page 63 5.3.23.7 Result Position This option affects the calculator function of your Activator Pro. For the calculator function in the Editor, the position of the calculation result can be set. The letter [e] stands here for the setting in the Editor.
Page 64 Operation of the Activator Pro 5.3.23.8 Keep Expression This option affects the calculator function of your Activator Pro. For the calculator function in the Editor, you can set whether the entered calculation should be displayed together with the calculation result or not. The letter [e] stands here for the setting in the Editor.
Page 65 Valid arguments for this value are from 0 up to the maximum number of positions on your Activator Pro (40). If you specify 0, either a tab character or the number of spaces set under 'Tab Width' (see next section) will be inserted into the text each time you input the tab character, independent of your position within the text.
Page 66 • Line feed only, LF (\\n, ^J) used by Unix-based operating systems. In the case of files transmitted to the Activator Pro, this setting is obtained from the file itself and cannot be changed. However, you can specify this parameter for all files created on the Activator Pro.
Page 67 Here the valid settings are between 0 and the maximum number of Braille cells available on the Activator Pro (64/80), but both 0 and 1 refer to the first Braille module. The default setting here is always the center of the display (32/40).
Page 68 • One of the files needed by the Editor is the "$clipboard$" file. This file, if it exists, is deleted when the Activator Pro's power is turned on to provide as much memory as possible for your data, but you can also delete it while working within the Editor.
Page 69 You can activate and deactivate the PC control separately. This is necessary because the Braille keys of the Activator Pro are used to control the PC as well as to trigger screen reader functions. The following functionalities are available here: •...
Page 70 Activator Pro Operation of the Activator Pro PC Key(s) Chord Emulated on the Activator Pro by Commands N5 + SPC Alt + character N5 + character Alt for next character SPC + 7 8 Activate/deactivate Alt SPCL + SPCR + 7 8...
Page 71 Activator Pro Operation of the Activator Pro PC Key(s) Chord Emulated on the Activator Pro by Commands Windows key + PAUSE key SPC + 2 4 5 6 8 followed by SPC + 1 2 3 4 Space SPCL or SPCR...
Page 72 The Computer Keyboard The Computer Keyboard The Activator Pro is equipped with a standard computer keyboard. With tactile touch bars for better orientation, the keys f and j, 6 and the key 5 on the number pad are marked. The keyboard consists of 7 rows in total, with the top two rows consisting mainly of function keys.
Page 73 The ATC sensors in the Braille display detect which device is currently being read on and the keyboard automatically operates this device. This means that there is no need to switch, but the Activator Pro automatically recognizes which device is currently to be operated.
Page 74 Via the context menu, you also have the option of setting up the start of the screen reader via one of the function keys of the Activator Pro. For example, if you want to set the start of JAWS to [F24], press the [F24] key in the "Key combination" input field. After you have applied the change, JAWS can now be started with [F24].
Page 75 The Activator Pro as a Braille Display 7.2.1 Overview Here you will find the functions assigned to the individual keys of the Activator Pro listed in a table. Since JAWS for Windows comes with its own user manual, we have refrained from providing a detailed description of the functions.
Page 76 Activator Pro The Activator Pro as a Braille Display Control Key/Braille Dot Function [N2 + N5] Enter [SPC + 1 2 7] Toggle Braille input on/off [SPC + 1 7] Toggle ATC on/off [SPC + 1 2 3] Toggle ATC reading protocol on/off...
Page 77 The Activator Pro can be controlled directly from the screen reader VoiceOver, which is installed by default on the iPhone, iPad and Mac . How to connect the Activator Pro to the iPhone via Bluetooth is described in chapter "2.4.2 Bluetooth Apple iOS Device Tie-In”.
Page 78 Activator Pro The Activator Pro as a Braille Display Control Key/Braille Dot Function [SPC + 1 2 4 5] Switch between contracted and uncontracted Braille [SPC + 3 4 5] Activates the Volume Up button [SPC + 1 2 6]...
Page 79 Operation Settings for Help Tech Braille Displays Various settings for operating your Activator Pro with the PC and your screen reader can be made in the universal Help Tech Braille driver. To open the settings window, press [1 8] if Braille input is activated or {Fn + f + ö} if Braille input is deactivated.
Page 80 Settings menu. Key Actions This tab sheet allows you to adjust the behaviour of each key of your Activator Pro on press in the following three different ways: • Key Lock: Keys defined as locked will be ignored when pressed.
Page 81 "Available keys" and move them into the list box “Repeat Keys” by pressing the “Add” button. For the Activator Pro the keys [1], [4], [N1], [N3], [N4] and [N6] are pre-set with a default repeat interval of 500 milliseconds, if you activate key repeats. There is no key repeat available for Braille input.
Page 82 Operation Settings for Help Tech Braille Displays Info In the ”Info“ tab sheet you find important information about your Activator Pro and the driver software you are using. In the field ”Active display“ you find the type of Braille display you are using, the interface it is connected to and its serial number.
Page 83 The two modes are "Reading" and "Learning". The tab "ATC" in the Settings menu of the Help Tech Braille system is used to specify what your Activator Pro and your screen reader should do when each reading behaviour is detected, depending on whether you have selected either Reading or Learning mode.
Page 84 Activator Pro Active Tactile Control (ATC) stops only when you deactivate this "Generate protocol" option again or when you quit the screen reader. The protocol file can be scanned and analysed by an evaluation program later. ATC Assistant for Reading or Learning You can specify how the screen reader is supposed to react to your reading behaviour.
Page 85 By default, the Assistant Mode is "Reading". Under the tab ATC in the Settings window for Help Tech Braille displays, change the Assistant Mode to "Learning". Now, after you have read an entire word, the word will be spoken. In this way, ATC can help you to become more secure in reading text.
Page 86 Activator Pro Active Tactile Control (ATC) have read to the last character represented on the Braille line, just as if you had entered [SPCR] or [N6]. If you do not change the default settings in Reading mode, you can also cause the entire text on the line to be spoken when ATC recognizes fast reading.
Page 87 10.1 Technical Support Your Activator Pro is a highly complex product. Although the Activator Pro has been optimized to be as easy to use and as self-explanatory as possible, errors in understanding or operation may occur, which may impede your use of the device.
Page 88 Activator Pro List of Key Combinations List of Key Combinations Below you will find a list of the most important functions and their key combinations. The numbers in the right-hand column of the tables refer to the Braille dots to be pressed. Braille input must be activated via the “Braille”...
Page 89 Activator Pro List of Key Combinations Function Braille keys Computer keyboard Cursor to the beginning of the next SPC + 5 Ctrl+Arrow down sentence Cursor to the beginning of the previous SPC + 2 Ctrl+Arrow up record Cursor to the next word...
Page 90 Error Messages Error Messages This section contains the error messages that can be displayed on the Activator Pro. Some messages are always in English because they are not part of the message files. They come directly from the firmware because they must be always available.
Page 91 The possible results depend on which file you are attempting to delete. For example, if you delete the file containing the Braille character sets, that file will be regenerated once the Activator Pro has been turned off and back on again and you must then download the needed character sets again.
Page 92 Error Messages Remedy: First, close the Editor, then delete the system file. Please note that deleting any system file can have serious consequences. Your Activator Pro may be inoperable until the system file has been reloaded again. 12.2.3 Editor Messages "Error writing file"...
Page 93 Try to re-enter the file name. It is important to note that the file name must be entered with exactly the same spelling under which it is stored on the Activator Pro. If the result is again negative, you can suspend the Editor and open the file from the file list.
Page 94 Activator Pro Error Messages Cause: You tried to open a new file. The Editor is not able to do this. The Editor can open only 5 files at one time. Remedy: Close files, you do not need now. "End of text"...
Page 95 Copyright Notice Copyright Notice All rights reserved, copyright Help Tech GmbH & Co. KG. No portion of this manual may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission from Help Tech GmbH & Co. KG. Handy Tech is a trademark of Help Tech GmbH & Co. KG.