Drivers/Braille/Alva/README - brltty - Git at Google


            
            README for the Alva Braille Driver


            Supported Hardware

            
            ==================


            This driver is intended to work with any Alva braille display from the ABT3

            
            (3nn), Delphi (4nn), Satellite (5nn), and Braille Controller (6nn) series. It

            
            recognizes the 320, 340, 34d, 380, 382, 38D, 420, 440, 44d, 480, 544, 544t,

            
            570p, 584p, 620, 632, 640 and 680; other models can be easily added. The

            
            serial, USB, and Bluetooth protocols are supported; the parallel port is not.


            If you want any information about Alva products, you should look at this

            
            web site: http://www.optelec.com


            Key Bindings

            
            ============


            All the key definitions are listed in the key bindings configuration files

            
            (usually found in /etc/brltty/brl-al-*). Each file corresponds to an Alva

            
            model. For more information on the functions listed, see the BRLTTY manual.


            For a quick start, enter the help screen by:


               3nn and 4nn models: press the PROG key.

            
               5nn models: press the left outer key of the right satellite keypad.

            
               6nn models: press both rear ETouch keys together.


            Enter interactive command learn mode by:


               5nn models: press the right outer key of the right satellite keypad.

            
               6nn models: press the  left rear and right front ETouch keys together.


            Some keys found on larger display models might not be bound to any functions

            
            at the moment. However, it is pretty easy to add new bindings.


            Special Considerations for the BC6xx models

            
            ===========================================


            The BC6xx models have an internal menu with many configuration options.

            
            Unfortunately the default value for a few options are suboptimal with BRLTTY

            
            and you might want to consider changing those settings for a better user

            
            experience.  To enter the local menu press SmartPad keys 2, 3 and Down

            
            simultaneously.  The SmartPad direction keys are then used to select a

            
            setting, the center key to allow changing a setting.


            Repeat Keys: This determines if the braille terminal should send repeated

            
            key events when a key is held down. BRLTTY can already manage key repetitions

            
            by itself in a better way and this setting prevents BRLTTY's support from

            
            working properly. Therefore you should change this setting to "off".


            2nd Cursor Routing row: This setting allows for simulating a second row of

            
            cursor routing keys as found on some earlier Alva models by holding down a

            
            cursor routing key during a short period. This causes problems with BRLTTY's

            
            multi-key bindings if keys are not pressed in a particular order. To mitigate

            
            the problem slightly, BRLTTY considers the first and second routing key rows

            
            as being the same on the BC6xx, those models actually having only one such

            
            row of keys anyway.  It is best to use BRLTTY's ability to bind functions

            
            on held-down keys instead if one wishes to preserve the additional

            
            possibilities this setting offers. Therefore you should change this setting

            
            to "off".


            Port Specification

            
            ==================


            This driver supports serial, USB, and Bluetooth communication only. Some

            
            parallel port communication for ABT models was previously supported, but

            
            since that support was based on a non-GPL compatible and binary only

            
            library, it has been removed. When/if someone can help with providing us

            
            with the proper protocol information, we'll be pleased to write an open

            
            source parallel port driver in conformance with BRLTTY's license.


            Brltty's default port is usb:. If you need to specify something else please

            
            follow the suggestions below.


            There are a number of ways to specify the port on the PC to which the display

            
            is connected. Here's a summary, although you should check BRLTTY's manual for

            
            all of the details.


            The default protocol is USB. If you'd like your brltty executable to have its

            
            own unique default port then use the --with-braille-device= option of the

            
            configure script in BRLTTY's top-level directory at build-time. If you'd like

            
            your system to have its own unique default port regardless of which brltty

            
            executable is being used then use the braille-device directive of BRLTTY's

            
            configuration file (usually "/etc/brltty.conf"). If you'd like to specify a

            
            specific port when invoking brltty then use the -d (or --braille-device=)

            
            command line option.


            For a serial port, specify "serial:/path/to/device". The "serial:" qualifier is

            
            optional (for backward compatibility). If a relative path is given then it's

            
            anchored at "/dev" (the usual place that devices are found on a Unix-based

            
            system). The following device specifications all refer to the primary serial

            
            port on Linux:


               serial:/dev/ttyS0

            
               serial:ttyS0

            
               /dev/ttyS0

            
               ttyS0


            For a USB port, specify "usb:". BRLTTY will search for the first USB device

            
            which matches the braille display driver being used. If this is inadequate,

            
            e.g. if you have more than one USB braille display which require the same

            
            driver, then you can refine the device specification by appending the serial

            
            number of the display to it, e.g. "usb:12345".


            Serial Port Communication

            
            =========================


            By default, the ABT communicates at 9600 BPS. Although higher baud rates

            
            can be used, the communication becomes unreliable creating occasional errors

            
            in the displayed braille. Therefore the baud rate in the local menu of your

            
            ABT should remain set to 9600.


            With serial communication, the ABT serial port must be set to alva-mode (the

            
            default); see the description of 'Local Mode' in the ABT manual. The ABT serial

            
            port has the same connections as the standard 9-pin serial port of an IBM PC.

            
            Therefore, a cable connecting the ABT with a PC must have the following wires:


            9 pin (ABT)        9 pin (PC)   or    25 pin (PC)


            1                  1                  8 (CD)

            
            2                  3                  2 (TD)

            
            3                  2                  3 (RD)

            
            4                  6                  6 (DSR)

            
            5                  5                  7 (GND)

            
            6                  4                  20 (DTR)

            
            7                  8                  5 (CTS)

            
            8                  7                  4 (RTS)

            
            9                  9                  22 (RI)


            This kind of cable is called a "null modem" (or "cross over") cable. All

            
            connectors are female D connectors.


            NOTE: Problems using the serial port may occur in some circumstances if

            
            the parallel port is also connected. If BRLTTY seems to work but exhibits

            
            strange behaviour, then trying disconnecting the parallel port cable

            
            may help.


            ABT3xx Firmware Version

            
            =======================


            BRLTTY no longer supports ABT3xx firmware versions older than 010495.

            
            To get the firmware version, simply power up your ABT while not connected

            
            to a computer. The last digits that will appear on the braille display

            
            correspond to the firmware version. If the firmware is too old then it

            
            needs to be upgraded to at least version 010495.


            Nicolas Pitre <nico@fluxnic.net>

            
            January 14, 2014
	README for the Alva Braille Driver


	Supported Hardware
	==================

	This driver is intended to work with any Alva braille display from the ABT3
	(3nn), Delphi (4nn), Satellite (5nn), and Braille Controller (6nn) series. It
	recognizes the 320, 340, 34d, 380, 382, 38D, 420, 440, 44d, 480, 544, 544t,
	570p, 584p, 620, 632, 640 and 680; other models can be easily added. The
	serial, USB, and Bluetooth protocols are supported; the parallel port is not.

	If you want any information about Alva products, you should look at this
	web site: http://www.optelec.com


	Key Bindings
	============

	All the key definitions are listed in the key bindings configuration files
	(usually found in /etc/brltty/brl-al-*). Each file corresponds to an Alva
	model. For more information on the functions listed, see the BRLTTY manual.

	For a quick start, enter the help screen by:

	3nn and 4nn models: press the PROG key.
	5nn models: press the left outer key of the right satellite keypad.
	6nn models: press both rear ETouch keys together.

	Enter interactive command learn mode by:

	5nn models: press the right outer key of the right satellite keypad.
	6nn models: press the left rear and right front ETouch keys together.

	Some keys found on larger display models might not be bound to any functions
	at the moment. However, it is pretty easy to add new bindings.


	Special Considerations for the BC6xx models
	===========================================

	The BC6xx models have an internal menu with many configuration options.
	Unfortunately the default value for a few options are suboptimal with BRLTTY
	and you might want to consider changing those settings for a better user
	experience. To enter the local menu press SmartPad keys 2, 3 and Down
	simultaneously. The SmartPad direction keys are then used to select a
	setting, the center key to allow changing a setting.

	Repeat Keys: This determines if the braille terminal should send repeated
	key events when a key is held down. BRLTTY can already manage key repetitions
	by itself in a better way and this setting prevents BRLTTY's support from
	working properly. Therefore you should change this setting to "off".

	2nd Cursor Routing row: This setting allows for simulating a second row of
	cursor routing keys as found on some earlier Alva models by holding down a
	cursor routing key during a short period. This causes problems with BRLTTY's
	multi-key bindings if keys are not pressed in a particular order. To mitigate
	the problem slightly, BRLTTY considers the first and second routing key rows
	as being the same on the BC6xx, those models actually having only one such
	row of keys anyway. It is best to use BRLTTY's ability to bind functions
	on held-down keys instead if one wishes to preserve the additional
	possibilities this setting offers. Therefore you should change this setting
	to "off".


	Port Specification
	==================

	This driver supports serial, USB, and Bluetooth communication only. Some
	parallel port communication for ABT models was previously supported, but
	since that support was based on a non-GPL compatible and binary only
	library, it has been removed. When/if someone can help with providing us
	with the proper protocol information, we'll be pleased to write an open
	source parallel port driver in conformance with BRLTTY's license.

	Brltty's default port is usb:. If you need to specify something else please
	follow the suggestions below.

	There are a number of ways to specify the port on the PC to which the display
	is connected. Here's a summary, although you should check BRLTTY's manual for
	all of the details.

	The default protocol is USB. If you'd like your brltty executable to have its
	own unique default port then use the --with-braille-device= option of the
	configure script in BRLTTY's top-level directory at build-time. If you'd like
	your system to have its own unique default port regardless of which brltty
	executable is being used then use the braille-device directive of BRLTTY's
	configuration file (usually "/etc/brltty.conf"). If you'd like to specify a
	specific port when invoking brltty then use the -d (or --braille-device=)
	command line option.

	For a serial port, specify "serial:/path/to/device". The "serial:" qualifier is
	optional (for backward compatibility). If a relative path is given then it's
	anchored at "/dev" (the usual place that devices are found on a Unix-based
	system). The following device specifications all refer to the primary serial
	port on Linux:

	serial:/dev/ttyS0
	serial:ttyS0
	/dev/ttyS0
	ttyS0

	For a USB port, specify "usb:". BRLTTY will search for the first USB device
	which matches the braille display driver being used. If this is inadequate,
	e.g. if you have more than one USB braille display which require the same
	driver, then you can refine the device specification by appending the serial
	number of the display to it, e.g. "usb:12345".


	Serial Port Communication
	=========================

	By default, the ABT communicates at 9600 BPS. Although higher baud rates
	can be used, the communication becomes unreliable creating occasional errors
	in the displayed braille. Therefore the baud rate in the local menu of your
	ABT should remain set to 9600.

	With serial communication, the ABT serial port must be set to alva-mode (the
	default); see the description of 'Local Mode' in the ABT manual. The ABT serial
	port has the same connections as the standard 9-pin serial port of an IBM PC.
	Therefore, a cable connecting the ABT with a PC must have the following wires:

	9 pin (ABT) 9 pin (PC) or 25 pin (PC)

	1 1 8 (CD)
	2 3 2 (TD)
	3 2 3 (RD)
	4 6 6 (DSR)
	5 5 7 (GND)
	6 4 20 (DTR)
	7 8 5 (CTS)
	8 7 4 (RTS)
	9 9 22 (RI)

	This kind of cable is called a "null modem" (or "cross over") cable. All
	connectors are female D connectors.

	NOTE: Problems using the serial port may occur in some circumstances if
	the parallel port is also connected. If BRLTTY seems to work but exhibits
	strange behaviour, then trying disconnecting the parallel port cable
	may help.


	ABT3xx Firmware Version
	=======================

	BRLTTY no longer supports ABT3xx firmware versions older than 010495.
	To get the firmware version, simply power up your ABT while not connected
	to a computer. The last digits that will appear on the braille display
	correspond to the firmware version. If the firmware is too old then it
	needs to be upgraded to at least version 010495.


	Nicolas Pitre <nico@fluxnic.net>
	January 14, 2014