Technical Tips for this Embosser

See also: General Advice about Computer Ports: Serial, Parallel, USB, and Network

The Braille Blazer has both a parallel and a serial connection. The Braille Blazer has an absolute maximum carriage width of 34. The unit offers a very small left margin if you attempt to use the full carriage width. Here are the most common situations:

• No left margin. use full carriage width of 34: Existing Settings. Maximum carriage width of 34. Desired left margin of 0; left margin setting of 0 on Braille Blazer.

• Left margin of two set on the embosser: Existing Settings. Maximum carriage width of 34. Desired left margin of 2; left margin setting of 2 on Braille Blazer.

• Left margin of two set in this software: Existing Settings. Maximum carriage width of 34. Desired left margin of 2; left margin setting of 0 on Braille Blazer.

If you are using the Blazer as a speech synthesizer as well as an embosser. be sure that the two functions are not both looking to the same port for data. Diagnosing this problem is easy - the Blazer speaks and embosses the contents of your file at the same time. Fixing the problem is also easy - change the speech port to the correct port or to off.

Settings for parallel

Here is how we recommend setting up the Braille Blazer for parallel. First do a total reset. To do this, hold down all three buttons on the right side as you power on. When you release the buttons, the Braille Blazer voice asks you if it is okay to reset. To go ahead with the total reset, press the three buttons again.

The Braille Blazer uses voice for the dialogue in its configuration menu system. The three buttons on the right side are, from top to bottom: on/off line, line feed, and form feed. Press all three buttons at the same time to get into the configuration menu. If you want to change a value, press the form feed button (the form feed button means "change"). If you are satisfied with a value and want to advance to the next question, press the line feed button (the line feed button means "advance"). If you want to back up to the previous question, press the on/off line button (the on/off line button means "back up"). To exit a menu or a sub-menu, press all three buttons together.

When you enter the configuration menus, the choices available are speech menu, printer menu, sideways printing, serial menu, service menu, and quit (to take the Blazer back to being an embosser).

Here is the dialogue to set up the Braille Blazer, creating a left margin of 2 for binding:

• Press all three keys
• Configuration: Speech config -- press Advance
• Configuration: Printer config -- press Change
• Port: Parallel active -- press Advance
• Paper feed: Pulling active -- press Advance
• Left margin: 0 -- press Change
• Left margin: 1 -- press Change
• Left margin: 2 -- press Advance
• Right margin: 34 -- press Advance
• Top margin: 0 -- press Advance
• Bottom margin: 0 -- press Advance
• Lines/page: 25 -- press Change
• Lines/page: 26 -- press Change
• Lines/page: 27 -- press Change
• Lines/page: 28 -- press Change
• Lines/page: 29 -- press Change
• Lines/page: 30 -- press Change
• Lines/page: 0 -- press Advance
• Page length: 11 -- press Advance
• Word Wrap: On Active - press all three keys
• Configuration: Sideways printing - press all three keys
• Now the Braille Blazer is on line again.

For technical support on the Braille Blazer, contact Freedom Scientific at 727-803-8600.