ORBIT Reader 40 Electronic Braille Display User Guide
- June 6, 2024
- Orbit
Table of Contents
ORBIT Reader 40 Electronic Braille Display User Guide
Introduction
This guide provides the basic instructions for using the Orbit Reader 40 Electronic Braille Display. For more information and the complete instructions, consult the Orbit Reader 40 User Guide included on the SD card.
The Orbit Reader 40 is a unique 3-in-1 device that enables a blind or visually impaired user to read books and documents in braille, take notes and save them as braille or text files. It helps the user to easily access all the functions of a computer or smartphone such as web browsing, email, and text messaging.
Reading materials that were previously available in braille embossed on paper,
can now be read on the compact and portable Orbit Reader 40. Thousands of
books can be stored on the small memory cards, known as SD cards. Blind people
who used to write notes using a slate and stylus or a Perkins Brailler can now
type in braille with the Orbit Reader 40, which includes a similar 8-key
braille keyboard and is much quieter and faster, as well as being fatigue-
free.
The notes are stored on the SD card and can be transferred to a computer or
smartphone and read by anyone.
The Orbit Reader 40 produces braille symbols using 8 pins that can move up and down to produce braille dots and can show a line of 40 such symbols, also known as cells. Any text or braille content can be instantly displayed on the device, 40 symbols at a time and once you have read the first line of 40 symbols, you can move to the next line by pressing a button, known as the pan button.
In the Box
The following items are included in the package. Contact your distributor if anything is missing or damaged.
- Orbit Reader 40 unit
- Charger
- USB Cable (USB-A to USB Type C)
- SD Card with User Guide and content (installed in unit)
- Printed Quick-Start Guide
Orientation of the Device
The normal operating orientation of the device is with the space bar closest
to you. Above the space bar is the line of braille cells. On the left and
right side of the braille line are two buttons.
These buttons are used to skip to the next or previous line of braille and are
known as the pan keys.
Just above the line of braille cells and in the middle is the navigation pad. The navigation pad contains four directional arrow buttons (Up, Down, Left, Right) and the Select button.
On left and right side of navigation button are eight traditional braille input keys. Dots 7, 3, 2 and 1 are on the left and Dots 4, 5, 6, and 8 are on the right. These keys are used to type in braille and to enter commands. The navigation pad is used to move within a book or file and through menus. The small buttons located above each braille cell are cursor routing buttons, used to move the cursor to the desired location while editing.
On the right side of the device, from front to back, is the recessed Power button (front), USB Type-C (middle), and 3.5mm Audio Jack (back). On the left side of the device, is the Standard USB A host port. At the back side of the device, is the SD card slot.
Charging the Device
We recommend charging the device fully before or during first use. To charge the battery, plug the small end of the cable into the USB Type C port on the right side of the unit and insert the other end into the supplied charger or a USB port on a computer.
Powering On and Off
To turn on the device, press and hold the power button for 2 seconds. If the device is already on, pressing and holding the power button for 2 seconds will turn it off. If the device is running on batteries and you do nothing with it for 10 minutes, it goes to sleep automatically to conserve power. The device will activate all the dots momentarily to indicate power-on and power-off.
Language Settings
Your Orbit Reader 40 comes with support for several languages and more can be loaded from the SD card as needed. You can select a language by pressing the Select button and one of the Dot keys together. The Select and Dot 1 keys will choose UEB Grade 1 (uncontracted) braille for reading and writing. All the messages and menus will also be shown in UEB Grade 1 (uncontracted). The Select and Dot 2 keys will choose UEB Grade 2 (contracted). The Select and Dot 3 keys will choose the BRF format, which is independent of language. The Select and Dot 4 keys will choose the language you have loaded from the SD card. There are many other options that provide a lot of flexibility. Please refer to the User Guide for more details.
Reading
The Orbit Reader 40 comes with an inserted SD card containing the User Guide and translated braille material already on it. If the SD card is removed or there is no SD card present when the unit is turned on, the Orbit Reader 40 displays “SD card [no media]”. To insert a card into the slot, make sure its contact fingers are facing down and gently push it in until you hear or feel a click. To remove a card, press and release it.
When you first power the device on, the display shows the name of the first file or folder on the SD card. You can scroll through the list of files using the Up and Down Arrow buttons on the navigation keypad.
To open a file in the list for reading, press the Select key. To read a file, use the panning buttons to move forward or back through the contents forty characters at a time. To exit from reading a file and return to the list of files and folders, press the Dot 7 key.
Creating and Editing Files
To create a new file, press the space bar and the dot keys for the letter ‘N’
(Dots 1 3 4 5). You will notice that dots 7 and 8 (the two dots at the bottom)
in the first cell will start blinking. This is known as the cursor and shows
the position at which the text you type will be inserted. Start typing using
the Dot 1 thorough Dot 6 keys. Choose the language you would like to type in,
using the Select and Dots 1 through 4 keys.
To edit a file you are reading, press the space bar and the dot keys for the
letter ‘E’ (Dot 1 5).
To exit the Editor, press the ‘Select’ key twice. The cursor disappears and
returns you to the file you were reading. If you had created a new file, the
editor automatically names the file with the first 40 characters of the file.
You can rename the file if you like.
Setting Preferences
The Orbit reader 40 offers several options which are accessed through the menu. This allows you to do things such as checking the battery status, configuring the way braille is displayed, etc.
- To see the menu, press the Select and Up arrow key
- To move through the menu items, press Up or Down Arrow keys
- To see the options for an item in the menu, press Right or Left Arrow keys
- To select or unselect an option, press the Select key
- To close the Menu, press the Dot 7 key
Connecting to a Computer or Smartphone
The Orbit Reader 40 can connect to computers and mobile devices to access all
of their functions and features using braille. The connection can be either
through USB or Bluetooth.
The access to the computer or mobile device’s features is through a software
program called a Screen Reader. This software is available for all platforms
including Android, iOS, Windows, Mac OS, Chrome, and Amazon FireOS and has
been fully tested to operate seamlessly with the Orbit Reader 40. For further
details, please refer to the User Guide.
Further Information
For the latest information, specifications, troubleshooting tips, software
upgrade instructions, care and use information, warranty information, and more
detailed instructions, visit the Orbit
Reader 40 support webpage at: http://www.orbitresearch.com/support
/orbit-reader-40-support/ or contact us at
techsupport@orbitresearch.com.
© 2021 Orbit Research. All rights reserved.
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