introduction
From time to time, HumanWare launches updates to all four braille display models, bringing in new features and of course, bug fixes and improvements! With this line, we want to welcome you to this article on updating your braille device to the latest version! We will cover both methods of updating, plus, we will also cover diagnostics mode, which can be used to help technical support pinpoint an issue, but let’s start updating your display first!
Updating The Easy Way
The easiest way to update your device is to connect to Wi-Fi, which we covered how to set up right through here. You can then go into the “Software Update” option in the settings/options menu and find the, “Check for Update now” option. to make things even more simpler, turn on the option that says, “Automatic Check.” Next time you are connected to Wi-Fi and an update is available, your display will automatically ask you, “Download Update?” You can then navigate to “Yes” or “OK” to start. You can check the progress of the download under “Software update” located in the settings/options menu.
Updating without Wi-Fi
This method will require a computer, and a thumb drive. The first thing you need to do is go online and obtain the file. The list below shows the links to the respective braille display. DO NOT try and use the same update file for all of your devices. Otherwise, you will essentially make them paper weights, and we really do not want that.
- Brailliant Series
- Manttis
- Chameleon (click on “Manuals and Downloads” button to find the file)
- Altternate Mantis Link (click “Manuals and Downloads” button to find the file)
Download the update file to your computer, find your downloads folder and unzip this file. Once you do this, copy the new file onto your thumb drive. It should be a “.SWU” file. No need to worry about the extension, it’s just an update file. Insert the thumb drive, and your display will ask, “Install Update?” navigate to “Yes.” and press “Enter.”
The Actual Updating Process
Once you say “Yes” to updating, no matter which way you picked, the display will first tell you the file is being verified and extracted, then the actual braille display will go blank, after restarting itself. As the unit restarts, you will read, “Recovery Mode.” no need to panic, this is part of the process. You will then see “Starting again, with the spinning dot after it, then the display will go blank for a few seconds. From here, you will begin seeing each half of each braille cell raise as a form of a progress indicator. Once the full braille display is raised up, the device will shut down. You are now ready to turn the device back on and enjoy the update, with new features and fixes!
If Something goes Wrong
This is a good place to discuss “Diagnostics Mode.” In this mode, if something is not working properly, you can use this area to perform a factory reset, test out each component of your braille display, and a few more things. DO NOT try using this unless you know what you are doing, or if HumanWare or APH technical support tells you to perform certain commands with this mode active. Always listen to technical support when digging around in this menu. You should rrarely have to enter this mode. Before doing this, try and fix any issue by holding down “Power” for about 15 to 20 seconds, which will force shut down the display. Think of this as a reset. However, if this did NOT work, and you’re about to call technical support, let’s proceed. To activate diagnostics, first, power off your device by pressing and holding down “Power.” You will then see, “Shut down?” find “Okay,” and press “Enter.” Your device should then shut down and the display will raise up slightly. From here, on braille keyboard models, hold down “Volume Up” and “Power” at the same time until you see “Starting.” On the Mantis, hold down “Home” and “Power.” After a couple of seconds, you will then see, “Recovery mode.” “Starting” will appear again, and the unit will turn off. Turn the device back on the normal way by holding down JUST “Power,” and if done correctly, on the main menu, you will see another option called “Diagnostics menu.”
Conclusion
As mentioned in the Beginning, HumanWare launches updates for all smart braille displays yearly with new features. We hope this article is helpful for those that struggle with updating your devices! For now, happy Updating, and see you on the next article!