Does the bootloader speak? Just curious... Or is it Braille-only? I'd imagine that being pre-boot the speech synth wouldn't be loaded yet. flint
On 12/14/06, Joseph Lee <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Flint, Yes, there is. This is when the Bootloader becomes handy. A possible explanation goes something like this: If your BrailleNote freezes, you can press Reset with Record to start with hardware-based Hard Reset, and then immediately press Reset with dots 4-6 (j-k) to boot to the Bootloader and start from there. I'm not going to go into more details on Bootloader (please consult the list archive), but if you or anoone are interested, please write to me so I can answer it for you (off list might work). > ----- Original Message ----- >From: "Flint Million" <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: "Braillenote List" <[email protected] >Date sent: Thu, 14 Dec 2006 04:46:15 -0600 >Subject: Re: [Braillenote] BN acting up again! >I'm an IT and computer specialist so this is a good one, plus I enjoy >answering questions. Sorry for those who find it OT. >--technical lecture follows. >The braille note runs on software contained in internal memory called flash >memory. This is because the memory is on chips, and works similarly to >permanent "ROM" (read only memory) however it can also be "flashed" back to >a blank state and then reprogrammed with new content. People encounter flash >memory often in the form of a USB flash drive (thumb drive, usb key, etc) >which contains a large amount of this flash memory and is used for storing >user data. On the braille note, the actual system software itself is >contained on a flash memory chip. >Reflashing is the process of writing new information to flash memory. Most >often however it pertains to system software, or "firmware", of various >devices. A computer's BIOS is often contained on flash memory allowing it to >be updated by the user. In the past, you would have to open your computer, >physically remove the old memory chip, and install the new one. Now you can >simply "flash" the chip and write new information to it. Most devices that >are portable or specialized have their system software in flash memory as >well. The game system you refer to has flash memory for all of its internal >software, and additional software is added by way of discs, cartridges, or >whatever. >Whenever you update your Braille note's Keysoft software, you are infact >"reflashing" the Braille note's memory on your own. The file you download >from the Internet or receive on a Secure Digital card (which, by the way, is >another form of flash memory) contains all of the data that needs to go onto >the flash memory chip inside your Braille note. Your Braille Note's flash >memory chip also serves as the "Flash Disk" which is why it's always a good >idea to back up information on the flash disk before doing any sort of >software upgrade. >When the Braille Note completely freezes (as mine has), it's impossible >however to run the software that starts the update. Flash memory is >"reflashed" by special software written expressly for this purpose. If you >can't get your Braille note to start up, you won't be able to run any >software to reflash the memory yourself. Many consumer devices today have >some sort of "last resort" backup method to allow the end user to reflash >the unit in the case of a huge catastrophe. PC's today sometimes ship with >two completely separate BIOS chips; if you ruin one by incorrectly >reflashing you can use the other to boot up again to try reflashing the main >chip again. The Braille Note however has no such escape route. If the flash >memory is reflashed wrongly, or if it simply is a faulty chip and can't >"remember" information well, it dies, and goodbye. It's going back to HW. >If I were asked about how to make enduser flashing possible, I'd suggest HW >introduce another chip to the Braille Note that has just enough program on >it to get the unit to where it can read an SD card and reflash the main >memory using that card's contents. For example, if your main flash was >completely messed up, you could simply get the current Keysoft, put its file >on an SD card, and reboot your Braille Note while holding down a certain key >combination or some other trick. The Braille Note would read the SD card, >and write the contents of the file to main flash automatically. You could >prhaps have some beep feedback during this process. Afterwards your main >Flash would be restored and you could continue working. >There's absolutely no technical reason HW can't implement such an emergency >restore feature. If there is such a feature I want to know about it! If >there is not, the only reason I can think of is QC: which to answer the >other lister's question means Quality Control. Hw wants your unit back so >they can examine it. Perhaps it is like a car dealership even; they fix your >flash but go "By the way we saw a bent pin in the serial port. We can fix >that for $xxx." I'm not trying to suggest HW is trying to pull a fast one on >its customers, but it seems routine these days to technologically prevent >customers from repairing their own equipment. >--end technical discussion >well there you have it. For those who I completely lost after five words, my >apologies :-) Anyway, off for now, will post to let you all know what >happens with the unit, but I'm going to push as hard as I can for a >replacement unit, since I do depend on my Braille note for work and being >without it for me is just about as bad as a sighted person being without >their pen and paper, appointment book, watch, address book, leisure reading, >and (yep, you guessed it) their handheld game console! >Flint >On 12/13/06, Alex Parks <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> I tried to do that. It took two or three times of sending my BN >> in for repair (which is why I wanted the replacement) and asking >> for a new one each time before HW finally replaced mine. I am >> glad they did, but you should be extremely insistent because it >> is hard, at least in my experience, to convince them to replace a >> machine. Good luck. >> Oh, a question: exactly what does reflashing do? My friend >> reflashed the BIOS on my computer, and I heard of a guy who tried >> to flash the BIOS of a gaming system. What does flashing, or >> reflashing, do and why would it be so nice to be able to do >> independent of a tech support person? >> Have a great day, >> Alex >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>>From: "Flint Million" <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>To: "Braillenote List" <[email protected] >>>Date sent: Wed, 13 Dec 2006 00:55:25 -0600 >>>Subject: Re: [Braillenote] BN acting up again! >>>It was sent in for repair. My guess is they just reflashed the >> system. I >>>have to think there's a way for endusers to reflash the system >> even if it's >>>completely dead, but Humanware would rather us send it in. I >> understand the >>>whole QC thing, but being without the unit is a strain on work, >> and >>>Humanware (as do many other companies) seem to forget that... I'm >> gonna give >>>them a call tomorrow and see if I can get it straight. I'm pretty >> much going >>>to say I want a completely new replacement unit, not just the >> same unit >>>reflashed. >>>Flint >>>On 12/12/06, Brian Lingard <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>>> Ottawa Canada >>>> Dear Flint: >>>> After your BrailleNote died last time, how did you coax it back >>>> to health? >>>> Sounds like you need to have a serious talk with Humanware Tech >>>> Support. >>>> Brian >>>> -- >>>> No virus found in this outgoing message. >>>> Checked by AVG Free Edition. >>>> Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.15.16/582 - Release Date: >>>> 11/12/2006 4:32 PM >>>> ___ >>>> To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to >>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>> To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit >>>> http://list.humanware.com/mailman/listinfo/br aillenote >>>___ >>>To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to >>>[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit >>>http://list.humanware.com/mailman/listinfo/br aillenote >> ___ >> To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit >> http://list.humanware.com/mailman/listinfo/br aillenote >___ >To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit >http://list.humanware.com/mailman/listinfo/br aillenote ___ To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit http://list.humanware.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote
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