Setting Dectalk USB to Factory Defaults

Setting Dectalk USB to Factory Defaults

[Beth Hatch]

Hi all,
 
I have a very sick and ornery Dectalk USB which needs to be set back to its
factory defaults.  About a month ago, I upgraded the unit to its latest
firmware.  It has been functioning just fine until it stopped working while
I was attempting  a Speakup Linux install on my Linux machine.  I don't know
exactly what happened, but when a sighted colleague started Gnopernicus to
help me fix a configuration problem, the Dectalk started throwing out all
kinds of junk information and now it will no longer work with either my
Windows or Linux machines.  To my knowledge, Gnopernicus doesn't even know
how to talk with the Dectalk USB, but somehow I wonder if it's possible that
it may look for something on the serial port thereby causing Dectalk to
spazz out on me.....
 
    I've tried upgrading the firmware again twice to no avail.  The Access
Solutions web site and the dectalk USB documentation don't say anything
about how to go back to factory defaults.
 
    If anyone knows how to do this, I would greatly appreciate your
assistance!!<smile>
 
Thanks,
 
Beth

Re: Setting Dectalk USB to Factory Defaults

[Adam Myrow]

I don't know of any way of resetting the Dectalk USB.  Is it still 
recognized by Windows?  If so, I'd try reinstalling the firmware and 
language modules.  I can't imagine how Gnopernicus could have trashed the 
firmware, but I'd leave the switch set to serial mode unless you were 
actually using it in native USB mode or updating the firmware.

RE: Setting Dectalk USB to Factory Defaults

[Beth Hatch]

Hi Adam and all,

Thanks for your message.  Yes, Windows does recognize the Dectalk in USB
mode.  This makes the third time that I have updated the firmware.  Just for
grins, I tried updating the firmware, and when I say firmware I mean the bin
file and the flash firmware itself, with the switch on both settings.
Windows recognizes the USB cable, it detects the hardware, but not in Serial
mode with JAWS.  However, when I try to use Speakup and Linux, doing a
modprobe for Dectalk won't find any Dectalk on the system whatsoever.
However, I can remove the Dectalk from the USB port and use Brltty with my
Braille display on the same serial port perfectly.  Since neither Windows
nor Linux will recognize the Dectalk in serial mode, I figure something is
amiss with the Dectalk in serial mode.  I am using the cable that came with
the Dectalk USB.  All worked well on both computers until I ran Gnopernicus
to test the software Festival voice and the Dectalk started spewing forth
lots and lots of garbage for no reason.......

	I'll be calling Access Solutions on Monday, I'll probably need to
send the unit in for repair.  My problem now is that while I fix it, I have
no hardware synthesizer and I can't do my Linux homework or my school Linux
exams until I get the Dectalk back or I buy or borrow another synthesizer.
Any suggestions from anyone where I can obtain a used, and inexpensive,
solution for Linux?

Thanks,

Beth

Re: Setting Dectalk USB to Factory Defaults

[Glenn at home]

Can you try this on another computer?
It might be the computer's settings that were changed, and not the synth.
Glenn

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Beth Hatch" <bhatch200@comcast.net>
To: "'Speakup is a screen review system for Linux.'" 
<speakup@braille.uwo.ca>
Sent: Saturday, February 12, 2005 4:41 PM
Subject: RE: Setting Dectalk USB to Factory Defaults


Hi Adam and all,

Thanks for your message.  Yes, Windows does recognize the Dectalk in USB
mode.  This makes the third time that I have updated the firmware.  Just for
grins, I tried updating the firmware, and when I say firmware I mean the bin
file and the flash firmware itself, with the switch on both settings.
Windows recognizes the USB cable, it detects the hardware, but not in Serial
mode with JAWS.  However, when I try to use Speakup and Linux, doing a
modprobe for Dectalk won't find any Dectalk on the system whatsoever.
However, I can remove the Dectalk from the USB port and use Brltty with my
Braille display on the same serial port perfectly.  Since neither Windows
nor Linux will recognize the Dectalk in serial mode, I figure something is
amiss with the Dectalk in serial mode.  I am using the cable that came with
the Dectalk USB.  All worked well on both computers until I ran Gnopernicus
to test the software Festival voice and the Dectalk started spewing forth
lots and lots of garbage for no reason.......

I'll be calling Access Solutions on Monday, I'll probably need to
send the unit in for repair.  My problem now is that while I fix it, I have
no hardware synthesizer and I can't do my Linux homework or my school Linux
exams until I get the Dectalk back or I buy or borrow another synthesizer.
Any suggestions from anyone where I can obtain a used, and inexpensive,
solution for Linux?

Thanks,

Beth


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RE: Setting Dectalk USB to Factory Defaults

[Beth Hatch]

Hi Glenn,

Thanks for the suggestion about trying this on another computer.  The
Dectalk is not detected either on my Linux computer or the Windows machine,
although I haven't tried to upgrade the firmware on another machine other
then the Windows machine.  I don't know if trying to upgrade the firmware on
another computer would help.  The computer I am using to upgrade the
firmware hasn't had any changes since this problem, I haven't installed any
new software or hardware.


	Thanks for the message,

Beth

RE: Setting Dectalk USB to Factory Defaults

[Hart Larry]

Well, Beth, I heard there is a way to run Eliquence in Linux.  Maybe even if I 
did that I could finally try YASR
Hart

RE: Setting Dectalk USB to Factory Defaults

[Adam Myrow]

On Sat, 12 Feb 2005, Beth Hatch wrote:

> Windows recognizes the USB cable, it detects the hardware, but not in Serial
> mode with JAWS.  However, when I try to use Speakup and Linux, doing a
> modprobe for Dectalk won't find any Dectalk on the system whatsoever.

This is probably a dumb question, but are you switching the little switch 
on the right side back to serial mode when testing in that mode? 
When the switch is away from the headphone jack, it's in USB mode, and 
when it's towards the headphone jack, it's in serial mode.  You probably 
already knew this, but I just thought I'd ask.  Have you also tried a 
different cable, to make sure the cable hasn't bit the dust?

As for other synthesizers, if you can get somebody to help you with 
speech-dup and speech dispatcher, you could get software synthesis 
working.  Since you mention a Braille display, you could also try and use 
that with Brltty.

RE: Setting Dectalk USB to Factory Defaults

[Beth Hatch]

Hi Adam,

Anything is of course possible with computers.<smile>  Yes indeed, I did put
the switch back in its proper place, but I'm not upset with you for asking
because I made that mistake when I first got my unit a little over 6 months
ago.

	I have always used this unit in serial mode, no matter which
operating system, I just have the USB cable that came with the unit plugged
in for the power useage of the computer.  At school, however, I use the AC
adapter because it was easier to deal with because there aren't many usb
ports on my school computer.  The usb cable I use is the one that came with
the unit, and it has only been used with the Dectalk and no other device.
The serial cable is not a normal serial cable so I don't have a spare cable
to try unfortunately.

	Yes, I do have a Braille display, brltty has been working with
Fedora just fine but I would rather have speech.<smile>

Thanks,

Beth

RE: Setting Dectalk USB to Factory Defaults

[Adam Myrow]

On Sat, 12 Feb 2005, Beth Hatch wrote:
> The serial cable is not a normal serial cable so I don't have a spare cable
> to try unfortunately.

Really?  I've used the Dectalk serial cable as a regular serial cable once 
in a situation where I didn't have one handy.  In fact, it is described as 
a "straight-through" cable, meaning that it is a standard cable as far as 
I can tell.  A cable for a UPS (uninterruptible power supply,) is another 
story.  Those are customized for sure.

Re: Setting Dectalk USB to Factory Defaults

[Kenny Hitt]

Hi.  If you started Gnopernicus from the 
"desktop advanced settings accessibility"
menu, I suspect your problem is because Gnopernicus tried to initialize
a braille display on the serial port.  It will do this even if you are
already running Gnopernicus with braille disabled.  I've tried to file
a bug about this, but haven't managed to find a way to file a bug report
on the gnome.org site.
I've also tried to file a report using bug-buddy with no luck.

Try changing the default synth to "none, turning of and back on the
DECtalk, and then returing to the DECtalk as the default synth.

To change default synths, you echo a string to /proc/speakup/synth_name.
For example, the following will switch thedefault synth to "none" and
back to the DECtalk.

echo none >/proc/speakup/synth_name
echo dectlk >/proc/speakup/synth_name

Hope this helps.
          Kenny

On Sat, Feb 12, 2005 at 01:58:38PM -0700, Beth Hatch wrote:
> Hi all,
>  
> I have a very sick and ornery Dectalk USB which needs to be set back to its
> factory defaults.  About a month ago, I upgraded the unit to its latest
> firmware.  It has been functioning just fine until it stopped working while
> I was attempting  a Speakup Linux install on my Linux machine.  I don't know
> exactly what happened, but when a sighted colleague started Gnopernicus to
> help me fix a configuration problem, the Dectalk started throwing out all
> kinds of junk information and now it will no longer work with either my
> Windows or Linux machines.  To my knowledge, Gnopernicus doesn't even know
> how to talk with the Dectalk USB, but somehow I wonder if it's possible that
> it may look for something on the serial port thereby causing Dectalk to
> spazz out on me.....
>  
>     I've tried upgrading the firmware again twice to no avail.  The Access
> Solutions web site and the dectalk USB documentation don't say anything
> about how to go back to factory defaults.
>  
>     If anyone knows how to do this, I would greatly appreciate your
> assistance!!<smile>
>  
> Thanks,
>  
> Beth
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> Speakup mailing list
> Speakup@braille.uwo.ca
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