Welcome to the Backstage Pass to inner workings of BrailleNote!

 

This page presents some of the inner workings of the BrailleNote. This covers everything from "What happens during upgrade process" to "What is a ROM image?"

 

Note: Some of the articles in this section might not be suitable for beginner users. This section is intended for those who want to explore Braillenote's capabilities one step further - that is, to the areas that normal users do not use everyday. For general notes on how BrailleNote works and issues related to it, refer to Support Hotline section.

 

 

List of Articles

 

Here is the list of articles as of February 7, 2008:

 

 

1. What is a ROM image?

 

1. What are the options in the Bootloader/Update Menu?

 

1. What "really" happens when upgrading KeySoft?

 

1. Why is it that, when I go to Main Menu, I can still listen to media files and have a webpage opened?

 

1. Why is it that the advertised capacity of a storage device is different from the capacity that the BrailleNote reports?

 

1. Why does the BrailleNote not support hard disks that are formatted with NTFS file system?

 

1. Why do I have to perform Reset with dots 1-2-3 (FDS) in order to fix Flash Disk related issues?

 

 

 

What is a ROM image?

 

Question: I heard a lot of discussion about a thing called ROM image. What exactly is it and how does it work?

 

A ROM image (shortened to ROM) is a type of binary file that holds data and file structure of a device which the file was written for. In other words, this is an image of a device except that it is stored as a file, not on the device itself. For example, the common ISO format is the image for a CD. This file contains data that is stored on a CD, as well as information that tells the CD drive where to find the required data. Similarly, on a BrailleNote, the ROM image holds information from BrailleNote's Flash Disk and RAM Disk (KeySoft System Disk) such as databases (in case of an upgrade) and new drivers, as well as additional information as data necessary to start a BrailleNote and information about various hardware configurations of the device.

 

 

What "really" happens during the upgrade process?

 

Question: So I decided to upgrade my machine, and while upgrading, I see some weird message that says, "erasing" and "loading." What do these mean? Also, what really happens when a user upgrades a BrailleNote?

 

There are two answers, depending on the version of KeySoft:

 

For KeySoft 5.1 and earlier: When the upgrade program runs, it does the following:

 

1. Checks if the user is running from ROM (that is, if the user has performed Reset with dots 1-2-3/FDS). If the user did this, the upgrade continues. If not, the program will report that the user needs to perform this reset before running the program again.
2. After checking the reset type, the program then copies a newer version of keysoft.exe along with other new files to Flash Disk/Windows folder and other appropriate locations on Flash Disk.
3. After it is finished and when the Reset is performed, the upgrade will modify the startup sequence so that it runs newer KeySoft that is stored in Flash (this is the reason why you'll get "System files have been updated" prompt).

 

 

For KeySoft 6.0 and higher: Depending on the model, the upgrade does the following:

 

BrailleNote PK:

 

1. When the Upgrader is first run, it loads nk.rom file stored on the CompactFlash card into memory.
2. After this has been completed, the upgrader then extracts the ROM file and, in the process, erases previous information from KeySoft System Disk.
3. After the deletion is completed, the newly extracted ROM content is then copied to KeySoft System Disk.

 

After these are done, BrailleNote PK will ask the user to restart by holding down C1 and C4 keys. The next time the PK starts, it runs the new KeySoft executable.

 

BrailleNote Classic:

 

 

1. When the upgrade is initiated, the Bootloader on the Classic will "prepare" the unit for upgrade. During this time, the nk.bin file that is stored on the CompactFlash card is loaded to memory and KeySoft System Disk is erased. A message "Preparing" is displayed along with percentage messages.
2. After the preparation is complete, the newly loaded image is copied to KeySoft System Disk. A message "Upgrading" is displayed along with percentage indicators.

 

 

After it is complete, BrailleNote resets itself and the new KeySoft starts.

 

BrailleNote mPower:

 

 

1. When the upgrade starts, the nk.bin file that is stored on the SD card is first loaded to memory. A message "loading" is displayed with a percentage indicator.
2. When the loading process is complete, the upgrader proceeds to delete previous information from KeySoft System Disk. A message "erasing" is displayed along with percentage messages.
3. When the deletion is done, the newly extracted image is then copied to KeySoft System Disk. A message "writing" is displayed along with percentage readings.

 

 

After it is done, BrailleNote resets itself and the newly installed KeySoft starts.

 

 

Why is that I can still listen to media files and a website open at Main Menu?

 

Question: So I'm at the Main Menu and I can still listen to a media file and browse a web site. Why is that?

 

Unlike other programs in KeySoft, which are stored under one executable called keysoft.exe, the Media Player and KeyWeb each has its own executables - kswmedia and iexplorer, respectively. Since these applications are not closed, you can still listen to media files (using kswmedia) and view a web site (using iexplorer).

 

In programming, a code that is part of a larger program such as Word Processor under KeySoft is called a "thread." When KeySoft opens a document, a date in Planner has focus, or an email is being written, KeySoft calls these "threads" to run - in other words, to allow document creation, writing email messages and create appointments. When the BrailleNote is in Main Menu, all threads are closed and only KeySoft main code is active. The two exceptions to this rule, of course, is Media Player and KeyWeb - thus, when BrailleNote is in Main Menu, these apps are not closed.

 

 

Why is that the advertised and actual capacities of a storage device are different?

 

Question: I bought a CompactFlash card which is 1 GB in size. However, when I obtain information about this card on the BrailleNote, it said something around 970 MB. I know that no files are in the card and I didn't add anything. Why is that the marketed capacity is different than the number that the BrailleNote reports?

 

Usually the manufacturers use decimal numbers to calculate capacity - that is, companies like Sandisk and Kingston use powers of 10 (10 multiplied by certain number) to measure drive sizes. So, for instance, this 1 GB card would have 1 billion characters. Computers, on the other hand, uses powers of two (two multiplied by certain number). This system is called "binary." So, in essence, this 1 GB card, when using binary system, would have about 975 MB - which is about 1 billion bytes, or characters in binary. The actual binary value for 1 GB is around 1.073 billion characters. This "difference" applies to all storage devices regardless of storage capacity.

 

 

Storage devices formatted with NTFS?

 

Question: Does the BrailleNote support drives formatted in NTFS file system?

 

Short answer: no. Long explanation: NTFS (New Technology File System) was created by Microsoft for computers based on Windows NT operating systems (that is, NT 4.0, 2000, XP and Vista). This is an advanced file system that supports larger files (above 4 GB) and stores more files than FAT (File Allocation Table) file systems that BrailleNote supports.

 

 

BrailleNote Update Menu?

 

Question: I did something wrong and accidentally went to a thing called "Update Menu." What exactly is this place and are there any options available in this menu?

 

Technically, this is called "BrailleNote Bootloader Menu" although the user will see it as "Update Menu." This is the place where one can initiate KeySoft updates and, for HumanWare developers, a place to perform advanced diagnostics and to setup basic hardware settings - somewhat equivalent to a computer's BIOS (Basic Input/Output System). Some of the features include RAM test (where programmers can test performance of memory), Debug mode (where a user can obtain information about a software as it runs, which allows troubleshooting errors with an application), setting boot priority amongst BrailleNote's RAM Disk (KeySoft System Disk), SD card and CompactFlash cards, and so on.

 

To enter this menu, hold down dots 4-6 (JL on QT) while pressing Reset. You can do one of the following:

 

• To update KeySoft from this "Update Menu," just press dot 1 (number 1 on QT).

 

• To update the Bootloader menu itself, press dots 1-2 (number 2 on QT).

 

• To enter Debug mode where programmers can diagnose software issues, press dots 1-4 (c on QT). When Debug is on, rising tones should be heard. When it is off, lower tones should be heard.

 

• To exit out of this menu and start KeySoft, just press Reset button with no keys held down.

 

 

Please note that this menu is not recommended for most users (it is recommended for those who want to troubleshoot KeySoft (with a recommendation from Humanware tech support), or to update KeySoft using this menu).

 

 

Reset with dots 1-2-3/FDS to fix Flash Disk issues?

 

Question: Whenever I tried to fix problems related to files on Flash Disk, Braillenote said, "The system cannot access the file because it is being used by another process." My friend told me that I need to perform Reset with dots 1-2-3 in order to fix these kinds of issues. Why?

 

Normally, when KeySoft runs, it uses files on Flash Disk. When KeySoft is restarted with Reset with dots 1-2-3/FDS, KeySoft is "forced" to use files on KeySoft System Disk only, thereby allowing a user to correct issues with files on Flash Disk. This is because, when KeySoft is running from KeySoft System Disk, it will not touch Flash Disk, thereby allowing the user to access files on Flash Disk.

 

 

Difference between Windows CE and Windows Mobile

 

Many people on the list have commented on Windows CE and Windows Mobile. Are they same or different?

 

Technically, Windows CE and Windows Mobile are different operating systems. They do, however, fall under the "embedded operating systems" category - where these operating systems are used to power pocket PC's smartphones and the like.

 

According to web researches, Windows CE is actually the "background operating system" that provides essential services for a device, such as file systems, connectivity and so forth. Normally, these are dealt with by a kernel. A kernel is a central part of an operating system that manages communication between programs and computer hardware. Whereas CE is the foundation OS (operating system), Windows Mobile is the interface - that is, the graphics and elements that are used to display information to a user. Since Windows Mobile display information on behalf of CE kernel, WM runs on top of CE.

 

Until recently, Windows Mobile versions were same as Windows CE version. A notable example is Windows Mobile 2005/5.0 which is powered by Windows CE 5.0. The latest version of Windows Mobile is WM 6.1, released on 2008.

Note: Some people mistakenly believe that Windows Mobile 6 is powered by Windows CE 6.0, released a few months earlier. This is false. This version of Windows Mobile is not powered by Windows CE 6.0 - rather, it runs on top of Windows CE 5.2. If we look at About Information on any Windows Mobile 6 device, the user will notice that it says Windows CE 5.2 underneath Windows Mobile 6.

 

Another side note: Also, since BrailleNote is powered by Windows CE, this article is relevant on KeySoft - that is, keySoft acts just like Windows Mobile and runs on top of CE 4.2 (basis for Windows Mobile 2003). In other words, KeySoft "receives" information from Windows CE and "translates" this info so that BrailleNote user can receive it -either via speech or braille display using its own textual interface. The latest KeySoft release is 7.5 with minor revisions.

 

Updated: August 18, 2008

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