Part 2: tecla-e and Windows Leave a comment

This is our second part of tecla-e and Windows. We mentioned before tecla-e can work with Windows as a switch interface for 3rd party software. In this article, we explain how tecla-e can be used with Communicator 5 from Tobii Dynavox to control your Windows device. 

Recent Windows computers should be compatible with tecla-e (it requires Bluetooth 4, also known as Bluetooth Low-Energy, BLE) but some Tobii Dynavox devices may not have built-in BLE connectivity. For those devices you can get a BLE adapter like these:

https://plugable.com/products/usb-bt4le/

https://www.insigniaproducts.com/pdp/NS-PCY5BMA2/4884001

First Step: Tecla-e and Communication /  Computer Control software

Tecla-e set-up with Windows

To set-it up you first need to pair tecla-e to the computer. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Windows Menu
  2. Go to Settings (gear icon)
  3. In Windows Settings click on Devices
  4. Turn on Bluetooth if it’s not on, at this time you can turn on your tecla-e device too
  5. Click on Add Bluetooth or other device, select Bluetooth
  6. Put the tecla-e device in pairing mode by pressing and holding the on/off switch to the gear position, the indicator light will change to orange when it is in pairing mode it should then appear on the list of available devices
  7. Click on the tecla-e device, it will indicate when it is ready and it’ll appear as Connected under Other devices
  8. You have successfully paired your tecla-e device. 

If you experience issues when pairing make sure the Bluetooth on your computer is up to date. Once your tecla-e is paired you can use it to control your computer. 

Step 2: Connect Communicator 5

One of the main features of Communicator 5 is the ability to create and customize the panels for your particular use case. In this example, we are using some of the standard panels.

With Communicator 5 installed and tecla-e connected to the computer, start the program. Then follow these steps:

  1. Create a user (if you didn’t have one)
  2. Select Switch Scanning for input method
  3. If you already had used it, then go to Settings> Input Method and select Switch Scanning
  4. You can also set you Scan Rate by clicking on Select Scan Rate
  5. Go back to the home page, do right click and select Advanced Settings
  6. Click on Input Method, Switch Scanning will be selected, click on Switch Scanning Settings
  7. Make sure “Use keyboard as a switch” is the selected option
    1. Set your keys, F1 for Port A, F2 for Port B, F10 for the built-in switch (tecla-e send the function keys F1-F10)
  8. Go to Scanning Settings
    1. In Customize Scan tab you can change the timing, number of scanning cycles and switch acceptance
    2. In Scan Method tab you can select customize the scanning method between auto scan, step scan and other options and the scanning style (row/column, column/row, linear)
  9. After you can select how do you want to control the mouse with your switches, click on “Switch-Based Mouse Emulation”
  10. You can select Crosshair, Radar or Arrows as options to control the mouse and you can set the speeds

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** This post was originally published on https://gettecla.com/blogs/news/part-2-tecla-e-and-windows

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