FreedomScientific SARA User Guide Rev B
SARA
Scanning and Reading Appliance
User’s Guide
Freedom Scientific
October 2009
Part #440412-001 Rev B
PUBLISHED BY
Freedom Scientific
11800 31
St. Petersburg, Florida 33716-1805
USA
http://www.FreedomScientific.com
Information in this document is subject to change without notice. No part of this publication may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without the express written
permission of Freedom Scientific.
Copyright © 2008 Freedom Scientific, All Rights Reserved.
Federal Communications Commission Notice
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part
15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a
residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not
installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does
cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off
and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
st
Court North
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio or television technician for help.
SARA’s Top Panel
1. Scan/Record Key
2. Play/Pause Key
3. Left Double Arrow
4. Left Arrow
5. Top Arrow
6. Select Key
SARA’s Front Panel
7. Down Arrow
8. Right Arrow
9. Right Double Arrow
10. Menu Button
11. Help Key
1. Power button
2. Volume Rocker
3. Function Key 1
4. Function Key 2
5. Function Key 3
6. Function Key 4
7. Voice Rate Rocker
8. Headset Jack
Table of Contents
Introduction _______________________________________________________ 1
Welcome to SARA!_________________________________________________ 1
Features _________________________________________________________ 2
What’s in the Box? _________________________________________________ 3
What SARA Cannot Read ___________________________________________ 4
How to Set Up SARA _______________________________________________ 4
Scanning and Reading with SARA _____________________________________ 5
Powering SARA On and Off __________________________________________ 5
Scanning and Reading with SARA_____________________________________ 6
Adjusting Voice Volume _____________________________________________ 7
Adjusting Reading Speeds ___________________________________________ 7
Getting Help ______________________________________________________ 8
Using the Movement Keys ___________________________________________ 8
To Skim through a Document while Reading _____________________________ 9
Cycling through Documents you are Reading ___________________________ 10
Using the Function Keys____________________________________________ 10
Using the Menus___________________________________________________ 12
Using the Settings Wizard___________________________________________ 13
Working with Files _________________________________________________ 14
Opening a New Blank Document _____________________________________ 14
Opening a Saved Document_________________________________________ 15
Opening a Document from a CD or USB Drive __________________________ 16
Listening to an Audio File ___________________________________________ 17
Navigating an Audio File__________________________________________ 18
Reading Public Domain Books_______________________________________ 19
Closing a Document _______________________________________________ 19
Saving a Document _______________________________________________ 20
Saving a Document with a Different Name____________________________ 21
Saving a Document on a CD or USB Drive____________________________ 21
Deleting a Document ______________________________________________ 22
Using the Menus for Other Settings___________________________________ 23
Go To Menu _____________________________________________________ 23
Voice Settings____________________________________________________ 24
Reading Voice and Menu Voice ____________________________________ 24
Enabled Languages _____________________________________________ 25
Scanning Settings_________________________________________________ 26
Scanning Order_________________________________________________ 26
Scanning Mode_________________________________________________ 26
Scanning Contrast_______________________________________________ 27
Visual Settings ___________________________________________________ 28
Text Font______________________________________________________ 28
Text Size______________________________________________________ 29
Text Color _____________________________________________________ 29
Spotlight Color__________________________________________________ 29
Spacing_______________________________________________________ 29
Advanced Settings ________________________________________________ 30
Key Assignments _______________________________________________ 30
Key Announcements_____________________________________________ 32
Save to CD Format ______________________________________________ 33
Save to USB Format_____________________________________________ 34
Autoplay Audio CD ______________________________________________ 34
Grade 2 Braille _________________________________________________ 35
Restore Factory Settings__________________________________________ 35
Updating SARA___________________________________________________ 36
Attachments for SARA______________________________________________ 37
Using a Headset or Speakers with SARA_______________________________ 37
Using a Monitor with SARA _________________________________________ 37
Using a Braille Display with SARA ____________________________________ 38
Optional Keyboard Covers __________________________________________ 39
Warranty Information_______________________________________________ 40
Technical Support_________________________________________________ 43
Web Site________________________________________________________ 44
Keyboard Layout Diagram for Creating Tactile Images ___________________ 45
Introduction
Welcome to SARA!
Freedom Scientific’s Scanning and Reading Appliance (SARA) is a stand-alone device
designed to help the blind and those with low vision read printed materials. You can use
SARA to read almost anything, including mail, important documents, hardcover and
paperback books, and more. SARA uses the latest in optical character recognition
technology to scan pages and then reads the contents of that page to you with clear,
crisp, human-sounding synthesized speech. SARA contains a host of features that let
you customize your reading experience. A built-in CD drive lets you read your favorite
books on CD. SARA even allows you to read DAISY (Digital Accessible Information
System) format digital talking books.
This user’s guide is intended to show you how easy it is to scan and read using SARA.
It contains information on SARA and the keypad, as well as a few getting started keys.
Not only can you easily set up SARA and attach a headset, but you can also connect it
to a computer monitor.
For advanced users, there are menus you can use to set a variety of choices like
reading and menu voices, language, visual settings, and managing a nearly unlimited
number of files.
1
Features
The colorful SARA is so simple to use that it works right out of the box. Major features of
SARA include:
• Reads books, magazines, newspapers, bills, and more.
• Reads DAISY audio books.
• Reads audio book CDs.
• Reads columns and sidebars as well as text.
• Large buttons perform all the basic functions any user needs.
• A colorful keypad with tactile symbols and shapes conveys each button’s use.
• Press the Help key followed by any of the other keys, to find out what their function
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is.
• Easy-to-use menus can also be used to control scanning and reading.
• Front-mounted stereo speakers make SARA easy to hear.
• RealSpeak™ Solo voices can be changed to suit your preferences, including
reading speed and volume.
• Spell words to get a better understanding of what is being spoken.
• SARA remembers hundreds of thousands of pages.
• Built-in CD-RW player allows you to read books saved on a compact disc. You can
also save books to a blank CD.
• Access reading material stored on a USB device, such as a USB thumb drive or
external hard drive.
• Connect to a computer monitor for colorful, large print to complement the speech.
What’s in the Box?
• SARA Scanning and Reading Appliance
• Power cord (110 or 220 V)
• Power adapter
• Large print user’s guide
• Basic training audio recording
• Headset
• Test page for scanning
3
What SARA Cannot Read
SARA cannot read handwritten or hand-printed material. If there is a signature on a
typewritten letter, SARA reads the letter but not the signature. If the signature is written
over other printed words, for example the closing "Sincerely yours," the letters touched
by the signature are not read correctly.
SARA may have trouble reading some printed forms because borders are often used to
surround the text. SARA sometimes ignores text that is too close to vertical or horizontal
lines or words surrounded by a box. For example, you will have difficulty using SARA to
read box scores on the sports or stock market pages of a newspaper. Even if SARA
reads most of the text correctly, it may be hard to determine the meaning.
How to Set Up SARA
To set up SARA, first plug the square end of the AC power cord into the power adapter
(the black rectangular box). Next, connect the small, circular end of the power adapter
cable to the back of SARA. The correct socket is on the far right side when facing the
back of the unit. Finally, plug the AC power cord into a wall outlet. The unit is now ready
to use.
If you want to use the headset that comes with SARA, plug it into the headset jack on
the lower right of the front panel.
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Scanning and Reading with SARA
Powering SARA On and Off
The POWER button is the small, circular green button located on the far left of the
lower vertical surface on the front of SARA. Press this button once to turn the
power on.
While SARA is warming up, there is an intermittent tone to indicate it is active.
When the unit is ready, it says, "Welcome to SARA. The reading voice is currently
set to Samantha. Press the red Scan key to scan. Press the green Read key to
begin reading. Press the yellow help key, followed by any other key, to learn what it
does." This is SARA's default start up message. If you have changed the reading
voice, you will hear a different name spoken. Refer to "Key Announcements" on
page 29 for information on customizing this start up message.
Warning: Do not disconnect the power cord or unplug SARA while the unit is
powering off.
Press the POWER button to turn off your SARA unit. SARA will prompt you to
press the POWER button again to power down or any other key to cancel. If you do
not press a button within 30 seconds, SARA will automatically cancel the shut
down.
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Note: Any unsaved documents will be discarded when you shut down. To save
your documents, stop SARA from shutting down and save your documents.
See Saving a Document on page 19 for more information.
Scanning and Reading with SARA
1. Lift the cover of the scanner.
2. Place your reading material print side down on the scanner’s glass plate.
Square the page against the raised left and front edges around the glass.
3. Close the scanner cover.
Warning: If you have a thick document such as a book, the back part of the top
of the scanner cover will raise up to level off as it rests on the book.
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Do not press down on the scanner. Placing pressure on the lid can
shatter or dislodge the glass in the scanner, voiding the product
warranty.
4. Press the SCAN key, which is the red oval key with a raised circle in the
upper left of the keypad. SARA says, "Scanning" as it begins scanning and
plays an intermittent tone while scanning and recognizing text. When SARA is
finished analyzing the page, reading begins automatically.
Tip: If you want to cancel the scan, press the SCAN key again.
5. To stop reading, press the READ key, which is the green key with a raised
play and pause symbol below the SCAN key. Press the Read key again to
resume reading.
Adjusting Voice Volume
To the right of the Power button on the front panel is an orange rocker key with
a raised loud speaker on it that controls the volume of SARA’s speech. This is
called the VOLUME ROCKER. Press on the left side of the bar to lower the
volume and on the right side to raise the volume. SARA says “softer” or
“louder” so that you can adjust the volume to your preferred level.
Adjusting Reading Speeds
SARA has another orange rocker key on the front edge, just to the left of the
headset jack on the right. It has a raised rabbit symbol on it to represent
speed. This is the VOICE RATE ROCKER. If you press the left side of the bar
you hear SARA say “slower” each time you press it. Pressing on the right side
of the bar increases the voice rate and you hear SARA say “faster.”
Press the VOICE RATE ROCKER key until you find a comfortable reading
speed.
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Getting Help
Press the HELP key followed by one of the other keys for an explanation of
that key’s function.
Using the Movement Keys
To move around on a page you are reading, use the four blue arrow keys in the center
of the keypad.
The UP and DOWN ARROWS move one line up or down.
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The LEFT and RIGHT ARROWS move you one word in the direction of the
arrow.
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