
SECTION 2.0 GETTING STARTED

Before you can start using Flipper, you need to set up one of the
supported synthesizers, and then tell Flipper which kind you are
using.  In most cases, this will consist of setting up the
synthesizer, and then running Flipper's INSTALL program to
set up the batch file that you need to load Flipper.  If you prefer
to write the batch file yourself, you should have INSTALL
write an example batch file and then modify it or use its contents
to write your own batch file.  A plain text editor, called
EDDIE, is included with Flipper and is useful for writing and
modifying these batch files.


The instructions for installing the internal cards are included
with the synthesizers, but we suggest that you either have your
computer store or an experienced friend do the installation if you
have not installed cards before.  The installation, however, is
quite straightforward.  Internal cards require software to be
loaded, either in a CONFIG.SYS file or in a batch file, as
explained in their instructions.

The INSTALL program which is included on the distribution
disk will automatically configure Flipper for use on your
computer. Your computer should be set up to boot MS-DOS
before installing Flipper.  To run INSTALL, put the installation
disk into your floppy drive and type INSTALL followed by a
return.  Follow the instructions, and Flipper will be installed on
your system.

There are now separate Voice Modules for the various
synthesizers.  This allows Flipper to optimize its commands for
the synthesizer you are using, taking advantage of many
synthesizers' advanced features.  Only the information for your
particular synthesizer is loaded into memory for Flipper's use.

Instead of specifying the synthesizer you are using when you run
Flipper, itself (as in flipper m2 for the Accent SA on com port
2), you now run a Flipper Voice Module before running
FLIPPER.COM. The voice modules begin with F_ and are
.COM files.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR SERIAL SYNTHESIZER
INSTALLATION:

Serial synthesizers need a working two way connection.  If
Flipper can communicate with the synthesizer, but the
synthesizer can not send characters back, Flipper will only speak
for a fragment of a sentence at a time, and then wait for the
synthesizer.  This can be caused by a bad serial cable, a bad
serial card, or more commonly, by two or more serial cards or
other devices set to the same interrupt or port number.

DECTALK:

The Dectalk should be connected using the cable which is
included with the Dectalk.  The cable should be connected to the
port labeled COM on the back of the Dectalk.  The factory
setting for the Dectalk is 1200 Baud, and if it is not changed,
you should tell the install program to set up for that speed. 
Setting the Dectalk to 9600 baud will not significantly increase
its response speed.


THE ACCENT SA:

The Accent SA uses a straight through cable, and used at its
factory default settings, which are 9600 baud, even parity, one
stop bit, 7 bits per character and software (Xon, Xoff)
handshaking. Flipper can be set to use the Accent SA on COM3
or COM4 without an interrupt, if they are supported by your
BIOS. On PC and AT compatibles, this will usually require
separate software.

THE APOLLO:

The Apollo should be set to its factory default, which is 9600
baud, one stop bit, no parity, 8 bit characters, and it should be
used with the supplied serial cable.

THE AUDAPTER:

The Audapter should be set to its factory default, which is 9600
baud, one stop bit, no parity, 7 bit characters, and it should be
used with the supplied serial cable.  Flipper can be set to use the
Audapter on COM3 or COM4 without an interrupt, if they are
supported by your BIOS.  On PC and AT compatibles, this will
usually require separate software.

THE LIGHTALK AND DOUBLETALK LT:

The LIGHTALK and DOUBLETALK LT should be set to their
factory default, which is 9600 baud, one stop bit, no parity, 8
bit characters, and they should be used with the supplied serial
cable.  The LIGHTALK can alternatively be connected to a
parallel port.  The voice module for the doubletalk synthesizers
is F_double.

OTHER SERIAL SYNTHESIZERS:

In general, Flipper can be used with the serial cables included
with these voice products.  The only connection the PC needs is
a three wire, null modem connection.  However, several of the
synthesizers need handshaking wires which are included in their
factory supplied cables.  These synthesizers should be set to
9600 baud, even parity, one stop bit, 7 bits per character and
software (Xon, Xoff) handshaking.


You must tell Flipper where to find the synthesizer by using the
following command line arguments after the Voice Module: S1
for a serial synthesizer on com port 1;  S2 for a serial
synthesizer on com port 2.

To run Flipper with an Accent SA on Com 2, for example, you
would use the commands:

F_ACCENT S2 
FLIPPER

When the Voice Module is loaded, you should hear Voice
Ready. Then, when Flipper, itself, is loaded, you should hear
the Flipper ready message.

Note: It is still necessary to run drivers for those synthesizers
which require them.  For example, you must still run
SONIXTTS before you run F_ARTIC.COM AND
FLIPPER.COM. To load Flipper 4.0 for use with an Artic 210,
for example, you would use the following commands:

SONIXTTS 
F_ARTIC 
FLIPPER

Options which the install program can add to the command line
for Flipper itself include:

Braille to parallel device                            =<parallel port>
Braille to serial device                              +<serial port>
Do not load built in help                             h
Do not load built in documentation                    d
use a review mode cursor that is trackable            c
block a hardware interrupt                            x<interrupt>
change the size of the grab buffer                    g<size in bytes>

The items in angle brackets are numbers, single digits except for
the size of the grab buffer.

The Voice Modules are as follows:

driver            Synthesizer support:

F_ACCENT          Accent for the Toshiba        
                  Accent PC
                  Accent SA
F_DOUBLE          doubletalk        
                  doubletalk_lt
F_DOUBLE          litetalker  
F_ARTIC           210   
                  Artic 220 /S2
                  Keynote PC or Keynote PC+
                  Artic 200               
                  Artic 220
                  Votrax Votalker
F_MORSE           PC speaker morse code
F_DEC_PC          Dectalk PC
F_AUDAPT          Audapter from Personal Data Systems
F_DEC_C           Dectalk
                  Dectalk                             
                  Kursweil
                  Speakeasy
F_MULTI           multivoice
F_SBLAST          sound blaster
F_ECHO            Echo GP or PC
F_ECHO_N          New echo                
F_B_N_S           Braille and Speak
F_SB              Sounding Board          
                  other porttalk synthesizer
F_P_B             other echo subset serial synthesizer
                  Pocket Braille
F_APOLLO          Apollo
F_VOTRAX          Votrax PSS
F_ASP             Asp
