Access Methods in the ECO.
Access Method Menu
A significant change in the ECO is that the old SELECTION TECHNIQUE has been modified and looks very different. We have also changed the name to ACCESS METHOD MENU. At this point, we will be leaving the menu in the same place on the Toolbox but maybe at a later stage we’ll change that.
When opening the ACCESS METHOD MENU, you are presented with your current access option and a key marked Choose Different Access Method.
Selecting Choose Different Access Method gives you four options:
These, in turn, lead to more specific items.
Touch (default setting)
Now you can change Acceptance Time, Release Time, Activate Key When, Auto Repeat rate, and Predictive Selection.
1 Switch
As you can see, we have tried to provide a set of “common configurations” for people as a starting point. Thus, we have things such as 1 Switch Hold Scan Linear that tells some that they will be using 1 switch, which they have to hold to scan in a linear fashion. Similarly, the 1 Switch Step Scan Column/Row tells some that the use 1 switch and will have to step through a scan in columns then rows.
Choosing any of these will lead you to a screen that allows even more specific parameters to be set.
Now you can change Scanning Speed, Acceptance Time, Release Time, Auto Repeat rate, Predictive Selection, Activation Delay, Scan Auto Restart, the Number of Rescans, and whether to use the Screen as a Switch.
A new, and exciting feature, is the Modify Scan Pattern.
2 Switch
The 2-Switch options have been simplified to seven options, but as with single-switch options there is the opportunity to modify each option.
Notice there is a new option called Cancel Time. This is so that a client using 2 Switch Step Scanning can take as long as necessary to activate a switch without the system timing out.
Headpointing/Joystick Options
Choosing this key provides further choices: Joystick, Internal Tracker©, and Mouse/Trackball/USB Joystick options.
Joystick Settings
The settings are the same but choosing Auto Scan versus Hold Scan tells the ECO whether to accept a nudge on the joystick to start a scan (auto) or require the joystick to be held in order for the scan to move (hold).
Internal Tracker
Simply by choosing the Internal Tracker option sets the device to use it – unlike the Vantage or Vanguard there is no “Internal Tracker On/Off” key needed.
The only functional difference is that the Pointer Color is more varied, there are three Pointer Size options, and you can modify the Field of View. This setting helps adjust the accuracy of the Tracker based on how low/high the device is in relation to the client.
Mouse, Trackball, or USB Joystick
Having two USB ports in the device makes it possible to use more USB-based switches while leaving other USB slots free.
The settings are similar to those of the Internal Tracker.