This document contains commands for use with the HIMS QBraille XL as a Braille display together with various screen readers and other products. This mostly applies to products where the user manual does not contain a list of display commands. For the products whose documentation is sufficient, there will just be a reference to the manual.
You can use the QBraille as a keyboard in to different ways, in hybrid mode and in display mode. You can switch between the to modes using the Mode button at the left edge of the keyboard.
In hybrid mode, the QBraille will function as a normal USB or Bluetooth keyboard. All key presses are processed by the connected computer or smart phone, exactly as if the unit was a normal keyboard. For instance, if you want to have the program title announced to you by JAWS, you will press Insert-T or Capslock-t, and not some special display command.
Hybrid mode is the more common of the two modes. In this mode, it is possible to control all functions of the computer using only the QBraille keyboard. However, since you are not entering text through JAWS or NVDA, you can't type in contracted Braille, but will have to use 8 dots computer Braille. If you want to type in contracted Braille, you will have to use display mode in stead.
In display mode, all key presses will be processed by the screen reader, exactly as with other Braille displays. This means that you can type contracted Braille and enter display commands in the same way as, for instance, with a Braille EDGE, with the same possibilities and limitations. However, there may be some keys, e.g. the functions keys, which do not work in the same way as in hybrid mode.
This document exclusively deals with the commands you can use in display mode.
Braille displays from HIMS are fully supported by NVDA. The updated list of commands for all HIMS displays can be found in the user manual for NVDA. Note that no special command to enter text on the display is required.
When using a Braille display with JAWS, you are working in either command mode or typing mode. When typing mode is active, you can use the Braille keyboard to enter text with or without contractions depending on the JAWS settings. In command mode, when typing mode is deactivated, the Braille patterns, otherwise used to enter letters, are used to enter various commands, which are very different from one *braille display to another. So, there are many commands which can only be executed when typing mode is deactivated. Actually, there may also be commands that can only be executed when typing mode is active.
With Braille displays from HIMS, you can activate and deactivate typing mode by pressing Space-Backspace-T. Typing mode is turned off by default when JAWS starts. See the documentation for JAWS for a complete description of typing mode.
Function and toggle keys on the QBraille
The function keys (F1 - F12)will only work in hybrid mode, not in display mode when key presses go through JAWS. All other keys and key combinations should work as expected. This applies to all navigation keys and combinations with Shift, Ctrl, Alt, Windows etc.
Insert can be combined with letters and other keys to create JAWS commands, e.g. Insert-T (read title).
Note: In order to enter text on the Braille keyboard, you need to activate typing mode by pressing Space-Backspace-T. Typing mode can be deactivated with the same key combination.
Movement and Reading Commands -
* Ctrl-Home (top of file): Space-1-2-3, Ctrl-Home
* Ctrl-End (bottom of file): Space-4-5-6, Ctrl-End
* Say Line: Space-1-4.
* Up-arrow (say prior line): Space-1, Up-arrow, Left Scroll-up
* Down-arrow (say next line): Space-4, Down-arrow, Left Scroll-down
* Ctrl-Left-arrow (say prior word): Ctrl-Left-arrow
* Ctrl-Left-arrow (say prior word): Space-2 (typing mode only)
* Ctrl-Right-arrow (say next word): Ctrl-Right-arrow
* Ctrl-Right-arrow (say next word): Space-5 (typing mode only)
* Left-arrow (say prior character): Space-3, Left-arrow
* Right-arrow (say next character): Space-6, Right-arrow
* Select all: Dots 1-8, Ctrl-A
* 40 characters back: Right Scroll-up
* 40 characters forward: Right Scroll-down
* Read from here (say all): Dots 1-2-4-5
Program and Windows Functions -
* Copy selected items or text to clipboard (Ctrl-C): C (dots 1-4)
* Move selected items or text to clipboard (Ctrl-X): X (dots 1-3-4-6)
* Paste from clipboard (CTRL+V): V (dots 1-2-3-6
* Minimize all apps (Windows-M): Windows-M, M (dots 1-3-4)
* Start menu (Windows key): Space-s (dots 2-3-4)
* Menu line (Alt key): Space-M (dots 1-3-4)
* Escape Space-e (dots 1-5)
* Delete (JAWS delete): Space-D (Dots 1-4-5)
* Tab: Space-4-5
* Shift-Tab: Space-1-2
* Alt-Tab: Space-Backspace-4-5
* Shift-Alt-Tab: Space-Backspace-1-2
* Ctrl-Tab: Space-Enter-4-5
* Shift-Ctrl-Tab: Space-Enter-1-2
* Enter: Dot 8
* Backspace: Dot 7
Miscellaneous JAWS Commands -
* JAWS window/menu: J (dots 2-4-5)
* Toggle PC and JAWS Cursor: Dot 3
* Keyboard help: K (dots 1-3)
* Run JAWS Manager: I (dots 2-4)
* Toggle 8 pixels per space: Dots-2-3-5-6.
* Move To Next Non-Link Text: Dots 4-5-6
* Go to first cell in table (Ctrl-Home): Space-Backspace-1-2-3
* Go to last cell in table (Ctrl-End): Space-Backspace-4-5-6
Braille Commands
* Toggle typing mode on/off: Space-Backspace-T (dots 2-3-4-5)
* Expand current word to computer Braille: W (dots 2-4-5-6)
* Switch between active cursor and Braille cursor: Dots 3-6
* Toggle whether Active follows Braille: Dot 4
* Braille settings: Dot 2
* Cycle Mode: speech history, attribute mode, line mode, structured mode: Dot 1
Internet Explorer -
* Select frame: F (dots 1-2-4)
* Select link: Backspace-I (Dots 2-4)
* Go to next page: n (dots 1-3-4-5), Space-Backspace-6
* Go to previous page: P (dots 1-2-3-4), Space-Backspace-3
Commands for SuperNova:
Actions -
* Open SuperNova Control Panel: Space-2-5
* Help
Read Commands -
* Where Am I: Space-3-4
* Read status bar: Space-1-6
Braille -
* Braille line up: Space-2-3
* Braille line down: Space-5-6
* Go to focus: Space-1-4
* Start of Braille line: Space-1-3-5
* End of Braille line: Space-2-4-6
* Top: Space-1-2-3
* Bottom: Space-4-5-6
* Cell left: Space-2
* Cell right: Space-5
* Display left: Scroll-up
* Display right: Scroll-down
* Physical/logical mode: Space-P, Space-N
* Literary Braille on / off: Space-1-4-6
* Change attributes: Space-1-2-5-6
* Describe character: Space-X
* Braille monitoring on/off: Space-M
* 8/6 dots: Space-2-3-6
* Pattern for Braille cursor: Space-Y
* Braille input on/off: Space-I
* Braille layout on/off: Space-1-4-5-6
Dolphin Cursor -
* Previous line: Space-1, Up-arrow
* Next line: Space-4, Down-arrow
* Braille line up: Space-2-3
* Braille line down: Space-5-6
* Left: Space-3, Left-arrow
* Right: Space-6, Right-arrow
* Start of line: Space-1-3
* End of line: Space-4-6
* Interact with control: Enter (dot 8)
* Action for cursor routing key: Space-1-2-4-5-6
* Next object: Space-4-5
* Previous object: Space-1-2
* Move physically: Space-P, Space-N
Key Press Simulation -
* Up-arrow: Space-1, Up-arrow
* Down-arrow: Space-4, Down-arrow
* Left-arrow: Space-3, Left-arrow
* Right-arrow: Space-6, Right-arrow
* Home: Space-1-3
* End: Space-4-6
* Enter: Enter (dot 8)
* Backspace: Backspace (dot 7)
* Delete: Space-D
* Action for cursor routing key: Space-1-2-4-5-6
* Page-up: Space-3-4-5
* Page-down: Space-1-2-6
* Tab: Space-4-5
* Shift-Tab: Space-1-2
* Escape: Space-e
* Windows: Space-w
Commands for iPhone:
In iOS 11 and later, you can easily find or change the commands that can be executed from a Braille display. When the display has been paired with the iPhone, you can go to "More info" for the current display, and from there to "Braille commands". From here, it is possible to browse and edit all the commands for the Braille display. This applies both to commands that are already assigned to a key and commands that have not been assigned to any key.
Braille -
* Next input function: F4, Space-2-3-5-6
* Next output function: Space-1-2-4-5
* Pan right: Left-down, Space-5, Right-down
* Pan up: Left-up, Space-2, Right-up
* Show or hide message history: Space-N
* Toggle 8 dots Braille: No assigned keys
* Toggle contractions: No assigned keys
* Toggle word wrap: No assigned key
* Translate: Space-4-5
Device -
* Control center: Space-2-5
* Home: Space-h
* Messages: Space-4-6
* Open next app: No assigned keys
* Open previous app: No assigned keys
* Read screen: No assigned keys
* Rotate unit left: No assigned keys
* rotate unit right: No assigned keys
* Show App Switcher: No assigned keys
* Show/hide keyboard: Space-1-4-6
* Siri: No assigned keys
* Toggle orientation locked: No assigned keys
* Volume down: Space-1-2-6
* Volume up: Space-3-4-5
Interaction -
* 3D touch on the selected item: Space-3-5-6
* Escape current context: Space-B
* Long press: Space-3-6-7-8
* Mark selected item: Space-1-2-3-4-6
* Pause or continue speech: Space-1-5-6
* Press twice: No assigned keys
* Press: Space-3-6
* Read item resume: Space-3-4
* Scroll down: F8, Space-1-4-5-6, Space-1-4-5-6-8
* Scroll left: Space-2-4-6
* Scroll right: Space-1-3-5
* Scroll up: F7, Space-3-4-5-6, Space-3-4-5-6-8
Keyboard Type -
* Alternative: Space-2-7
* Announce link address: No assigned keys
* Announce number of lines: No assigned keys
* Announce text format: Space-2-3-4-5-6
* Bottom of document: No assigned keys
* Command: Space-1-7
* Copy: Space-C
* Ctrl: Space-3-7
* Cut: Space-X
* Delete: Space-7, 7, Space-1-4-5
* Down-arrow: No assigned keys
* First word: No assigned keys
* FN: Space-5-7
* Insert: Space-V
* Last word: No assigned keys
* Left-arrow: No assigned keys
* Next keyboard: No assigned keys
* Read selected text: No assigned keys
* Redo: Space-2-3-4-6
* Return: Space-e
* Right-arrow: No assigned keys
* Select all: Space-2-3-5-6
* Select left: Space-2-3-5
* Select right: Space-2-5-6
* Shift: Space-4-7
* Shift-tab: Space-1-2-5-6
* Tab: Space-T
* Toggle Alternative: Space-2-8
* Toggle Command: Space-1-8
* Toggle Ctrl: Space-3-8
* Toggle FN: Space-5-8
* Toggle shift: Space-4-8
* Top of document: No assigned keys
* Undo: Space-Z
* Up-arrow: No assigned keys
Navigation -
* First item: Space-1-2-3
* Last item: Space-4-5-6
* Move to bottom of container: No assigned keys
* Move to status line: Space-S
* Move to top of container: No assigned keys
* Next block quote: No assigned keys
* Next bold text: No assigned key
* Next change of text format: No assigned keys
* Next character: No assigned keys
* Next colour change: No assigned keys
* Next container: No assigned keys
* Next font change: No assigned keys
* Next form item: No assigned keys
* Next graphic: No assigned keys
* Next heading on same level: No assigned keys
* Next heading: No assigned keys
* Next incorrectly spelled word: No assigned keys
* Next italic text: No assigned keys
* Next item of same type: No assigned keys
* Next item: Space-4
* Next line: No assigned keys
* Next link: No assigned keys
* Next list: No assigned keys
* Next same block quote: No assigned key
* Next section: No assigned keys
* Next sentence: No assigned keys
* Next table: No assigned keys
* Next text with ordinary font: No assigned key
* Next TTY message: No assigned key
* Next underlined text: No assigned keys
* Next visited link: No assigned keys
* Previous block quote: No assigned keys
* Previous bold text: No assigned key
* Previous change of text format: No assigned keys
* Previous character: No assigned keys
* Previous character: No assigned keys
* Previous colour change: No assigned keys
* Previous container: No assigned keys
* Previous different item: No assigned keys
* Previous font change: No assigned keys
* Previous form item: No assigned keys
* Previous graphic: No assigned keys
* Previous heading on same level: No assigned keys
* Previous heading: No assigned keys
* Previous incorrectly spelled word: No assigned keys
* Previous italic text: No assigned keys
* Previous item of same type: No assigned keys
* Previous item: Space-1
* Previous line: No assigned keys
* Previous link: No assigned keys
* Previous list: No assigned keys
* Previous same block quote: No assigned key
* Previous section: No assigned keys
* Previous sentence: No assigned keys
* Previous table: No assigned keys
* Previous text with ordinary font: No assigned key
* Previous TTY message: No assigned key
* Previous underlined text: No assigned keys
* Previous visited link: No assigned keys
* Show App Switcher: Space-H Space-H
Rotor -
* Announce current rotor item: No assigned keys
* Next rotor selection: Space-5-6
* Previous rotor selection: Space-2-3
* Rotor down: Space-6
* Rotor up: Space-3
VoiceOver
* Copy speech: No assigned keys
* Item chooser: Space-2-4
* Next search result: No assigned keys
* Open VoiceOver settings: No assigned keys
* Previous search result: No assigned keys
* Read all: Space-R
* Read from the top: Space-W
* Read hint: No assigned keys
* Related content: No assigned keys
* Search for a letter: No assigned key
* Test search: Space-f
* Toggle quick navigation by single letter: Space-Q-7
* Toggle quick navigation: Space-Q
* Toggle screen curtain: Space-1-2-3-4-5-6
* Toggle sound: Space-M-7
* Toggle speech: Space-P
* VoiceOver help: Space-K, Space-1-3-7