The following is a list of items for users who want to get the most out of their i.d. mate OMNI:
When we load a new flash card with the data necessary to function in an i.d. mate, the root directory will contain the following 5 or 6 items, generally:
WARNING: Reformatting your CompactFlash card will erase all of the data on it. Proceed with caution!
This procedure requires that you have a CompactFlash card reader connected to your PC, which should be available under My Computer as a Removable Disk. Please make yourself familiar with how to find and interact with this resource before attempting the following steps to reformat your CompactFlash card.
Before reformatting your Flash card, backup (copy and paste) all of the files and folders on it to your hard drive. These will be restored to the card after reformatting. Once the backup is complete, in Windows:
This procedure requires that you have a CompactFlash card reader connected to your PC, which should be available under My Computer as a Removable Disk. Please make yourself familiar with how to find and interact with this resource before attempting the following steps to update the product database on your CompactFlash card.
This procedure requires that you have a CompactFlash card reader connected to your PC, which should be available under My Computer as a Removable Disk. Please make yourself familiar with how to find and interact with this resource before attempting the following steps to transfer your custom voice recordings from one CompactFlash card to another.
Note: This process requires the use of a CompactFlash card reader attached to a computer.
An additional feature added to the OMNI is the ability to add additional, customizable memo-style modes. For example, you can add a memo mode called "Groceries" by adding a folder named "Groceries" to the Memos folder on your CompactFlash card. After you add this folder, an additional memo mode called "Groceries" will be accessible as you move through the modes using the mode button. You can record memos under this customized memo mode as you would in normal memo mode.
Note: This process requires the use of a CompactFlash card reader attached to a computer.
i.d. mate OMNI uses DoubleTalk text-to-speech technology, which allows the ability to customize more than just the onboard speed and pitch settings. Be sure to make a backup of this file on your computer if you decide to make changes.
On the flash card there is a plain text file called "SETTINGS" (or "SETTINGS.INI" for those who have file extensions active) that you will need to access using your PC and a compact flash card reader. The first thing to note about this file is that any line that starts off with a semi-colon is meant as a comment for humans and is effectively invisible to the i.d.mate’s program. At the top of the file is the section for the Voice Settings. The first 2 settings are Volume and Speed. You can leave these alone since they can be changed using the ID Mate keypad.
The other 7 voice parameters are Freq (short for frequency), Expression, Articulation, Tone, Reverb, Pitch, and Delay. Place a semi-colon at the beginning of each of these 7 lines to "comment them out". After the [MiscSettings] section, there is a section for "Standard DoubleTalk voice definitions". Find one of these you would like to try and remove the semicolons before the 7 parameters. Save and close the file. Safely remove the flash card from the reader and insert it into your i.d.mate. Then turn it on and give it a listen.
Note: This process requires the use of a CompactFlash card reader attached to a computer.
You can adjust the length of time the scanner will stay on before going into sleep mode by adjusting the ScannerTimeout setting in the SETTINGS.INI file on your CompactFlash card. The default is 45 seconds. The maximum setting for timeout is 245 seconds. A setting of 0 will stop the scanner from going to sleep.
Note: This process requires the use of a CompactFlash card reader attached to a computer.
There are two ways that OMNI can playback bar code information. The first method is to have the device speak the first entry then indicate that more information exists by saying the word "Continued". This default method is called Manual Playback and is activated by setting the AutoMode parameter in the SETTINGS.INI file on your CompactFlash card equal to 0.
The second method is to have the device automatically playback all information from start to finish. You can activate Automatic Playback by setting the AutoMode parameter in the SETTINGS.INI file equal to 1.
Note: This process requires the use of a CompactFlash card reader attached to a computer.
With the OMNI, there are two ways new recorded messages can be inserted into memory. The first method is to insert the new recording after the recorded message that was played last. This is the default method and is called Record Insert. It is activated by setting the RecordMode parameter in the SETTINGS.INI file on your CompactFlash card equal to 0. The second method, called Record Append, will place the new message at the end of all other recorded messages stored. Record Append is activated by setting RecordMode equal to 1.
Note: This process requires the use of a CompactFlash card reader attached to a computer. Also, Bar Code ID Mode is only available on i.d. mate Omni's with firmware version 2.10 or later and on i.d. mate II's with firmware version 1.10 or later. Directions on how to find out your unit's firmware version can be found in the next section titled "Determine Firmware and Dictionary Versions".
When enabled, Bar Code ID Mode will make available the ability of your i.d. mate to read back the actual digits of the bar code itself, instead of the information about the item the bar code is associated with.
To enable Bar Code ID Mode, follow these steps:
You will now find that a new feature, called Bar Code ID, will be available after ID Mode.
This will enable two new modes, "Inventory" and "Browse Inventory", that will follow "ID Mode" (or if "Bar Code ID" is enabled [see above], they will follow this mode). There is no Inventory Mode firmware available for i.d. mate I or II.
You cannot erase a record from Inventory Mode. Items without descriptions in the En-Vision America database on your CompactFlash Card will be given a description of "Item not Found" in the Inventory.txt file (see below). Descriptions can be added directly to the Inventory.txt file at a later time if desired.
To change a quantity rapidly, press and hold the Next or Previous button. The OMNI will change the count by 1 for the first ten, then will change by 10 for the next ten, then will change by 100 for the next ten, then by 1,000 for the next 10, then by 10,000 for the next 10.
Use the Next and Previous buttons to browse through inventory items. The recorded quantity will be spoken before the item description. To change a quantity rapidly, press and hold the Next or Previous button. The OMNI will change the count by 1 for the first ten, then will change by 10 for the next ten, then will change by 100 for the next ten, then by 1000 for the next 10, then by 10000 for the next 10.
It may be best to work with the Inventory.txt file's data by importing it with either a database program, such as Microsoft Access or OpenOffice Base, or a spreadsheet program, such as Microsoft Excel or OpenOffice Calc. When doing so:
One of the big differences between the Inventory.txt file and a BARCODES.DAT file that has been run through the Bar Encode Lite program is that the BARCODES.DAT file MUST be in numerical sorted order, otherwise, it will not work. Inventory Mode does not require this as the items are saved and worked with in the order they are scanned.
Also in Inventory Mode, there are only three fields: the bar code number, the item description, and a five digit number for the quantity (i.e., if you only have one item, it must be entered as 00001). However, the description can include a price as part of the description if you type it yourself in the Inventory.txt file. It is vitally important not to use commas if you will be importing into a spreadsheet like Excel.
For example:
041196805499; Progresso Soup $1.45; 00002;
094000183566; A-von Moisturizer 24 $4.45; 00002;
036000282009; Kleenex $1.24; 00005;
To determine the firmware and dictionary versions of your i.d. mate, in any mode you may press the Mode and Record (rectangle and circle) buttons simultaneously.
To determine the battery power level of your i.d. mate, in any mode you may press the Mode and Erase (rectangle and square) buttons simultaneously.
One good thing to know is that, if the scanner motor is running, an ID Mate will report a number an average of 5 points lower than when the scanner is off. So it's a good idea to check the level while the scanner motor is running.
The low battery threshold for ID Mate 2, and Omni's with firmware version 2.03 or earlier, is 115. A change was made in Omni firmware version 2.04 and after so that the threshold is 112. This allows the user to get more out of the batteries than before. Press the Mode and Record buttons to check your firmware version.
I generally recharge a unit whenever it gets down into the low 120's or if it hasn't been charged for about 2 weeks regardless of the level. The full charge level can depend on the age and condition of the pack. A full charge for a new pack can usually reach the low 140's, and a used pack in decent condition will reach the mid 130's.
It's important to understand how the charging cycle works in order to reach a full charge. The ID Mate's charging circuitry has 2 features that protect the battery pack from being overcharged, so charging will cease for one of the two following reasons, whichever comes first:
So, depending on the energy level, it may take multiple charging cycles to reach a full charge. You can begin a new charging cycle by simply unplugging the charging plug from the ID Mate for a few seconds, and plugging it back in.
