Announcing the first polaris upgrade.

[Louis Bryant]

Hello all,

HIMS is excited to announce our first BrailleSense Polaris upgrade. We will continue to provide frequent software releases throughout the next few months to address your feedback and concerns, and continue to tweak and improve the general operation of the BrailleSense Polaris.
This upgrade features many fixes and enhancements, including the activation of the camera and enhanced support for QWERTY keyboards. Please find the complete list of fixes and improvements in the attached release note.
*Note: the upgrade process for Polaris is very different from that of the former BrailleSense models. Please read the below instructions in their entirety before proceeding.
You can update the Polaris either via an Internet connection or from external media containing the upgrade files. If you choose the "Online" method, be sure you have an active Internet connection before attempting the upgrade. When you update the Polaris, settings are usually maintained. However, if there are changes to setting values in the firmware, all settings will be initialized. Therefore, it is recommended that you back up your settings using the backup/restore utility in the "Polaris Settings" menu. Data in the flashdisk is protected. However, we recommend you backup your files before updating the Polaris Firmware as unexpected problems can occur.
* Note: You cannot cancel the update once it has started. You must not reset the unit during an upgrade. You must keep the unit connected to AC power throughout the upgrade process. We recommend you do not touch the Polaris while it is updating. It may take up to 60 minutes to update the Polaris, possibly even longer depending on the speed of your Internet connection.
* Also note: the upgrade files are temporarily stored on the flashdisk for installation. If you do not have enough memory available on the flashdisk, the Polaris is unable to update until you make room for the upgrade files.
You can access the "Upgrade Firmware" option via the "Utilities" menu, or launch it from anywhere on the unit using "F3-U".
When you have chosen your upgrade method, and the upgrade files are downloaded or detected, Polaris will extract all of the necessary program files. There are about 40 files to extract, and progress is announced every few seconds.
Once done, the Polaris will reboot, and the system files will be upgraded. During this process, there is no speech, but the progress will be shown in Braille as a percentage.
When the system files have been upgraded, the software will load and boot. During this process, the Polaris displays "Starting BrailleSense" in Braille, but no sound or speech is heard. This process can take many minutes; do not be surprised if nothing happens for 30 minutes or more.
When the firmware boots, the unit will then proceed to upgrade any applications with updated programming, usually between 25 and 30 apps. Progress is spoken and displayed during this process.
Finally, the system reboots again. If there are no new or changed setting values in the firmware, the Main Menu loads, and your settings are restored. If setting values have been changed, all Polaris settings are initialized, and the system boots and runs the Quick Guide.

Upgrading the Polaris Firmware Using the Internet
To upgrade the Polaris Firmware via the Internet, follow these steps:
1) Make sure you are connected to the Internet and plugged into AC power. Press "Enter" on "Upgrade Polaris Firmware" in the "Utilities" menu.
2) Press "Enter" on "Upgrade: Online". The Polaris connects to the HIMS server, and your current software version is compared to the HIMS server version. You are prompted to continue with the upgrade.
3) The Polaris begins downloading the upgrade files. The upgrade is around 1.3 GB. Thus, depending on the speed of your Internet connection, it may take a long time to download.
4) After downloading the upgrade files, Polaris automatically starts the upgrade process. Please remember you must not touch the Polaris until the upgrade is complete, as pressing keys, resetting, or unplugging the unit can interrupt the upgrade process, thus resulting in an incomplete installation. When the upgrade is complete, you are returned to the "program" menu, and the unit announces, "File manager".
5) After the upgrade is complete, check the software version by pressing "Space-V" while in the "program" menu.

Upgrading the Polaris Firmware from USB or SD
To upgrade the Polaris Firmware from a disk, follow these steps:
Download the upgrade file here: https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/braillesense/h532b/en/selvas_system_19396.bin
1) Note: the file is a .bin file, however, some versions of Windows may rename it as a .zip file. Do not extract this file. Simply rename the extension back to .bin. Copy the file to the root of an external storage device such as an SD card or USB thumb drive.
2) Connect the SD card or USB drive to the Polaris, and be sure the Polaris is connected to AC power. Then, press "Enter" on "Upgrade Polaris Firmware" from the "Utilities" menu.
3) "Upgrade: Online" is displayed. Press "Space-4" to go to the "Upgrade: Offline" option. Press "Enter".
4) The Polaris starts the upgrade process. Please remember you must not touch the Polaris until the upgrade is complete. When the upgrade is complete, you are returned to the "program" menu, and "File manager" is displayed.
5) When the upgrade is complete, check the software version by pressing "Space-V" while in the "program" menu.

If you have questions or problems, please contact HIMS, Inc technical support at sup...@hims-inc.com or by calling 888-520-4467.
Thanks and best regards,
Jenny Axler



Sent from Mail for Windows 10

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