Dr. Kenneth Barner <barner@udel.edu>

Anna Phalangas <phalanga@asel.udel.edu>

Matt Smith <msmith@ee.udel.edu>

The following package provides a more universal interface to electronic measuring equipment. Speech synthesis and sonification techniques have been implemented to provide people with visual impairments electronic access to laboratory equipment. The package uses Labview VI's to control instruments through a PC (a MAC version is also available). The programs eliminate any visual requirement for operation and can be fully controlled through simple keyboard navigation. This distribution contains:

• Audio_hp_function_generator.llb

• AudioGraph.llb
• Audio_Oscilloscope.llb
• Midisound.dll
• Readme.doc
• Paper.ps
• Paper.pdf
• HTML version of Paper

The "Audio_hp_function_generator.llb" file is the Labview library used to operate the function generator. Open this file using Labview and open the "Audio Menu.vi" to launch the master controls.

The "Audio oscilloscope.llb" file is the Labview library used to operate the oscilloscope. Open this file using Labview and open the "Main Menu2.vi" to launch the master controls. This VI calls the AudioGraph.llb from the main menu, so the main controls for AudioGraph are accessed through this library.

The "AudioGraph.llb" is a Labview library used by "Audio oscilloscope.llb" to sonify the graph values.

Note: Make sure that the three *.llb files are in the same directory.

The "Midisound.dll" is a Windows Dynamic Linked Library which allows Labview to pass arrays to Window’s Midi player. It converts the values of the array into different note values and then plays them using the midi on/off note, frequency, and volume. commands. This function is accessed by the AudioGraph functions that are built into the AudioOscilloscope VI. It allows you to sonify graph values.

The "Readme.doc" is the information file that you are currently reading.

The "Paper.ps", "Paper.pdf", and "HTML version of Paper" files contain a more in depth paper that reviews the goals and functionality of this project. Both versions (pdf and ps) are the same.

All of the speech synthesis requires Microsoft’s Agent 2.0 utility. MS Agent will soon be a standard to be released in Windows 2000. For Windows 95, 98, or NT you will have to install the MS Agent utility.

This utility can be found at http://www.msagentring.org/.

Because the agent utility installs itself in the O.S.’s directory on your hard drive, it will differ from Win 95 – 98 and Win NT. To change this to your specific O.S., go into the Audio_Oscilloscope.llb and Audio_hp_function_generator.llb (new users will need to change it in both) and open the "Text to Speech.vi". Open the diagram window and you should see the constants that define the path of agent and the character it uses. The character is currently set to the Merlin character from Microsoft. You can easily change this by installing the character and changing the character name in the VI.

You need to have a soundcard that supports midi sound. This distribution was tested using a SoundBlaster card. Midi Sounds are used in the "Audio Graph.llb" for sonification of graph values. To allow Labview to access the midi sounds you need to place the "midisound.dll" (contained in this distribution) in your windows/system or winnt/system directory. Then you need to check to make sure that Labview knows where to look. So go into the "Audio Graph.llb" and open both the sound.vi and anytone.vi (you need to change both). Open both of their diagrams and right click on the Call Library Node. Click Configure and make sure the Library Path is the correct absolute path to the midisound.dll on your system. Everything else in the VI should be fine the way it is.