nvaccess
Braillex EL 80C display: EAB key presses are being repeated when NVDA is used after JAWS
I have a Braillex EL 80c Braille display, revision 128. I use both JAWS and NVDA. There is a problem with the Easy Access Bar keys of Braillex when I start NVDA after using and closing JAWS. When I first use JAWS, close it and start NVDA, everything seems to work normally for a minute or two, but after a while the display starts scrolling automatically like I would press an EAB key continuously. I mean if I first press EAB right once, the display starts repeating this key press until I manage to stop it by one way or another. It doesn't matter what EAB key I press, the display always starts scrolling to that direction anyway. I have had this problem with all the NVDA version I have used and tested after I got this display in November 2022.
There are no problems when I disconnect the USB cable from the display after closing JAWS and reconnect it before starting NVDA. I have to do this every time I am going to use NVDA after JAWS since Braillex EL 80c doesn't contain a separate power button. But this is not a good thing when thinking of the cable's and USB port's endurance.
The manufacturer of the Braillex display is aware of this problem. They have reproduced the problem. They have tried to find a solution but without good results at the moment. I have contacted the Finnish reseller and they have contacted Papenmeier. Hopefully there is something which could be done in the NVDA code. Perhaps this situation can be reproduced with Braillex EL 40c as well.
Steps to reproduce:
- Use JAWS and close it.
- Start NVDA and use it with your Braillex display (El 80c or EL 40c). Use the Easy Access Bar normally.
Actual behavior:
After a while the display starts scrolling automatically, repeating your last EAB key press.
Expected behavior:
When NVDA is started after a JAWS session, the display should work normally. An user wouldn't have to disconnect and reconnect the USB cable in order to use the display with NVDA.
NVDA logs, crash dumps and other attachments:
System configuration
NVDA installed/portable/running from source:
Any NVDA version which can be used with Braillex EL 80c Display. I have used installed, portable, alpha and pr versions since November 2022.
NVDA version:
The latest alpha, 2024rc.1 etc.
Windows version:
Windows 11 2023H2
Name and version of other software in use when reproducing the issue:
I have installed the latest driver for Braillex EL 80c from Papenmeier, 2.12.36.
Other information about your system:
Other questions
Does the issue still occur after restarting your computer?
Yes.
Have you tried any other versions of NVDA? If so, please report their behaviors.
If NVDA add-ons are disabled, is your problem still occurring?
Yes.
Does the issue still occur after you run the COM Registration Fixing Tool in NVDA's tools menu?
Yes.
Did you also ask Jaws developers if the Jaws process closes properly? Sometimes things may still run in background although Jaws was closed. Can you reproduce this problem also with Narator?
Did you also ask Jaws developers if the Jaws process closes properly? Sometimes things may still run in background although Jaws was closed.
There is a process called fsatproxy.exe which seems to be running when JAWS is closed. It is running even though JAWS is not started automatically during system boot. JAWS developers have been reported about this situation by local reseller of Braillex displays and JAWS.
Can you reproduce this problem also with Narator?
I've never used Narrator. I have read that it uses BRLTTy as a Braille driver. I used BRLTTY with NVDA for many years ago, when NVDA didn't have direct support for Caiku Albatross displays and I was also using Albatross those days.
Given the issue occurs after running JAWS we are inclined to see this as a JAWS issue. It is likely they are not correctly releasing hold on the drivers. Without being able to debug and understand what JAWS is doing, there is little we can do. Please report this to Freedom Scientific and ask them to communicate any changes NVDA needs to make if necessary.
@irrah68 does this happen if you manually stop fsatproxy.exe from task manager?
@irrah68 does this happen if you manually stop fsatproxy.exe from task manager?
Yes.
Given the issue occurs after running JAWS we are inclined to see this as a JAWS issue. It is likely they are not correctly releasing hold on the drivers.
Then there should/might be problems with other displays as well.
Someone from Freedom Scientific wrote to Finnish reseller of Braillex displays and JAWS and a person from the firm wrote to me. Here is what Freedom Scientific said:
"The only suggestion we have at this point is to exit Jaws, power cycle the display and then start NVDA."
This means nothing, because Braillex EL 80c doesn't have a power button and I have always disconnected and reconnected the USB cable after closing JAWS and before starting NVDA.
Now the situation is that Papenmeier can reproduce this issue but they don't know how to fix it. Perhaps a solution would be a KVM adapter, if the problem can't be found somewhere in NVDA's code.