The PenExplorer is the application your Pen uses to communicate with the PC. Use the PenExplorer for:

1. History retrieval: Upload the list of recently viewed words from the ReadingPen application to the PC.

2. File management: Copy files onto the Pen for use in the ReadingPen application.

3. Compacting flash memory: Compact the Pen flash card.       

 

Installing the PenExplorer and USB driver

Install the PenExplorer using the product installation software downloaded from http://www.wizcomtech.com/readingpents/.

The installation also installs the USB driver needed for Pen- PC communications.

 

The PenExplorer installs to the Program Files folder on your computer. After installation, the PenExplorer process, PenService.exe, runs in the background in wait mode and only becomes active when Pen-PC Communications are established. It can be seen in the Processes tab of the Windows Task Manager.

 

Opening the PenExplorer

To open the PenExplorer:

1. Turn the Pen on.

2. Connect the Pen to the PC using the USB cable.

3. Select Connect to PC from the Pen Main Menu. 

 

PenExplorer Properties Window 

Right-click on a space in the main PenExplorer window and select Properties from the drop-down menu. This will open the WizCom PenExplorer Properties window.

The PenExplorer Properties window has two tabs:

 

1.  General: Shows the Pen’s memory status and gives you the option to compact the flash card memory.

2.  About: Displays version and copyright information for the PenExplorer.

 

Taskbar Icon and Menu

The PenExplorer icon  appears in the notification area

of the Windows taskbar when Pen-PC communications is established (Pen and PC are connected with the USB cable and Connect to PC is activated on the Pen). Clicking on the icon opens the PenExplorer window.

Right-click on the taskbar icon to open the taskbar menu. The taskbar menu has the following options:

1.  Open PenExplorer: Opens the PenExplorer window.

2.  About: Opens the PenExplorer Properties window in the About tab. Displays version and copyright information for the PenExplorer.

 

The Notes Folder

The Notes folder contains all files copied to the Pen. It also contains the History.txt file which contains a list of the last

80 words looked up in the ReadingPen application on the Pen.

Double-click on the Notes folder in the PenExplorer window to open the folder. Double click on a file to open the file in Notepad.

 

PenExplorer Functions

History Retrieval

The History.txt file appears in the Notes folder after you have entered the ReadingPen application for the first time. The file cannot be deleted from the folder and is dynamic – it is updated immediately when new words are looked up.

Copy the History.txt file to your PC to save the current list of History words. Select the file with the mouse and copy it as you would copy files in standard windows folders.

 

File Management

1. File Properties

You can only copy specific files to the Pen:

a. Only files with a *.txt extension (plain text files) can be transferred to the Pen.

b. Files must be saved as UNICODE.

c. Files cannot be longer than 9,000 characters. You can check this in Microsoft Word by checking the Word Count. Files that exceed the character limit will be cut off when transferred. The PenExplorer will request confirmation for file transfer if it identifies a file that exceeds the limit.

d. File names must be in English and should be less than 8 characters long. File names that are longer than 8 characters or that contain non-ABC characters will be renamed when they are transferred to the PenExplorer.

 

2. Saving Files in the Correct Format

Files must be saved as plain text files and in UNICODE.

 

From Word:

1. Go to File\Save As. Insert a file name.

2. Change the file type to Plain Text (*.txt) and click the Save button.

3. The File Conversion dialog box appears. Select Other encoding. Scroll through the list and select Unicode.

4. Click the OK button.

From Notepad:

1. Go to File\Save As. Insert a file name.

2. Make sure file type is Text Documents (*.txt).

3. Change encoding to Unicode and click the Save button.

3. Copying Files to and from the Pen

The PenExplorer/Notes folder works like standard Windows folders. Copy files to and from the Notes folder using standard Windows functions, such as drag- and-drop, copy-paste and using the PC shortcut keys.

Click on a file in the Notes window to highlight it. Right- click to open the drop-down menu and select the function you wish to use.

Compacting Flash Memory

The Pen’s flash memory is used to store Pen files. The flash memory should be compacted manually every once in a while, especially after deleting many files from the Pen. This will speed up Pen performance for future file transfers.

 

To access the Compact function:

1.  Right-click on a space in the main PenExplorer window and select Properties from the drop-down menu to reach the General tab.

2.  Click on the Compact button to activate the compact function. If the memory requires compacting, the Compacting message will appear. Do not disconnect the Pen until the message disappears.

 

Troubleshooting

 

This troubleshooter deals with some potential Pen-PC connectivity issues.

Issues:

1. The Pen says that it is connected to the PC but the PenExplorer window hasn’t opened on screen and I can’t see the icon in the taskbar.

2. I receive the “Error connecting to PC” message on the Pen but I have followed all the tips and the PenExplorer should be working correctly.

Solutions:

Try the following options, in this order:

 1. Disconnect the USB cable from the Pen. Restart the Pen, connect the USB cable and try to re-establish communications (select Connect to PC from the Pen Main Menu).

2. On the Pen: Disconnect the USB cable from the Pen and restart the Pen.

On the PC:

a. Press the Ctrl-Alt-Delete buttons at the same time to open the Windows Task Manager.

b. Go to the Processes tab and highlight PenService.exe in the Image Name list.

c. Click on the End Process button.

d. Click Yes on the Task Manager Warning (XP) or End Process in the Windows Task Manager confirmation message (Vista).

e. Go to C:\Program Files (or the equivalent in Vista) and open the WizCom Technologies Ltd folder. Open the WizCom PenExplorer folder and look for the PenService.exe file.

f.  Double-click on the PenService.exe file to reactivate the PenExplorer. If the Windows Task Manager is still open, you will see PenService.exe reappear in the Image Name list.

On the Pen: Connect the USB cable and try to re- establish communications (select Connect to PC from the Pen Main Menu).

 

3. Re-install the PenExplorer.

 

On the Pen: Disconnect the USB cable from the Pen and restart the Pen.

On the PC:

a. Go to the Control Panel  and select Add or Remove Programs (XP) or Programs and Features (Vista).

b. Highlight the WizCom PenExplorer and click on Change/Remove (XP) or Uninstall/Change (Vista). The WizCom PenExplorer – Installshield Wizard will appear.

c. Select Remove and uninstall the PenExplorer.

Restart the computer if requested.

d. Reinstall the PenExplorer from the product installation software you downloaded earlier from the internet.

e. Click Finish when the installation is complete.

 

On the Pen: Connect the USB cable and try to re- establish communications (select Connect to PC from the Pen Main Menu).