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Connecting A Braille Display To iPhone via USB

By Pete De Vasto, 9 July, 2022

Forum
Braille on Apple Products

Hello all,

I'm working with a deaf-blind client who is having great difficulty connecting his Varioultra 20 display to his iPhone SE second generation device using Bluetooth. I learned yesterday that he also now has a Chameleon 20 that he might be able to use as an alternative. I also read an article, I believe written by Scott Davert, that mentions that he had tested connecting a Chameleon 20 to the iPhone using Apple's lightning to USB adapter. I am continuing to try helping my client get a good and reliable Bluetooth connection established, but I was also wondering if anyone here is successfully using a Braille display with one of these apple adapters.

thanks so much for any help,
Pete De Vasto

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Comments

Bluetooth

By Edward Louie

6 months 3 weeks ago

The APH chameleon 20 will automatically connect every time the device is in terminal mode and set to Bluetooth.
There is no way to connect a braille display using a USB connection.
That’s from my understanding, but I believe iPads probably support those types of connections, but I don’t think an iPhone does.
Edit, you can actually connect a braille Display to an iPhone using three pieces of items, 1, the braille display. 2. Lightning to USB camera adapter or any sort of adapter that supports converting lightning into a USB port. 3, an iPhone or iPad.
And next you have to set the device to use USB mode instead of Bluetooth by going to the terminal menu on the display and choosing USB, but Bluetooth is really convenient, you don’t need to reconnect every time, it’s all automatic.

VU and USB

By Scott Davert

6 months 2 weeks ago

Member of the AppleVis Editorial Team

Pete. This only works with displays that support the new HID standard. Sadly, the Varioultra isn't one of them. I've only been able to get the Chameleon, Brailliant BIX models amd Mantis to work with this set up. Hopefully, VisioBraille will get it together and update the VU! It was a fantastic display, and is still a good one, but more modern devices are passing it by with better battery life and other features. Good luck with your iCC work!

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