Why can't I use switch boxes other than the Crick USB Switch Box to operate Clicker 5?
Flash Update! In addition to the Crick USB Switch Interface, Clicker 5 for Windows now works with:
- IntelliSwitch – Click here to find out how!
- IntelliKeys USB – Click here to find out how!
- JoyCable 2 USB Switch Interface – Click here to find out how!
- DJ Switch Interface Pro 6.0 (USB)
To use Clicker 5 with switches, you must have a Crick USB Switch Interface. Crick Software is not able to support other switch interfaces/boxes because of the way that most other boxes work.
Most switch boxes work by sending key presses to the computer – essentially, they pretend to be a keyboard sending in key presses. For example, a box may send Space and Enter to control a particular piece of software. There is nothing wrong with this – Crick Software’s own switch interface works like this when it is accessing other software. However, Clicker 5 includes the word processor, Clicker Writer. If a switch box that sends Space and Enter is supported, then those key presses would get sent into Clicker Writer each time you pressed a switch. This is clearly not what you would want – your document would be full of spaces and empty lines!
How did Clicker 4 work with other boxes?
In Clicker 4 Crick Software got around this problem after a great deal of extra programming. They chose the Up and Left arrow keys to work as switch presses. To make this work correctly, they had to prevent the Up and Left arrow keys from being sent to Clicker Writer when this box type was chosen, otherwise the cursor would move each time a switch was pressed. To do this, Crick Software had to write a special program, separate to Clicker, to capture those key presses before Windows could get them.
In addition to being difficult to program, this created the additional problem whereby a Clicker 4 user using the switch interfaces such as the DJ Switch Interface Pro 5.0 (USB) could not use the Up and Left arrow keys to move the cursor around in Clicker Writer, since they have to be reserved for the switches. This caused confusion with some Clicker 4 users, who thought there was something wrong with Clicker because the arrow keys seemed not to work. So this solution was not found to be satisfactory.
In summary
Crick Software are fully committed to making products as accessible as possible, and switch accessibility was built into the Clicker 5 architecture right from the beginning. This is why you will be really impressed with the ease-of-use, performance and reliability of Clicker 5 with the Crick USB Switch Interface.
In Clicker 5, switch users have equal access with mouse users for
practically everything. Not only can you write with switches, you can also engage in labelling activities, create your own multimedia books, and even record your own sound! And if you need any support, whether it is training or technical support, we have highly qualified staff here to help you.
Flash Update! In addition to the Crick USB Switch Interface, Clicker 5 for Windows now works with:
- IntelliSwitch – Click here to find out how!
- IntelliKeys USB – Click here to find out how!
- JoyCable 2 USB Switch Interface – Click here to find out how!
- DJ Switch Interface Pro 6.0 (USB)