The PAC Mate has buttons and keys on the top, ports and switches on the sides and back, and the battery in the back. The overall size of the PAC Mate is 5.4 inches x 9.75 inches x 1.25 inches and weighs 1.5 lbs.
On the right edge of the PAC Mate, near the front is the PC card slot for I/O devices. Behind this is the AC adaptor jack. On the left end of the unit, from front to back, are the nine-pin serial port, compact flash slot, the 1/16-inch audio input jack, and the 1/8-inch audio output jack. On the back of the unit is the removable battery pack, which takes up most of the space along the back. On the left side of the battery pack is the infrared port. On the right side is the USB port, and to the right of the USB port is the On/Off switch.
There is a reset button inset on the bottom of the PAC Mate. To find the reset button, turn the PAC Mate bottom side up. Locate the second screw from the right near the front of the PAC Mate. About halfway toward the rear of the PAC Mate and aligned with this screw is a raised round ridge with a hole in its center. This is the reset button.
Caution: The reset button erases all data and deletes all programs. For more information, please see PAC Mate Hardware, Resetting the PAC Mate.
Note: PC cards must be inserted label side down. Compact Flash cards must be inserted label side up.
Both the compact flash and PC card plug into the PAC Mate in one direction only. If you insert the card(s) the wrong way, simply remove the card, turn it over and gently reinsert the card(s). Never push or jam the card. When you correctly insert the card(s), you can feel it gently plug into place.
To remove the compact flash card, grasp and pull the card with your index finger and thumb. To remove the PC card, push the button that is next to the PC card slot. You can find this button only when a PC card is inserted into its slot and by running your index finger along the right side of the unit, feeling for a cut away in the plastic. The button is in line with the PC card and is near the front of the unit.
The PAC Mate is powered with a lightweight, high-density lithium ion battery that, with continuous use, holds its charge for 12 hours. It may be charged repeatedly and at any time within the battery cycle without losing capacity. When the battery has only 20% of its charge remaining, the PAC Mate announces a warning that the battery is low. At 12% of battery life, the PAC Mate alerts you that the battery is critically low and after 2 minutes the PAC Mate will automatically turn off. Once the battery charger is connected, the battery takes approximately 4 hours to recharge. You can work with your PAC Mate while your battery is recharging without harming the unit. When you get ready to charge your PAC Mate, you must charge the battery with the AC adapter supplied with the unit. When you switch battery packs, you should turn your PAC Mate off, insert the new battery pack, and then turn your PAC Mate on.
To remove your battery pack, turn the PAC Mate bottom side up so that the battery pack is farthest away from you. Next, use your thumbs and feel for the spring-loaded buttons on either end of the battery. To disengage the battery, push these buttons towards each other or towards the center of the battery using your thumbs. Then with the buttons held in this position, slide the battery out of its compartment.
Warning: To prevent data loss, do not remove the battery and the AC power source at the same time, as the life of the backup battery is approximately 30 minutes.
Inserting the battery is easier as it fits into its compartment one way only. Once you have it positioned correctly, the battery slides in easily with two positive clicks.
For convenience, the Today screen indicates the percentage of battery charge available. To refresh the Today Screen so that it reflects the most current battery charge, press INSERT+ESCAPE.
If you own a spare battery pack we recommend that you store it in a dry place away from heat or direct sunlight.
Whenever possible, use your PAC Mate with the AC adapter plugged to external power, especially when connecting to a PC, using a compact flash card, a modem or other peripheral. This will save your battery for those situations when you are mobile and away from a power source.
Regardless of whether you are using an external power source or battery, you can conserve the amount of energy your PAC Mate is using by enabling the controls available to you in the Power Settings dialog. There are two ways to access this dialog. The easiest way is to move down and press ENTER on the last of the five items on the Today Screen, which indicates the battery charge. The other way is from the Start Menu.
From the Start Menu (Windows Logo Key), move to Settings and press ENTER. Press SHIFT+TAB until you hear, "Personal tab." Then, use the RIGHT ARROW to move to the System tab. Now, press TAB once to move onto the page and press P to select Power. With Power selected press ENTER.
With the Power Settings dialog open, press TAB to move to the "On battery power: Turn off device if not used for" check box. Press the SPACEBAR to enable this control, then move to the associated combo box to select the number of minutes. Follow this same procedure for the next control, which turns PAC Mate off when using external power. For additional information on the PAC Mate battery, please see PAC Mate Hardware, Battery and Appendix B: Special Considerations, Lithium Ion Battery.
Occasionally it may be necessary for you to reset your PAC Mate. Particularly, if it is operating slow and sluggish or if it stops responding completely. If this occurs often, contact Freedom Scientific's hardware technical support. However, if this occurs infrequently, perform the following to get your PAC Mate running without delay.
A warm reset does not affect your files, programs or settings. Instead, it closes all running applications and returns you to the Today Screen. To perform a warm reset, press CTRL+ALT+DELETE.
A hard reset should be used only as a last resort as this erases all files and data you have created and programs you have installed. For this reason, it is recommended that you use ActiveSync to create a backup file of all of your programs and data. For more information on using ActiveSync, please see Connecting the PAC Mate, Connecting to a PC with ActiveSync.
To find the reset button, turn the PAC Mate bottom side up. Locate the second screw from the right near the front of the PAC Mate. About halfway toward the rear of the PAC Mate and aligned with this screw is a raised round ridge with a hole in its center. This is the reset button.
To reset your PAC Mate, use a straightened paper clip or a toothpick and press down gently. You should feel the button move slightly as you press.
To use the carrying case with your TNS PAC Mate, locate the front of the case by feeling for the Freedom Scientific logo on the lower right front of the case. Across the top of the case is a row of Velcro. This front flap acts as the case cover, which can be undone for access to the keyboard.
To put the PAC Mate into its carrying case, follow these steps:
Now open the front flap of the case. There is access to each of the connections through the top and sides of the case. On the front flap�s exterior there is a zippered pocket and on the flap�s interior is a pocket to slide in your ID card.
The plastic body of PAC Mate is made of a blend of high impact polycarbonate and heat resistant polymers that meet strict environmental standards. In order to keep your PAC Mate in good working condition, it is recommended that you store your unit in a dry place away from direct sunlight, avoid operating the unit around liquids or food, and always operate the unit with clean, dry hands.
Clean the unit with a dry cloth and do not use commercial cleaners on any part of the unit.
Never use the PAC Mate in an environment where it will be exposed to extremes of light, temperature, moisture or vibration.