Installing USB Foot Pedals for Transcription

This page describes how to install a USB port version foot pedal. Before starting, make sure that you have a USB port on your PC. You should also have your Windows installation disk.

Note that USB ports are not supported in Windows NT or Windows 95 or early versions of Windows 98. Be sure that your PC has a USB port, before you purchase a USB style foot pedal.

USB ports have been popular since the year 2000. If you computer is older than this, then you probably do not have a USB port. The plug that goes into the USB port looks like this:

The programs support USB foot pedals from three different manufacturers. These include:

• The Infinity Pedal from VEC Electronics for Windows 98SE and above including Windows XP and Windows Vista,
• The Olympus Foot Switch (does not work with Windows Vista), and
• The VPedal Foot Switch.

Infinity Pedal from VEC Electronics

Users of Dictation Buddy V4.0 and Transcription Buddy V4.0 and above should enable the foot control support in the programs by plugging the pedal into the PC and then going to View => Options => Foot Control and checking the Enable Foot Control checkbox. You can then use the Foot Control Wizard to confirm the pedals on the control. You may also alter pedal functions on the Set Pedal Functions Window.

Users of Transcription Buddy, prior to V4.0 may also use the the Infinity foot pedal but must download this .dll file and SAVE it into the same folder as Transcription Buddy is installed. By default, the folder will be:

c:\Program Files\HighCriteria\TranscriptionBuddyRE or TranscriptionBuddyPE

Once you have downloaded and saved this .dll file to the appropriate folder, you should proceed with the General USB Support Steps, as outlined below.

Note that Dictation Buddy only began supporting the Infinity foot pedal under version 4.0. Previous versions of Dictation Buddy did not support the Infinity pedal.

Olympus Foot Switch

The Olympus Foot Switch will not work with Transcription Buddy or Dictation Buddy under Windows Vista.

Users with the Olympus Foot Switch must download this exe file and execute it. Once you have downloaded and executed it, you should proceed with the General USB Support Steps, as outlined below.

We have noticed some instances where the install of the Olympus foot pedal encounters problems because the DSSUSBF.sys file cannot be found. If you encounter this problem, press the available BROWSE button and point to the folder C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS. If DSSUSBF.dll cannot be found, press the available BROWSE button and point to the folder C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32.

VPEDAL Foot Pedal

Users with the VPEDAL Foot Pedal should proceed with the General USB Support Steps, as outlined below.

General USB Support Steps

1. Your first step should be to plug the foot pedal into the USB port. Windows should immediately report that New Hardware has been found.

2. On Windows 2000 or XP, Windows will automatically add the appropriate drivers. On these systems, there is nothing more that needs done.

   On Windows 98 systems, the Add New Hardware window will prompt you to install the drivers for the new device. Choose "Search for the best driver for your device. (Recommended)." Windows will now ask you where to search for the device drivers. Choose "CD-ROM drive" and insert the Windows 98 CD into the computer’s CD-ROM drive. Then click "Next".

3. Continue through the dialog.

Support for the USB device should now be installed.

You have now successfully installed the foot pedal. You must now enable support for the pedal in the program configuration. Go to View => Options => Foot Control and check the Enable Foot Control checkbox. You should then use the Foot Control Wizard to confirm the pedals on the control. You may also alter pedal functions on the Set Pedal Functions Window.

Please see the following pages for more information about Dictation Buddy and Transcription Buddy.

• Overview of Dictation Buddy and Transcription Buddy.
• Transcription Buddy Features.

You may also review:

• Download and Purchase Dictation Buddy and Transcription Buddy
• Frequently Asked Questions.
• Recording phone calls with Dictation Buddy.
• DSS File Support and other Methods of Audio Compression.
• Imbedding bookmarks and text into files.
• Dictation Buddy Software and the Philips SpeechMike Pro (USB).
• PC based recording of board meetings, depositions and court proceedings.
• Re-recording with Dictation Buddy Recorder Edition.

Please follow this link to the Dictation Buddy, Transcription Buddy home page.

Please follow this link to the Liberty Recording home page.