BlackBerry Forums Support Community

ptdirjnav · 02-21-2009, 01:34 PM

I have a problem with my recently purchased Fredom Universal Keyboard. I am using a BB 9530 with a Core application v4.7. I am not able to connect my keyboard even after receiving technical support from through Internet from Freedom Input Ltd. I have spent numerous hours to find a solution to this issue. When I received the answer from Fredom they only refer to the BB v4.5 Core Application. I am wondering if the fact that I have the very latest BB Core application on my Storm could not be the reason for this problem. However, Freedom in their advertising and documentation clearly indicates that the keyboard is suitable for “Blackberry – Versions from4.0 and upwards including all new releases”. Can anyone with the same experience help please?

John Clark · 02-21-2009, 01:39 PM

What exactly is the issue you're having? Are you able to pair it? Are you on a BES? Please provide a little more detail.

John Clark · 02-21-2009, 01:56 PM

I just installed mine on my 8900...All is working fine. I've not heard any specific reports on whether or not it works on the storm. It may require a different driver. Have you talked to anyone personally at Freedom as to whether the Storm is supported?

ptdirjnav · 02-21-2009, 03:24 PM

Thanks John! Yes Freedom support the Storm. I exchanged e-mails with them and they provided me some solutions that don't work. They provided me with a solution that works for BB Core Appl. v4.5. Since I am using BB C.A. v4.7, I believe this could be the reason for this problem. I am not sure. However, to answer your question, I have downloaded the very last driver directly from my Storm and I have been able to pair the devices easily. I am not on a BSE. I have not been able to personally speak with a person at Freedom. I have not been able to find any phone numbers to contact them. However, they have answered my ticket within 24 hours. They seem to be very supportive through Internet. However, this type of technical difficulties could be resolved a lot faster if they would provide a phone line (note: Should you have a phone number to join Freedom Input Ltd., please sent it to me.
Thanks for you help!

John Clark · 02-21-2009, 03:27 PM

The latest driver is for BB OS 4.2 and higher so if they say it supports the storm then it will support OS 4.7.

Please tell me exactly where it is things are not working. You get the device paired. Then what? You should be able to go in to the Keyboard application and check the box that says "Connect." What happens then?

Do you have Keystroke Injection set to 'allow' for the keyboard application?

ptdirjnav · 02-21-2009, 04:01 PM

Freedom definitively said this support the Storm and "Versions from 4.0 and upwards including all new releases". However, in all correspondences from then they never mentioned v4.7 but only v4.5 as the latest version they are aware of. Perhaps version v4.7 would need a new driver. Here is my problem. When going to Keyboard application and clicking on Activate Keyboard (while having the keyboard switched on to SPP), the Keyboard will show "connecting" for a few seconds and always come back to "disconnected". According to their instructions, I should change for "connected" and then I should click on the Reconnection Checkbox. However, it will never move to "connected and always come back to "disconnected". I thought this was due to the Keystroke Injection Permission (called Input Simulation instead Keystroke Injection on my BB v4.7 Core Application), however, I have put that Permission to Allow, so should could work.

John Clark · 02-21-2009, 04:04 PM

Have you set the keyboard to be trusted in Bluetooth options? Go to Options >Bluetooth. Highlight the Freedom Keyboard and go to "Device Properties." Set Trusted to "Yes" and Encryption to "Disabled." Save the settings. Give that a try.

ptdirjnav · 02-21-2009, 04:15 PM

Did it as per your instructions with the same results (disconnected). In the meantime, I reloaded the Drivers with no more results.

John Clark · 02-21-2009, 04:20 PM

What driver do you have installed? What's the version? Also, is this keyboard brand new? Is it the Freedom Universal Keyboard or the Freedom Universal Keyboard2?

ptdirjnav · 02-21-2009, 04:45 PM

Driver: v.2.2.3 for RIM OS 4.2. Keyboard: Freedom Universal Keyboard (2) purchased a week ago from blackberry.com.

John Clark · 02-21-2009, 04:50 PM

Ok, everything sounds right. It sounds like it could be a bluetooth issue, but not sure. What OS is on the device? Look in Options >About.

ptdirjnav · 02-21-2009, 05:15 PM

OS v.4.7.0.76 (Platform 4.0.0.96)

John Clark · 02-21-2009, 05:22 PM

If you go to Options >Bluetooth and highlight the Freedom Keyboard and select "Device Options" does "SPP" show in the list of services? If not, turn on the keyboard to "SPP" and then hit the menu key on the BB and select "Refresh Services."

If that doesn't work, then I don't know whether it's a driver/device issue or a bluetooth issue in the particular OS version.

I would ask the folks at Freedom to call you. I'm sure they will. They have great support.

ptdirjnav · 02-21-2009, 05:33 PM

The Service SPP Slave has been refresh several times and clearly appears in Bluetooth Device Properties under FREEDOM KEYBOARD. For your info. I have an Open Ticket with Freedom Input (they have my phone number in the file):

Technical Adviser at Freedom Input: Louise Sawkins
Technical Support
Ticket Details
Ticket ID: MFU-663657
Department: Freedom Universal Keyboard²
Priority: Urgent
Status: Answered

I really appreciate your support. Thanks.

John Clark · 02-21-2009, 05:37 PM

Check out the "Beta You Than Me" forum for information on newer "beta" OS's for your device. See what versions have been leaked and see if you can find one. You may be able to fix it that way. It sounds like a bug in the OS but, again, I haven't seen anyone else using this on the Storm yet.

dfranklin · 05-01-2009, 09:54 AM

I have the Storm as well with the Universal Keyboard. I was able to get it work, but it took some doing. I am running v4.7.0.114 (Platform 4.0.0.143). I was able to find keyboard drivers for 2.2.1, 2.2.2 and 2.2.3. I would have expected the newer keyboard drivers to work, but actually the 2.2.1 is the only one that did work. I've also seen info to allow keyboard injection ... and in fact produced an error when I tried to connect the keyboard. However when I went into security options, that option wasn't on my storm, but "input simulation" was. I had to allow this in order for it to work.

rnantel · 05-11-2009, 09:39 PM

I'm having exactly the same problems as ptdirjnav. Just bought a Storm and Freedom 2 keyboard and the devices pair but can never connect. I'm off to try the 2.2.1 keyboard driver.

rnantel · 05-11-2009, 09:44 PM

dfranklin: where did you find the 2.2.1 driver?

Paul Bowles · 05-12-2009, 03:53 AM

Hi all,

I'm the technical manager for Freedom. All the versions of the drivers above have been tested with the Storm running various versions of 4.7 and they do all work. That being said however we have found that the Storm is not quiet as reliable as the other BlackBerrys.

We are looking into if we can change anything on the drivers to try and work around this kind of issue but to be honest the parts of the OS we use for the drivers are really no different between 4.2 and 4.7 so I don't think anything we do will make a great deal of difference (unless we re-write the Storm OS ;) ).

Its very interesting that the older version of the drivers worked as the actually connection and bluetooth control part of 2.2.1 and 2.2.3 are exactly the same. Give me a few minutes and I will upload the previous versions though and put some links here.

rnantel · 05-12-2009, 05:45 AM

Paul: thanks so much for your attention in this.