15 Jun
2001
15 Jun
'01
3:30 a.m.
I've got a salvaged "set" if you can call it that, of the NSC Digitalker
chips,
i.e. a 40-pin "B218DIGITALKER" and a ROM presumably designed for the specific
application, which, in this case, was a security system, for which this device
was the telephone interface that called the authorities or someone when an
intrusion was detected. I once intended to use it for something similar to what
was done with that SPO256 speech chip that Radio Shack made popular, but didn't
get around to it.
If anyone's interested, I'll happily send the pair + associated 4 MHz crystal,
to whoever wants to pay the postage. (USPS Priority Mail = $3.50).
This was part of a microcontroller (COP444L) based board that had an RF
interface common in many building-security systems of the early '80's working
not unlike a garage door opener, and a built in phone-line interface, though no
modem was needed since the interface was audio. These boards all had a common
flaw, i.e. a capacitor in the phone line interface that was broken open. That
presumably had no effect on the integrity of the voice generation circuitry, as
it was buffered with an LM386 amplifier.
Dick
----- Original Message -----
From: "Alice Blakeman" <aeb56(a)bigfoot.com>
To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Friday, June 15, 2001 7:40 AM
Subject: RE: Sound chips
They may very well still sell it. I built a parallel
port speech sythethiser
from one and plans from one of the then popular computer or electronics
magazines. I may even have it still in one the boxes that I packed way back
and haven't since opened. It had the same phonetics system as some of the
SoundBlaster chips and had the same monotone speak that the old Dr. SBaitso
and that Hawkings' synth have. Nonetheless it was cool to hear speech from
my 8088 then.
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org
[mailto:owner-classiccmp@classiccmp.org]On Behalf Of Richard Erlacher
Sent: Friday, June 15, 2001 7:48 AM
To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org
Subject: Re: Sound chips
Back in the early '80's they sold that speech chip in a blister pack. I
think
the crux was getting the 3.12 MHz (I remember that only because getting one
was
such a PITA) crystal, though, for which the device was specified, and which
had
to come from somewhere else at the time. Aside from having to translate the
timing intervals, I think a color-burst crystal would probably work with
this
device, though. A 10-12% increase in pitch wouldn't make much difference as
far
as intellibility is concerned.
Dick
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeff Hellige" <jhellige(a)earthlink.net>
To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2001 6:55 PM
Subject: Re: Sound chips
Incidentally, Tandy/Radio Shack sold a speech/sound cartridge for the
CoCo. It contained a microcontroller, an SPO256 speech chip and an
AY-3-891x sound chip.
Didn't they sell the SPO256 alone, among all the other single
IC's? I know that even recently I've seen their 'speech chip' on the
shelf but have never bothered to notice exactly who's chip it is.
Jeff
--
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