30 Jan
2008
30 Jan
'08
8:25 p.m.
My son and I watched War Games a few nights back, and I pulled out my
old Jameco JE520 speech synthesizer. We played with it a bit tonight,
and it has a bad EPROM #2, so the upper half of the first word set is
garbled. Questions:
* Anyone have a JE520 that could copy the ROM?
* Or, anyone have other ROMs for the DIGITALKER (soft copies, that is)?
* Anyone have a datasheet on this device? NS54104
Jim
31 Jan
31 Jan
12:29 a.m.
On 31/01/2008 04:25, Jim Brain wrote:
My son and I watched War Games a few nights back, and
I pulled out my
old Jameco JE520 speech synthesizer. We played with it a bit tonight,
and it has a bad EPROM #2, so the upper half of the first word set is
garbled. Questions:
* Anyone have a JE520 that could copy the ROM?
* Or, anyone have other ROMs for the DIGITALKER (soft copies, that is)?
* Anyone have a datasheet on this device? NS54104
I don't have a JE520, but I do have a NatSemi DT1057 kit, which includes
the MM54104 Speech Processor Chip and a couple of speech ROMs. I have
the data sheets for the DT1050 Digitalker Standard Vocabulary Kit and
DT1056/7 kit, which include some data for the SPC. The ROMs are
standard MM52164, which is a fairly ordinary 24-pin 8Kx8 NMOS masked ROM
(CS on pin 20, A10, A11, A12 on pins 19, 18, 21). In the 2-ROM kit, one
ROM has active-high chip select, and the other has active-low, so
they're controlled by A13 from the SPC.
I can probably scan the two data sheets later today.
--
Pete Peter Turnbull
Network Manager
University of York
8:27 a.m.
Pete Turnbull wrote:
I can probably scan the two data sheets later today.
Thanks. I can;t find anything online for the IC.
On a related topic, someone is offering to trade me some GI SP0256-AL2
ICs for equipment here. Assuming I can get the DIGITALKER working, I do
remember that it always had issues in that there was a limit to the
vocabulary. I always wanted to build a SC-01 or SP0256 phenome-based
system to compare. Does anyone have experience in one or the other and
can relate whether it's worth it to get an SP0256, or whether I should
keep looking for an SC-01A or similar.
speechchips.com had a SP0256 emulator, but they stated it sounded worse
than the real thing, so I didn't think it was good to review.
Jim
9:23 a.m.
On 31/01/2008 16:27, Jim Brain wrote:
On a related topic, someone is offering to trade me
some GI SP0256-AL2
ICs for equipment here. Assuming I can get the DIGITALKER working, I do
remember that it always had issues in that there was a limit to the
vocabulary.
Yes, it uses digitised speech, so you're limited to the words and word
parts that are addressable in the ROMs. There were two standard ROMs in
the kits, and a few others available at one time. I assume there was
information on how to digitise your own, but I've never seen it. It was
quite good quality, though.
The Texas TMS5200NL was a bit more versatile in that it was possible to
provide your own data, but I don't think it was easy. It normally used
special serial ROMs. Better quality; you could actually make it sing.
I always wanted to build a SC-01 or SP0256 phenome-based
system to compare. Does anyone have experience in one
or the other and
can relate whether it's worth it to get an SP0256
The SP0256 sounds very robotic compared to the NS and Texas devices.
The SC-01 is reputedly better (variable pitch, for one thing) but I've
not got much experience of either. I've not used any of the more modern
chips, but there are a few out there.
--
Pete Peter Turnbull
Network Manager
University of York
2 Feb
2 Feb
9:25 p.m.
New subject: Digitalker, SP0256, and SC-01 speech chips (was Re: Digitalker Information)
On Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 05:23:09PM +0000, Pete Turnbull wrote:
On 31/01/2008 16:27, Jim Brain wrote:
>On a related topic, someone is offering to trade me some GI SP0256-AL2
>ICs for equipment here.
.
.
.
I always wanted to build a SC-01 or SP0256
phenome-based
Amazingly enough, I happen to have all three sets here with me, the
Digitalker (which I'm just learning about), the SP0256, which I've heard
of, but never heard, and the SC-01, which I probably know the most about.
I have an SC-01 in my RB5X robot here, and at home, in my Gorf arcade
machine. The SC-01 is versatile enough that there's code for the RB5X
to have it try and sing. I can't say that it's wonderful, but it does try.
I will have to snarf a copy of those Digitalker docs when the our sat
comes up. The board I have here, built around 1990, uses the original
speech chip, but the ROM data is on a single, modern JEDEC EPROM, not
a pair of smaller, cross-selected Nat-Semi ROMs. I'll have to do a bit
of fiddling with the board itself - its CPU is an 8031, but the CPU
crystal was broken off before I got the board. I was going to try 8MHz
first, but it could be faster, I suppose. Assuming it's not some oddball
frequency (the board has no serial comms, IIRC), I was thinking 8Mhz,
12Mhz, or 16Mhz.
-ethan
--
Ethan Dicks, A-333-S Current South Pole Weather at 3-Feb-2008 at 05:10 Z
South Pole Station
PSC 468 Box 400 Temp -44.7 F (-42.6 C) Windchill -67.5 F (-55.3 C)
APO AP 96598 Wind 6.4 kts Grid 122 Barometer 677.2 mb (10734 ft)
Ethan.Dicks at usap.gov http://penguincentral.com/penguincentral.html
system to compare. Does anyone have experience in
one or the other and
can relate whether it's worth it to get an SP0256
The SP0256 sounds very robotic compared to the NS and Texas devices.
The SC-01 is reputedly better (variable pitch, for one thing) but I've
not got much experience of either. 
3 Feb
3 Feb
1:54 p.m.
New subject: Digitalker, SP0256,and SC-01 speech chips (was Re: Digitalker Information)
Pete,
The SP0256 had the best sounding speech I think ( it uses twice as many
speech sounds ( 128 allophones ? ) as the SC-01 only had 64 phonemes )).
The SC-01 is very easy to use ( it was used in the Heathkit Hero Robots )
but sounds very robotic and " nasal ". Heathkit Robots did have some songs
( like " Daisy " that HAL sang in 2001 ) but it sings as well as William
Shatner .... All depends on what you are looking for; quality or easy to
use.
Best regards, Steven
On Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 05:23:09PM +0000, Pete
Turnbull wrote:
try.
On 31/01/2008 16:27, Jim Brain wrote:
>On a related topic, someone is offering to trade me some GI SP0256-AL2
>ICs for equipment here.
.
.
.
I always wanted to build a SC-01 or SP0256
phenome-based
Amazingly enough, I happen to have all three sets here with me, the
Digitalker (which I'm just learning about), the SP0256, which I've heard
of, but never heard, and the SC-01, which I probably know the most about.
I have an SC-01 in my RB5X robot here, and at home, in my Gorf arcade
machine. The SC-01 is versatile enough that there's code for the RB5X
to have it try and sing. I can't say that it's wonderful, but it does
system to compare. Does anyone have experience in
one or the other and
can relate whether it's worth it to get an SP0256
The SP0256 sounds very robotic compared to the NS and Texas devices.
The SC-01 is reputedly better (variable pitch, for one thing) but I've
not got much experience of either.
I will have to snarf a copy of those Digitalker docs when the our sat
comes up. The board I have here, built around 1990, uses the original
speech chip, but the ROM data is on a single, modern JEDEC EPROM, not
a pair of smaller, cross-selected Nat-Semi ROMs. I'll have to do a bit
of fiddling with the board itself - its CPU is an 8031, but the CPU
crystal was broken off before I got the board. I was going to try 8MHz
first, but it could be faster, I suppose. Assuming it's not some oddball
frequency (the board has no serial comms, IIRC), I was thinking 8Mhz,
12Mhz, or 16Mhz.
-ethan
4 Feb
4 Feb
10:33 p.m.
New subject: Digitalker, SP0256,and SC-01 speech chips (was Re: Digitalker Information)
On Sunday 03 February 2008 16:54, Scanning wrote:
Pete,
The SP0256 had the best sounding speech I think ( it uses twice as many
speech sounds ( 128 allophones ? ) as the SC-01 only had 64 phonemes )).
The SC-01 is very easy to use ( it was used in the Heathkit Hero Robots )
but sounds very robotic and " nasal ". Heathkit Robots did have some songs
( like " Daisy " that HAL sang in 2001 ) but it sings as well as William
Shatner .... All depends on what you are looking for; quality or easy to
use.
How about the computer on Star Trek? Or the one on Andromeda? Sexy female
voice would be good, particularly... :-)
--
Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and
ablest -- form of life in this section of space, ?a critter that can
be killed but can't be tamed. ?--Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters"
-
Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James
M Dakin
11:53 p.m.
New subject: Digitalker, SP0256, and SC-01 speech chips (was Re: Digitalker Information)
On Tue, Feb 05, 2008 at 01:33:42AM -0500, Roy J. Tellason wrote:
On Sunday 03 February 2008 16:54, Scanning wrote:
> Pete,
>
> The SP0256 had the best sounding speech I think ( it uses twice as many
> speech sounds ( 128 allophones ? ) as the SC-01 only had 64 phonemes )).
59 Allophones plus 6 pauses, according to the datasheet.
How about the computer on Star Trek? Or the one on
Andromeda? Sexy female
voice would be good, particularly... :-)
Those are human voices, not even machine sequenced - just voice actors
(the Star Trek computer is Majel Barrett, for those that don't happen
to know). There have to be more computer-generated-voice "characters"
than just WOPR, right?
-ethan
--
Ethan Dicks, A-333-S Current South Pole Weather at 5-Feb-2008 at 07:50 Z
South Pole Station
PSC 468 Box 400 Temp -38.2 F (-39.0 C) Windchill -48.4 F (-44.7 C)
APO AP 96598 Wind 2.2 kts Grid 67 Barometer 676.8 mb (10749 ft)
Ethan.Dicks at usap.gov http://penguincentral.com/penguincentral.html
31 Jan
31 Jan
9:46 a.m.
On Thu, 31 Jan 2008, Jim Brain wrote:
On a related topic, someone is offering to trade me
some GI SP0256-AL2 ICs
for equipment here. Assuming I can get the DIGITALKER working, I do remember
that it always had issues in that there was a limit to the vocabulary. I
always wanted to build a SC-01 or SP0256 phenome-based system to compare.
Does anyone have experience in one or the other and can relate whether it's
worth it to get an SP0256, or whether I should keep looking for an SC-01A or
similar.
I have a VS100 voice synthesizer for my TRS-80 Model III, which is
based on the SC-01-A. If I get a chance, I'll hook it up and record some
samples.
Mike Loewen mloewen at cpumagic.scol.pa.us
Old Technology http://sturgeon.css.psu.edu/~mloewen/Oldtech/
8:28 a.m.
On 31/01/2008 08:29, Pete Turnbull wrote:
On 31/01/2008 04:25, Jim Brain wrote:
I don't have a JE520, but I do have a NatSemi
DT1057 kit, which includes
the MM54104 Speech Processor Chip and a couple of speech ROMs. I have
the data sheets for the DT1050 Digitalker Standard Vocabulary Kit and
DT1056/7 kit, which include some data for the SPC.
After a bit of fighting with our stupid scanner at work, I've made an
8-page TIFF of the DT1056/DT1057 data sheet, and put it up at
http://www-users.york.ac.uk/~pnt1/things/DT1057.tif
Please let me know if that's helpful.
--
Pete Peter Turnbull
Network Manager
University of York
5934
days inactive
5939
days old
9 comments
6 participants
participants (6)
-
brain＠jbrain.com -
ethan.dicks＠usap.gov -
mloewen＠cpumagic.scol.pa.us -
pete＠dunnington.plus.com -
rtellason＠verizon.net -
steven.alan.canning＠verizon.net