[DECtalk] Question regarding Dectalk Express firmware

Thu Jul 19 15:35:14 EDT 2018

Thank you, that information is good to know, but I still hope, that I
wouldn’t need it. Maybe I’m so lucky, that I can get my hands on a unit,
that already has version 4.2 installed, but thank you so mutch anyway!

Does anyone know, which program I can use to make the Dectalk Express sing,
because I know, that JAWS blocks speech commands of every sorth?

Best regards:

Aksel Christoffersen

Fra: Dectalk [mailto:dectalk-bounces at bluegrasspals.com] På vegne af Isaac
Sendt: 19. juli 2018 21:24
Til: DECtalk
Emne: Re: [DECtalk] Question regarding Dectalk Express firmware

yes, make a dos bootible cd and boot from it, and then you can have sighted
assistance to install the firmware.

----- Original Message ----- 

From: Aksel Leo Christoffersen <mailto:aksel at blindsigtmail.dk>  

To: dectalk at bluegrasspals.com 

Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2018 12:15 PM

Subject: Re: [DECtalk] Question regarding Dectalk Express firmware

Hi,

Do you mean, that I can boot from a cd with the Dectalk firmware on it?

Also, I found out, that my reply to Jayson’s mail didn’t was sent out to the
list, so I’m sending it here.

Start of reply to Jayson’s Mail:

I have a virtual machine of Windows 95, but my computer hasn’t a serial
port, so my plan was to buy a serial to USB adapter.

When I use a virtual machine in VMWare, I can select to connect a device to
the virtual machine, and disconnect from the host computer, so I guess
that’ll

also work with a Dectalk Express. I don’t know mutch about Windows 9 and
Dos, so could I just connect it to the virtual machine, and downgrade the
firmware

with the file, and then use it with Windows 7 afterwards?

Also, I’ve now got another question.

I’ve planed to use the Dectalk Express with JAWS, but I know, that JAWS
blocks speech commands of every sorth. So if I get Dectalk Express to work
with

JAWS on my Windows 7 machine, can I then use another program to make it
sing.

Best regards:

Aksel Christoffersen

Fra: Jayson Smith [

mailto:jaybird at bluegrasspals.com]

Sendt: 19. juli 2018 16:39

Til: DECtalk; Aksel Leo Christoffersen

Emne: Re: [DECtalk] Question regarding Dectalk Express firmware

Hi,

The actual file you're referencing may be able to be extracted using 7Zip,
since it's a self-extracting archive. However, that won't get you very far,

as the programs contained within are also 16-bit, and designed to run under
DOS. You need to understand, at the time these files were released, Windows

9X at the very latest was the most modern consumer operating system
available, and that ran on top of DOS. Also, probably many computers with
DECtalk Express

units didn't have Windows installed at all, and ran pure DOS, with DOS
applications exclusively. Therefore, it was taken for granted that any PC
user with

a DECtalk Express would have no problem running DOS applications. As far as
I know, there has never been any Windows software which can upgrade or
downgrade

DECtalk Express firmware, it has to be done from DOS.

While you may be able to get a virtual machine going, whether it can access
a USB serial port is beyond me. What I'd do in your situation is to find a

16-bit DOS or 32-bit Windows machine and upgrade the firmware from there. If
you're using a DOS prompt from within Windows, you need to make sure nothing

else is trying to access the serial port while the firmware upgrade is
happening. To be really safe, use Windows 95 or 98, which allow you to exit
Windows

completely and drop to a true DOS prompt with no Windows running at all.

Hope this helps,

Jayson

On 7/19/2018 5:45 AM, Aksel Leo Christoffersen wrote:

block quote

Hi,

I’m thinking of buying a Dectalk Express unit, but I want a unit running the
Dectalk version 4.2 firmware.

So, I’m connected to the Dectalk Archive BTSync folder, and in the hardware
folder, I found a file called dtxv42.exe, which I guess mean Dectalk Express

version 4.2 CD. However, when I try to open the file, I get a compatibility
error.

So if I accidently buy a Dectalk Express unit with a version higher than
4.2, can I then use the dtxv42cd.exe to downgrade it, and how can I use the
file,

when Windows can’t open it?

Thanks in advance.

Best regards:

Aksel Christoffersen

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Dectalk mailing list

Dectalk at bluegrasspals.com

http://bluegrasspals.com/mailman/listinfo/dectalk 

block quote slut

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