[Blindapple] Emulating Echo

Jayson Smith ratguy at bellsouth.net
Thu Jul 28 21:01:10 EDT 2005 

Hi,
One more difference is that the Cricket has to be connected to port 2 on the
back of the IIc, which is mapped to slot 2.  So aparently when looking for a
Cricket, it has to be in slot 2.  This does simplify the interface, since it
is a serial interface, but the communication and detection protocol is still
unknown.
Man I wish there existed an accessible emulator which properly emulated
sound!
Jayson.

----- Original Message -----
From: "GUI Access" <guiaccess at covad.net>
To: "Blind Apple Discussions" <blindapple at jaybird.no-ip.info>
Sent: Thursday, July 28, 2005 8:49 PM
Subject: Re: [Blindapple] Emulating Echo


> >Hi,
> >I don't think that would work either, saddly.  I don't think the Cricket
> >takes as its input a text stream, but rather, once again, low level
signals
> >for controlling the LPC chip inside the synthesizer.  If you unplug a
> >Cricket from the computer while it's talking, speech stops instantly.
Same
> >thing happens if you Ctrl-Reset while speech is going on.  Also, as far
as I
> >know, nobody ever talked about using the Cricket as a generic serial
voice
> >device, not with Textalker.  And if the Cricket had the text-to-speech
logic
> >built-in, as it would have to do to be used as a generic serial voice
> >device, then they could have probably created a much smaller version of
> >Textalker specificly for the Cricket.  As far as I know they never did.
So
> >as far as I can tell, the Cricket, like the Echo, is just a dumb device
> >which contains only the required hardware, but no TTS logic.  That logic
is
> >contained within the Textalker software.  What I mean by TTS logic is
that
> >software/firmware which converts normal, human-readable text into
phonemic
> >representation and then converts those phonemes into control signals for
a
> >hardware synthesis chip to make noise.
>
>
> About the only difference is the interface to the Cricket/Echo IIc
> would have to happen through the slot address space ($C100 - $C7FF)
> since the I/O lines only apply to a physical card in the
> corresponding slot.
>
> GUI Access
>
> >
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Aaron Howell" <aaron at kitten.net.au>
> >To: "Blind Apple Discussions" <blindapple at jaybird.no-ip.info>
> >Sent: Thursday, July 28, 2005 7:40 PM
> >Subject: Re: [Blindapple] Emulating Echo
> >
> >
> >>  Guys,
> >>  Has anyone thought that it might be easier to emulate a cricket than
an
> >echo?
> >>  That way you're dealing with a serial interface, rather than an
unknown
> >quantity in how to talk to the synth itself.
> >>  Then you'd just need code to strip out the control codes, and send the
> >resultant text to a text file, or something.
> >>  You still wouldn't be able to play space invaders under a2, because
that
> >relies on apple sound,
> >>  but you might be able to use other speech enabled software.
> >>  Regards
> >>  Aaron
> >>  On Thu, Jul 28, 2005 at 07:30:42PM -0400, Jayson Smith wrote:
> >>  > Hi,
> >>  > Actually, this might be quite tricky.  Because what Textalker is
going
> >to
> >>  > send to the slot where the Echo is located certainly won't be the
actual
> >>  > text to be spoken, and probably not even the phonemic
representation.
> >>  > What's probably being sent is some form of very low level signaling
to
> >tell
> >>  > the LPC chip what noises to make when.  If you remember, on a real
> >Apple,
> >>  > whatever the Apple does comes to a dead hault when the Echo is
speaking.
> >>  > This is probably because Textalker is taking up the processor time
by
> >>  > converting the printed words into phonemes, then converting the
phonemes
> >>  > into the low level signals for the LPC chip, then sending those
signals
> >to
> >>  > the card itself.
> >>  > Jayson.
> >>  >
> >>  > ----- Original Message -----
> >>  > From: "Tony Baechler" <tony at baechler.net>
> >>  > To: "Blind Apple Discussions" <blindapple at jaybird.no-ip.info>
> >>  > Sent: Thursday, July 28, 2005 10:08 AM
> >>  > Subject: [Blindapple] Emulating Echo
> >>  >
> >>  >
> >>  > > Hi.  Is there a way of finding out what it sends to the slot to
detect
> >  > > > whether there is a real Echo or not?  I tried various tricks to
find
> >out
> >>  > > but as yet have been unsuccessful.  Obviously I know it sends
> >something
> >>  > > because that is how the Doubletalk knows when to switch.  Is there
a
> >way
> >>  > to
> >>  > > patch Textalker to only look for a card in slot 1?  I think I am
> >>  > reasonably
> >>  > > close to making A2 simulate an Echo but I need a way to trick
> >Textalker
> >>  > > into sending to slot 1 even though there is no Echo there.  I know
> >there
> >>  > is
> >>  > > a way to do this with the older versions, but what about the 3.1
APH
> >>  > > series?  I believe that even though we can't really ever use a
real
> >Echo
> >>  > > under emulation, it can be simulated fairly easily.  I played with
> >this a
> >>  > > little and looked at the C source and it looks simple enough.
Aalas,
> >if
> >>  > A2
> >>  > > only emulated sound!  However, if I can get something going under
A2,
> >it
> >>  > > might be possible to make it work with a better emulator.  Please,
if
> >you
> >>  > > know any C programmers, contact me!  This would take a good
programmer
> >>  > very
> >>  > > little time to do since I think I know what needs to be changed.
> >>  > >
> >>  > > For those interested, all this stuff is in jump.c and vidout.c.
The
> >>  > jump.c
> >>  > > opens a2.printlog if someone activates slot 1.  The vidout.c is
> >obviously
> >>  > > for video output and opens a2.log if running under Linux.  Both
look
> >>  > simple
> >>  > > enough and I think they could be easily modified.  The only other
> >thing I
> >>  > > might need is a dump of the Echo ROM, which I think is in the c400
> >range
> >>  > > for slot 4 from within the monitor.  I could very well have no
idea
> >what
> >>  > > I'm talking about, but I would like to try more experiments.  My
> >initial
> >>  > > attempt did work reasonably well, but not quite good enough.
> >>  > >
> >>  > > If anyone else wants to try this, do the following from DOS.
First,
> >>  > unload
> >>  > > the screen reader and the synth drivers.  I use Vocal-Eyes so I do
"ve
> >/u"
> >>  > > and I use the DEC-Talk Express so I do "dtexp /u."  Then, assuming
you
> >are
> >>  > > in com1, do the following:
> >>  > >
> >>  > > a2 >com1 disk.dsk
> >>  > >
> >>  > > Replace disk.dsk with a bootable disk.  Speech should come
directly
> >out
> >>  > the
> >>  > > synthesizer.  Try cataloging to make sure.  If something bombs,
hit
> >>  > Control
> >>  > > C, "q" and enter.  If nothing happens, repeat.  Exit the DOS
window or
> >>  > > somehow reload your screen reader.  This isn't perfect since you
don't
> >get
> >>  > > review mode at all and it doesn't always speak right away as it
> >should,
> >>  > but
> >>  > > it is a good start.  I believe that it can be done, maybe easier
than
> >I
> >>  > > thought.  Criticisms are welcome.
> >>  > >
> >>  > > Oh, I made a mistake about A2.  It is not licensed under the GPL.
> >Make
> >>  > > sure to read the comments in the source before changing anything.
It
> >>  > > allows free copying and distribution, but it doesn't comply with
the
> >GPL
> >>  > so
> >>  > > may not be considered "free" by some people.  I'm not personally
> >bothered
> >>  > > by it, but others might be.
> >>  > >
> >>  > > At 08:21 PM 7/27/2005 -0400, you wrote:
> >>  > > >Actually my Doubletalk can be freely switched between Echo and
> >Doubletalk
> >>  > > >mode.  To use Doubletalk, in Basic you just type pr#X where X is
the
> >slot
> >>  > > >where the card is installed.  Then the card emulates a printer in
> >that
> >>  > slot,
> >>  > > >so anything sent to it will be spoken with the Doubletalk voice.
To
> >use
> >>  > the
> >>  > > >Echo emulation, which isn't perfect but does get the job done,
you
> >must
> >>  > load
> >>  > > >the Textalker software as if you had a real Echo installed.
> >>  > > >Jayson.
> >>  > >
> >>  > > _______________________________________________
> >>  > > BlindApple mailing list
> >>  > > BlindApple at jaybird.no-ip.info
> >>  > > http://jaybird.no-ip.info/mailman/listinfo/blindapple
> >>  >
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