[DECtalk] connecting Dectalk Express to computer

Josh Kennedy joshknnd1982 at gmail.com
Sun Mar 24 15:29:47 EDT 2019


I found an old version of infovox230 on the website.

www.grossgang.com 

its under the tts link and I think its in the sapi voices section. Anyway it sounds exactly like an old infovox 500 or 700 box. The problem is it only works under windows xp. Is there anybody who could rip out its license scheme and re-package it as an NVDA synthesizer addon? Acapela group has long since abandoned infovox230 software and the old infovox speech boxes many years ago and they probably would not care what you do with the 25 or so year maybe somebody on the bhp at groups.io email list could do this? Not sure. old infovox software infovox230. 

Josh


Sent from Mail for Windows 10

From: mattias jonsson
Sent: Sunday, March 24, 2019 13:49
To: dectalk at bluegrasspals.com
Subject: Re: [DECtalk] connecting Dectalk Express to computer

i myself searching for a infovox box 
nothing on ebay
i dont remember if the box are called 500 or 700
Den 2019-03-24 kl. 18:00, skrev Aksel Leo Christoffersen:
Hi Blake and others,
 
I daily use DECtalk Express with my Windows 7 computer and an USB to RS-232 converter, and it works just fine.
 
I’ve also experimented with upgrading and downgrading the unit multible times using a Windows 3.1 virtualm machine booted into DOS, and it works fine.
 
If you use the NVDA-addon with the unit, you’ll need to go into the addon’s configuration file and type the right COM-port, that the DECtalk it connected to.
 
Best regards:
Aksel Christoffersen
 
Fra: Dectalk [mailto:dectalk-bounces at bluegrasspals.com] På vegne af Jayson Smith
Sendt: 24. marts 2019 17:48
Til: DECtalk; Blake Roberts
Emne: Re: [DECtalk] connecting Dectalk Express to computer
 
Hi,
 
Yes, you'll need a USB to Serial adaptor. Some probably work better than others, but I don't have any experience with them so you'll need help from someone who's actually been there and done that.
 
As for where to buy the DECtalk Express itself, my only suggestion is eBay. I don't know of any companies who are actually still selling DECtalk Express units. Keep in mind that even if you get a unit with the imho awful Force Computers 4.6.1 firmware, it can be downgraded to 4.2CD or whatever it is, AFAIK the last version of the DECtalk Express firmware released by Digital.
 
Jayson
 
On 3/24/2019 9:23 AM, Blake Roberts wrote:
Hello everyone,
One of my dreams in life is to acquire a Dectalk Express. If I am able in the future to buy one somewhere, how would I connect it to a modern Windows 10 computer? I am old enough to remember serial and parallel  ports. But I don't understand what cables would be required to connect the device to my computer so that it could communicate with my screen reader. On the software side, I know JAWS has a Dectalk synthesizer option. I recall that years ago, a member of this list created a Dectalk Express add-on for NVDA. How in the world would I connect a Dectalk device from the 80's/90's to my computer?
Blake 


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