Jump to content
IGNORED

TI99/4A Speech Synthesizer issue....


repetto74

Recommended Posts

Hi Guys,

 

I have a speech synthesizer with me, great piece of hardware but either I do not understand how to make it work either there is an hardware problem.

 

I tried to test its functionality with a TI Extended Basic module and keyed-in those lines

 

100 CALL SAY ("THIS IS A GOOD PROGRAM")

110 GOTO 100

 

The only speech sound I can get is a kind of continuous "OH OH". I have tried on two different TI99/4A and using different words to spell but always same result.

 

Anyone can point me to any thing I may check?

 

Thanks

Rick

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

mmmhhhh ....

I am not an expert, but I think the issue is that you are doing a continuous loop, instructing a new phrase before the earlier is finished.

Try with just the first line

 

SAY() waits until the speech synthesizer is idle before it sends the next word to be spoken, so your program should work.

 

...lee

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Got me. All of the words are in the vocabulary and the program runs fine. As I recall, the only time you hear "UH-OH" is when CALL SAY cannot find the work in the Speech Synthesizer's vocabulary. Is it possible the speech ROMs have gone bad?

 

Actually, when SAY() does not find a word, it audibly spells out the word.

 

...lee

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Actually, when SAY() does not find a word, it audibly spells out the word.

 

...lee

 

Ah, right. When does it growl "UH-OH" at you?

 

OK guys it has been sorted out thanks to Ciro from the Italian TI99 community :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

Actually I was NOT writing words in CAPITAL letters so the TI99/4A does not understand this :-D ....I know I am dumb :P

 

All is working perfect now :thumbsup: !

 

Interesting. Never ran into that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Ah, right. When does it growl "UH-OH" at you?

 

 

Interesting. Never ran into that.

 

As you probably proved for yourself, the speech synthesizer says “uh oh” for each character it cannot find in its vocabulary once it starts trying to say the characters of a word after not finding the word.

 

...lee

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK guys it has been sorted out thanks to Ciro from the Italian TI99 community :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

Actually I was NOT writing words in CAPITAL letters so the TI99/4A does not understand this :-D ....I know I am dumb [emoji14]

 

All is working perfect now [emoji106] !

Yet the example you posted did have them in capital letters.

 

Sent from my LG-H830 using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Still funny to see that this lower-case (or small caps) issue persists, and in particular with new users. People obviously have a tendency for lower case, while upper case was the standard for the TI (not only the vocabulary but also programming language constants and commands, and especially device names). It's also for that reason that I actually avoid lower case, including programming.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Still funny to see that this lower-case (or small caps) issue persists, and in particular with new users. People obviously have a tendency for lower case, while upper case was the standard for the TI (not only the vocabulary but also programming language constants and commands, and especially device names). It's also for that reason that I actually avoid lower case, including programming.

 

From an old Commodorian I would say that capital letter was by default the configuration used to program the machine :P

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Still funny to see that this lower-case (or small caps) issue persists, and in particular with new users. People obviously have a tendency for lower case, while upper case was the standard for the TI (not only the vocabulary but also programming language constants and commands, and especially device names). It's also for that reason that I actually avoid lower case, including programming.

 

From an old Commodorian I would say that capital letter was by default the configuration used to program the machine :P

 

 

 

You're somewhat quoting wrong. :)

 

As for the upper/lower case, don't understand it as bashing, just as my observation that this issue keeps reappearing. One interesting point is that unlike ShiftLock of the C64, the AlphaLock key on the TI was always supposed to be pressed, and it only affected the letters.

Edited by mizapf
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Mizapf,

 

No worries I do not consider your consideration as a bashing ;-).I am glad to have the speech synth fully working. My knowledge of the TI99/4A is very poor and as I said the C64 has been my childhood companion 2 machines and 2 philosophy somehow different which makes a couple of things quiet confusing for a noob like me :grin:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I started with Computers in 1976 and honestly all the computers I used the Keyboards did not even have LOWER CASE.

 

But then I was using a 1970 computer called a Teletype 43K that had (after I added memory soldered in hanging rings) had 128 BITS of memory.

 

So ASCII was only created in 1963 thus by 1978 when the TI99 was created Lower Case was still just to expensive to use in programming.

 

http://www.theasciicode.com.ar/ascii-printable-characters/lowercase-letter-a-minuscule-ascii-code-97.html

 

 

From above:

 

"In 1981, IBM developed an extension of 8-bit ASCII code, called "code page 437", in this version were replaced some obsolete control characters for graphic characters. Also 128 characters were added , with new symbols, signs, graphics and latin letters, all punctuation signs and characters needed to write texts in other languages, ​​such as Spanish.

In this way was added the ASCII characters ranging from 128 to 255."
Edited by RXB
  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm sorry, but I've have to ask since I'm a TI noob... What does the flap and compartment on the speech synth use for?

Nothing, but the space was originally intended so you could add enhanced modules to it.

 

You can use it today to store some money, jewelry or other small valuables. Burglars would never think to look there! :grin:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm sorry, but I've have to ask since I'm a TI noob... What does the flap and compartment on the speech synth use for?

No need to be sorry. This question comes up from time to time. Originally when the synthesizer was designed, it was programmed with about 300 words and phrases (the ones you can get from CALL SAY in Extended BASIC). TI's intention was to sell add-in modules that went into this compartment that would add additional words to the resident vocabulary. TI then figured out how to do unlimited text to speech through software, added that to Terminal Emulator II, and then there was no need for the add-in modules. So none were ever sold and very few of the speech synthesizers even have the connector inside the door for these to plug into.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Rich, I used to work on Teletypes. If that was a Teletype Corporation Model 43 (K-Keyboard only, or KP-Keyboard/Printer) you were using, it did have lower case, as all of their ASCII machines from The Model 37 onward did. You could even get lower case Typeboxes for the earlier ASCII Model 35s. The lower case on the 37s really messed things up when people were using them to cut message tapes and accidentally shifted things to lower case (very easy to do). Talk about something that just totally messed up the messaging system. . .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...