Difference between revisions of "Amstrad SSA-1 Speech Synthesizer"

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(Other Speech Synthesizers: Speak-SID)
 
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   bit7  Status 1 (0=Speech Busy, 1=Ready/Halted)  (SBY Pin, Standby)
 
   bit7  Status 1 (0=Speech Busy, 1=Ready/Halted)  (SBY Pin, Standby)
 
   bit6  Status 2 (0=Ready to Receive Data, 1=Busy) (/LRQ Pin, Load Request)
 
   bit6  Status 2 (0=Ready to Receive Data, 1=Busy) (/LRQ Pin, Load Request)
   bit5-0 Not used (garbage, probably usually highz)
+
   bit5-0 Not used (garbage, probably usually high)
  
 
Port FBEEh WRITE - SP0256-AL2 Allophone:
 
Port FBEEh WRITE - SP0256-AL2 Allophone:
Line 44: Line 44:
 
* [[SP0256 Pin-Outs]]
 
* [[SP0256 Pin-Outs]]
  
== Supported Games ==
+
== Software Support ==
 +
=== Games ===
 +
* [[3D Boxing]]
 +
* [[3D Stunt Rider]]
 +
* [[Alex Higgins World Pool]]
 +
* [[Alex Higgins World Snooker]]
 +
* [[Darkwurlde]]
 +
* [[Glen Hoddle Soccer]]
 +
* [[Roland in Space]]
 +
* [[Tubaruba]]
  
* 3D Boxing
+
=== Serious Software ===
* 3D Stunt Rider
+
* [[FutureOS]] (limited)
* Alex Higgin's World Snooker / World Pool
+
* Darkwurlde
+
* Glen Hoddle Soccer
+
* Roland In Space
+
* Tubaruba
+
  
'''Caution''' - Some webpages do (incorrectly) list further games: Gremlins (spanish version), Seablood and Robin of Sherwood (these contain code for using Port FBEC & FBEF for some kind of data transfer - not for speech). Also, Dragon Gold is listed as speech game (not sure why, it doesn't seem to use any special I/O ports; unless different versions of that game exist?)
+
'''Caution''' - Some webpages do (incorrectly) list further games:
 +
 
 +
Gremlins (spanish version),
 +
Seablood and Robin of Sherwood (these contain code for using Port FBEC & FBEF for some kind of data transfer, possibly for [[PDS development system]] - but, not for speech).
 +
Also, Dragon Gold is listed as speech game (not sure why, it doesn't seem to use any special I/O ports; unless different versions of that game exist?)
  
 
== Pictures ==
 
== Pictures ==
Line 66: Line 74:
 
Image:FullManual Tape.jpg|Manual and Tape
 
Image:FullManual Tape.jpg|Manual and Tape
 
Image:SSA1 FullBox.jpg|Box (front)
 
Image:SSA1 FullBox.jpg|Box (front)
 +
Image:Amstrad SSA-1 Schematic.png|Schematic
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
Line 91: Line 100:
 
* [[Media:Amstrad SSA-1 (Main Program).zip]] (cassette)
 
* [[Media:Amstrad SSA-1 (Main Program).zip]] (cassette)
 
* [[Media:Amstrad SSA-1 (Programas Basic).zip]] (cassette)
 
* [[Media:Amstrad SSA-1 (Programas Basic).zip]] (cassette)
 +
* [[Media:SSA-1.zip‎|Amstrad SSA-1 drivers (English)]] [http://www.jonathanen.com/pages/Items/Amstrad/SSA-1/SSA-1.zip] (DSK for Emulators)
 
* [[Media:Sp0256-al2-reversed-bit-order.zip|SP0256-AL2 ROM]] ('''caution''' - the bytes in the file are in reversed bit-order, ie. the "Target" values are unreversed, all other opcodes and parameters are reversed)
 
* [[Media:Sp0256-al2-reversed-bit-order.zip|SP0256-AL2 ROM]] ('''caution''' - the bytes in the file are in reversed bit-order, ie. the "Target" values are unreversed, all other opcodes and parameters are reversed)
  
 
== Manual ==
 
== Manual ==
  
[[File:Amstrad SSA-1_User_Instruction_Manual.pdf]] (pdf)
+
* [[File:Amstrad SSA-1_User_Instruction_Manual.pdf]] (pdf)
 
+
* [[Manual of the Amstrad SSA-1 Speech Synthesizer]] (jpg's)
[[Manual of the Amstrad SSA-1 Speech Synthesizer]] (jpg's)
+
  
 
== Other Speech Synthesizers ==
 
== Other Speech Synthesizers ==
  
 +
* [https://github.com/lambdamikel/Speak-SID Speak-SID ''SSA-1 emulation''] Speech Synthesizer, SID Soundcard, MIDI IN SID+AY Synthesizer
 
* [[Dk'tronics Speech Synthesizer]]
 
* [[Dk'tronics Speech Synthesizer]]
 
* [[MHT Speech Synthesizer]] (MHT Ingenieros)
 
* [[MHT Speech Synthesizer]] (MHT Ingenieros)
 
* [[TMPI speech synthetizer]] (TechniMusique)
 
* [[TMPI speech synthetizer]] (TechniMusique)
  
[[Category:Hardware]] [[Category:Peripherals]] [[Category:Music and sound]][[Category:Manual]]
+
[[Category:Amstrad Products]]
 +
[[Category:FutureOS]]
 +
[[Category:Manual]]
 +
[[Category:Music and sound]]
 +
[[Category:Peripherals]]

Latest revision as of 11:52, 7 October 2020

Amstrad SSA1 box cover
The bundle

A Speech Synthesizer from Amstrad based on the SPO256-AL2 Speech Synthesizer

Software

  • |SAY,@<string> - Converts a string af ASCII text to speech
  • |ECHO,<mode> - Activates text to speech conversion on text printed to the screen.
  • |APHONE,<allophone>[,<allophone>] - Send allophones directly to the interrupt driven allophone buffer.
  • |ROOM,@<value> - Find out how many free locations in the allophones buffer.
  • |QUIET - Clears the allophone buffer.
  • |SPON - Activates the speech interrrupt event.
  • |SPOFF - To prevent output of data from the allophone buffer.
  • |SPSTATUS,@<value> - Read the status of the speech processor.
  • |SPOUT,<allophone>[,<allophone>] - Sends allophones directly to the soundprocessor.

Technical Specs.

In the SSA-1, the SP0256-AL2 speech chip is clocked by a 3.12MHz ceramic resonator (unlike the similar dk'tronics device, where it is clocked at 4MHz).

The SSA-1 uses I/O port: #FBEE, of which (according to the manual) only A10,A4,A0 are decoded.

Port FBEEh READ - SP0256-AL2 Status:

 bit7   Status 1 (0=Speech Busy, 1=Ready/Halted)   (SBY Pin, Standby)
 bit6   Status 2 (0=Ready to Receive Data, 1=Busy) (/LRQ Pin, Load Request)
 bit5-0 Not used (garbage, probably usually high)

Port FBEEh WRITE - SP0256-AL2 Allophone:

 bit7-0 Allophone number               

Port FAEEh WRITE - Accidently used in the included RSX driver cassette (the driver sets BC=FBEEh and executes OUTI, which pre-decrements B, so the OUT accidently goes to FAEEh - the driver works despite of that bug since FBEEh is mirrored to that address).

  • A new allophone number can be send when Status.Bit6=0.
  • The allophone number should/must be in range of 00h..3Fh (6bit).
  • However, the whole 8bit databus is connected in the SSA-1.

For details on the speech chip, see:

Software Support

Games

Serious Software

Caution - Some webpages do (incorrectly) list further games:

Gremlins (spanish version), Seablood and Robin of Sherwood (these contain code for using Port FBEC & FBEF for some kind of data transfer, possibly for PDS development system - but, not for speech). Also, Dragon Gold is listed as speech game (not sure why, it doesn't seem to use any special I/O ports; unless different versions of that game exist?)

Pictures

Reviews


Examples of the Amstrad synth in use

{{#ev:youtube|fesVxipNaw8|300}} {{#ev:youtube|v8WKbKK3Apg|300}}

Downloads

Manual

Other Speech Synthesizers