LambdaSpeak Speech Synthesizer, Sample Player, RTC, MP3, Serial Interface, MIDI

[LambdaMikel]

Is this better (it came from China too) ?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1PCS-VOICE-SYNTHESIZER-IC-GI-SOUND-DIP-28-SP0256A-AL2/401500438139?epid=16010546217&hash=item5d7b4a7e7b:g:FTcAAOSww3tY50Rs

This one has plenty of "fake chip complaints" too:

https://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=polida2008&iid=401500438139&de=off&items=25&searchInterval=30&which=negative&interval=365&_trkparms=negative_365

Not sure. Have you tried any of these? As I said, the Microchip ones you cited first are NOT working.

[LambdaMikel]

Just repeating this I guess it must not have been read:

http://www.smbaker.com/counterfeitfakejustplainbad-sp0256a-al2-chips
From this link, wrt to (one source of) the Microchip chips (maybe the ones that I had bought):

The second set of bad chipsI decided to order more (Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me). This time I chose a different seller, with chips that had a different manufacturer printed on them.
Here's a picture: (showing a Microchip SP0256-AL2)

Unlike the previous ones, these ones don't output any speech at all. There is some noise that comes out of the output pin, and that noise varies according to what is on the address and data buses, even when the chip select input is not triggered. So it kinda makes annoying noise all the time.  It also glitched my RC2014 so that it wouldn't run (probably by outputting signals to the address, data, or control buses).

I suspect these are just some random 28-pin IC that someone reprinted. I suppose it would be an interested exercise to apply to signals to the fake chips and use a logic analyzer to try to figure out what it's actually doing, and determine that the chips actually are.

So, wrt the 2nd Ebay link, it seems this chip might also be suspicious (it is shown as the first source of bad chips - "MURA / CKA" in the linked article above).

[TotO]

I have not seen your edited posts. May be red is not a color that I can see...   

I have checked the links before posting. The first one do not have any negative feedback. (you said bought two fakes from him)
The second as only a negative feedback about too long shipping delay (stupid) and fake or defective transistors bought not the SPO-2.

By the way, I have already bought many working IC from Polida. So, if yours don't works, it is nice to know but I'm surprised? Thank you, I will not buy SPO-2 from him so.
Have a good luck to find a better source with a good price! 

[LambdaMikel]

I have not seen your edited posts. May be red is not a color that I can see...   

I have checked the links before posting. The first one do not have any negative feedback. (you said bought two fakes from him)
The second as only a negative feedback about too long shipping delay (stupid) and fake or defective transistors bought not the SPO-2.

By the way, I have already bought many working IC from Polida. So, if yours don't works, it is nice to know but I'm surprised? Thank you, I will not buy SPO-2 from him so.
Have a good luck to find a better source with a good price! 

Yes, I removed the red glowing from my other replies - edited them 

Thanks - curently I am very suspicious of any Ebay sources for the SP0 given my bad luck so far.

I would only try again from a source other than the good Speechchips.com if the acquired SP0256-AL2 was confirmed working by the buyer. If you happen to be in that position, please post the link.

[gerald]

I know... Clone are not always illegal products.

These are not clones, these are manufactured in the same factory by the same guys, just the brand name changed because of a company activity split.
Would you consider a Keysight E3642A PSU clones the Agilent E3642A which clones the Hewlett Packard E3642A ?
Mostek and ST Z80 are licensed clones.

[TotO]

These are not clones, these are manufactured in the same factory by the same guys, just the brand name changed because of a company activity split.

As said, I know the microelectronics division of General Instrument has been reorganized to create Microchips. But... Same circuits, not the same factory (moved to new production sites for "a best future" in Taiwan and I imagine not with the same guys ^^), surely not the same industrial process and definitiveny not the same brand label = clone. You can't said that Microchips products are GI products because Microchips was part of GI. Obviously, they not require to be licenced. If you can found many old MicroChip IC in China and GI in USA, it is not a hasard.

By the way, that do not deserve the topic. I have a PM and an email for those kinds of discutions.

[GUNHED]

Coming back on the topic please...

With LambdaSpeak III nobody need these SPO chips any longer! Because it's emulated and even better emulated than the original hardware ever was.

The LS3 only has a socket for "sentimental" reasons or people with bat like hearing abilities, who just "want" to have that chip "on board".

LS3 can do so much more and it quite cheap without these needless SPO chips. Please refer to the GitHub and resources if you want one.

Also we can make a kind of list for EU here to get a batch of LS3 together for cheap. Also I can help with burning CPUs and stuff like this.

[LambdaMikel]

Coming back on the topic please...

With LambdaSpeak III nobody need these SPO chips any longer! Because it's emulated and even better emulated than the original hardware ever was.

The LS3 only has a socket for "sentimental" reasons or people with bat like hearing abilities, who just "want" to have that chip "on board".

LS3 can do so much more and it quite cheap without these needless SPO chips. Please refer to the GitHub and resources if you want one.

Also we can make a kind of list for EU here to get a batch of LS3 together for cheap. Also I can help with burning CPUs and stuff like this.

I second that, thanks @GUNHED - thanks for continuing to be a key member of the LS3 development team...
Wrt the SP0, I guess many people here are a bit nostalgic... I must say I kind of like the old SP0 and find it really cool,  but it is true that is completely optional and that the Epson chip sounds much better. But I figured it could also be a 'sales argument' given that people are still paying > 80 EUR for an old DKtronics or SSA-1 on Ebay, but anyhow.

For the time being, I am kind of happy if not so many people buy a LS3, because it takes me about 3 hours to assemble it by hand! However, if there was a larger list of potential buyers, I would look again into Seeed assembly service. I got an offer for 5 free assemblies the other day, but I let it expire because I didn't have enough potential buyers.

In general, even partial assembly by Seeed will greatly reduce assembly time. They could put in all the resistors and capacitors and DIP sockets, and I could hand solder in the rest or so, that would reduce the assembly and testing time to about 30 minutes for me.

But I have to look into prices for Seeed assembly of that kind. In general, the prices have gone down significantly since I started this project, so I am optimistic that this could be cost and time efficient if it needed to be. For the time being, there is no need for assembly service.

[GUNHED]

Upcoming MP3 player for the LS3...

https://youtu.be/t1YHsYCP2a4

[LambdaMikel]

Upcoming MP3 player for the LS3...

https://youtu.be/t1YHsYCP2a4

Nice!! Have to have that one... is it part of Future OS?

[XeNoMoRPH]

Awesome @GUNHED !!! , looking forward to trying it 

[GUNHED]

Awesome @GUNHED !!! , looking forward to trying it 

Try to get it a bit better, will post here when the litte thing is done. 

[LambdaMikel]

Play your LS3 SP0256-AL2 with USIfAC MIDI IN


https://youtu.be/MVEXi7fGHyc

LS3 has a hardware limitation - currently, SP0256-AL2 and MIDI / UART cannot be used simultaneously. So will need USIfAC to achieve that currently. Maybe will fix that for a new PCB hardware revision of LS3.

[GUNHED]

New RSX ROM update for LS3 uploaded.


Please report errors!!! 

[GUNHED]

Now the LambdaSpeak III with MP3 module can simply play MP3s and VOCs:

Here the first release of the MP3 player, which was presented at the XzentriX meeting 2019.

Since the payer comes with some sample songs the download is at Megaupload, including everything ist about 432 MB in size...

Download:
https://mega.nz/#!Sxcj3aAR!9ZKUidqZJQZJaMFczbLhTS0Aja8LnWoDhNATX1Ce3gk

The Archive is Password protected, it is: "Lambda"

If you have questions, just let me know.

[LambdaMikel]

Nice! What is a VOC? It seems some form of compressed PCM sample? Is it being decompressed by the CPC and played in Amdrum mode, or how does this work?

[GUNHED]

Well, the Catalex docs tell that the MP3 unit can handel it. Basically it's a data stream which reflects the position of the speaker membrane, something like a sample. Yes, like a PCM sample, but no compression, direct data, like you can use for a Digiblaster f.e. Just space consuming data. 

[LambdaMikel]

Well, the Catalex docs tell that the MP3 unit can handel it.

TFM telling me to RTFM 
I should have, ideed! 

[LambdaMikel]

New LS3 firmware v53 is out.
New in this one:
- full duplex MIDI IN/OUT realtime mode
  (see MIDISYNX.BAS on LS300.DSK)


I have used this to demonstrate a SOFT MIDI Through. The CPC echoes back all RX (Serial / MIDI In) Messages immediately to TX (Serial / MIDI) Out, and also plays the note on the CPC. Will post a video shortly with 2 synths connected (one for IN, one for OUT). 

[GUNHED]

TFM telling me to RTFM 
I should have, ideed! 

Since it was updated this year, yes you can Read The FutureOS Manual. But the RTCM is more important in this case. 

[XeNoMoRPH]

Hi @GUNHED , MP3 player , does not work for me.

I copied to the root of the miscroSD card of my lambaspeak 3, the mega files
Then, I copy the LS3_MP3_Player.dsk file to my M4 board and run the file in basic
the screen remains black and the system freezes.
the screen freezes, from line 17 of the program list in basic

[LambdaMikel]

Hi @GUNHED , MP3 player , does not work for me.

I copied to the root of the miscroSD card of my lambaspeak 3, the mega files
Then, I copy the LS3_MP3_Player.dsk file to my M4 board and run the file in basic
the screen remains black and the system freezes.
the screen freezes, from line 17 of the program list in basic

What's your LS3 firmware version? Have you upgraded it recently?
See |getver

EDIT: Had the same effect. After upgrading to latest LS3 RSX ROM from TFM it worked.

[XeNoMoRPH]

What's your LS3 firmware version? Have you upgraded it recently?
See |getver

EDIT: Had the same effect. After upgrading to latest LS3 RSX ROM from TFM it worked.

Hi !!! @LambdaMikel ,I have never updated the firmware, I have the latest version of the RSX command ROM installed

[GUNHED]

Please update the firmware if you can. If not, email / PM me and I can do that for you for free of course. 

[LambdaMikel]

@XeNoMoRPH  updating is easy with a standard EPROMER
https://www.amazon.com/ARCELI-TL866II-Performance-EEPROM-Programmer/dp/B07CQQBGVK/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=tl+866+eprom&qid=1567868207&s=gateway&sr=8-1

I would do it too (updating it for free if you send it in), but TFM / Gunhed is on the same continent as you