Speech Synthesizer "Uh Oh"

[OS9dude]

Following up on the recent addition of the TI-99/4A line to my vintage computing pursuits, I was trying to work with the Speech Synthesizer. First I tried the CALL SAY routine in a small TI Extended BASIC environment and only got a string of "Uh Ohs" from the program run. Reverted back to TI BASIC and tried:

10 OPEN #1:"SPEECH",OUTPUT
20 INPUT A$
30 PRINT #1:A$
40 GOTO 20

This routine based on something I so on YouTube on this matter. Same result, get an "Uh Oh" regardless of the contents of A$.

Also, when running the above I get a

* I/O ERROR 00 IN 10

Researching other web forums this "Uh Oh" response follows a bad chip in the synthesizer, so it seems a new speech accessory is needed if this is the case - probably it is more convenient just to get a new unit rather than attempt to repair the voice box.

Any ideas/thoughts/suggestions?

-- RP

 

[barryp]

I think that "SPEECH" requires the TEII module.

Try

100 CALL SAY("HELLO WORLD")

 

[OS9dude]

As things turned out, I powered off the 99/4A to try the synthesizer with the PARSEC cartridge... the voice module worked with the game. Powered off the computer and installed the Extended Basic cart again - tried the CALL SAY, and it worked.

All I can think that could have happened was that during the routine above I probably also re-seated however so lightly the voice module on the 99/4A side port. I had not expected any problems on that regard as the computer had just been cleaned thoroughly and that included Deoxit on the card edge connector, I did not clean the voice module connector itself so maybe all it needed was a slight jolt - have had similar problems on other vintage computers that lack gold plated contacts on their card edge pads.

On a side note, I'd like to know what was TI thinking about that voice module upper flip door and small compartment... planned expansion of the synthesizer?

-- RP

 

[barryp]

what was TI thinking about that voice module upper flip door and small compartment... planned expansion of the synthesizer?

-- RP

That's the story I've heard. Additional vocabulary or other languages, or something else. TI's not talking.

 

[Ksarul]

The modules to add speech vocabulary became redundant once TI came out with the Text-To-Speech disk and the Speech Editor modules. The Terminal Emulator II was a third way around the issue--so that even though a small number of prototypes were produced of the speech cartridge door cartridges, none of them made it into production. I've only seen one or two of them in the wild over the last 33 years. . .although I've heard that there were mods to let the port use Speak-And-Spell cartridges for added vocabulary.