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

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[[Category:Hardware]] [[Category:Peripherals]] [[Category:Music and sound]][[Category:Manual]]
 
[[Category:Hardware]] [[Category:Peripherals]] [[Category:Music and sound]][[Category:Manual]]

Revision as of 16:39, 12 January 2010

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.

The clock frequency (passed to the speech chip) is fixed, the exact frequency is unknown (?)

Uses I/O port: #FBEE, of which (according to the manual) only A10,A4,A0 are decoded.

Port FBEEh READ: 

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

Port FBEEh WRITE: 

 bit7-6 Reserved (must be zero)
 bit5-0 Allophone number               ;data can be send when Status.Bit6=0

Supported Games

  • 3D Boxing
  • 3D Stunt Rider
  • 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?)

Pictures

  • Amstrad SSA1

  • Frontpage

  • Inside

  • Inside

  • Inside

  • Inside

  • Hi-Res image showing text on ceramic oscillator

  • Box (open)

  • Box (side)

  • Interface and Speakers

  • Manual and Tape

  • Box (front)

Reviews

  • The SSA1 compared to the dk'Tronics synth

  • Amstrad Computer User8507 015.jpg
  • Amstrad Computer User8507 016.jpg


Examples of the Amstrad synth in use

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

Other Speech Synthesizers

Weblinks

Manual

File:Amstrad SSA-1 User Instruction Manual.pdf

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