The RS-232 was just for commanding it. There was no audio sent over the serial connection. 300 baud would be fine.
I remember when the HP unit came out. It was expensive IIRC and I already had a Votrax connected to our 3000 via a serial port.
G.
-----Original Message-----
From: HP-3000 Systems Discussion <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Craig Lalley
Sent: Wednesday, December 16, 2020 7:44 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [HP3000-L] [EXT]: OT: Wirt Atmar and speech synthesis
Wow, rs232 speech output module, with 1500 word vocabulary.
Speech over rs232, I can't imagine the data rate in 1984 on rs232.
-Craig
On Wednesday, December 16, 2020, 3:29:03 AM PST, Keven Miller(3k) <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
HP attempted also, appears to be 1984, available for HP1000, HP3000 !!
HP 27201A
http://www.3kranger.com/HP3000/HPC/HPCat-1984-SPEECH.pdf
Would be nice to come across one.
Keven miller
----- Original Message -----
From: "Stan Sieler" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tue 15 Dec 2020 11:45 PM
Subject: [HP3000-L] [EXT]: OT: Wirt Atmar and speech synthesis
External Email
Hi,
Some years back, I was asking if anyone had information about the speech
synthesizer
developed for the Altair 8080 by the late Wirt Atmar of AICS (in New
Mexico).
No "hits".
Wirt, of course, developed some software products for the HP3000 (including
QueryCalc), an early standalone word processor (System 2000, using a
reprogrammed HP 264x terminal), and QCTerm (and more).
Most places on the web claimed the Computalker was first, and give a date of
1976 or 1977.
(Earlier speech synthesizers existed, but they were external boxes that one
interfaced to,
or were standalone (often with a large/weird keyboard).)
Today, I stumbled over a fairly bad OCR of Byte magazine from August, 1976
at
https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1976-08/1976_08_BYTE_00-12_Speech_Synthesis_djvu.txt
It has two articles about speech synthesizers for S-100 bus systems.
The first is by the Computalker people, who say:
At the time this article
goes to press, a synthesizer
module incorporating several
detail refinements and im-
provements over the circuits
of this article is being de-
veloped by the author and
associates.
and
A detailed user's
guide will be supplied with the
Computalker module
Note the future tense!
The second is by Wirt Atmar, whose product *was already shipping*.
Near the end of his Byte article, Wirt lists currently available products:
At the present time, two speech synthesizers
are both commercially available and affordable by
the hobbyist.
One is the Votrax produced by:
Vocal Interface Division
Federal Screw Works
500 Stephenson Dr
Troy Ml 48084
Price, approximately $2,000
Interfacing: Parallel or Serial (RS-232)
The second is the Model 1000 manufactured by:
Ai Cybernetic Systems
PO Box 4691
University Park NM 88003
Price, $425
Wirt had told me (twenty years ago or so) that he thought his was the first
for microcomputers (e.g., a user installed card, not an external box).
Now, I'm sure ... but it was realllly close!
Wirt demonstrated his product at the earlier MITS World Altair Computer
Conven-
tion, where it won first prize.
He advertised it poorly/infrequently, since it was mostly a side business.
And, that shows, since history doesn't remember it.
But...we can now.
Stan
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