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Home » RBC Forums » General Discussion » Has anyone reverse engineered SP0256A external serial speech ROM (SPR016, SPR032, and SPR128)
RPi Pico W wrapped around a SP0250 or SP0256 *Updated 20250202 [message #10718 is a reply to message #10717] Tue, 16 April 2024 18:27 Go to previous messageGo to previous message
jayindallas is currently offline  jayindallas
Messages: 110
Registered: June 2021
Senior Member
I can understand looking at acquiring a SPR000 and SFD2000.

I'm a little more interested in wrapping a RPi Zero W around a SP0256 to virtualize the upstream and downstream interfaces. That would allow me to choose among many SP0256 implementation and ROM images. It would make voice processor database development a lot easier, and flexible. RPi WIFI-SSH connection allows remote-in-house workspace and BT5 allows remote-in-house listening space.
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U.S. vintage GI components:

I saw a website listing General Instrument speech and sound devices that can be found in old electronic products, at garage sales, flee markets, Ebay etc. Examples, to the best of my memory:

Mattel Intellivision contains a GI CP1600 processor and an AY-3-8910 Programmable Sound Generator.
Mattel Intellivoice (optional Intellivision addition) contains one of the GI voice processor (SP0256?).
Mattel Speak-and-Spell (I think) also has one of the GI voice synthesizers.

Update Feb 02, 2025:
CONFIRMED The Mattel Intellivoice module does contain a GI CTS+SP0 set; not but the Radio Shack/Allied part numbers. I found the family Mattel Intelli*.* units and opened them up for photos and chip listings. I'll be posting that information this week.

Later I'll do an Arduino bench hack challenge to download the CTS code to see if its the exact same code as the Radio Shack chips. After that, I'll see if I can hack the data tables out of the SP0 voice synthesizer internal ROM. There is a SP0 internal diagram showing how the internal ROM is serially accessed to shift data serially through all registers until loaded all at once. I recall that there was clearly a serial bit input for external serial ROM, and possibly a serial out bit on the SP0. If the latter is true, I'll try to pass the internal ROM through the registers (serially) without loading/latching them and read them on that serial output pin. By learning how the SP0 commands access and sequence internal ROM into the registers, it should apply closely to external ROM.

I haven't yet opened up the Intellivision EMI protection module to confirm an AY-3-8910 chip inside; I have one in a wire-wrapped S-100 board so there was less need to open it. I'll open the Intellivoice again tomorrow and look for an external serial ROM chip numbers... I didn't look for that when I took the photos and don't really expect to see one. The old RPi photos were poor quality, couldn't get the chip numbers in focus. Guess I need to buy some updated toys.

Ultimately, I'd like to emulate the CTS+SP0 in a RPi Zero 2. Retro Voice would be a more interesting interface as a vocal pace/trip manager for cycling and walking trails. Retro Voice would be simpler when trying to maintain a specific walking pace; my Brother-in-Law challenged me today to match his 4mph walking pace. With a stop-watch I was about 18 seconds late... 3.96039604 mph arg! So now I have need to retro-design a 'pace & path voice manager' unit with bluetooth audio. A display on the bike is easy, but walking, it might be a nuisance. I'm exploring the town's trails and it would be nice to have that voice with some BT music. That has some possible application for the motorcycle too, though I haven't thought that through yet.

[Updated on: Sun, 02 February 2025 18:46]

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