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[[Image:Amstrad SSA1.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Amstrad SSA1 box cover]]
[[Image:Amstrad SSA1.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Amstrad SSA1 box cover]]
[[Image:Ssa-1.JPG|right|thumb|250px|The bundle]]


A Speech Synthesizer from [[Amstrad]] based on the [[SPO256]]-AL2 Speech Synthesizer


== Software ==


A Speech Synthesizer from [[Amstrad]] based on the SPO256 Speech Synthesizer
* |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. ==
== Technical Specs. ==


In the SSA-1, the SP0256-AL2 speech chip is clocked by a 3.12MHz ceramic resonator (unlike the similar dk'tronics device, where it is clocked at 4MHz).


The SSA-1 uses I/O port: [[I/O_Port_Summary|#FBEE]], of which (according to the manual) only A10,A4,A0 are decoded.


Port FBEEh READ - SP0256-AL2 Status:
  bit7  Status 1 (0=Speech Busy, 1=Ready/Halted)  (SBY Pin, Standby)
  bit6  Status 2 (0=Ready to Receive Data, 1=Busy) (/LRQ Pin, Load Request)
  bit5-0 Not used (garbage, probably usually high)
Port FBEEh WRITE - SP0256-AL2 Allophone:
  bit7-0 Allophone number             
Port FAEEh WRITE - Accidently used in the included RSX driver cassette (the driver sets BC=FBEEh and executes OUTI, which pre-decrements B, so the OUT accidently goes to FAEEh - the driver works despite of that bug since FBEEh is mirrored to that address).
* A new allophone number can be send when Status.Bit6=0.
* The allophone number should/must be in range of 00h..3Fh (6bit).
* However, the whole 8bit databus is connected in the SSA-1.
For details on the speech chip, see:
* [[SP0256]]
* [[SP0256 Voice Generator]]
* [[SP0256 Instruction Set]]
* [[SP0256 Allophones]]
* [[SP0256 Pin-Outs]]
== Software Support ==
=== Games ===
* [[3D Boxing]]
* [[3D Stunt Rider]]
* [[Alex Higgins World Pool]]
* [[Alex Higgins World Snooker]]
* [[Darkwurlde]]
* [[Glen Hoddle Soccer]]
* [[Roland in Space]]
* [[Tubaruba]]
=== Serious Software ===
* [[FutureOS]] (limited)
'''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, possibly for [[PDS development system]] - but, 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 ==
== Pictures ==
Line 14: Line 68:
<gallery caption="Amstrad SSA1">
<gallery caption="Amstrad SSA1">
Image:Amstrad ssa1 1.JPG|Frontpage
Image:Amstrad ssa1 1.JPG|Frontpage
Image:ssa1 5.JPG|Inside
Image:ScreenPacked.jpg|Box (open)
Image:ScreenBoxed.jpg|Box (side)
Image:FullSSA1.jpg|Interface and Speakers
Image:FullManual Tape.jpg|Manual and Tape
Image:SSA1 FullBox.jpg|Box (front)
Image:Amstrad SSA-1 Schematic.png|Schematic
</gallery>
</gallery>


<gallery caption="Amstrad SSA1 (300dpi scans by [[Robcfg]])">
Image:SSA1_Front.jpg|Front
Image:SSA1_Back.jpg|Back
Image:SSA1_PCB_Top.jpg|PCB Top
Image:SSA1_PCB_Bottom.jpg|PCB Bottom
</gallery>


== Reviews ==


== Weblinks ==
<gallery>
image:Amstrad Computer User8507 014.jpg|The SSA1 compared to the dk'Tronics synth
image:Amstrad Computer User8507 015.jpg
image:Amstrad Computer User8507 016.jpg
</gallery>
 
 
== Examples of the Amstrad synth in use ==
 
{{#ev:youtube|fesVxipNaw8|300}} {{#ev:youtube|v8WKbKK3Apg|300}}
 
== Downloads ==
* [[Media:Amstrad SSA-1 (Main Program).zip]] (cassette)
* [[Media:Amstrad SSA-1 (Programas Basic).zip]] (cassette)
* [[Media:SSA-1.zip‎|Amstrad SSA-1 drivers (English)]] [http://www.jonathanen.com/pages/Items/Amstrad/SSA-1/SSA-1.zip] (DSK for Emulators)
* [[Media:Sp0256-al2-reversed-bit-order.zip|SP0256-AL2 ROM]] ('''caution''' - the bytes in the file are in reversed bit-order, ie. the "Target" values are unreversed, all other opcodes and parameters are reversed)


== Manual ==
== Manual ==


<gallery caption="Amstrad SSA1 (Manual)">
* [[File:Amstrad SSA-1_User_Instruction_Manual.pdf]] (pdf)
Image:Ssa1 frontpage.jpg|Frontpage
* [[Manual of the Amstrad SSA-1 Speech Synthesizer]] (jpg's)
Image:ssa1 p1.jpg|Contents / Page 1
* [https://framagit.org/offset/ssa-1-acepansion SSA-1 ACEpansion] on Framagit
Image:ssa1 p2-3.jpg|Page 2-3
 
Image:ssa1 p4-5.jpg|Page 4-5
== Other Speech Synthesizers ==
Image:ssa1 p6-7.jpg|Page 6-7
 
Image:ssa1 p8-9.jpg|Page 8-9
* [https://github.com/lambdamikel/Speak-SID Speak-SID ''SSA-1 emulation''] Speech Synthesizer, SID Soundcard, MIDI IN SID+AY Synthesizer
Image:ssa1 p10-11.jpg|Page 10-11
* [[Dk'tronics Speech Synthesizer]]
Image:ssa1 p12-13.jpg|Page 12-13
* [[MHT Speech Synthesizer]] (MHT Ingenieros)
Image:ssa1 p14-15.jpg|Page 14-15
* [[TMPI speech synthetizer]] (TechniMusique)
Image:ssa1 p16-17.jpg|Page 16-17
 
Image:ssa1 p18-19.jpg|Page 18-19
[[Category:Amstrad Products]]
Image:ssa1 p20-21.jpg|Page 20-21
[[Category:FutureOS]]
</gallery>
[[Category:Manual]]
[[Category:Music and sound]]
[[Category:Peripherals]]

Latest revision as of 01:11, 10 April 2025

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Amstrad SSA1 box cover
Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination
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.

In the SSA-1, the SP0256-AL2 speech chip is clocked by a 3.12MHz ceramic resonator (unlike the similar dk'tronics device, where it is clocked at 4MHz).

The SSA-1 uses I/O port: #FBEE, of which (according to the manual) only A10,A4,A0 are decoded.

Port FBEEh READ - SP0256-AL2 Status: 

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

Port FBEEh WRITE - SP0256-AL2 Allophone: 

 bit7-0 Allophone number

Port FAEEh WRITE - Accidently used in the included RSX driver cassette (the driver sets BC=FBEEh and executes OUTI, which pre-decrements B, so the OUT accidently goes to FAEEh - the driver works despite of that bug since FBEEh is mirrored to that address).

  • A new allophone number can be send when Status.Bit6=0.
  • The allophone number should/must be in range of 00h..3Fh (6bit).
  • However, the whole 8bit databus is connected in the SSA-1.

For details on the speech chip, see:

Software Support

Games

Serious Software

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, possibly for PDS development system - but, 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

Reviews


Examples of the Amstrad synth in use

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

Downloads

Manual

Other Speech Synthesizers

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