Re: Echo II emulation?

[mmphosis <markwstock@yahoo.com>]

I would repost in comp.emulators.apple2 as there are active Apple II
emulator software developers.

1.  I think that it would be relatively easy to make AppleWin
optionally echo the visible text window to a standard Windows textbox
control thus enabling your Windows voice software.  In the past, I
wrote an Apple II emulator that echoed text to the console but like
you mentioned my emulator is one of those ones that is currently
unsupported, and offers very limited emulation.

2.  It would be a leap to emulate the echo cards as the details of how
the actual Echo card works would need some research, and it sounds
like this product may still be sold which brings in copyright issues,
and possibly patent issues.  The MAME project has emulation for
TMS5200/5220 chipset.   The Apple II emulator software developers have
made leaps like emulating various Apple II hardware cards in software
such as the Z-80, mockingboard, uthernet, etc.  So, yes definitely
possible.  Legal?  I don't know.

- TMS5200 AKA TMC0285: (1981 to 1983ish when supplies ran low)
Street Electronics Corp.'s Apple II 'Echo 2' Speech synthesizer (early
cards only)

- TMS5220: (mostly on things made between 1982 and 1984-1985 when
supplies ran low)
Street Electronics Corp.'s Apple II 'Echo 2' Speech synthesizer (later
cards only)

- MS5220C AKA TSP5220C: (on stuff made from 1984 to 1992 or so)
Street Electronics Corp.'s 'ECHO' parallel/hobbyist module (6511
based)

TMS5200/5220 simulator

Much information regarding these lpc encoding comes from US patent
4,209,844
US patent 4,331,836 describes the complete 51xx chip
US patent 4,335,277 describes the complete 52xx chip

http://mamedev.org/source/src/emu/sound/tms5220.c.html

Echo II with Textalker, model 1-07212-00, is a speech synthesizer
designed to allow many public domain and noncopy protected programs to
talk for individuals who are blind or have low vision.

Echo and Textalker are trademarks of Street Electronics Corp.

http://www.abledata.com/abledata.cfm?pageid=19327&top=10022&productid=88021&trail=0&discontinued=0