Where to buy an SP0256-AL2 speech synthesizer chip? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: smbaker
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2016, 10:22:28 pm
content: Anyone have any good resources on sourcing old chips like this? I've already tried China ebay sellers, and ended up with a SP0256-012 with SP0256A-AL2 printed on it:Purchased some more from a different china ebay seller and today received something that makes a loud buzzing noise and glitches my data/address bus. It also has SP0256A-AL2 printed on it (this time with Microchip as the manufacturer). At least the previous ones actually made speech sounds, even if they weren't the right speech sounds. These latest chips I'm guessing is not even an SP0256 variant at all.I have a third SP0256A-AL2 en route from yet another china ebay seller, should be here by the weekend, and it'll probably turn out to be another misprinted or fake or counterfeit or just plain weirdly defective.Scott

author: bitslice
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2016, 12:05:04 am
content: http://www.speechchips.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=3for the UK people, try herehttp://sciencestore.co.uk/acatalog/Electronics.html

author: smbaker
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2016, 01:22:01 am
content: Thanks. I've gone ahead and ordered a pair. I guess this is why they cost $30 from a reputable seller versus $4 - $8 from an eBay seller.Funny thing is, I actually visited that site weeks ago looking for the 3.12 Mhz crystal (of which they were out of stock), but didn't take note that they sold the chips as well.

author: bitslice
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2016, 08:39:21 pm
content: Yeh I remember the crystals being an issue too, although if it sounds like Stephen Hawking then how does one tell?try this3.072000MHZhttp://www.ebay.com/itm/761-010-M-TRON-3-072000-MHz-CRYSTAL-OSCILLATOR-NEW-ORIG-TUBES-/371007112527that's the nearest I could find with a quick googleIf you could post back here if it works then this thread should help others, hardly any info out there on this chip

author: Alex Eisenhut
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2016, 10:53:59 pm
content: I ran mine on a 3.27MHz crystal, which worked. Simple Commodore 64 interface to send the data. It was fun. Still have the chip, didn't realize they could be worth that much.

author: @rt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2018, 05:23:31 pm
content: Old thread, but maybe this is my latest issueI have it changing the state of it’s busy signal when I get my hand near it, which might suggest it’s not clocking,but it shouldn’t do this until it’s done it’s previous allophone anyway.All I hear through the amp is a bunch of clicks that seem to represent the number of times any allophone was sent.Mine is Microchip branded from eBay for $10 or so, and says it’s made in Taiwan on the chip.I also have tried another unit I have with GI printed on it, so thought that should be original.

author: @rt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2018, 05:21:12 am
content: Well that sux!Lucky I had a vintage GI branded one to complete the thing, but that was supposed to be a part of a vintage IC collection,and that’s why I went to eBay for the Microchip branded one.I guess the sellers never get bad feedback because nobody has a test jig ready for the chip that has been working with a genuine one.They probably always find out much later that it’s fake.

author: GK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2018, 08:45:45 am
content: Mouser sell the Epson S1V30120, which looks like an interesting chip.https://global.epson.com/products_and_drivers/semicon/products/speech/voice/s1v30120.htmlOne is to go on my next Mouser BOM, as I'd like to experiment myself with interfacing my old computers with a speech syth chipIt's a bit more complicated than those old obsolete chips though. For something at plugs into a Commodore 64 User Port, for example, you'll need on-board 3V3 and 1V8 regulators, a small micro for handshaking/initialization, some logic level signal conversion and maybe a small serial EPROM to hold the boot loader data file.

author: @rt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 31, 2018, 10:55:56 am
content: This was just retro fun (or at least it was supposed to be).For something modern I used a codec decoder / DAC to assemble samples in order, works well unless the project has to be text to speech.Mine was just telling the time using pre-recorded numeric samples.

author: Teti
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2021, 08:36:38 pm
content: All the chips seem to be gone from internet now and I don't dare to buy from eBay or Ali. I've come across this company however and made a purchase.http://www.sciencestore.co.uk/acatalog/Electronics.html#aZ733Wish me a good luck

author: dat-alex
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 11, 2021, 06:59:27 am
content: any UPDATE for your purchase my friend?Did chip from sciencestore.co.uk worked ok?

author: blackjetrock
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2023, 09:24:08 am
content: I bought a couple of SP0256-AL2s from ScienceStudio who are now renamed. They were genuine but £10 each. When I went back to buy more they wanted £16 each and then didn't contact me again. So I made an emulated version using an RP2040 based on work by a couple of other people.https://hackaday.com/2023/09/22/rp2040-emulator-brings-the-voice-of-the-80s-back-to-life/Andrew

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2023, 04:20:45 am
content: Brings some memories.Just wondering whether it hasn't been implemented in FPGA, probably isn't that much difficult (the main point will be to gather phoneme data) and would only require a fairly small one.Edit: well, interestingly:http://spatula-city.org/~im14u2c/sp0256-al2/Anyone up to the challenge?