AtariVox device communication via emulator?

[+Karl G]

I am able to test AtariVox speech on the 2600 side via Stella with my AtariVox attached to my MacBook via a 2600-daptor II flashed with firmware to support the AtariVox specifically. Is it possible to get this to work using any available emulator for the 7800?

 

[RevEng]

Not presently.

 

I have a few more to-do's than hobby time lately, but after I work through them I'll look at the possibility of adding exernal atarivox support to a7800.

[+stephena]

13 minutes ago, RevEng said:

Not presently.

 

I have a few more to-do's than hobby time lately, but after I work through them I'll look at the possibility of adding exernal atarivox support to a7800.

It's relatively easy to add support.  These are the applicable files from Stella:

• https://github.com/stella-emu/stella/blob/master/src/unix/SerialPortUNIX.cxx (serial port settings)
• https://github.com/stella-emu/stella/blob/master/src/emucore/AtariVox.cxx, https://github.com/stella-emu/stella/blob/master/src/emucore/AtariVox.hxx (specific stuff for speech)
• https://github.com/stella-emu/stella/blob/master/src/emucore/SaveKey.cxx, https://github.com/stella-emu/stella/blob/master/src/emucore/SaveKey.hxx (specific stuff for SaveKey)
• https://github.com/stella-emu/stella/blob/master/src/emucore/MT24LC256.cxx, https://github.com/stella-emu/stella/blob/master/src/emucore/MT24LC256.hxx (I2C code for EEPROM)

For just the sound output, you only need the first two.

[RevEng]

Thanks! Totally aware of those, as I did a lot of compare and contrast with the stella code when getting speakalator to work under MacOS, so double-thanks are in order.

 

The update is still a bit of chore, even with the example code. a7800 is a fork of the MAME a7800 driver, and half of the work in these sorts of additions is figuring out how the interfaces in question are supposed to be coded within the MAME framework. The api documentation often doesn't exist, and instead you wind up having to learn from similar implementations in other drivers, if you're lucky enough that similar implementations exist.

[+Karl G]

Thanks, and no worries; I suspected that was probably the answer.  I can develop speech via Stella and 2600 apps, and import the data into my 7800 project for now.

[+stephena]

26 minutes ago, RevEng said:

Thanks! Totally aware of those, as I did a lot of compare and contrast with the stella code when getting speakalator to work under MacOS, so double-thanks are in order.

 

The update is still a bit of chore, even with the example code. a7800 is a fork of the MAME a7800 driver, and half of the work in these sorts of additions is figuring out how the interfaces in question are supposed to be coded within the MAME framework. The api documentation often doesn't exist, and instead you wind up having to learn from similar implementations in other drivers, if you're lucky enough that similar implementations exist.

I understand.  There's probably only 200 lines of relevant code from Stella that you'd need (ignoring the SaveKey stuff).  I just meant the code itself is fairly easy and straightforward.  Integrating it into another project (particularly one like MAME that is so large) is another story.  Good luck  

[RevEng]

Thanks

[+Karl G]

While I'm on the topic of AtariVox speech, is it valid syntax to spread the speechdata over multiple lines?  E.g.:

 

    speechdata hey_cabbie_2
    raw 31
    raw 21,120,22,150,183,130,22,180,8,154,22,150,2,194,22,180,132,132,132,22,150,172,170,128
    raw $FF
end

 

[+SmittyB]

Yes, that's okay to do. When it's compiled it's basically a straight conversion to '.byte' statements for the assembler and then when that does its thing it doesn't care how the data is formatted so use as many lines as you want to keep things organised.

 

On a related note.... oh boy how did I not know the 2600-daptor was a thing? Here's me spending time making my own tools to do the same thing with more effort like a chump.

[+Karl G]

1 hour ago, SmittyB said:

Yes, that's okay to do. When it's compiled it's basically a straight conversion to '.byte' statements for the assembler and then when that does its thing it doesn't care how the data is formatted so use as many lines as you want to keep things organised.

 

Thanks!

 

1 hour ago, SmittyB said:

On a related note.... oh boy how did I not know the 2600-daptor was a thing? Here's me spending time making my own tools to do the same thing with more effort like a chump.

But you probably saved money, and the pride of accomplishment when you got it to work.  ?

[+SmittyB]

10 minutes ago, Karl G said:

But you probably saved money, and the pride of accomplishment when you got it to work.

True, but my solution was to write Voxolotl! so I have to faff around with controller commands to build something that sounds good, and then write down or photograph the output to copy manually into my game. I'd much rather have some way to do it all from my PC.

 

[+Muddyfunster]

@Karl G Trying to copy your atarivox setup.

 

To connect to Stella, in addition to the AtariVox, I just would need the 2600daptorII but flashed to AtariVox support firmware? 

 

Is that just a case of running a flashing program or does it require anything funky like an ST2 cable like early firmware UNOcart?

 

Do I need to grab anything else?

 

Thanks!

[+Karl G]

@Muddyfunster - Correct, and it is just a matter of running the flashing program. Here's the page with info on how to do the firmware update:

 

http://www.2600-daptor.com/AtariVox-daptor.htm

 

Other than that, it's just a matter of setting the correct COM port in Stella as described on that page.

[+SmittyB]

I got one recently and did the same. It's dead easy, the hardest part was finding a paperclip in my drawers with which to bridge the necessary pins. The one difference from the guide is that there wasn't a connector on the board so it was just a matter of pushing the paperclip in the right through-holes.

[+Muddyfunster]

Thanks guys appreciate the quick advice. I confirm a suitable quantity of paperclips

[+Karl G]

It's been long enough that I forgot about the paperclip part.