DECtalk Express
README.TXT
11/15/97

This document provides a chronological listing, latest to
earliest, of updates to DECtalk Express V4.2C software.

Index.
     Update level d, 11/15/96.
     Update level b, 8/15/96.
     A. What's New with Version 4.2C
     B. Updating from an earlier version.
     C. DECtalk Express Product Description
     D. New Features
     E. COM Port Checker
     F. Battery Charge Status
     G. Battery "low" warning
     H. Power save option
     I. Differences with DECtalk PC
     J. Stereo Headphone Volume
     K. IBM Screen Reader Support
     L. Unable to locate the DECtalk Express
     M. TSR NOT INSTALLED message
     N. Reported problems
     O. Files provided
     P. Notes to Developers

11/15/96
Update level d.
Problems fixed:

A. JAWS and JAWS for Windows were dropping words
 intermittently.
B. The [:index reply x] command wasn't reliably sending
 indexes back.
C. Words with accented characters were not being processed
 correctly. (DECtalk will now convert the characters to
 unaccented characters and process the word.) A new file,
 DTPC_850.EXE, is now loaded with the DT_LOAD command onto
 the board to handle the accented characters.
D. The word "us." was being mispronounced as an abbreviation
 "microsecond".
E. The word "wind" was being mispronounced when it was
 placed at the beginning of a sentence.
F.   Certain words like "assume" and "assistant" were being
  mispronounced.
G.   Provided details for using the DECtalk Express driver
  with Win V3.x and Win 95 (see Reported Problems).

8/5/96
Update level b.
Problems fixed:

1. Fixed speech overload problem which was encountered when
doing fast stop and start speaking.

2. Added the "whispering" back into the various voices that
used it and returned the output of the "Wendy" voice to its
original level.

3. Eliminated "pops" that occurred when reading certain
letters.

6/10/96
A. What's New with Version 4.2C.

1.The VERCHK function has been rewritten to be more reliable
when providing the firmware version number.

2. A low power warning function has been added. The unit
will emit a beep approximately every 30 seconds when its
battery power is getting low. See the item "Battery Low
Warning" below for more info.

3. We have work-arounds or fixes for three known problems.
They include a conflict with EIDE CD-ROMs, operation in
Windows, and problems with notebooks that are using PC CARD
(PCMCIA) options. See the item "Reported Known Problems"
below for more info.

4. An updated list of in-line text commands is provided in
the file SHRT_CMD.TXT.
5. The software and utilities will issue a single beep from
the PC speaker when an error condition is detected. A
corresponding explanatory message will also be displayed on
the screen. Usually the Enter key must be pressed to
continue.
B. Updating from an earlier version.

The DECtalk Express can be upgraded from an earlier version
of the software and firmware. Please refer to the file
UPGRADE.TXT for details.

C. DECtalk Express Product Description.

The DECtalk Express is an external text-to-speech
synthesizer. It measures approximately 7.25 inches by 3.5
inches by 1.25 inches and weighs 15 ounces. The unit has an
internal speaker, rechargeable battery, a 16550 compatible
serial line interface, a combined on/off switch volume
control, headphone jack and an external power jack. The
"internals" of the unit include an AMD 386/25
microprocessor, 1MB memory, a TMS320 DSP, DAC, audio
amplifier with anti-aliasing filter, controller chip,
power/charging circuit and FLASH ROM. The unit is provided
with a nylon carrying case and an accessory pouch which
contains a stereo headset, serial cable with a 9-pin
connector, an AC charger/external power cube and Velcro
mounting strips.

The unit is intended to interface to Personal Computers via
the serial line interface. The speech synthesizer models the
design of the DECtalk PC internal synthesizer and actually
runs the same synthesizer code. DECtalk Express is provided
with a DOS TSR driver which is the same one provided with
the DECtalk PC except the back end has been rewritten to
interface to the DECtalk Express attached to a serial port
instead of to a DECtalk PC on the PC bus.
The purpose of maintaining the same front end on the TSR was
to allow all existing applications that support the DECtalk
PC to also be able the DECtalk Express with no modification
to the application.

The DECtalk Express can also be interfaced directly to a
computer without using the DOS TSR. This is the method used
when using other operating systems. The application (e.g.
screen access program or terminal emulator) interfaces to
the DECtalk Express using system calls for serial device
support.

D. New Features for V4.2C

The new features in the DECtalk Express are:

     1. Error condition beeps.
     2. Enhanced Flash ROM update utility.
     3. Enhanced firmware version checker
     4. Low battery warning.
     5. Power save setting.


E. Comm Port Checker.
The comm port "sniffer" is called COMCHK.EXE.  It removes
the TSR from memory and then checks comm ports one through
four to find a DECtalk Express. COMCHK.EXE will let the user
know what it finds at each comm port, either it FINDS a
DECtalk Express, does NOT find a DECtalk Express on the
specified comm port or that a comm port could not be
detected.  A beep will sound from the PC speaker if it does
not find an operating DECtalk Express on any com port.
NOTE: After you use this utility, you will have to re-
install the TSR by typing DTEXP.BAT.

F. Battery Charge Status.
The battery charge status can be obtained by using
POWER.EXE.  POWER.EXE will return one of three states the
DECtalk Express power can be in. They are battery low,
battery ok, or using external power.  Make sure the DECtalk
Express is turned on and the DECtalk driver DT_DRIV is
loaded when you use this utility.

G. Battery Low Warning.
The DECtalk Express is now setup to provide a beep at
approximately every 30 seconds when its battery is at a low
power level. The warning beep interval can be changed or the
beep turned off. To change the beep interval you will need
to edit the DTEXP.BAT file in the DECtalk Express directory.
Find the line that says:
   
   DTSPEAK "DECtalk Express Version 4.2C [:power interval 30]"

and change the number to the interval you want in seconds.

The beep can be turned OFF by removing the text starting
with the open square bracket up to and including the close
square bracket. In either case save the file and run the BAT
file for the changes to take affect.

NOTE: If the file DTEXP.BAT is not used as part of the
DECtalk Express startup, then the in-line text command
[:power interval 30] must be sent to the unit each time it
is turned on.

H. Power Save Option.
The DECtalk Express can be put into a power conserve state
when no activity is going on. The option can be set with the
command:

     [:power sleep S]

Where "S" is the number of seconds of inactivity before it
goes into the sleep mode. The command can be included in a
text string sent to the DECtalk Express or by using the
following command string:

     DTSPEAK "[:power sleep S]"

NOTE: The TSR DT_DRIV.EXE must be loaded to use the second
method.

I. Differences with DECtalk PC.
The primary difference between the DECtalk PC and DECtalk
Express software functionality is that the DECtalk Express
will NOT be able to play digitized sound files due to the
limited bandwidth of the serial interface. The unit may also
be used without a DOS TSR.  It can be communicated with
directly using software that supports text devices on comm
ports. The DECtalk Express operates at 9600 baud, 8 data
bits, 1 stop bit, no parity and uses the XON/XOFF protocol.

J. Stereo Headphone Volume.
Although the headphones provided with the DECtalk Express
are satisfactory for most users, additional volume can be
achieved by with headphones which have more sensitivity. The
specification that you should be looking for is
"sensitivity" and/or "SPL" and the value should be 100dB or
greater.

K. IBM SCREEN READER SUPPORT.
If you are a user of the IBM SCREEN READER/DOS or Screen
Reader/2 and want to use it with DECtalk Express, you may
download the required files developed by IBM  from our BBS
(508) 467-3806.  If you would like the IBM SCREEN READER/DOS
drivers, download DEDOS.EXE, if you would like the IBM
SCREEN  READER/2 drivers, download DEOS2.EXE. Or you may
mail a request to us, PLEASE DON'T FORGET to include your
return address!

Please send your request to:
     Digital Equipment Corp.
     200 Forest Street  MRO1-1/T33
     Marlboro, MA  01752
     ATTN: IBM SCREEN READER UPDATE.

L. Unable to Locate DECtalk Express.
If you do not hear the startup message "DECtalk Express is
connected to COM port x." (where "x" is the number of the
COM port) and the message "Unable to locate DECtalk Express
on COM Ports 1 through 4" is displayed on the monitor
screen, please be sure that the unit is connected to a com
port on the PC, it has been turned on and has spoken it self-
test startup message e.g., "DECtalk Express is running". It
will also give the status of the battery or whether external
power is connected. If the Install program can still not
locate the unit then try using the alternate install
procedure described in the file COM_PORT.TXT.

M. TSR Not Installed Message.
Many users have experienced the "TSR NOT INSTALLED" message
during installation of the DECtalk Express. The problem is
due to some initialization parameters and the problem has
been temporarily resolved by repeating the DT_DRIV -c -i -b
command line in the DTEXP.BAT file.

N. Reported Known Problems:

1. DECtalk Express TSR will not load or says "already
loaded".
A conflict has been found between the DECtalk Express TSR
and certain EIDE CD-ROM drivers. If you are experiencing
this problem and you have an EIDE CD-ROM installed on your
system, refer to the file CDROM.TXT.

2. DECtalk Express will not with a notebook with a PC Card
(PCMCIA) option.
The DECtalk Express will not work with some notebooks that
use certain PC Card "card and socket services" drivers. If
you are experiencing this problem, refer to the file
PCCARD.TXT.

3. DECtalk Express works intermittently with Windows V3.x.
Using DOS TSRs, like the DECtalk Express driver DT_DRIV.EXE
with Windows can cause intermittent operation. The DECtalk
Express Install program now reserves the COMM port it uses
so Windows no longer tries to control it. A statement that
starts with the word "DEBUG" is added to DECtalk Express
batch file, the default is DTEXP.BAT, to enable this
function.

If the problem persists, the procedure described in the file
WIN.TXT should be followed.

NOTE: This DEBUG statement will remove the comm port from
the system resources and reserve it for the DECtalk Express.
Therefore, the comm port will no longer be seen when
utilities like MSD.EXE are run. Also be sure to reboot the
system if you change the comm ports that the DECtalk Express
is connected to so that the system resource table can be
updated.

4. DECtalk Express works intermittently or erratically with
Win 95.
The comm port that the DECtalk Express is connected to must
be removed from the Win 95 device usage list to allow the
DECtalk Express driver to work correctly. The File
DTXWin95.TXT provides the details for doing this .

O. FILES PROVIDED:

BATTCARE.TXT    Battery care.
C1.DBG          Com1 reserve.
C1C3.DBG        Com1 and Com3 reserve.
C2.DBG          Com2 reserve.
C2C4.DBG        Com2 and Com4 reserve.
C3.DBG          Com3 reserve.
C4.DBG          Com4 reserve.
CDROM.TXT       EIDE CD-ROM driver conflicts.
COMCHK.EXE      Com port check program.
COMMAND.TXT     TSR and in-line text commands.
COM_PORT.TXT    Custom install procedure.
DTCOMMON.C      DTDEMO source library file.
DTDEMO.C        DTDEMO source file.
DTDEMO.EXE      Demo program.
DTDEMP.H        DTDEMO header file.
DTEXP.BAT       TSR loader batch file.
DTPC_850.EXE    International character set table.
DTSTART.EXE     "Speak" utility.
DTTSR.H         DTDEMO header file.
DT_DRIV.EXE     DECtalk TSR driver.
FASTLOAD.HXO    Firmware update file.
HOLD2F.SYS      Software interrupt reserve driver.
INSTALL.EXE     Installation program.
LOAD.BAT        Firmware update batch file.
LOWPWR.TXT      Setting the low power warning.
LOWPWR.BAT      Power save setup.
MFG_LOAD.EXE    Firmware loader.
MON.HEX         Firmware update file.
OUT.FLR         Firmware update file.
PCCARD.TXT      Socket Services conflicts.
POWER.EXE       Power status utility.
PROBE.EXE       Comm port "sniffer".
README.TXT      This file.
SHRT_CMD.TXT    In-line text command reference.
TESTDTEX.BAT    Test program.
UGUIDE.TXT      User Guide.
UPGRADE.TXT     Upgrade procedure.
VERCHK.BAT      Firmware version check utility.
VERSION.TXT     Getting version status.
WIN.TXT         Using DECtalk Express with Windows.


P. NOTES TO DEVELOPERS.

Direct Control of the DECtalk Express.
Text and embedded commands can be sent directly to the
DECtalk Express via a computer's serial comm port. The
commands used to change voices, speaking rate, etc. are the
same ones used with the DECtalk PC e.g., [:ra 220] changes
the speaking rate to 220 words per minute at the point in
the text where the command appears. The file COMMAND.TXT
that is installed into the DECtalk Express directory when
doing a DOS install lists the commands with the following
additions/deletions:

ADDED COMMANDS:

[:dv g5 dd]     Will provide the ability to set the volume
of the DECtalk Express. Values of DD should range
from 60 to 86.

[:power speak|status]   Speaks or provides a character
string of the power status of the DECtalk Express.
The status messages are Battery OK, Battery Low or External
Power ON.

[:power sleep|interval X] Puts the unit in power save mode
or provides a  low battery warning after "X"
seconds.

[:tsr off|on]   Default is "on". When turned "off", the keep-
alive characters sent from the DECtalk Express
to the TSR are not sent. Used when communicating directly to
the COM port.

[:version speak|status]    Causes the DECtalk Express to
speak or return a  character string of the current
version of the firmware.

CTRL C     Causes the DECtalk Express to perform an
      immediate stop speaking and flush any pending text
      and index markers. The unit returns a "CTRL A" when
      the flush is completed. It is recommended that you do
      not send any other text or commands until the CTRL A
      is received. Otherwise some of the text and/or
      commands sent after the CTRL C may also be  flushed.
      If part of a command is flushed it could leave the
      unit in an undeterminable state.

       NOTE: In this version it is necessary to initially
	send two CTRL Cs before the first CTRL A
	comes back.
CTRL N          Pause speaking. CTRL O resumes speaking.
CTRL O          Resumes speaking. CTRL N pauses speaking.

FLOW CONTROL.
The DECtalk Express uses the XON/XOFF (Ctrl-Q/Ctrl-S)
protocol for flow control.

FIRMWARE UPGRADE.
The firmware loader program, LOAD.BAT, will try to determine
if the PC has a 16550 compatible UART. If it finds one, it
will upload the firmware at 57.6KB. If not, it will upload
the firmware at 9600 Baud with an approximately 15-20 minute
load time.

End of file.
