Talk:SP0256

Can anyone find or get a copy of the internal ROM from the SPO256AL2? I want to emulate it - Executioner 12:39, 1 September 2006 (CEST)

Hmmm... I can probably manage that, i got the chip! But how to read out the ROM data? Can a simple program on the CPC do that or do i have to plug it in a romboard to read the data? (Have to check the pin configs i guess) --CPCLER 12:52, 1 September 2006 (CEST)

Is it an additional CPC OS rom? If yes, it's quite easy, I can send you a program for this. BTW, @CPCLER, please use the colon (:) at the beginning of your "talk"-text for correct formatting. -- Prodatron 13:46, 1 September 2006 (CEST)

(Sorry about the colons!!! New to this wiki stuff) No... I have uploaded some pictures of the SPO256 board, and there are clearly no additional ROM chips! so how to proceed, any way of reading the rom data via the SPO256 chip?

The software for the SSA1 has to be loaded from disc or tape (I will test this when i get a CPC up and running). I think the dk'tronics (also based on the SPO256) had at least the software on rom, dont know if it actually used the feature with a rom connected directly to the SPO256.

No, this isn't a ROM for the CPC, it's the built-in phoneme ROM in the SPO256AL2, and it can only be read by using the serial output on the chip itself, which will require some hardware knowledge and the SPO datasheet. Yes, I do also have an SPO256 in my SSA-1, but no way to read it... Guess I'll have to desolder and pull the chip and connect it to my 8255 I/O board (no idea if that still works) :)

I'm looking for this ROM, but can't find it anywhere. Did you dump it? (BTW, I think the correct title is "SP0256".) —Stuart Brady 22:02, 1 October 2007 (CEST)

Nah, haven't dumped it yet. That'd mean finding it, and finding the IO board, desoldering it, attaching it to the IO board somehow and then figuring out how to read the serial data... I think there may be an image of the ROM as a resource in the Spectactulator ZX Spectrum emulator in a DLL, that may be an easier way to get it, but I have to check it's actually the original AL2 ROM :) btw, it is SPO256 according to the datasheet. Executioner 01:27, 3 October 2007 (CEST)

I think Spectaculator uses prerecorded samples. —Stuart Brady 17:06, 3 October 2007 (CEST)

It does, but it also has the ROM as a resource in the DLL. It's 2K, same as the real one. Executioner 22:14, 3 October 2007 (CEST)

Good news, everyone! Joe Zbiciak has uploaded a dump of the AL2[1] — and he even has Microchip Technology's permission! (I'm not sure if they would allow redistribution, though.) —Stuart Brady 23:26, 3 October 2007 (CEST)

BTW, are you sure that's the same ROM? The µSpeech has its own 2K ROM (containing Z80 code). —Stuart Brady 03:18, 6 October 2007 (CEST)

Yes, this is the correct ROM. I assume the Currah has a ROM to add functionality under BASIC etc. There may also be some other software for the SSA-1 for the CPC, maybe even a Z80 one to provide RSX's like |say,"hello", can't remember. Executioner 06:21, 8 October 2007 (CEST)

You assume so? — I thought I just said that it does have such a ROM! :) I'm still not sure whether to believe you. What's the MD5SUM of the ROM in Spectaculator? Is it 54db0ac274146f8c95f8fbd7bab62cdf, 052f6af718337e35e76693723e1d73e3, or is it something else? —Stuart Brady 20:37, 8 October 2007 (CEST)

Yes, I assume that's what the Z80 code is for, you didn't say what the Z80 was used for :) The md5 is not the same as either of those above, and the ROM does not appear to be Z80 code. It may well be encrypted, but I don't really care since I've got the official download now and Joe was also good enough to provide a disassembly to go along with it :) Executioner 03:13, 10 October 2007 (CEST)

I feel as if I should probably fix this each time I leave a comment on this page, so here goes. Unless there are any objections, I'll rename the page to SP0256 and mention that it's often referred to as the "SPO256". (The datasheets certainly use an '0'.) —Stuart Brady 21:08, 8 October 2007 (CEST)

The ARCHER datasheet definitely uses an 'O'. The GI datasheet is not a particularly good scan, and the font doesn't distinguish between the '0' and the 'O'. Look at the word 'ROM' and compare that to 'SPO256A' at the top of the page, they look the same. The last two pages of the GI datasheet show the chip in the circuit diagrams with as 'SPO256', the 'O' is identical to the word 'OUT', and slightly different to the '0' where it says '10,11,13'. The chip I have does not have any other '0' or 'O' printed on it to compare. This would suggest that it is supposed to be the letter O.