TMPI speech synthesizer

A speech synthesizer made by TechniMusique et Parole Informatique (TMPI).

Technimusique sythesiseur vocal

The device appeared on the French market and was apparently a ported version from the ORIC one, Oric being a popular machine in France.

Technical Specs.

I/O ports (as used by the included disk software):

 FBFEh TMPI Speech MEA8000 Data Register
 FBFFh TMPI Speech MEA8000 Command/Status Register

Caution - As seen in the schematic, only A0..A7 seem to be decoded, but A8..A15 aren't. If that is true, then the device can conflict with almost all other existing hardware, including important internal components: Gate Array, CRTC, ROM Bank, Printer Port, PIO and PSG (for these devices A0..A7 are don't care, so it's perfectly possible that some programs access them with FEh or FFh in lower address bits).

Bugfix - Add some circuit that ensures A10=LOW (eg. ORing it with /IORQ should do it).

Clock - There seem to be two versions of the device: One using the 4MHz signal from the CPC's expansion port. The other using an external unknown frequency (?) oscillator. The internal 3.84MHz oscillator (in the MEA8000 chip) isn't used by either version.

For details on the speech chip, see :

Supported Games

7 logiciels vocaux éducatifs & utilitaires (TMPI) (Box Cover)

Pictures (version without Oscillator)

TMPI speech synthetizer (version without oscillator)
Front
Rear
Disassembling
Component Side
Solder Side
Schematic

TMPI speech synthetizer (version without oscillator) 300dpi scans
Top
Side
Bottom
PCB Top
PCB Bottom
Software Disc Side A
Software Disc Side B
Software Tape Side A
Software Tape Side B

Pictures (version with Oscillator)

TMPI speech synthetizer (version with oscillator)
Device Front/Back
Component Side, Solder Side
Part Number on Oscillator
Schematic

This version uses an external unknown frequency oscillator. According to the schematic, speech is not injected to the SOUND pin on expansion port. /RD and /IORQ are decoded differently as in the other version. /WR is not used (instead the chips /W pin is wired to GND).