Digitalker, SP0256, and SC-01 speech chips (was Re: Digitalker Information)

[Dave McGuire]

On Feb 14, 2008, at 3:51 AM, Gordon JC Pearce wrote:
>> Keep in mind that the SP0256 is only an allophone generator;  
>> although there
>> were expansion ROMs available, for text-to-speech you needed  
>> something like
>> the CTS256-AL2, which was a PIC (yes, GI made PICs in the '70s!)  
>> programmed
>
> PIC as is Arizona Microchip PIC, or PIC as in something else?

   The very same.  The architecture made its debut in the 1970s with  
the SMS (later Signetics) 8X300, which many of us have seen on disk  
controller boards.

   Here's a snippet of a classiccmp post of mine from back in 2001:

------------
   GI adapted the SMS/Signetics 8x300 for use as a peripheral interface
controller (PIC) to augment the poor I/O of its CP1600 processor. GI's
IC division was spun off to form Arizona Microchip Technology (sound
familiar?) in the mid 80's, producing EPROMs, EEPROMs, and..."PIC"
processors.
------------

           -Dave

-- 
Dave McGuire
Port Charlotte, FL