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[on:]

Anyone know how I can connect my SpeakJet to my Arduino Uno such that I can use the Phraselator software on my PC to test out the sounds before having to upload them into a program on the Arduino? I can connect my Arduino to my PC and set up an Serial connection to send data to the SpeakJet but whenever I try to send data from Phraselator it won't speak. I can see the TX/RX lights light up when I send the data but nothing comes out of the SpeakJet. Thanks.

[Reply #1 on:]

PLease post your code and probably some URL's of the used hardware as I can't see what you can

[Reply #2 on:]

kdecker,
    All you need to use is an RS-232 (or USB) to TTL Serial converter between your PC and your
SpeakJet chip -- you don't need an Arduino.  The Phrase-A-Lator software was intended to be
used with the SpeakJet development boards.

    -Rusty-

[Reply #3 on:]

Thanks all. I have an Arduino Uno and my SpeakJet is connected to it per the instructions in the SpeakJet documentation. Works great for speech strings that are sent from an arduino program. For example, the following works great:

#include <NewSoftSerial.h>
// set up the SoftwareSerial port to connect to the SpeakJet
int lightPin = 0;
int done = 0;
NewSoftSerial SpeakJetSerial =  NewSoftSerial(2, 3);

  char goodMorning[] = {20, 96, 21, 114, 22, 100, 23, 2, 8, 179, 138, 138, 177, 140, 7, 137, 7, 153, 22, 150, 141, 129, 143, 30, 10, 22, 100, 187, 191, 8, 131, 186, 132, 132, 141, 22, 120, 128, 22, 130, 128, 0};
void setup()
{
  SpeakJetSerial.begin(9600);
}
 
void loop()
{
  int val;
  int threshold = 625 ;
  val=analogRead(lightPin); // read the light level from the light pin.
  if (val <= threshold) // light level goes from 0 to 900. Higher number is darker.
  {
    if (done == 0) // if we haven't spoken yet...
    {
      SpeakJetSerial.print(goodMorning); // send string to the SpeakJet
      done = 1; // set done to 1 so it doesn't keep talking forever.
    }
  }
  else
  {
    done = 0; // set done back to 0 so the next time the light comes on
              // it will speak again.
  } 
  delay (1000);
}
--------------------------------------------------------------------
With a different program, I was hoping to use the arduino as kind of a "passthrough" from my PC to the SpeakJet since the PC is already connected to the arduino via the USB software serial port, and the speakjet is connected to the arduino.

So I want to also be able to test out sounds and phrases using phraselator without having to disconnect the speakjet from the arduino.

To make arduino a "passthrough" to speakJet, I figured I would just read anything that comes across the serial port from the PC to the arduino and print it to the speakjet port.

Using the code below, I can send data from the Phraselator to the arduino (I can see the arduino Rx light flashing when I send the data). But it doesn't seem to send it to the SpeakJet to make the sounds.


#include <NewSoftSerial.h>

NewSoftSerial SpeakJetSerial =  NewSoftSerial(2, 3);

void setup()
{
  SpeakJetSerial.begin(9600); // serial port to SpeakJet.
  Serial.begin(9600); // serial port from PC to arduino.
}

void loop()
{
  if (Serial.available())
  {
    SpeakJetSerial.print((char)Serial.read());
  }
}

[Reply #4 on:]

You can use a button to let the Arduino know it has to forward all communications from the hardware serial to the pins where the Speakjet is connected, then do a loop like this:

   while(1)
    {
      byte pc2spkjet = digitalRead(hwRxPin);
      digitalWrite(spkjetTxPin, pc2spkjet);
    
      byte spkjet2pc = digitalRead(spkjetRxpin);
      digitalWrite(hwTxPin, spkjet2pc);
    }

Of course, hwRxPin is 0, hwTxPin is 1, spkjetRxPin and spkjetTxPin are what ever you choose (2 and 3 in your example). And don't forget to set the pins to input (Rx) and output (Tx) using the PinMode command in setup().
This works at 9600 baud. For higher baud rates, you need to use the fast digitalRead and Write.

[Reply #5 on:]

Thanks! I'll give it a try.