Speaking Terminal

This section is intended for advanced computer users, advanced electronic hobbyist & electronics engineers

When we think of a terminal, we think of a computer program or device that can receive ASCII characters and display the readable characters on a display. Some none readable characters will be used to control the position of the displayed characters. We also expect the terminal to be able to transmit ASCII characters.

Me Speaking can receive ASCII characters through a selected com port, and instead of displaying them. It will say them. Control characters will be ignored. Me Speaking does not transmit any characters.

The talking terminal has a 1000 byte buffer, and uses < as a control character. When < is received, all characters sent before it will be spoken. Any characters that form words will be spoken as words.
Characters will still be received into the buffer while other characters or words are spoken.

The text from the buffer will be automatically copied to the clip board and then processed by the STI list before been spoken.

See the example below.

Hello this is a test<this is the second test

When Me Speaking receives the characters above through the selected com port. It will say the text below.

Hello this is a test

If the characters below are then sent.

good bye<

Me Speaking will say the text below.

this is the second test good bye

After saying the text from the buffer. The text that was spoken will be deleted from the buffer. Thus if used correctly the buffer should never overflow. If the buffer is allowed to overflow, the overflowed characters will be lost.

Enabling the talking terminal

• Select a com port from the list.
• Select a baud rate from the list.
• Open the port by selecting MONITOR PORT ON.

When the computer starts up and MONITOR PORT is on, Me Speaking will automatically open the selected port then immediately begin monitoring it.

If the selected com port is unavailable, unsupported or in use, the error will be reported to you.

Possible uses for the talking terminal

- Voice alerts for security systems
- Voice alerts for the blind
- and many more