This is our first project about SpeakJet chip and connect it to PIC 16F877 microcontroller. Actually Mr. I Gusti Putu Arka and I have been designing the project since August 2007. We decided to buy the chip at Surabaya city. Alas, there were no electronics suppliers have the stock, but they offered us to import it with amount of down payment in Rupiah. We ordered the SpeakJet on September 2007 and the chip came on December 2007. So we have been waiting for two months. From September to December 2007, we searched for literature about SpeakJet chip and tried to design the circuit and its source code.
In the beginning of December 2007, I opened my e-mail account and received a good news from the supplier that the chip has been arrived at Surabaya. They said that they would sent it to me as soon as possible using TIKI JNE cargo. We were glad to received the chip. Although its dimension only about 1cm X 3 cm square, the supplier put it in a secure 20 cm X 25 cm box.
Although we have been received the chip on December, I have no time to check it because on that month, I had a lot of activities in Jlih Lambih Temple and Penyampuhan Temple. I just looked up at the chip and thought to myself, "Is it true that it can speak". I left it in the box and went to the Temple.
After laying it for a month, on January 2007 the mood has come and inspired to use the chip. I opened the box and prepared for PCB. It is hard for me to determine the source code especially the data format to make it speak. I made an amplifier using LM 386 chip and an 8 ohm speaker. For the first time, I heard it announce "Ready" although it is not so clear for me. I was so happy that time because it really can speak. But I thought that I made a mistake with the amplifier and decided to make a new PC.
In the middle of January I made the second PCB complete with amplifier using LM 386 and an 8 ohm speaker. The word "Ready" was sound clearer than before but it still having noise. I thought it's OK for the first time and continue research to find the data format using PIC 16F877 microcontroller. After a few days of trial and error, I decided to try it using PC to avoid download process to the microcontroller. Well, I have to prepared an RS232-To-TTL level converter to send data from PC to SpeakJet chip.
The research continued using Visual Basic to send commands to SpeakJet. At last, I found the data format and I was able to make it count from zero to nine. But the amplifier output still did not sound clearly. I decided to use a PC amplifier speaker. I opened it and found that it based on TDA 2822 chip equipped with two speakers and a step down voltage circuit. I prepared the PCB and connected it to the PC amplifier speaker. The result, it's sound OK without noise. It was a happy ending research.
My friend Agus Arya Suprapta helped me to make a suitable box. We went to workshop and asked the technician to drill and cut the box. However, they made a mistake while drilling the box so it did not fit for led and knob position. We have to do some adjustment. Thank you, Agus for your help.
On February 7th 2007, Ahmad Zaki Yamani, Arif Haryanto Edon, Ary Sugiarto, Arimbawa, Kastria Permana, Dwita Saputra, Wayan Suwarjaya, Dewa Putu Eko Hirawan, Widya Kusuma and Antonius Joko Priambudi came to my house and helped to set the SpeakJet circuit into the box. We had been working from 9 am to 5 pm. It is a work to set the circuit up. Once again, thanks guys for your help. I really appreciate your assistance.
Read more about SpeakJet Project at http://www.sapteka.net/pic16f877andspeakjet.htm
