Say Hello

The "Say Hello" is a Network Speech Server made from off the shelf hardware components.

Any device connected to the same Wi-Fi network can now have a voice without a dedicated speech module.

For background information see the That's What She Said article at the Main SFAQT blog.

I like to think of it as the voice for my "Internet of Things"

While studying the technology in the movie "War Games," I was inspired to make something like the Magic Talkie Box with the voice of Joshua. It is the "Say Hello module."

• Problem 1: The voice in wargames was not TTS (Text-To-Speech). It was actually done by a voice actor and modified to sound like a computer.
• Solution 1: I decided to accept that my module will never sound like Joshua. And so I chose to use the "Emic 2 Text-to-Speech Module." According to Parllax Inc. it is "Industry-standard DECtalk text-to-speech synthesizer engine (5.0.E1)." It sounds similar but not quite the same as the unit used by Stephen Hawking.
• Problem 2: The chosen module is very expensive. $60-80 depending on where you buy it. Far too expensive to embed in every single project we churn out at the labs. But I really like the way it sounds.
• Solution2 : Use one module and share it between multiple projects.

I chose to go with a very grungy prototype look. It could have easily had all the part inside the case. But I felt it had a nicer hacked look by putting everything outside the case, with wires wildy running about.

This is where this page comes in.

I use a Digi Wifi module that listen on a port. When data comes in on that port it politely forwards it to the TTS module.

Now any device anywhere on my LAN can talk to the TTS module.

Bonus: the module has 7 built in voices. Now each thing that talks to it can have a use a different voice.

Bonus Bonus: I will update this page every time I make a new thing talk to it. In as many languages as possible

Parts Used:

• Parallax Xbee adapter board. $10.00
• Wifi Module or Newer Wifi Module $35.00
• Radio Shack Mini Speaker $15.99
• Battery Holder $1.49
• Parallax Emic 2 TTS Module $59.99
• Wire-n-stuff
• Double sided mounting squares to hold everything down.

For help configuring the interface see this article or this one.

My config:

• ID-SSID=THELAB (Associated with my access point.)
• IP-IP Protocol=1 (Using TCP rather than UDP)
• MA-IP Addressing Mode = 1 (static)
• MY-IP Local IP Address=192.168.1.157
• DL-Destination IP Address = 192.168.1.20 (The IP Address of the receiving machine.)
• DE - Destination Port = 2329 (aka 9001=0x2329)
• CO - Source Port = 2329 (aka 9001=0x2329)
• BD - Baud Rate = 3 (9600)
• D7 - DIO7 Configuration =0 (disable)

echo "Shello Bash" | nc 192.168.1.157 9001

Note: This will work on the Raspberry Pi.

echo "00 * * * * username /home/username/saydatetime.sh" >>/etc/crontab echo "#!/bin/sh" >/home/username/saydatetime.sh echo "#date | nc 192.168.1.157 9001">>/home/username/saydatetime.sh echo "export TZ=America/Chicago">>/home/username/saydatetime.sh echo "date +'S %H hundred hours' | nc 192.168.1.157 9001">>/home/username/saydatetime.sh

Note: I left off the sudo and root stuff to make it safer.

<? $fp=fsockopen("192.168.1.157",9001,$errno,$errstr,30); if (!$fp) { echo "$errstr ($errno)<br>\n"; } else { fwrite($fp,"S I am a P H P script and I can say hello.\n"); while (!feof($fp)) { $temps=fgets($fp, 128); //echo "out[".$temps."]\n"; } } fclose($fp); ?>

# Echo client program import socket HOST = '192.168.1.157' # The remote host PORT = 9001 # The same port as used by the server s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM) s.connect((HOST, PORT)) s.send("S I am a Py thon script and I can say hello.\n") #s.send("S I am a Python script and I can say hello.\n") data = s.recv(1024) s.close() print 'Received', repr(data)

It would have been easy to not use the Radio Breakout board. The TTS module uses 3.3V stuff internally just like the Digi. I could have removed the level shifter and used the TTS module's onboard 3.3V regulator to power the Digi.

Had I gone that route I would have definately put everything inside the case.

Because some would ask: "Why didnt you just do it all in software?" Answer: Because that wouldn't have been as cool.

Viktor Criterion is an Inventor and Adventurer and is the co-founder of the "Super Fun Adventure Qest Time" Laboratory.

Though not normally mad or evil (and we're not touching that whole genius thing after what happened last time!) he can be obsessive. Victor can be a bit donkey-headed when attempts are made to dissuade him from new projects. He believes that life and work should be fun but is realist enough to know that fun is really just a perspective.

Software Copyright (c) 2013 Viktor Criterion

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

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MIT-License

Hardware Copyright (C) 2013 Viktor Criterion
Licensed under CERN v1.1

Artwork Copyright (C) 2013 Viktor Criterion
The likeness, imagages, renderings, artwork and all media of Viktor Criterion, Einida Ecxs, and Super Fun Adventure quest time are Copyright (C) 2013 Viktor Criterion. All Rights Reserved

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