zhou@brazil.psych.purdue.edu (Albert Zhou) (11/27/90)
Tandy TL1000 and SL1000 (maybe some other models too) have fairly good sound quality when you use sound and music application programs. However, has anybody ever tried to program it? In standard PC, it's very easy to control the internalspeaker, but you don't satisfactory sound quality. I suppose in Tandy there is a D/A to control the speaker which is done by hardware interrupts. Any comments and information are welcome.
yetsko@interlan.interlan.com (Mike Yetsko) (11/27/90)
In the 1000 machines, there is the standard IBM type sound. In addition, there is the TI sound chip mapped to emulate what happend in the PC-jr with the 3-voice sound. In the xL machines it went one step further. The joystick was digitized, and one of the side benefits was the fact that there is a D/A ramp that can be programmed for immediate voltages. Since this is tied to the joystick comparitor, that is how Tandy does the A->D conversions of voice and sound. For playback, the same readings can be 'played back' and routed to the sound circuits. I would suggest you get an SL or TL service manual if you want more info, or if you are just interested in the 3-voice sound, there are a number of books that cover the PC-JR sound, and it applies to ALL 1000 type machines from Tandy. Mike Yetsko (formerly with Tandy)
rbr@bonnie.ATT.COM (4197,ATTT) (11/27/90)
In article <11569@j.cc.purdue.edu> zhou@brazil.psych.purdue.edu (Albert Zhou) writes: >Tandy TL1000 and SL1000 (maybe some other models too) have fairly good sound >quality when you use sound and music application programs. However, has anybody >ever tried to program it? In standard PC, it's very easy to control the internalspeaker, but you don't satisfactory sound quality. I suppose in Tandy there is >a D/A to control the speaker which is done by hardware interrupts. Any comments >and information are welcome. The TANDY 1000's have a 3 channel (voice) sound chip that can be accessed via BASIC (ugh!) or by any language via a port. I don't remember the port number but RS has a book "TANDY Graphics and Sound" that descibes things pretty well. I have tried all the BASIC programs for sound and they work pretty good when I remember to use "MODE SLOW". What I haven't seen is information on how to use the built-in Digital-Analog-Controller (DAC). I would be interested in seeing some source (C language ) examples that use the DAC. Hope this helps. Bob Rager
ekalenda@cup.portal.com (Edward John Kalenda) (11/28/90)
> Tandy TL1000 and SL1000 (maybe some other models too) have fairly good sound > quality when you use sound and music application programs. However, has > anybody ever tried to program it? In standard PC, it's very easy to control > the internal speaker, but you don't satisfactory sound quality. I suppose > in Tandy there is a D/A to control the speaker which is done by hardware > interrupts. Any comments and information are welcome. I've got some code which uses the DAC in the Tandy sound chip. If you're interested, I'll excerpt that part and mail it to you. Send me email and I'll try to get to it when I have a moment. Ed ekalenda@cup.portal.com
zhou@brazil.psych.purdue.edu (Albert Zhou) (11/28/90)
In article <YETSKO.90Nov27081958@interlan.interlan.com> yetsko@interlan.interlan.com writes: >I would suggest you get an SL or TL service manual if you want more info, ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I visited local Radio Shack a couple of days ago. They don't sell any Tandy technical manuals. There are no book catalog available either. Does anybody know where to obtain Tandy technical books? Interestingly enough, I found at the corner of the Tandy store, there are a few books on the shelf, among which is the book "Tandy Graphics and Sound". It was published in 1987 and so outdated that it doesn't cover SL and TL at all. And the salemen know almost nothing about Tandy computers. This so-call "America's Technology store". >or if you are just interested in the 3-voice sound, there are a number o >books that cover the PC-JR sound, and it applies to ALL 1000 type machines ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ PC-JR is out of place now. As for color, SL and TL are 640x200x16, but PC-JR is 640x200x4. For sound, you can not really play good quality sound if you don't have D/A. >from Tandy > >Mike Yetsko > (formerly with Tandy)
yetsko@interlan.interlan.com (Mike Yetsko) (11/28/90)
SOME Tandy service manuals are available at the stores in the computer bookrack, but not many. In any case, ALL service manuals are available THROUGH your local Radio Shack. Ask the store manager to ORDER you one through National Parts. Or, if you just happen to be POed at the store manager, order it yourself. Tandy National Parts maintains an 800 number for consumers to order ANY and ALL parts they have available. The last time I checked the only thing that you couldn't do through them that a repair center could do would be to exchance certain boards on the board exchange program. I THINK their number is 800-442-2425 Mike Yetsko (FORMERLY Tandy)