[Coco] Including an SSC

[Richard Goedeken]

It's interesting to see this discussion going on here now, because it's a
topic that was on my mind a few weeks/months ago.  I'm also writing a game
engine for the Coco 3 and looked into the available audio expansion options.
I have an orchestra 90 and an SSC and explored their capabilities a bit.  I'm
going to support the ORC-90 since it is nice for PCM audio output, but the SSC
is mostly only good for music and speech.  And the music capability is very
rudimentary.  I may add support in the future for the SSC but I had an idea of
designing a more advance microcontroller-based board that could handle PCM
sound and music very well, and reduce CPU load versus driving the internal
Coco DAC.

If the CocoSDC had an expansion header to support this type of device it would
be very nice but I'd rather not wait for another design/test cycle just for
this.  I'm happy with the CocoSDC just for the capabilities that it has, and
if I do find time in the future to design and build my sound card, I don't
mind making it in a traditional cartridge format.

Richard

On 10/10/2014 06:17 PM, Nick Marentes wrote:
> On 11/10/2014 10:27 AM, S Klammer wrote:
>> Some, myself being one, do not have a multi-pak or comfortable with a
>> hacked together Y cable.
> 
> I have one but it takes up my already limited desk space and with cartridges
> sticking up in the air, it doesn't allow me to slide the CoCo under the
> monitor stand anymore.
> 
>> BTW, although I do not have a multi-pak, I already have a SSC and an Orch90.
>>
>> Shain
>>
> 
> I too have both but rarely use them.
> 
> The SCC cartridge is good although I don't think much of the speech side.
> 
> TooooRobotiiiiicFooooorrrMeeeeee.   :)
> 
> The sound chip is fine although it needs constant CPU intervention to have it
> play sophisticated sounds.
> 
> Many of the 80's arcade machines used this very chip but most had a second CPU
> devoted to feeding the sound chip with data.
> 
> That's why a modern microcontroller is ideal because it's a CPU and RAM and
> I/O in the one compact package (like my Teensey 3.1).
> 
> The Teensey would interface easily. Over 70Mhz, 64K onboard RAM, USB, AD
> conversion in a package about the size of a 2764 eprom for $20 (or less).
> 
> All that is missing is a header to connect to the CoCo bus....
> 
> ... and now the argument has gone full circle.   :)
> 
> Nick
> 
>