Epson develops new synthesis chip

Epson has successfully unveiled a new synthesis chip that features Fonix text-to-speech capability. The S1V30120 chip is capable of turning any text-based character into a synthetic speech signal which is subsequently output via the built-in D/A converter. Since the message protocol used is based on a clock-synchronous serial interface, integrating the S1V30120 chip with a variety of host devices and microcontroller is going to be a snap. Looks like the blind can finally surf the Internet and use the computer with greater ease instead of relying on current systems. So far, the target applications include voice guidance systems found in home appliances, buildings, and office or industrial equipment.