Parallax Emic 2 Text to Speech Module

Give your project a voice! Text-to-Speech Module is a multi-language voice synthesizer that converts a stream of digital text into natural sounding speech. Its simple command-based interface makes it easy to integrate into any embedded system.

Simply connect the Emic-2 to a 5VDC power supply, connect a speaker to the speaker output (or 1/8" headphone jack) and send it a stream of serial text at 9600bps. The module contains all of the smarts necessary to parse the text into phonemes and then generate natural sounding speech, all your controller has to do is send serial strings.

The command set for the module is entirely comprised of ASCII-based printable characters and allows you to change languages (English or Spanish), change between 9 different voices, and even control speech parameters on the fly. The module also communicates back to your system so you can get settings, version information and even “finished speaking” flags back from the board

Key Features:
    High-quality speech synthesis for English and Spanish languages
    Nine pre-defined voice styles comprising male, female, and child
    Dynamic control of speech and voice characteristics, including pitch, speaking rate, and word emphasis
    Industry-standard DECtalk text-to-speech synthesizer engine (5.0.E1)

Application Ideas:
    Reading Internet-based data streams (such as e-mails or Twitter feeds)
    Conveying status or sensor results from robots, scientific equipment, or industrial machinery
    Language learning or speech aids for educational environments

Specification:
    Single row, 6-pin, 0.1² header for easy connection to a host system like Arduino, Propeller, Atmega, PIC, Basic Stamp, 8051, ARM, raspberry     
    PI, Beagbone etc
    Power requirements: +5 VDC, 30 mA idle, 46-220 mA active (depending on speech parameters and output load)
    Communication: Asynchronous 9600 bps serial (8N1)
    Dimensions: 3.17 W x 3.81 L x 0.94 H cm
    Operating temperature: -20 to +70 °C