CP/M System for Blind User
Stephen Stone
Here is the continuation of the development notes written by my friend
Al Paarman, as he completes work creating a simple text editor system
for a blind user. The system employs a dual floppy drive Kaypro 4,
Votrax speech synthesizer and modifications to CP/M's ED editor. More
features are in the offing. We have to replace a flakey full height
drive that won't stop spinning (in either drive position). Since the
Kaypro 4 has no fan or hard drive, it is easier to hear the "voice" of
the Votrax synthesizer than had we chosen a DOS machine for this
application. Any ideas which you might have to improve the system
would be appreciated. I am the conduit for feedback to Al as he
doesn't have e-mail. Al wants to release the software to the public
domain. I have the hope that the voice synthesizer part of the system
can be obtained inexpensively (in quantitiy) and that the many Kaypro
and other 8 bit CP/M systems which still can be found can be put to
use helping blind users read and write in correspondence with sighted
persons -- at a very affordable price.
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READ2ME.DOC
This file is designed for use with TALK2ED to "speak" the contents of
an A S C I I file. It uses commands similar to the ED structure, for
example, minus 4L means go back 4 lines; 5W means go forward 5 words.
The number indicates the number of words (lines) to SKIP. Plus 0
means speak the next. Plus 1 means skip one and speak the word that
follows. Minus 0 means go back (skip over the previous word and say
it again). To step backward minus 1 must be commanded. Values of 0
to 99 may be used.
It seemed desireable to "speak" several words (lines). This is
commanded by entering a number of 100 or greater. Values in excess of
100 are used to speak that number of words (lines). This is a forward
processs only (no reverse). If the movement goes beyond the length of
the text, a message is spoken; either "at start of file" or "at end of
file."
Entry of RETURN only continues the previous command. Any part or
parts of the command may be left out and whatever was previously used
will remain in effect. If reading lines and words only is commanded,
the number and direction stay as previously set and reading words
begins.
The program allows 2 commands that may be alternated by entering
ESCape. When the program is first run, RETURN will start continuous
(99 lines) speaking. ESCape switches to repeat the word just spoken.
A new command replaces the one that the program holds initially.
ESCape and a new command will change the alternate. Now the two new
ones are available until changed again.
Speaking may be interrupted at any point (actually between words) by
entry of a keyboard command; this may be a new command, Control-W or
Control-Q for TALK2ED, or a space command to simply pause the
speaking. Any of these must be terminated with RETURN.
-AAP-
========
TALK2ED.DOC
This is another VOTRAX program(RSX) for a blind user. It is intended
for use with CP/M's ED.COM. This software speaks keys as they are
typed (character mode) and speaks stuff displayed on the screen.]
There are user controls; entering Control-W will toggle between
speaking words or characters. Similarly, Control-Q toggles the VOTRAX
internal C A P processing. With this on, words starting with 2 or
more caps will be spelled. This is for things like AMA, FBI etc. It
will not be helpful for pH or dB.
ED uses the CP/M line buffer logic. Entry of Control-A will be played
back as circumflex A; Control-P is not shown, but does the printer
hard copy on/off logic. The original CP/M communicated with a
teletype which could not go backward and overwrite. This updated CP/M
sends to the screen and when BS or DEL is entered, the effect is to
BS, write a blank and BS again. That is why TALK2ED will be saying
"SPACE BACKSPACE SPACE." If Control-X is entered, the line processing
goes to the beginning of the line. Since CR triggers speaking in the
VOTRAX, it appears often and is not "spoken." Although the normal end
of the buffered line is terminated by a CR, it is not actually a part
of the line (the # characters in the line is used to indicate where
the end is located).
Some writers like to use multiple asterisks or dashes or several
blanks in a row. TALK2ED has a check for multiple punctuation
characters and only speaks the first one. Since there may be times
the writer wants to know if there is one or two spaces, the unspoken
multiples make a short "pop" sound.
I made the program speak punctuation normally except for space and
linefeed (which becomes annoying). These plus control characters are
spoken in character-by-character mode.
-AAP-