General Instruments CTS256A-AL2 vs. Microchip CTS256AL2

[Andrew Lynch]

Hi

Is there a difference between the General Instruments CTS256A-AL2 and Microchip CTS256AL2 text-to-speech chips?

As I recall, Microchip purchased General Instruments and continued selling their products relabeled under the Microchip brand.

Something similar happened with Dallas Semiconductor and Microchip.  Some of the old DS parts are still available from Microchip.

If there is a difference, can anyone explain what it is?  Are they pin compatible?  Can they be distinguished in software?

Would like to hear some expert advice on this topic.  Thanks, Andrew Lynch

PS, I have the GI CTS256A-AL2 datasheets.  These are the parts Radio Shack/Archer used to sell.  I think they may have sold the Microchip parts at some point as well but I don't recall.  I cannot find datasheets for Microchip CTS256AL2

[Tom Storey]

Microchip was spun out of GI, so in theory the parts should be one in the same or at the very least compatible.

Other than some kind of "product ID" register within that you could read, which I doubt exists on such old chips, the best way I know of to distinguish between versions in software is knowing whether registers have certain power on/reset values, or certain bits that are permanently set or clear, or certain behaviours that you can test for e.g. with interrupts.

Otherwise I suspect a lot of older hardware was basically built to function, and not so much be found in software, so you may not have any real means to figure it out.

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