Votrax Explained

Votrax
Predecessor:Federal Screw Works
Founded:1971
Detroit, Michigan
Location:Troy, Michigan
Fate:Merged with Vysion, Inc. (1992)

Votrax International, Inc. (originally the Vocal division of Federal Screw Works), or just Votrax, was a speech synthesis company located in the Detroit, Michigan area from 1971 to 1996.[1] It began as a division of Federal Screw Works from 1971 to 1973. In 1974, it was given the Votrax name (taken from the name of its first commercial product, the model VS4 "Votrax") and moved to Troy, Michigan and, in 1980, split off of its parent company entirely and became Votrax International, Inc., which produced speech products up until 1984.[2] [3]

In 1984, the company restructured itself as a commercial phone/speech audio-response/auto-answering systems company after downsizing some of the staff. In 1987, Votrax merged with Vynet Corp., a voice-recognition prompt pioneer.[4] [5] It remained Votrax inc. until about 1992, when it was renamed to or otherwise merged with Vysion, Inc., a maker of security cameras and other related devices.[6] It remained 'Vysion Inc.' until the company declared bankruptcy in June 1994 following a court battle patent litigation loss against PATCO inc.,[7] and from the remains of the old company, restructured itself as 'Maxxar' inc in 1995.[8] Maxxar was acquired by Open Solutions, LLC (then Open Solutions, Inc.), on February 24, 2004,[9] and Open Solutions, LLC was acquired by Fiserv, Inc. on January 14, 2013.[10] Maxxar owned the rights to the Votrax name, but the trademark lapsed on March 11, 2016.[11]

History

All the Votrax speech synthesizers owe their existence to the speech synthesizer design created in 1970 by Richard T. Gagnon. After coming up with a viable design scheme in his basement laboratory, Gagnon licensed it to Federal Screw Works, whom he was working for at the time, and they continued development of his original design. This became the "Vocal division of Federal Screw Works".[6]

In 1984, Votrax either declared bankruptcy or came close to doing so, and restructured itself as a commercial phone-interface provider, and hence produced no new consumer products. The later commercial-only products are not listed on the below list because literature about these seems to have been of limited distribution and has not yet been found. During the restructuring, much of the existing staff was downsized off, including Tim Gargagliano and Kathryn F. Gargagliano, who along with two other former Votrax employees, Art Velthoven and Dale McDaniel, started Artic Technologies in 1984.[2] [3] Tim and Kate had earlier written an article about the SC-01 for BYTE magazine.[12] In 1987, Votrax merged with Vynet Corp and the product lines of both companies were combined.[4] [5]

Products

Votrax was responsible for designing and manufacturing several important early speech synthesizer back-ends, and several widely used integrated circuit phoneme synthesizers. Votrax produced speech backend modules and cards for various personal computers, and worked with the United States Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) to create an extensible speech frontend system. Votrax's speech technology was also used by 3rd parties in several arcade games, Gottlieb System 80 pinball machines, and talking terminals.[13] A Votrax synthesizer was used as part of the text-to-speech subsystem of the first generation Kurzweil Reading Machine for the Blind.[14]

During the 1970s, Votrax produced a series of discrete speech synthesizers, with epoxy-coated boards to thwart people copying their designs. In 1980, they designed and manufactured an integrated circuit speech synthesizer called the SC-01. This IC proved very popular in the third party market, and was produced until at least 1984. It was succeeded by the somewhat more dynamic SC-02, also known as the SSI-263P. From the beginning of SC-02 production, Silicon Systems Inc. (now part of Texas Instruments)[13] manufactured the SC-02 chip under the product number SSI-263P, and this was apparently later adopted as the official name of the IC. Votrax continued to intermittently sell SC-01-A and SC-02 synthesis chips, and Personal Speech System text to speech units until at least October 1990.[15]

Since early in its life, Votrax specialized in making phoneme-based speech synthesizers and text-to-speech algorithms. The popular United States Naval Research Laboratory, or "NRL" text-to-phoneme algorithm was developed by a collaboration between Votrax and the NRL in 1973. This algorithm and variants of it were used on a number of text-to-speech devices, such as the Votrax Type 'N Talk, the Votrax Personal Speech System, and the General Instruments CTS256A-AL2 text-to-allophone chip.[6] A good rundown of the NRL algorithm can be found under reference.[16]

Votrax also supplied the SC-02 speech chip used in the amateur radio 'DOVE-OSCAR 17' or 'DOVE' Microsatellite.[17] [18] [19]

M. D. McIlroy used a "Votrax" branded "Federal Screw Works" synth, a single potted block, as the 'Screw Works' backend for the Unix 'speak' command on Unix V1/2/3/4 in 1972/1973.[20] Details of the algorithm were later (1974) described in his paper "Synthetic English speech by rule", Bell Telephone Laboratories Computer Science Technical Report #14, which is available on his personal site's publications page.[21]

The most typical commercial products are two boxes named "Type 'N Talk (TNT)" and "Personal Speech System (PSS)".

The TNT consists of a board with Motorola MC6802 microprocessor, a 4K ROM, some 74xx TTL chips, a Motorola 6850 (ACIA) for RS-232 communication, and an SC-01A synth chip.[22]

The PSS has 2K RAM chips and an 8K EPROM which holds "non-critical" data. Inside the epoxy-covered blackbox, there are four 74xx TTL chips, a Zilog Z80 microprocessor, two 8K EPROMs, and the synth chip. It communicates via RS-232.[23]

List of products

Official

1971:

1972:

1973:

1973-1975:

1975:

1977:

1978

1978-1980:

1980:

1981:

1982:

1983:

1984:

1985:

1987:

Third party

1978:

1979:

1980:

1981:

1982:

1983:

1984-96:

Support in software

Scott Adams, who pioneered text adventures for home computers, implemented support of Votrax speech in VIC-20 porting of some of his adventures, like Adventureland (VIC-1914) and Voodoo Castle (VIC-1918).[41]

Patents

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Sabry . Fouad . Speech Recognition: How speech recognition is going to cause disruption . 10 July 2022 . One Billion Knowledgeable . 138 . en.
  2. Web site: About Artic Technologies . Articannex.ws . 2010-02-17 . 2011-07-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110728031437/http://www.articannex.ws/artictec.htm . live .
  3. http://www.artictech.com/history.htm Artic History
  4. Web site: Votrax Inc acquires Vynet Corp (1987/07/27) - Thomson Financial Mergers & Acquisitions . AlacraStore.com . 1987-07-27 . 2010-02-17 . 2012-02-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120214232800/http://www.alacrastore.com/storecontent/Thomson_M%26A/Votrax_Inc_acquires_Vynet_Corp-241391020 . live .
  5. Web site: VOTRAX INC reports earnings for Qtr to Sept 30 - Statistics - NYTimes.com . New York Times . 1987-11-19 . 2010-02-17 . 2021-10-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211028190221/https://www.nytimes.com/vi-assets/static-assets/global-2c70a72e6a867f256c6ccdf508c13728.css . live .
  6. Web site: NMAH | Smithsonian Speech Synthesis History Project . Americanhistory.si.edu . 2010-02-17 . 2010-03-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100311040745/http://americanhistory.si.edu/archives/speechsynthesis/ss_votr.htm . live .
  7. Web site: Archived copy . 2008-12-24 . 2011-07-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110721050321/http://coa.courts.mi.gov/documents/OPINIONS/FINAL/COA/19990309_C206681(0031)_206681.OPN.PDF . live .
  8. Web site: Resume . Msu.edu . 2010-02-17 . 2011-06-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110607222208/https://www.msu.edu/~chapmand/danres.html . live .
  9. Web site: Open Solutions Acquires Maxxar Corporation; Financial Services Provider Boosts Technology Offering With Acquisition of Interactive Voice Information Solutions Provider - Business Wire . 2018-09-17 . 2018-09-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180917105117/https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20040224005977/en/Open-Solutions-Acquires-Maxxar-Corporation-Financial-Services . live .
  10. Web site: Maxxar Corporation: Private Company Information - Bloomberg . . 2018-09-17 . 2018-09-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180917105153/https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=7803890 . live .
  11. Web site: VOTRAX Brand - FindOwnerSearch . 2008-12-24 . 2021-10-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211028190209/http://www.findownersearch.com/votrax-3036201-brand.html . live .
  12. http://www.byte.com/art/9602/sec5/art3.htm BYTE.com
  13. Web site: Dale Grover . SC-01A . Redcedar.com . 2010-02-17 . 2009-08-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090826030819/http://www.redcedar.com/sc01.htm . live .
  14. Web site: SPECIAL ARTICLE: Evolution of Reading Machines for the Blind : Haskins Laboratories' Research as a Case History . 2021-07-03 . 2021-07-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210725073249/https://www.rehab.research.va.gov/jour/84/21/1/pdf/cooper.pdf . live .
  15. Web site: product detail . AbleData . 2003-04-24 . 2010-02-17. https://web.archive.org/web/20110606065104/http://www.abledata.com/abledata.cfm?pageid=113583&top=0&productid=94209&trail=0. June 6, 2011. unfit.
  16. Web site: Microvox . Members.tripod.com . 2010-02-17 . 2009-02-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090217194620/http://members.tripod.com/werdav/t2smicrv.html . live .
  17. Web site: Dove . 2006-11-29 . 2007-10-08 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071008081904/http://201.91.65.226/dove/dove.html . live .
  18. Web site: AMSAT-NA Microsats - Participants . Amsat.org . 1995-01-19 . 2010-02-17 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080419125336/http://www.amsat.org/amsat/sats/nk6k/msatname.html . April 19, 2008 .
  19. Web site: Amateur Satellite Summary - DO-17 . Amsat.org . 2010-02-17 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080516205721/http://www.amsat.org/amsat/sats/n7hpr/do17.html . May 16, 2008 .
  20. Web site: The PDP-11 Unix Preservation Society . Minnie.tuhs.org . 2010-02-17 . 2009-10-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091017202740/http://minnie.tuhs.org/PUPS/index.html . live .
  21. Web site: Publications . Cs.dartmouth.edu . 2007-06-19 . 2010-02-17 . 2010-02-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100225065534/http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~doug/pubs.html . live .
  22. Web site: Type'n'talk dissected . 2020-11-28 . 2020-12-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201212024721/http://kevtris.org/Projects/votraxtnt/index.html . live .
  23. Web site: Votrax PSS dissected. 2020-11-28. 2020-12-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20201208134038/http://kevtris.org/Projects/votraxpss/index.html. live.
  24. Web site: A voice response system for an office information system . Portal.acm.org . 2010-02-17.
  25. Web site: Mark's Ohio Scientific Board Index . Osi.marks-lab.com . 2010-02-17 . 2010-06-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100616205321/http://osi.marks-lab.com/boards/boards.html . live .
  26. "Electronically Speaking: Computer Speech Generation" by John P. Cater --
  27. Web site: Minspeak . Members.tripod.com . 2010-02-17 . 2008-10-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081016135710/http://members.tripod.com/werdav/minspeak.html . live .
  28. Web site: Company detail . Abledata . 2010-02-17. https://web.archive.org/web/20110606064531/http://www.abledata.com/abledata.cfm?pageid=113582&orgid=109489&discontinuetoggle=1. June 6, 2011. unfit.
  29. Web site: SSI 263 Speech Chip - net.micro | Google Groups . 1985-03-21 . 2010-02-17 . 2012-10-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121022023000/http://groups.google.com/group/net.micro/browse_thread/thread/51a58ac399404c31/7a4865406f88738a?lnk=st&q=speech+263++reset&rnum=6&hl=en#7a4865406f88738a . live .
  30. Vanderheiden . Gregg . A journey through early augmentative communication and computer access . Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development . November 2002 . 39 . 6 . 39–53 . The first commercial mass-marketed communication aid with speech synthesis was probably the Handivoice from the Federal Screw Works and Phonic Ear (1978).
  31. Web site: VOTRAX INTERNATIONAL, INC. . National Museum of American History . 19xx VSK - on encapsulated circuit cards for personal computers (Radio Shack, Tandy Corp.) and products like Handivoice, (HC Electronics, Mill Valley CA).
  32. Gargagliano . Tim . Fons . Kathryn . BYTE . The TRS-80 Speaks . October 1979 . 113–122.
  33. http://canada.esat.kuleuven.ac.be/docarch/infovisie/iv/1988/jg2nr2/sep17.doc
  34. Web site: Product Detail . Abledata . 2003-04-24 . 2010-02-17. https://web.archive.org/web/20110606064859/http://www.abledata.com/abledata.cfm?pageid=113583&top=13147&productid=96471&trail=22,13134. June 6, 2011. unfit.
  35. Web site: Colorware Real Talker manual (PDF).
  36. . 'Real Talker' Hardware Voice Synthesizer . Colorware advertisement . Falsoft inc. . December 1983 . 235.
  37. http://www.edstoffel.com/david/talkingterminals.html David M. Stoffel
  38. Web site: Kelly Wilson . Q*Bert's Voice . Members.aol.com . 2008-11-06 . 2010-02-17 . 2012-03-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120316000857/http://lifestream.aol.com/ . live .
  39. Web site: Tandy Computers . Ripsaw.cac.psu.edu . 2009-08-08 . 2010-02-17 . 2011-07-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110719053554/http://ripsaw.cac.psu.edu/%7Emloewen/Oldtech/Tandy/ . live .
  40. Web site: PC Mate Speech board . Web.inter.nl.net . 2010-02-17 . 2011-06-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110604104434/http://web.inter.nl.net/hcc/davies/ictpcma.html . live .
  41. see manual https://www.mocagh.org/ai/scottadams-vic-manual.pdf