Newsgroups: comp.speech
From: Leon@lfheller.demon.co.uk (Leon Heller)
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!das-news2.harvard.edu!news2.near.net!howland.reston.ans.net!pipex!demon!lfheller.demon.co.uk!Leon
Subject: Re: Cardinal DSP16
References: <3cpvjt$pf6@infa.central.susx.ac.uk>
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Date: Thu, 15 Dec 1994 21:05:15 +0000
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In article <3cpvjt$pf6@infa.central.susx.ac.uk>
           tapj6@central.susx.ac.uk "Rod Dorrell" writes:

> Hello all,
> 
> I'm considering buying a Cardinal DSP PRO 16 board. What I need to do is
> acquire and replay speech on my PC at a range of sampling frequencies
> from 8 to 22 kHz at 16 bits linear (... and stereo would be nice too).
> The UK distributor, although quite helpful, couldn't answer all my
> technical questions. Can you ?
> 
> 1) Is the A and u law compression optional ? I only want linear
> representation.

Yes. The Voyetra software supplied has a Windoze utility called
WinDAT that gives 8/16 bit A/u/none compression amd stereo/mono
options. I haven't tried the stereo (no suitable mic) but it
should work. You have to convert the .wav files into raw sound
files if you need to mess about with them. SOX is ideal for this.

>   
> 2) How much control is there on the sampling rate ?

14 fixed rates from 5510 to 48000.
 
> 
> 3) What provisions are made for analog filtering, antialiasing for
> record and image reject for playback ? If so, is there a fixed cutoff
> frequency ?

This is all done by the codec (I think). The quality sounds pretty
good to me, and people at work. I'm only using it for speech, though.

>   
> Other questions I didn't ask him ...
> 
> 4) Does the board come with stereo mini speakers and microphones ?

No.

> 
> 5) Does it have a CD interface ?

Yes, Sony type.

> 
> 6) Can it handle simultaneous record and replay, ie: dma in both
> directions ?

Yes.

> 
> 7) Why is it so popular with radio amatures ?

Because it uses the ADSP-2115 DSP, and one or two amateurs have a
lot of experience with ADSP-2xxx DSPs. A PD x-assembler is available
and C library. A CW filter and PACTOR HF packet modem are available
so far. Analog Devices sell a complete development system for the
PSA boards (Cardinal, Orchid, Paradise, etc.). Several articles
about amateur radio applications using the PSA boards have appeared
in QEX, published by the ARRL.

> 
> If anyone can answer any of these I'd be grateful. On the face of it,
> this board could be a very cheap alternative to general purpose data 
> acquistion board (about 1000 sterling).
> 
> Rod Dorrell
> 

I hope this helps. I'm very pleased with mine, and got one for my
PC at work, as well. At work I'm using it to capture speech samples
that will be processed and put into a speech synthesiser.

Leon
-- 
Leon Heller                       | "Do not adjust your mind, there is
G1HSM                             |  a fault in reality": on a wall
Email: leon@lfheller.demon.co.uk  |  many years ago in Oxford.
Phone: +44 (01734) 266679         |
