[sebhc] Re: Cassette software tapes for H-8

[Carroll Waddell]

Barry Watzman wrote:

>I have done that with the audio tapes from a Processor Technology Sol-20.
>In fact, I've gone further .... I've burned the sound records to an audio
>CD, and I can indeed run the programs from the audio output of the CD
>player.
>
>BUT WAIT, There's more!
>
>I then converted the audio to an MP3 file, burned that to a DATA CD, and
>played that on a CD player that can play MP3 and WMA files.  And, despite
>the protestations of almost everyone that it COULD NOT work (much talk about
>"zero crossings" and "phase distortion"), it DOES work.  [The Sol never took
>the requisite course in analog signals and waveforms, I guess.]
>
>However, the SOL system is different than the system used by Heath, so the
>fact that it worked on the audio tapes for the SOL cannot be extrapolated to
>mean that it will work on the Heath cassette systems.  But I'd venture a
>guess that wave files, at least, can be saved that way.  Saving them as MP3
>files is another matter, and is much less certain (or even less likely).
>Really, someone needs to try it:  capture the sound as a "wave" file, [I'd
>recommend "normalizing" it to use the full dynamic range without clipping],
>then convert it to an MP3 file, save it on some MP3 media or device, and
>play it back into the cassette port of an H-8 or H-89 and see if it works.
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: sebhc-bounces at sebhc.org [mailto:sebhc-bounces at sebhc.org] On Behalf Of
>Mark Garlanger
>Sent: Tuesday, August 01, 2006 3:01 PM
>To: sebhc at sebhc.org
>Subject: Re: [sebhc] Re: Cassette software tapes for H-8
>
>Would it work you captured the digitalized sound from the tape (with a
>sound card), then recorded that sound file back to a new tape? If it
>does, that would be a nice way to also archive tapes.
>
>On 8/1/06, Carroll Waddell <carrollwaddell at sc.rr.com> wrote:
>  
>
>>WVerish at aol.com wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Does anyone know where I might get any of the tapes that were included
>>>with the H-8 computer? Also I am looking for memory chips (or a
>>>source) so I can populate my 16K memory board for the H-8.
>>>
>>>
>>>Thanks much,
>>>
>>>Wayne Verish
>>>      
>>>
>>Wayne,
>>If you have trouble making H8 software tapes, I'll be glad to make you
>>copies of the tapes I have. Just let me know.
>>Carroll
>>--
>>Delivered by the SEBHC Mailing List
>>
>>    
>>
>--
>Delivered by the SEBHC Mailing List
>
>
>--
>Delivered by the SEBHC Mailing List
>
>  
>
I'm feel pretty sure that you could record audio out from the H8 and 
save it on a PC.
I've been working on a cassette emulation device to connect to a PC, and 
I recorded a tape to my PC with SoundForge so that I could look at the 
audio waveform. The neat thing about the heath interface is that they 
use 1200 Hz for a Mark and 2400 Hz for a space (or maybe it's the other 
way around.)
They also transfer data at 1200 bits per second. Therefore, the Mark 
takes exactly 2 cycles of audio, and the space takes 1 cycle. The bit 
start time coming from the USART is in sync with the zero crossing of 
the audio signal.
Carroll
--
Delivered by the SEBHC Mailing List