Aztech announces the first Windows '95 compatible OPL3-Audio Single Chip; the Super Integrated Audio Chip — AZT 2320 — is easily integrated into notebook, motherboard and add-on card to provide true Yamaha OPL3 16-bit FM CD quality stereo sounds

Business Wire, Oct 25, 1995

SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 25, 1995--Taking a further thrust into strengthening its OEM business, Aztech Systems Ltd. (SESDAQ: AZTECH), the second largest sound card maker in the world, announced Wednesday its first highly integrated sound device -- the AZT2320 Super Integrated Audio Chip.

This is the first single chip on the market that features the original Yamaha OPL3 FM Synthesis, Windows '95 Plug and Play and full Sound Blaster compatibility.

"Unlike most sound chips on the market today, this innovative chip performs like a full function sound card. With this chip, PC motherboard manufacturers can easily include the key multimedia functions as a standard feature in computers, leaving the slots free for other add-ons. In addition, they can now provide for more audio features with lower component count and production costs. A reliable chip solution, the AZT2320 allows for cost-effective manufacturing that produces the highest quality Yamaha 16-bit FM Stereo CD quality sound," said Michael Mun, president of Aztech Systems Ltd.

The AZT 2320 includes ISA Windows '95 Compatible Plug and Play for I/O addresses IRQs and DMAs resource management. It features a built-in original stereo Yamaha OPL3 FM music synthesizer, delivering true 20 voice playback.

Furthermore, the chip is fully compatible with major sound standards including Adlib, Sound Blaster, Sound Blaster PRO II and Microsoft Windows Sound System. The MPU401 compatibility on the chip is the gateway to many MIDI sequencer softwares available in the market today. A game port interface for joystick can be easily added without any external component.

The chip, co-developed with Yamaha Japan, features the stereo 16 bit sigma delta ADC/DAC that provides CD quality recording and playback and the full duplex operations allows simultaneous capture and playback.

It has a multiplexer for selecting different recording sources and a recording gain for adjusting different recording levels. The 16 bit sigma delta DAC plays back 8 bit-unsigned, 16 bit's complement, Alaw, ulaw and ADPCM data format. With MPCII compliance, the mixer provides full software volume controls.

With minimal external components, the AZT2320 can have an IDE CD ROM interface to connect to any manufacturer's IDE CD ROM drives. The AZT2320 with fax/modem circuitry design will make any sound card a true audio telephony system for entertainment and office application. Its power management feature will reduce power consumption for a "green" environment.

The AZT2320 is designed as a strategic solution for major PC OEM motherboard manufacturers who want to include sound chips as a standard feature in the motherboard and notebooks as a building block for audio telephony, wave table sound card or a FM sound card.

About Aztech

Based in Singapore, Aztech is a leading manufacturer and supplier of a full range of multimedia solutions for the desktop. In the recent Dataquest report published this year, Aztech is the second largest supplier of sound boards worldwide, holding 25% market share for discrete sound boards for 1994.

Aztech has established a strong presence in the CD ROM drive business, attested by several awards and recommendations from major publications worldwide. The company is dedicated to making multimedia more accessible to the masses by bringing high quality multimedia solutions to the market place.

CONTACT: Aztech Systems Ltd., Singapore

Joyce See, 65-7417211