Special notes about certain "codec" chips
=========================================

There are some commonly used codec chips (listed below) which are
supported by OSS. However these chips are never used alone. Instead
they are always used together with some kind of controller chip. Because
OSS needs to support this controller chip too it's necessary to know the ID
of this chip too before we can tell if your soundcard works with OSS or not.

The easiest way to find out if OSS works with your card is using the autodetect
feature of OSS (will be invoked automatically when you install the free
evaluation version of OSS). OSS will autodetect practically all supported
chips.

AC97 codecs
-----------

The AC97 standard is based on two kind of chips. The 'AC97 codec'
is the chip that performs the analog to digital (AD) and digital to analog (DA)
conversions and works as the mixer. OSS supports _ALL_ AC97 codecs (because
practically they are all the same).

However all the 'AC97 controller' chips are different and OSS needs to have
a dedicated low level driver for each of them.

Examples of the AC97 codec chips (many others are available too):
- Analog Devices AD1881
- AKM AK4540
- Sigmatel STAC9700, STAC9701, STAC9721, STAC9704, STAC9708, etc.
- Crystal/Cirrus CS4297
- TR28023

Examples of AC97 controllers currently supported by OSS
- Aureal Vortex (AU8820) and Vortex2 (AU8830)
- ESS Maestro-1 and Maestro-2
- Crystal CS4280
- Trident 4D Wave
- Creative/Ensoniq ES1371/ES1373 (AudioPCI, SB PCI16, PCI64, PCI128)
- Creative SB Live!
- Yamaha YMF724/YMF734/YMF740/YMF744
- Avance Logic ALS300
- Neomagic NM2200
- Intel 810 motherboard chipset
- VIA VT82C686A "south bridge" (motherboard chipset)
- Others to be added in future

Crystal CS4248/CS4231/CS4231A and Analog Devices AD1848/AD1847/AD1845
---------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE! Other CS423x chips are self contained and OSS has dedicated
drivers for them.

These codec chips are never used alone. Instead they require some amount
of "glue logic" to connect them to ISA bus. In most cases OSS can autodetect
them. If autodetection fails then the "Generic MSS/WSS" driver may work
(there is no guarantee about that).

Because all the cards based on these chips are very old (1996 or earlier)
we provide support only for the cards that are autodetected by OSS.

Some common soundcards and chipsets that use the above chips:
- OPTi MAD16 family (82C928/82C929/82C930/82C931/82C924/82C925)
- OAK OTI-601D (AKA Mozart)
- Ensoniq Soundscape and Ensoniq VIVO
- Some chipsets and cards made by Aztech (AZTnnnn) (some of them supported).
- Analog Devices/Echo PSS chipset (ESC614) (Not supported by OSS)
- Gravis Ultrasound MAX.
- Mediatrix Audiotrix Pro

There are also other cards/chipsets that are compatible with the ones mentioned
above. Autodetection or the MSS/WSS driver may work with them.