---
name: "ac97"
section: "4"
platform: "openbsd"
package: "man"
version: "8.0-current-20261101"
release: "OpenBSD 8.0-current (2026-11-01)"
platforms: ["openbsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/ac97"
---

# ac97(4)

generic AC'97 codec driver

## NAME

**ac97** – generic AC'97 codec driver

## DESCRIPTION

AC'97 codecs contain the analog to digital (A/D), digital to analog (D/A), and mixing circuitry of many modern sound cards. AC'97 codecs, for the most part, do not talk to host buses like the PCI bus directly. Instead, they communicate through an interface chip, called the host controller. The Ensoniq AudioPCI 97 (see [eap(4)](/eap/4.md)) is an example of such a host controller.

Unlike many drivers, the **ac97** driver does not appear in the configuration file. Instead, the driver is automatically attached by the drivers that require it.

## SEE ALSO

[auacer(4)](/auacer/4.md), [auich(4)](/auich/4.md), [auixp(4)](/auixp/4.md), [autri(4)](/autri/4.md), [auvia(4)](/auvia/4.md), [clcs(4)](/clcs/4.md), [clct(4)](/clct/4.md), [eap(4)](/eap/4.md), [emu(4)](/emu/4.md), [esa(4)](/esa/4.md), [fms(4)](/fms/4.md), [maestro(4)](/maestro/4.md), [neo(4)](/neo/4.md), [yds(4)](/yds/4.md)

## BUGS

The **ac97** driver does not keep track of the current user settings and instead relies on the hardware to do this.

The **ac97** driver could do more to detect mixer channels that don't work and cull them from the list.