VIA Technologies, Inc., a leading innovator and developer of silicon chip technologies and PC platform solutions, announced the introduction of the VIA VT7216 DVD-ROM Controller, the latest addition to VIA's optical media product family.

Providing data storage up to 14 times that of CD-ROMs and enabling data transfers nine times faster, Digital Versatile Discs (DVDs) are rapidly replacing legacy storage disk drive devices, with multimedia applications across the business and leisure spectrum. Building on the success of the VIA VT7160 CD-ROM controller, the VIA VT7216 provides a reliable and cost-effective solution for OEMs and system builders incorporating the benefits of DVD-ROM technology into their devices.

With control functionality for up to 60X CD-ROM and 16X DVD-ROM formats, the VIA VT7216 has an enhanced IDE interface supporting ATAPI-4 Ultra-66/100 DMA interfaces. Advanced spindle and servo control reduce vibration to a minimum, ensuring efficient data reading, and the built-in turbo 8032 processor drives the optical reading and data output.

"The VIA VT7216 answers a market need for a cost effective integrated controller solution," commented Phil Su, Senior Director of the Optical Media Division, VIA Technologies, Inc. "Compliant with the latest DVD specifications and incorporating a great feature set, the VIA VT7216 is a powerful new product in our optical storage lineup, and augments VIA's 'Total Connectivity' vision in providing yet another high performance element of PC infrastructure."

About the VIA VT7216 DVD-ROM Controller

Designed for easy integration by OEMs and system designers, the VIA VT7216 has a built-in 8-bit turbo 8032 microprocessor and a programmable operating clock for high-speed operation and sleep mode applications. The VIA VT7216 has the significant advantage of not requiring external DRAM, and the internal buffer memory operates with a creative management system.

To maximize device stability the VIA VT7216 uses advanced spindle motor control with APC and AFC flow control to reduce spindle vibration. The controller's servo controls contain a built-in digital signal processor (DSP) with programmable pitch and digital filters, and the audio is provided through a built-in DAC providing high-speed audio playback with a variety of controls. A Flash-ROM supports up to 128Kbytes and supports firmware downloads though the EIDE interface. The VIA VT7216 is available in a 208-pin LQFP package.