APR9600 is a low-cost, high-performance sound recording / playback IC incorporating the analog flash storage technique. The recorded sound is retained even after the power supply is removed from the module. The reproduced sound exhibits high quality with a low noise level. The sampling rate for a 60 second recording period is 4.2 kHz which provides a sound recording / playback bandwidth from 20 Hz to 2.1 kHz. However, by changing an oscillation resistance, a sampling rate of up to 8.0 kHz can be achieved. This shortens the total duration of sound recording to 32 seconds. The total sound recording time can be varied from 32 seconds to 60 seconds by changing the value of a single resistor. The IC can operate in one of two modes: serial mode and parallel mode. In serial access mode, sound can be recorded in 256 sections. In parallel access mode, the sound can be recorded in 2, 4 or 8 sections. The IC can be controlled simply by pressing the buttons. It is also possible to control the IC using external digital circuits, such as microcontrollers and computers. The APR9600 has a 28-pin DIP packet. The supply voltage is between 4.5V and 6.5V. During recording and playback, the current consumption is 25 mA. In idle mode, the current drops to 1 mA. The APR9600 Experimental Board is an assembled PCB board consisting of an APR9600 IC, electret microphone, support components and switches required to enable users to explore all the functions of the APR9600 chip. The oscillation resistance is chosen so that the total recording period is 60 seconds with a sampling frequency of 4.2 kHz. The board measures 80 mm by 55 mm.