Many of the design features of the 9600 remain similar to the 56000. Where the 56k grouped two 24-bit data and an 8-bit status register into a single 56-bit accumulator, the 96k groups three 32-bit registers into a 96-bit accumulator.
Unlike the 56k, the 96000 "family" consisted of a single model, the 96002. It was nowhere near as successful as the 56k, and was only produced for a short period of time. Today its role is filed by products based on the StarCore.