Abstract: An aural warning processor includes a warning signal monitoring circuit and an audio output generation circuit under the operable control of a microcontroller. A system interface provides off-system electrical connectivity for the processor. The warning signal monitoring circuit is monitors the states of various subsystems of a host system with which the aural warning processor is used, as actually measured by through failure detection circuits otherwise provided with the host system and configured to produce electrical signals indicative of the existence of abnormal conditions in or pertaining to monitored subsystems. The electrical signals output from the failure detection circuits are conveyed to the warning signal monitoring circuit through the system interface, the control circuit operates to determine whether any conveyed signal is indicative of an abnormal condition and, if so, further operates to control generation of an appropriate audio message.