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Apple NuBus Adapter Card

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Apple NuBus Adapter Card
Apple drawing 630-0450-12: the NuBus adapter card for the Centris 660AV
Manufacturer Apple Computer
Type NuBus slot adapter card
Interface Processor-direct expansion slot; one 96-pin NuBus connector
Compatible Macintosh Centris 610, Macintosh Quadra 610, Apple Workgroup Server 60, Macintosh Centris 660AV, Power Macintosh 6100, Apple Workgroup Server 6150
Part number 661-0049 (Power Macintosh 6100 adapter, service exchange)

The Apple NuBus Adapter Card is the card Apple sold for its low-profile desktop Macintosh models, whose single internal expansion slot is a processor-direct slot (PDS). Fitted in that slot, the adapter carries one NuBus connector and takes one 7-inch NuBus card, which then lies parallel to the logic board.[1] Apple listed a separate adapter for each family in its AppleFacts catalogues: the Macintosh Centris 610 NuBus Adapter Card, the Macintosh Centris 660 av NuBus Adapter Card and the Power Macintosh 6100/60 NuBus Adapter Card.[2][3][4]

Versions

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NuBus adapter cards
Adapter (AppleFacts name) Computers NuBus controller
Macintosh Centris 610 NuBus Adapter Card[2] Centris 610; the Quadra 610 and Workgroup Server 60 have the same slot[5] NuBus interface circuitry on the adapter[6]
Macintosh Centris 660 av NuBus Adapter Card[3] Centris 660AV MUNI; the DAV connector is also on the adapter[7]
Power Macintosh 6100/60 NuBus Adapter Card[4] Power Macintosh 6100; the Workgroup Server 6150 has the same slot[8] BART[1]

The Centris 610 slot is a 140-pin dual-position edge connector. Apple's drawing of the Centris 660AV adapter shows card-edge contacts for a 140-position connector along one edge and a 96-position Eurodin NuBus connector on the component side.[6][7] The NuBus controller lives on the adapter in the Centris 660AV and the Power Macintosh 6100, so those machines have no NuBus controller at all until the adapter is fitted.[1][7]

Apple's Service Source for the Quadra 610, Centris 610 and Workgroup Server 60 gives one expansion slot for all three that "supports either a processor-direct slot card or 7-inch NuBus card (with appropriate adapter)".[5] The Power Macintosh 6100/Workgroup Server 6150 Service Source gives the same wording for the 6100/60, 6100/66, 6150 and 6150/66, and says the 6100/60AV and 6100/66AV ship with the Power Macintosh AV card in the slot.[8] An AV model therefore has no room for the NuBus adapter unless the AV card comes out.[9]

Power and bus limits

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Apple's developer notes give these limits for a card in the adapter:

Power for a NuBus card fitted to the adapter
Computer +5 V +12 V −12 V Source
Centris 610, budget 1 6.1 W 2.1 W 1.8 W Table 3-2, 10 W in total[6]
Centris 610, budget 2 (unused ±12 V power moved to +5 V) 10.0 W 0.0 W 0.0 W
Centris 660AV 2.0 A 0.175 A 0.15 A Table 2-18[7]
Power Macintosh 6100 2.0 A 0.175 A 0.15 A Table 4-3[1]

The same tables limit the capacitance a card may present to 1513 µF on +5 V, 536 µF on +12 V and 698 µF on −12 V in the Centris 660AV and the Power Macintosh models.[7][1] Apple says the Centris 610 adapter supports most of the NuBus '90 features of the Centris 650 and Quadra 800 slots.[6]

PowerPC Macintosh systems do not support NuBus locking cycles. A card that relies on resource locking fails without a bus error.[1] The single PDS position also takes third-party PDS cards instead of the adapter; Apple's Power Macintosh developer note says the 6100/60 is the only Power Macintosh shipped with that slot empty.[10]

Installation

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Apple's procedure is the same in the Quadra 610/Centris 610 and Power Macintosh 6100 Service Sources. Remove the cover (on the 6100, the top housing and the SCSI hard drive cable) and observe the ESD precautions first.[11][12]

  1. Remove the expansion port cover from the back panel.
  2. Loosely connect the NuBus card's connector to the adapter card connector, fitting the adapter card pin into the hole in the NuBus card.
  3. Press the two connectors gently together.
  4. Insert the connector on the bottom edge of the adapter card into the expansion slot on the logic board. The tab on the side of the adapter card slides into the slot on the side of the bottom case.
  5. Fit the thumbscrews.

Faults and service

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The 6100 Service Source says that if the system hangs shortly after a new NuBus card is installed, the card's maker should be asked whether the card works with Power Macintosh systems or needs a software update.[13] Apple exchanged the Power Macintosh adapter as service module 661-0049. The June 1994 module catalogue lists it in its interface-card section with the note "Photograph not available at the time of printing", and the 6100 Service Source exploded view gives the same number.[14][15] The Quadra 610/Centris 610 exploded view labels the same position "PDS Adapter or NuBus Adapter" with part number 661-1718.[16]

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References

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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Apple Computer, Power Macintosh Computers developer note (1994), "NuBus Cards for the Power Macintosh 6100/60", p. 52, and Figure 4-1, p. 53. Hosted as File:Power_Macintosh_Computers_Developer_Note_(1994).pdf; see Power Macintosh Computers Developer Note. The adapter is sold separately, goes in the PDS slot, takes a short NuBus card lying parallel to the main board and carries the BART NuBus controller.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Apple Computer, AppleFacts 2.93 (February 1993), Macintosh Centris 610 entry: "one processor-direct card or one 7-inch NuBus expansion card (NuBus card requires NuBus adapter)"; accessories list "Macintosh Centris 610 NuBus Adapter Card". vintageapple.org (retrieved 2026-10-04).
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Apple Computer, AppleFacts 8.93 (August 1993), Macintosh Centris 660av entry, accessories list: "Macintosh Centris 660 av NuBus Adapter Card". vintageapple.org (retrieved 2026-10-04).
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Apple Computer, AppleFacts 10.94 (October 1994), accessories for the Power Macintosh 6100/60, 7100/66 and 8100/80: "Power Macintosh 6100/60 NuBus Adapter Card". The same entry appears in AppleFacts 4.95 and 10.95. vintageapple.org (retrieved 2026-10-04).
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Apple Computer, Macintosh Quadra 610/Centris 610/WS 60 Service Source, Specifications, I/O Interfaces - 6 (PDF p. 10). Hosted as File:Quadra.centris_610.ws_60.pdf; see Macintosh Quadra 610/ Centris 610/WS 60 Service Source.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Apple Computer, Macintosh Centris 610, Centris 650, and Quadra 800 Computers developer note, chapter 3: "The Expansion Slot in the Macintosh Centris 610 Computer", pp. 28-30 (140-pin dual-position edge connector; NuBus adapter or PDS adapter; the NuBus adapter "includes the NuBus interface circuitry and has a single standard NuBus connector"; 7-inch cards only); Table 3-2, p. 32 (power budget); "NuBus '90 Features", p. 35. Hosted as File:Macintosh_Centris_610_Centris_650_and_Quadra_800_Developer_Note.pdf; see Macintosh Centris 610 Centris 650 and Quadra 800 Developer Note.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Apple Computer, Macintosh Quadra 840AV and Macintosh Centris 660AV developer note: MUNI on an optional NuBus adapter card in the Centris 660AV (chapter 2, p. 14); "The single Macintosh Centris 660AV NuBus slot requires an adapter card", MUNI present only when the adapter is installed, Figure 2-13 (p. 40); Table 2-18, power budget for each slot card, and the DAV connector on the adapter (p. 42); Figure D-11, Apple drawing 630-0450-12 (PDF p. 492). Hosted as File:Macintosh_Quadra_840AV_and_Centris_660AV_Developer_Note.pdf; see Macintosh Quadra 840AV and Centris 660AV Developer Note.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Apple Computer, Power Macintosh 6100/WS 6150 Service Source, Specifications, I/O Interfaces - 7 (PDF p. 29): expansion slot for the 6100/60, 6100/66, 6150 and 6150/66; AV models ship with the AV card installed. Hosted as File:Powermac_6100_series.pdf; see Power Macintosh 6100/ WS 6150 Service Source.
  9. ↑ Apple Computer, Power Macintosh Computers developer note (1994), "Models and Configurations" and "Apple Expansion Cards", pp. 6-7: the 6100/60 ships with its slot empty and takes the NuBus adapter, sold separately; the 6100/60AV ships with the AV card installed.
  10. ↑ Apple Computer, Power Macintosh Computers developer note (1994), "PDS Expansion Cards for the Power Macintosh 6100/60", p. 54.
  11. ↑ Apple Computer, Macintosh Quadra 610/Centris 610/WS 60 Service Source, Upgrades, Expansion Cards - 1 to 5 (PDF pp. 65-69).
  12. ↑ Apple Computer, Power Macintosh 6100/WS 6150 Service Source, Upgrades, Expansion Cards - 1 to 5 (PDF pp. 114-118).
  13. ↑ Apple Computer, Power Macintosh 6100/WS 6150 Service Source, Basics, Power Macintosh System Overview (PDF p. 7).
  14. ↑ Apple Computer, Module Identification, PN 072-8124, June 1994, cross-reference by part number and page 4.8.1 (PDF p. 269): "Power Macintosh NuBus Adapter Card, Apple P/N 661-0049". Hosted as File:Apple Module Identification (PN 072-8124, June 1994).pdf; see Apple Module Identification Manual (1994).
  15. ↑ Apple Computer, Power Macintosh 6100/WS 6150 Service Source, Exploded View (PDF p. 160): "NuBus Adapter 661-0049".
  16. ↑ Apple Computer, Macintosh Quadra 610/Centris 610/WS 60 Service Source, Exploded View (PDF p. 103).


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