GeoPort logo
GeoPort was an enhanced Mini-DIN-9 serial data port available on most of Apple's beige-era Power Macintosh computers.[1] It was first introduced in the Quadra AV models and was not included in the LC-based Power Macintosh 6200 and 5200 LC.[2]
Functionality[]
A Mini-DIN-9 GeoPort
GeoPorts were capable of LocalTalk speeds up to 230.4 kbps. Many early Macs typically had two Mini-DIN-8 serial ports, labeled for a printer and modem.[3] The GeoPort specification adds a 9th pin to the serial port to supply 5 volts of DC power. A GeoPort is backwards-compatible with standard Mini-DIN-8 serial devices, but 9-pin peripherals cannot be plugged into an older 8-pin serial port.[4]
Attaching a GeoPort Telecom Adapter to a GeoPort-ready serial port (labeled with a globe symbol on Pippin consoles) allows it to emulate and function as a (relatively) low-cost modem without an external power supply, at the expense of CPU overhead.[1] The GeoPort's functionality was also integrated into Apple's proprietary Comm Slot II in some PowerPC-based Macintosh desktop computers, but has since been discontinued.[5]
Telecom Adapter models[]
GeoPort Telecom Adapters shipped with varying modem connection speeds, and could be upgraded through software updates.[1]
- GeoPort Telecom Adapter M1694LL/B - 14.4 kilobaud (kbps)
- GeoPort Telecom Adapter (II) M2117LL/A - 28.8 kilobaud (kbps)
- GeoPort Telecom Adapter II M5438LL/A - 33.6 kilobaud (kbps)
Conventional modems on GeoPort[]
Some third party manufacturers, such as Global Village, also created conventional modems that could draw power from the 9th pin of GeoPort-equiped Macs to eliminate the need for a power supply, like Pippin modems.[4]
Discontinuation[]
GeoPort and several other legacy technologies were eventually phased out by Apple, starting with Steve Jobs' introduction of the iMac G3 in May 1998.[6]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 GeoPort 'Modems' by Daniel Knight, Low End Mac. 1998-04-10.
- ↑ ARCHIVED: What is the GeoPort?, Indiana University, 2018-01-18.
- ↑ Macintosh Serial Throughput by Daniel Knight, Low End Mac. 1998-04-12.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Making a Universal Teleport Gold IIP modem. by James Lockman.
- ↑ Apple's Geo Modem, The 6400 Zone. 2003-06-17.
- ↑ #1 Temporal Loop - Birth of the iMac by Thomas Hormby, The Mac Observer. 2007-05-25.
See also[]
External links[]
- GeoPort Telecom Adapter Kit at Apple (archived 1998-12-05)
- Ports and Pinouts at Apple Macintosh Computer Repair Resources
- Apple GeoPort 9 pin at AllPinouts
- GeoPort, le connecteur méconnu d’Apple (French) by Pierre Dandumont at Le Journal du Lapin (2021-08-10)
- Low End Mac’s GeoPort Guide by Tommy Yune at Low End Mac (2018-03-21)
- GeoPort Mini DIN-9 at mdsh.com
- GeoPort at the Pippin @WORLD & Atmark Wiki
- GeoPort at Wikipedia