Unused bay in Performa/LC 520/550/575 chassis?

Apache Thunder

Apache Thunder

6502
Might be a silly question to bring up but I can't find any information on this:

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I noticed my 520 and 575 chasis has what appears to be an unused bay? It may not be for an ext video connection because they never made a face plate mold for it...(all the other chassis that supported add-on ext video connections at least had one with a plastic punch-out of some kind)

Not even the Macintosh TV chassis uses this for anything...I'm thinking maybe an extra fan went here? Not sure. Anyone else here know if/what Apple ever used for this or if any third party hardware makers ever made use of this bay?

As I recall they removed this bay from the 580 chasis. It's only present in the Trinitron AIOs in the 5xx range.
 
Apache Thunder said:
Might be a silly question to bring up but I can't find any information on this:

View attachment 100056


I noticed my 520 and 575 chasis has what appears to be an unused bay? It may not be for an ext video connection because they never made a face plate mold for it...(all the other chassis that supported add-on ext video connections at least had one with a plastic punch-out of some kind)

Not even the Macintosh TV chassis uses this for anything...I'm thinking maybe an extra fan went here? Not sure. Anyone else here know if/what Apple ever used for this or if any third party hardware makers ever made use of this bay?

As I recall they removed this bay from the 580 chasis. It's only present in the Trinitron AIOs in the 5xx range.
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It's for the Radio and TV antenna modules. Fits everything from the Performa 630 to the 6500. Most are just UHF, the following is a UHF +FM version.


1000036314.webp
 
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Really? I checked Macintosh TV photos and it didn't use this bay for it's TV hardware. (Macintosh TV is a modified LC 520 board from what I've read)

Does seem like the PCB would align with the side rails but the chassis lacks the screw holes the face plate has.
 
Apache Thunder said:
Really? I checked Macintosh TV photos and it didn't use this bay for it's TV hardware. (Macintosh TV is a modified LC 520 board from what I've read)
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I didn't mention the Macintosh TV, this is for Performas.

Different location, but this is the same thing in my P5400 :

1000036315.jpg
 
I see. I just bring up the Macintosh TV because it was the only chassis of the 5xx line I knew had TV related hardware in it so I had previously checked to see if it put anything there.

Oh your photo just loaded for me. Very interesting. It appears the main card this connects to uses the LC Comm slot...so only the LC 575 mobo is configured to take one of these. The question is if a faceplate was made for this because my 575's rear plate does not have a cutout for this. Curious if this is one of the few LC Comm slot cards that could be used along side the Apple IIe card. I hear due to how that card works, most LC comm slot cards can't be used along side it. :(

EDIT: Checked and the main card's composite inputs would not align/fit with the cutout the default faceplate uses for the comm slot expansion area. infact I'm not sure if the exterior chassis could even fit it because it looks like they'd hit up against the side wall in that orientation. Unless they made a card that was RF only?
 
Apache Thunder said:
I see. I just bring up the Macintosh TV because it was the only chassis of the 5xx line I knew had TV related hardware in it so I had previously checked to see if it put anything there.
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There was an optional TV kit that fit in most Performas, 630, 6200, 6300, 5400, 5500, 6400, 6500 and others.

Here it is in a Performa 630 :

1000036316.jpg
 
Oh I see. That's the TV personality add-on. I think that's what this one is. Is not an LC Comm slot device if I recall right. (you can see in that photo the LC comm slot in that 630 off to the very right). Unless the 630 had two LC Comm slots, this is something the 575 mobos can't take. :(

It's possible Apple planned one for the 5xx line but decided to instead make the Macintosh TV and just never made a module/card for it. :(
 
I don't think it would work in machine that doesn't have the weird AV slot on the right hand side (from the front) though. I believe it uses hardware on the AV card. That would mean it wouldn't work on the 575 / 520.

Needs this :

1000036318.jpg
 
My educated guess is that they planned the tuner/AV cards for the 520 series of desktop Macs, but it wasn't ready in time, so that bay was never utilised. They then decided they'd just wait until the 5200 was ready as it'd meet more stringent requirements for tilting the device.
 
For clarity, they plug into the main loom in the machine and to the main edge connector from there. The little box with the TV and optionally radio antenna connectors don't plug directly into the logic board or AV card, but you need the AV card because it has video hardware chips on it.
 
Phipli said:
For clarity, they plug into the main loom in the machine and to the main edge connector from there. The little box with the TV and optionally radio antenna connectors don't plug directly into the logic board or AV card, but you need the AV card because it has video hardware chips on it.
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Those connectors don't exist on the 520/550/575.. it MAY exist on the 580 since it was the same loom as the 630/5200 boards.
 
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