Apple Attachment Unit Interface

[1]: 1  The AUI was popular in the era before the dominance of 10BASE-T networking that started in the early 1990s; the AAUI was an attempt to make the connector much smaller and more user friendly,[2] though the proprietary nature of the interface was also criticized.

AAUI connectors are also present on some Processor Direct Slot Ethernet adapter cards used in Macintosh LC and Performa machines.

AAUI had disappeared by the late 1990s, when new Apple machines, starting with the beige Power Macintosh G3 series, include only the modular connector ports.

Additionally, Apple's 10BASE2 cables were not appropriate for all uses since they only came in fixed lengths and the ends were not detachable, making it difficult to wire them through walls.

Third-party AAUI devices often omit this sheath, requiring the user to directly squeeze small tabs on the sides of the plug housing to detach the hooks.

An adapter containing a power supply to provide the required 12 volts was available from Apple to permit connection of standard AUI transceivers to an AAUI port.