Compatibility card


A compatibility card is an expansion card for computers that allows it to have hardware emulation with another device. While compatibility cards date back at least to the Apple II family, the majority of them were made for 16-bit computers, often to maintain compatibility with the IBM PC. The most popular of these were for Macintosh systems that allowed them to emulate Windows PCs via NuBus or PCI; Apple had released several such cards themselves.

Compatibility cards by system

Apple II

IBM PC compatibles

Macintosh

By Apple

By other manufacturers

Amiga

Archimedes

  • In 1992, the company Aleph One released the 386PC, an expansion that added a 20 MHz 386SX processor to the Archimedes for running DOS applications. Licensed versions of these cards were soon made by Acorn for the A3020 and A4000; these official cards were available with both 386SX and 486SLC processors.
  • An updated DOS compatibility card with a 40 MHz 486SX was available as an upgrade for the Archimedes' successor, the Risc PC.

BBC Micro

By Acorn

By other manufacturers

GameCube

Nintendo 64

PC-98

  • The is a expansion card that provides PC-FX compatibility for PC-98 computers.

SPARC

Super Nintendo Entertainment System