Description
Product Introduction
The GE Fanuc IC693CHS391 is a 10-slot local expansion baseplate for GE Series 90-30 PLC systems. Designed to extend the capacity of a main CPU rack, this baseplate mounts directly into standard 19-inch control cabinets or panel backplates, providing high-speed backplane connectivity for up to 10 option I/O modules.
Unlike primary CPU baseplates (such as the IC693CHS397 or CHS392), the IC693CHS391 does not contain CPU slot logic. Instead, it features a dedicated 25-pin D-sub expansion port to daisy-chain directly from a primary CPU rack or preceding expansion rack using standard IC693CBL expansion cables, giving plants a cost-effective way to scale I/O density.
Key Technical Specifications
| Parameter | Specification |
| Module Slots | 10 option slots (Slots 1 through 10 for I/O and option cards) |
| Power Supply Slot | Left-hand dedicated slot (accepts IC693PWR321, PWR330, etc.) |
| Expansion Connector | 25-pin D-sub male expansion port (Right side) |
| Baseplate Type | Local Expansion Baseplate |
| Max Expansion Distance | Up to 50 feet (15 meters) total cable length across local expansion chain |
| Maximum Baseplates per CPU | Up to 4 local expansion baseplates (40 slots total) per CPU system |
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | 17.4 in x 5.12 in x 5.5 in (442 mm x 130 mm x 140 mm) |
| Mounting | Panel mount via 4 corner holes or 19-inch rack-mount adapter |
| Backplane Current Capacity | Dependent on installed power supply module |
| Grounding | Dedicated frame ground terminal stud on chassis |
IC693CHS391
IC693CHS391
IC693CHS391
Application Scenarios & The “Trench” Experience
It was 2:45 AM at a high-speed bottling facility when a forklift mast caught an exposed conduit elbow, ripping a panel door and cracking the backplane circuit board on a secondary I/O chassis. Half of the conveyor line encoders and pneumatic rejection cylinders instantly lost backplane power. The main CPU rack threw a severe expansion bus loss fault, locking up the entire packaging hall. To avoid dumping hundreds of gallons of product, the maintenance crew had to replace the fractured 10-slot rack chassis immediately.
Application Scenarios
- Packaging & Palletizing Lines: Houses high-density digital and analog I/O modules across extended conveyor sections without requiring additional standalone CPUs.
- Water & Wastewater Treatment: Expands centralized Series 90-30 CPU control to house dozens of field instrument input cards across filtration racks.
- Automotive Assembly Cells: Manages distributed safety gate interlocks, proximity sensors, and valve manifolds on large weld cell enclosures.
- Continuous Processing Plants: Houses redundant analog output modules driving field actuators from a central control cabinet.
Field Case Study
A glass manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania suffered a brownout that caused a high-voltage arc inside an aging expansion rack power bus. The existing IC693CHS391 baseplate sustained burned PCB traces on slots 3 through 6, killing communications to eight thermocouple modules. Line downtime was running at $16,500 an hour. We pulled a fully verified surplus IC693CHS391 rack from inventory and overnighted it to the site. The plant engineer swapped the mounting screws, landed the expansion cable, transferred the power supply and I/O modules, and cleared all rack fault tables in under 45 minutes—getting the melt line back online before morning.
Transparency SOP: Quality Assurance & Testing
We test every IC693CHS391 baseplate on physical GE hardware to guarantee backplane continuity and bus communication.
- Inbound Structural Inspection: Thorough check for housing cracks, damaged DIN rail clips, bent backplane connector pins across all 10 slots, and terminal ground thread condition.
- Expansion Port Bus Continuity: Pin-by-pin continuity and resistance testing on the 25-pin D-sub expansion connector to ensure zero signal degradation.
- Live Load & Module Recognition: Mounted into an active test bench, connected to an IC693CPU374 main rack via an IC693CBL300 cable, and populated with 10 active digital/analog modules to confirm 100% slot detection.
- Power Bus Stress Test: Loaded with a high-draw IC693PWR330 power supply to verify equal voltage distribution (+5V DC and +24V DC relay bus) across all 10 module card edge connectors.
- Anti-Static Sealing: Cleaned, wrapped in heavy-duty ESD shielding material, and packaged with high-density foam padding to prevent pin bending during transport.
The Veteran’s Tech Trap Guide
- ⚠️ Never Connect or Disconnect Expansion Cables Live: The Series 90-30 local expansion bus is not hot-swappable! Unplugging or plugging in the 25-pin expansion cable while the main CPU or expansion rack is powered will instantly freeze the CPU and can permanently blow out the bus transceivers on the baseplate board.
- ❗ Mind the Expansion Bus Termination: The last expansion baseplate in your daisy chain must have a bus terminator plugged into its open expansion port (e.g., IC693ACC301 or built into specific expansion cables). Operating without proper termination causes random noise, bus timeout errors, and intermittent module dropouts.
- ⚠️ Check Rack DIP Switches / Bus Addressing: Ensure the DIP switch settings on the baseplate board (or cable positioning) properly designate the baseplate index number (Rack 1, 2, 3, or 4). If two expansion racks share the same rack address, the CPU will throw a fatal configuration fault on power-up.
- ❗ Verify Total Cable Length Limits: The cumulative length of all expansion cables in a local expansion chain must not exceed 50 feet (15 meters). Exceeding this distance without an isolated remote expansion interface causes timing delays and backplane fault trips.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ for Conversion)
Q: Can I install a CPU module (like an IC693CPU364) into the IC693CHS391 baseplate?
A: No. The is a local expansion baseplate and does not have the internal CPU backplane bus lines required to host a CPU module. CPUs must be placed in a primary baseplate (e.g., IC693CHS397 or IC693CHS392).
Q: What power supplies can I use with the baseplate?
A: You can use any standard Series 90-30 power supply module, including the IC693PWR321 (Standard 120/240VAC), IC693PWR330 (High-Capacity 120/240VAC), or IC693PWR322 (24VDC input).
Q: Is the baseplate hot-swappable?
A: No. You must shut down power to both the main CPU rack and the expansion rack before replacing this baseplate or disconnecting its expansion cable.
Q: What is the difference between and IC693CHS398?
A: The is a 10-slot local expansion baseplate (supports up to 50 ft cable runs), while the IC693CHS398 is a 5-slot local expansion baseplate used in tighter panel enclosures.
Q: What warranty comes with this surplus baseplate?
A: Every baseplate comes with a full 12-month replacement warranty. All units are authentic GE Fanuc stock, fully inspected, and backplane-tested on live Series 90-30 CPU test rigs before shipment.
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