Description
Product Introduction
The GE Fanuc IC697BEM733 is a single-channel Genius Bus Controller (GBC) designed for the high-performance Series 90-70 PLC platform. Slotted directly into any standard VME slot on a Series 90-70 rack, this card serves as the master communications interface between the central CPU and up to 31 field-distributed Genius I/O blocks, power trancievers, or smart motor controllers.
Engineered for rugged industrial processing, the IC697BEM733 offloads network polling and diagnostic handling entirely from the primary 90-70 CPU. It supports multi-drop serial topology over shielded twinaxial cabling, executing rapid, deterministic I/O updates and background fault logging across long distance plant floor runs.
Key Technical Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
| Module Type | Genius Bus Controller (GBC) |
| Supported Bus Topology | Daisy-chained shielded twinaxial cable (Genius I/O Bus) |
| Network Data Rates | 38.4 Kbps, 76.8 Kbps, 153.6 Kbps standard, 153.6 Kbps extended |
| Maximum Devices | Up to 31 Genius devices per bus channel (Serial Bus Addresses 0–31) |
| Transmission Distance | Up to 7,500 feet (2,286 meters) at 38.4 Kbps |
| Backplane Standard | VMEbus architecture (Series 90-70 Rack) |
| Onboard Diagnostics | Front panel LEDs for Module OK, Bus Active, and Channel Faults |
| Power Consumption | Draws power directly from +5 VDC logic bus on 90-70 backplane |
| Operating Temperature | 0°C to 60°C (32°F to 140°F) |
Application Scenarios & The “Trench” Experience
When a Genius Bus Controller drops off the backplane, an entire drop of remote I/O blocks disappears from the CPU’s scan table instantly. Motors trip out, valves fail to safe state, and the main control room gets flooded with comm loss alarms.
- Heavy Metals & Steel Processing – Polling remote Genius I/O blocks scattered across hot strip mills and annealing lines over thousands of feet.
- Chemical Refineries – Interfacing hazardous-area Genius block drops back to central 90-70 control racks in remote operator shelters.
- Water & Wastewater Treatment – Managing distributed pumping station I/O drops over long twinax cable loops.
Field Case Study: A pulp processing facility experienced intermittent communication drops across a key liquor-recovery line. The culprit was a degraded line driver chip inside an aging IC697BEM733 card that overheated under heavy bus polling traffic. Technicians replaced the card with a pre-tested surplus IC697BEM733, verified the Serial Bus Address, and brought all 24 downstream Genius I/O blocks back online in under 15 minutes, avoiding an expensive line flush.
IC697BEM733
IC697BEM733
Transparency SOP: Quality Assurance & Testing
Testing VME-based Series 90-70 network cards requires live backplane architecture and active Genius bus hardware drops.
- Inbound Mechanical Inspection: Inspect VMEbus connector pins, front panel latch levers, shield ground terminals, and OEM serial/revision tags.
- VME Backplane Handshake: Install the card into a live Series 90-70 rack with an IC697 CPU and confirm instant VMEbus recognition in logic software.
- Genius Network Polling Test: Connect the card over shielded twinaxial cable to an active array of Genius I/O blocks (e.g., IC660TBA/TBD series).
- Baud Rate & Stress Validation: Force high-density digital and analog I/O traffic across all supported baud rates (38.4K to 153.6K baud) to verify 0% frame loss or checksum errors.
- Anti-Static Packaging: Clean connector contacts, seal in an ESD-shielded bag with fresh desiccant, and package inside dense foam-padded boxes.
The Veteran’s Tech Trap Guide (Crucial Value-Add)
⚠️ VME Form Factor Only! The IC697BEM733 uses the large VME card format meant exclusively for Series 90-70 chassis. It WILL NOT physically fit or operate in Series 90-30, PACSystems RX3i, or RX7i racks.
❗ Set Your Serial Bus Address (SBA) Correctly! The GBC module itself occupies an address on the Genius bus (typically SBA 31). If you assign the module an SBA that collides with an existing field Genius block or programmer, the serial bus will lock up completely!
⚠️ Terminal Termination Resistors Are Mandatory! Always verify that a 75-ohm, 100-ohm, or 120-ohm termination resistor (matching cable impedance) is installed across the physical end-of-line terminals on the twinax bus. Leaving a Genius network unterminated causes signal reflection that will drop packets at random times during the day.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Can I use the IC697BEM733 in a PACSystems RX7i rack?
A: While RX7i uses a VME-based backplane architecture, proper communication module support depends on specific firmware versions and PAC Machine Edition setup. In most cases, legacy 90-70 GBC modules require migration or dedicated gateway configurations when moving to newer platforms.
Q: What cable should be used for connecting to the ?
A: Always use standard, approved Genius bus twinaxial cable (such as Belden 9880 or equivalent shielded twisted pair) with appropriate characteristic impedance.
Q: Is the hot-swappable?
A: No. Series 90-70 VME racks do NOT support live insertion or removal of modules. Power off the rack completely before swapping this card.
Q: How many Genius Bus Controllers can be installed in a single Series 90-70 rack?
A: You can install multiple GBC cards in a single rack (subject to CPU memory and backplane power limits) to control multiple independent Genius bus channels across your plant.
Q: What warranty comes with this module?
A: All new surplus and fully tested pre-owned modules supplied by our warehouse carry a full 12-month replacement warranty.
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