531X300CCHAEM5 | GE OEM High-Temperature Card Cage

Description

Product Introduction

The EM5 is the final word in high-temperature drive racks. The GE 531X300CCHAEM5 takes the extended-temperature design of the EM2 and adds the improved cooling of the M5 revision—92mm fans that move 95 CFM each, with the larger fan frames and the updated Molex Mini-Fit connectors. It’s the chassis you want when your cabinet is pushing 60°C and you need every degree of thermal margin you can get.

The model number is straightforward: “300CCH” is the standard chassis, “A” is the standard filter, “E” means extended temperature, and “M5” gives you the final fan revision. The M5 fans are identical in airflow to the EM2’s fans (95 CFM each) but they use the newer Mini-Fit connector and have a slightly longer MTBF (70,000 hours vs 60,000 hours). The chassis also includes the additional ventilation louvers on the top and bottom covers, and the 105°C-rated capacitors on the input filter. The combination gives you a chassis that can handle 65°C ambient continuously with a fully loaded rack. The downside is the same as the EM2: noise. At 48 dBA, this is not a chassis for a quiet control room. But if you’re running a steel mill or a desert installation, you won’t care about the noise—you’ll care that the drive keeps running.

Key Technical Specifications

Compatible Replacement Models

✅ Drop-in Replacement:

• 531X300CCHAEM5 directly replaces 531X300CCHAEM2, 531X300CCHAEM1, and 531X300CCHAEM0. The EM5 has the same dimensions, same slot spacing, same backplane, and same mounting hole pattern. The only difference is the fan connector (Mini-Fit Jr. on the EM5 vs. older .093″ connector on earlier units). If you’re moving boards from an EM0 or EM1, your power supply and boards fit exactly the same way. The fan connector change only matters if you’re replacing fans, not boards.
• 531X300CCHAEM2 (previous extended temp revision): The EM5 is a direct upgrade. Same chassis, same thermal rating, just better fan connectors and slightly longer fan MTBF. Move your boards over—no modifications needed.

⚠️ Software Compatible (Requires Recompile):

• None. The chassis is passive. Extended temperature is purely a mechanical and component-level upgrade. No firmware, no configuration. No recompile needed.

❌ Hardware Incompatible:

• 531X300CCHAEM5 with a 210-series power supply: The 210-series supply doesn’t physically fit in the 212-series power supply bay. You need a 212-series PSU (531X212DPCxx).
• 531X300CCHAEM5 in a rack depth under 14.5″: The chassis is 14.5″ deep with the rear shroud. If your cabinet is shallower, you’ll need to remove the rear shroud (drops depth to 13.5″). However, the EM5’s additional ventilation louvers require at least 2″ of clearance above and below the chassis. If you mount it in a tight space, the louvers won’t be effective.
• 531X300CCHAEM5 with boards that have tight temperature ratings: The chassis can operate at 65°C, but your boards might not. Check the temperature rating of your specific boards. If you have 55°C-rated boards in a 65°C cabinet, the chassis won’t help—the boards will still overheat.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What’s the difference between the EM2 and the EM5?

A: The fan connector and the fan MTBF. The EM2 uses an older .093″ connector; the EM5 uses the Molex Mini-Fit Jr. connector. The EM5’s fans have a slightly longer MTBF (70,000 hours vs. 60,000 hours). The chassis dimensions, thermal rating, and filter are identical. If you’re buying new, the EM5 is the better choice. If you have an EM2, you don’t need to upgrade unless you’re replacing fans (and the EM2’s fans are still available).

Q: Does the EM5 come with the high-temperature filter caps?

A: Yes. The EM5 has the 105°C-rated capacitors on the AC input filter. That’s part of the extended-temperature package. If you swap the filter module from a standard chassis into an EM5, you’d lose the extended temperature rating. The EM5’s filter is marked with a “HT” sticker on the side. Check for that.

Q: Can I use the EM5 in a -20°C environment?

A: Yes. The EM5 is rated down to -20°C ambient. At that temperature, the fans may run slowly at startup (stiff grease) and the electrolytic capacitors may have reduced capacitance until they warm up. Allow about 30 minutes of runtime before loading the chassis to full capacity. Also, condensation is a risk—if you bring a cold chassis into a warm room, let it acclimate for 2 hours before applying power.

Q: The EM5 has 95 CFM fans. How loud is that?

A: About 48 dBA at 1 meter. That’s noticeably louder than the standard 42 dBA chassis. In a steel mill or foundry, you won’t hear it over the machinery. In a quiet control room, you will—it’s about as loud as a conversation. If noise is a concern and your cabinet is under 55°C, use a standard chassis. The EM5 is for hot environments where noise is a secondary concern.

Q: Can I swap the EM5 fans with quieter ones and keep the extended temperature rating?

A: No. The 95 CFM fans are what allow the chassis to operate at 65°C. If you swap to quieter, lower-flow fans, the maximum ambient temperature drops to 55°C or lower. If your cabinet is at 55°C or below, you can use standard fans. If it’s above 55°C, you need the high-flow fans. The 95 CFM fans are available from us as replacement parts.

Q: Does the EM5 require special mounting for the louvers?

A: Yes. The additional louvers on the top and bottom covers need at least 2 inches of clearance above and below the chassis. If you stack chassis directly on top of each other, the louvers are blocked and the extended temperature rating is void. The EM5 is designed for a 19″ rack with 2U of space above and below (about 3.5 inches total). If your rack is tightly packed, the EM5 will perform like a standard chassis.

Q: Is there a DC-input version of the EM5?

A: No. GE never produced an extended-temperature DC-input chassis. The EM5 is AC-input only. If you need DC input and extended temperature, you’d have to use the ADM chassis (rated to 50°C) and add external cooling to bring the cabinet temperature down to 50°C.

Q: Can I use the EM5 with 480V AC input?

A: No. The EM5 is rated for 120V or 240V AC input (single-phase). 480V is three-phase and would destroy the filter and power supply. If your plant is 480V, you need a step-down transformer (480V to 240V) external to the chassis.

Q: The EM5 has a push-pull airflow configuration. What does that mean?

A: One fan is an intake (pulls air in) and the other is an exhaust (pushes air out). This creates a positive pressure inside the chassis, which helps prevent dust from entering through the ventilation louvers. The intake fan has a dust filter on the outside (removable). The exhaust fan does not. If your environment is dusty, clean the intake filter monthly.

Q: Can I buy just the EM5 fans to upgrade an older extended-temperature chassis?

A: You can upgrade an EM2 with the EM5 fans, but the EM2 uses the older .093″ connector. You’d need an adapter or you’d have to splice the wires. The EM5’s Mini-Fit connector is different. If you have an EM0 or EM1, you can also upgrade, but you’ll need the adapter. We carry the fans and the adapters. That said, the fan upgrade alone doesn’t give you the longer MTBF—that’s a fan-specific spec, so you do get that benefit.

OMRON 3F88M-115M
A-B 1747-L542
A-B 2711-B6C1
BENTLY 3500/33-01-00