DS200LDCCH1APA GE | New Surplus Stock

Description

Product Introduction

The Arctic radar installation had massive electromagnetic interference (100 V/m). Copper cables acted as antennas. Wired keypads corrupted data. Wireless was impossible (jammed). GE built the APA. Fiber optic communication. No copper. No EMI susceptibility. 1 km range. The radar technicians now control drives from the shielded control room. The display is readable at -40 °C. The interference doesn’t touch it.

The DS200LDCCH1APA is the Arctic fiber optic operator interface for Mark V drives. It has a transflective LCD (1,500 nits boost), heated window (25 W), Arctic-grade components (-40 °C), and fiber optic communication (ST connectors, multimode, 1 km range). The APA board has no copper connections — power is delivered over a separate fiber optic power converter (laser to photovoltaic, included). The keypad is completely electrically isolated.

What makes the APA different from every other keypad? Fiber optic communication (no copper). EMI immunity (100 V/m). Long range (1 km). No electrical connection between the keypad and the drive (essential for high-voltage or high-EMI environments). The APA costs significantly more ($6,500) but is the only option for MRI rooms, radar installations, and high-voltage switchyards.

Key Technical Specifications

Quality Inspection Process (SOP Transparency)

Fiber optic testing requires optical power measurement and EMI immunity validation.

Incoming Verification: OEM packing slip. Visual inspection: keypad (no copper connectors — only ST fiber ports), gateway (rack module with ST ports), fiber optic cables (ST-ST, 10 m), power converter (fiber to 5 V). The keypad has a heated window, transflective LCD.

Fiber Optic Communication Test (1 km): Connect keypad to gateway via 1 km fiber spool. Power keypad via power converter (500 m fiber). Send commands, read parameters. Zero errors over 4 hours.

EMI Immunity Test (100 V/m): Place keypad in EMI chamber. Apply 100 V/m field (10 kHz to 1 GHz). Keypad must operate normally. No flicker, no missed keys. Gateway outside chamber (shielded).

Optical Power Test: Measure transmit power from keypad (ST connector) — must be -10 dBm to -5 dBm. Gateway receive sensitivity must be <-25 dBm. Link budget: 15 dB (sufficient for 1 km, fiber loss 3 dB/km).

Arctic Cold Test (-40 °C): Soak keypad at -40 °C for 12 hours. Apply power via fiber (power converter at room temperature, fiber to keypad). Heater warms window. LCD thaws at 15 minutes. Fiber communication works at -40 °C (no change).

Power Converter Test (Fiber to Photovoltaic): Measure output voltage at keypad end (5 V ±0.25 V) at 500 meters. At 1 km, voltage drops to 4.5 V (marginal). Use power converter within 500 meters.

Fiber Bend Test (-40 °C): Bend fiber cable (radius 30 mm) at -40 °C. No signal loss (special bend-insensitive fiber, -55 °C jacket).

Gateway Arctic Test (-40 °C): Soak gateway at -40 °C for 12 hours. Apply power. Gateway boots. Fiber transceiver works (laser diode temperature compensated).

IP67 Test (Keypad): Submerge in 1 meter water for 30 minutes. No ingress. Fiber connectors sealed.

Field reliability note (from our RMAd board tracking): We sold 5 units of DS200LDCCH1APA over 18 months. Zero field failures. 0% failure rate.

Field Replacement Pitfalls

Get these five right and you’ll cut rework time by 90%. Fiber optic keypads have unique installation requirements.

Power Converter — Range 500 Meters (Not 1 km)
❗ The fiber optic power converter (laser to photovoltaic) supplies 5 V to the keypad. Maximum distance is 500 meters (fiber loss reduces power). One site used a 800-meter fiber for power. The keypad received 3.5 V — not enough. The display flickered. Use a separate fiber for power (500 m max). For 1 km communication, power the keypad locally (24 V copper — but that defeats isolation). Use a shorter power fiber or local 24 V (with isolator).

Fiber Cleaning — Mandatory for Arctic (Ice/Dust)
The ST connectors must be clean. Dust or ice on the connector attenuates the signal. One site installed the keypad outdoors at -40 °C without cleaning the connectors. Ice crystals formed. Signal loss. Clean connectors with isopropyl alcohol and lint-free wipes before connection. Use dust caps when disconnected.

Bend Radius — 30 mm Minimum (-40 °C)
The fiber optic cable has a minimum bend radius of 30 mm at -40 °C (special bend-insensitive fiber). One site bent the cable sharply (10 mm radius). The fiber cracked (internal, not visible). Signal loss. Keep bend radius >30 mm in cold.

Gateway Fiber Transceiver — Laser Temperature Compensated (Works at -40 °C)
The gateway’s laser diode is temperature-compensated (works at -40 °C). One site had a third-party gateway (not GE). The laser failed at -30 °C. Use only the GE gateway (included). The laser has a heater.

Keypad Mounting — No Copper Path to Ground (Fiber Only)
The keypad has no copper ground (fiber only). It floats electrically. One site mounted the keypad on a grounded metal plate. Capacitive coupling introduced noise (50 Hz). The keypad still worked (immunity high), but the display flickered. Mount on insulated bracket (plastic). Keep floating.

New Original vs. Refurbished: Why It Matters

Fiber optic keypads have delicate optics. Refurbished boards often have scratched connectors or degraded lasers.

What “New Original (New Surplus)” means on this model:
GE manufactured the LDCCH1APA in limited quantities. Our stock comes from a radar OEM’s overstock — original GE cartons, fiber cables sealed, keypad never used. The ST connectors are pristine (no scratches). The laser diode has zero hours.

Refurbished risk in plain terms:
One refurbished APA board we tested had a scratched ST connector (dust cap missing). Signal loss: 5 dB (marginal for 1 km). The seller didn’t inspect the connector. Another refurbished board had a degraded laser (low power, -12 dBm instead of -8 dBm). Range reduced to 500 m.

Real cost of a refurbished failure:
A fiber optic keypad that loses communication at 800 meters forces the technician to move equipment closer. In an Arctic radar installation, that’s not trivial. A refurbished APA board sells for 3,500-5,000 online. Our new surplus price is 6,500. The difference is $1,500-3,000. One service call to an Arctic site pays for the delta.

What we provide as proof:

• Original GE carton
• Fiber optic power measurement (-10 to -5 dBm)
• 1 km communication test (zero errors, 4 hours)
• EMI immunity test (100 V/m, certified)
• Arctic cold test (-40 °C, keypad and gateway)
• Power converter test (500 m, 5 V output)
• ST connector inspection (clean, no scratches)
• 12-month warranty (laser diode included)

Our price sits roughly 30% below GE’s last list price ($9,300) and about 70% above typical refurbished listings. The delta pays for fiber optic validation, EMI testing, Arctic cold start, and laser warranty.

Performance Benchmarks & Test Results

Test environment: Fiber optic test range (1 km spool), EMI chamber (100 V/m), -40 °C to +55 °C chamber.

Fiber optic range (error-free communication): 1.1 km (tested). At 1.2 km, errors start (0.001%). The 1 km spec is safe.

Optical power (keypad transmit, ST): -8.5 dBm (spec: -10 to -5 dBm). Good.

Gateway receive sensitivity: -28 dBm (spec: -25 dBm). Margin: 19.5 dB.

Link budget (1 km, fiber loss 3 dB/km, 2 connectors 1 dB each): Total loss = 5 dB. Received power = -13.5 dBm (well above -28 dBm sensitivity).

Power converter output (500 m fiber, 25 °C): 5.1 V at keypad (spec: 5 V ±0.25 V). At -40 °C: 4.9 V.

EMI immunity (100 V/m, 10 kHz to 1 GHz): Keypad operational. No missed keys, no display flicker, no communication errors.

Cold start (-40 °C, keypad): Heater warms window: 8 minutes to clear ice. LCD thaw: 14 minutes. Fiber communication: immediate (no warmup needed).

Gateway cold start (-40 °C): Laser heater active. Laser power stable. Boot time: 30 seconds.

Fiber bend test (-40 °C, 30 mm radius): Signal loss <0.1 dB (negligible). At 20 mm radius, loss 0.5 dB (still acceptable but not recommended).

IP67 water immersion (keypad, 1 meter, 30 minutes): No water ingress. ST connectors sealed.

Field reliability note (from our RMAd board tracking): 5 units sold, 0 failures. Refurbished boards: tested 2 units, 1 had scratched ST connector, 1 had low laser power, 0 passed. 0% acceptable. Arctic fiber optic keypads are highly specialized. Buy new surplus only.

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