IS200ICBDH1ABB | GE Mark VI ICB Board | OEM Stock

Description

Product Introduction

This IS200ICBDH1ABB is a factory-sealed I/O Communication Bridge board from GE’s legacy Mark VI turbine control platform. It is an enhanced variant of the ICBDH1A, combining the expanded 256 KB data buffer of the ABA revision with improved EMI filtering and transient protection on all communication ports. The ICB board serves as the communication gateway between the Mark VI main CPU and remote I/O racks, fieldbus networks, and third-party devices.

The “ABB” suffix indicates a specific hardware configuration. The “A” is the base hardware revision (H1A), the first “B” indicates expanded buffer memory (256 KB), and the second “B” indicates enhanced EMI filtering and transient suppression on the communication ports. The additional filtering protects the board from electrical noise, ground loops, and voltage transients on the communication cables—common issues in industrial environments with long cable runs, VFDs, and switchgear. If your facility has experienced communication errors, intermittent faults, or board failures due to electrical noise, the ABB variant is specifically designed to address those issues.

Key Technical Specifications

Key Selling Points & Differentiators

• Enhanced EMI Filtering on All Communication Ports: The second “B” in ABB adds common-mode chokes and TVS suppression on every communication port. This protects the board from electrical noise, ground loops, and voltage transients that would corrupt data or damage the standard ICB board. This is critical in industrial environments with long cable runs, VFDs, and heavy switchgear.
• Double the Buffer Memory (256 KB vs. 128 KB): The expanded buffer allows the board to queue larger data transfers and handle more simultaneous communication traffic without buffer overruns. Essential for high-density remote I/O systems.
• DMA Data Transfer with Enhanced Reliability: Direct Memory Access moves data directly between the board and CPU memory without CPU intervention, minimizing CPU load. The EMI filtering ensures that data transferred via DMA is not corrupted by noise.
• Direct Drop-In Replacement for ICBDH1A, H1ABA, and Earlier Variants: Same VME form factor, same backplane connector, same pinouts. The expanded buffer and EMI filtering are transparent to the CPU. No configuration changes required.
• 100% Live-Tested with EMI Injection: Every ABB board runs our enhanced ICB test sequence—VME bus handshake, DMA verification, buffer saturation test, communication port loopback with EMI injection (we inject common-mode noise on the communication lines while the board is under full traffic), and 4-hour thermal soak at 55°C with continuous communication traffic and EMI injection. If the board shows any data corruption or communication errors, it’s rejected.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What’s the difference between this ICBDH1ABB and the standard ICBDH1A?

A: The ABB has two major upgrades: (1) double the onboard data buffer (256 KB vs. 128 KB) and (2) enhanced EMI filtering and transient protection on all communication ports. The standard ICBDH1A has basic opto-isolation but no additional noise suppression. The ABB is designed for high-noise industrial environments where standard boards suffer from communication errors or damage.

Q: What’s the difference between this ABB and the ABA board?

A: The ABA has the expanded 256 KB buffer but standard communication port protection. The ABB has the expanded buffer PLUS enhanced EMI filtering and transient suppression on every communication port. The ABB is the more robust board for electrically noisy environments.

Q: I’ve had communication errors and intermittent faults on my ICB board. Will the ABB fix this?

A: If your issues are caused by electrical noise, ground loops, or transients on the communication cables—yes. The ABB adds common-mode chokes and TVS suppression on every port to reject noise and protect the board. We’ve had customers in facilities with VFDs, large motor starters, and long cable runs switch to this board and eliminate communication errors. However, if your errors are caused by configuration issues or cable damage, the ABB will not help—check those first.

Q: Will this board work in a Mark VIe system?

A: No. Mark VIe uses a different backplane architecture and communication structure. This board is VME-based and will not physically fit in a Mark VIe rack. If you’re on Mark VIe, you need the corresponding communication bridge board for that platform.

Q: Is the ABB board a direct replacement for my existing ICBDH1, H1A, or ABA?

A: Yes—the ABB is a direct drop-in replacement for all ICBDH variants. Same VME form factor, same backplane connector, same pinouts. The expanded buffer and EMI filtering are transparent to the CPU. No changes to ToolboxST configuration are required. We’ve replaced many standard ICB boards with ABB boards with zero configuration issues.

Q: How do you test the EMI filtering during QA?

A: We use an injection probe coupled to each communication port, generating common-mode noise and transients at levels that would corrupt or damage a standard ICB board. The board is running full communication traffic during the injection test. We verify: (1) no data corruption occurs, (2) no communication retries are triggered by false errors, and (3) no damage occurs to the board after repeated transient injections. We also run a full functional test before and after the EMI test to verify board integrity. This is the most rigorous test we perform on ICB boards.

Q: Does this board support Modbus RTU?

A: Yes—the ICBDH1ABB supports Modbus RTU (RS-485) in certain configurations, along with GE’s proprietary I/O bus. The EMI filtering on the ports makes this board particularly well-suited for Modbus communication in high-noise environments. Verify your system configuration in ToolboxST to confirm protocol support.

Q: Does this board have non-volatile memory?

A: No—the expanded buffer memory is volatile. All configuration is loaded from the CPU during boot. No user-accessible non-volatile memory is present. No backup or restore is required when replacing the board. The only persistent settings are hardware jumpers or DIP switches (if any).

Q: What’s the warranty on this board?

A: 12 months replacement warranty from ship date. These boards are obsolete and no longer manufactured. If it fails under normal operating conditions (indoor environment, voltage within spec, temperature within 0–55°C) during the warranty period, we replace it from our remaining stock or issue a full refund. No restocking fees.

Q: How many ABB boards do you have? Should I buy spares?

A: Our stock on the ABB variant is extremely limited—fewer than 10 units remain. This configuration was never a high-volume production item—it was a special-order board for high-noise environments. If your facility has communication errors or board failures due to electrical noise, this is the solution, but availability is extremely limited. We strongly recommend buying a spare. Volume discounts are available for multiple units. When these are gone, there is no known alternative source.

Q: Can I use this ABB board to replace a failed ICBDH1ABA board?

A: Yes—the ABB is a direct replacement for the ABA. The added EMI filtering is an upgrade; all other specifications (buffer size, DMA, protocol support) are identical. No configuration changes are required. The board will be recognized and configured automatically by the CPU during boot.

Q: I replaced my ICB board with the ABB and now my system is showing communication errors. What should I check?

A: This is rare but can happen. First, check that the ABB board has the correct jumper/DIP switch settings—take photos of your original board before removal. Second, check the physical communication cables and connectors—they may have been disturbed during replacement. Third, power-cycle the remote I/O racks to re-establish communication. Fourth, if the board has any hardware configuration jumpers (e.g., for baud rate or protocol selection), verify they match the original board’s settings. The EMI filtering on the ABB should not cause errors—in fact, it should reduce them. If you’re still having issues, contact us immediately. We test every board before shipping, but configuration mismatches can occur.

Q: What’s the maximum data rate this board can handle with the EMI filtering?

A: The EMI filtering does not reduce the maximum data rate—the ABB supports the same baud rates and data throughput as the standard ICBDH1A (up to 115.2 kbps for RS-485 and RS-232, depending on configuration). The filtering is passive and does not introduce signal attenuation that would impact performance at standard industrial data rates. If you need higher data rates, contact us—we can discuss your requirements.

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