GE IC670PBI001 Profibus-DP Interface for FieldControl / VersaMax

Description

In plants that have run GE Genius I/O reliably for twenty or thirty years, the day eventually arrives when a new machine, a new production line, or a corporate standardization mandate demands Profibus-DP connectivity. Rather than face the expensive and risky proposition of ripping out hundreds of perfectly functional Genius blocks and replacing the entire fieldbus, most sites look for a clean coexistence strategy. The challenge is rarely about replacing the old system—it’s about adding modern devices (drives, weigh scales, third-party skids, or remote I/O stations) that only speak Profibus-DP while keeping the existing Genius network fully intact and preserving its deterministic scan times and diagnostics.

This is precisely the gap the GE IC670PBI001 was built to close. As a Profibus-DP network interface module for FieldControl and VersaMax distributed I/O stations, the GE IC670PBI001 lets you drop a compact DIN-rail island of VersaMax modules anywhere on the plant floor and connect it as a standard DP slave to any Profibus master—Siemens, Emerson DeltaV, ABB, Schneider, or even a third-party PLC—without touching the existing Genius bus. You gain instant access to the huge catalog of Profibus devices and the latest VersaMax high-density I/O, yet you avoid the all-or-nothing migration that would otherwise be required.

The GE IC670PBI001 occupies one slot in a FieldControl or VersaMax station and presents the entire local rack (up to 8 I/O modules) as a single Profibus slave node. Configuration is done with the standard GSD file and any Profibus configurator—no proprietary GE software required after the initial setup. The module supports all standard DP-V0 cyclic services plus DP-V1 acyclic read/write for diagnostics and parameter changes. Baud rates from 9.6 kbit/s up to 12 Mbit/s are auto-detected, and the full 244-byte input + 244-byte output limit per node means even a fully loaded rack fits in one slave address. Redundant master or redundant media configurations are also supported when the application demands it.

Choosing the GE IC670PBI001 means you can integrate new equipment in weeks instead of years. A packaging line that needs a Profibus-capable checkweigher or vision system simply gets its own VersaMax station on the Profibus network, while the legacy machine logic stays on the proven Genius bus. Maintenance crews never have to learn two completely different diagnostic worlds—the Profibus diagnostics are standard DP-V1, and the VersaMax module LEDs and fault tables remain familiar. Total cost of ownership drops because you reuse existing spare parts, training, and engineering knowledge instead of starting from zero.

You will see the GE IC670PBI001 deployed wherever brownfield expansion meets modern fieldbus requirements. Automotive assembly plants use it to tie new robotic cells into older body-shop controllers. Chemical and pharma sites add it for Profibus weigh-scale integration during capacity upgrades. Water-treatment plants connect new filter skids that ship with Profibus instrumentation without replacing the plant-wide Series 90-70 system. In every case the common thread is minimum disruption with maximum future-proofing.

GE IC670GBI002 – Genius counterpart when staying within the native GE bus

GE IC670ALG330 – 8-channel analog output often paired for drive speed reference

GE IC670MDL640 – 16-channel 24 VDC positive/negative input for new sensor banks

GE IC670MDL330 – 12-channel 120 VAC output module commonly used for valve control

GE IC670ALG620 – High-density 4-channel RTD input for new temperature zones

GE IC670CHS002 – I/O terminal base with extended depth for heavier wiring

GE IC670PWR101 – Redundant 24 VDC power module for critical stations

Before installing the GE IC670PBI001, download the latest GSD file from the Emerson support site and import it into your Profibus configurator. Set the station address with the front rotary switches (1–125) and verify that your network has proper 390/220/390 Ω termination at both ends. Leave one empty slot adjacent for heat dissipation if you’re running at 12 Mbit/s in a warm panel. Power quality matters—keep the 24 VDC supply ripple under 500 mV if you want rock-solid high-speed performance.

Day-to-day maintenance is typical Profibus: check the diagnostic LEDs (SF/BF) during walkdowns, and use the master’s diagnostic buffer or VersaMax fault tables for deeper detail. Firmware updates are infrequent and only required when adding very new VersaMax modules.