GE IC695CRU320CA-EJ RX3i Redundancy CPU

Description

In power plants where a single processor glitch can cascade into blackouts affecting thousands, the GE IC695CRU320CA-EJ anchors redundancy setups that keep turbines spinning through faults. Take Midwest natural gas compressor stations syncing across miles of pipeline—operators can’t afford scan interruptions when pressures spike. Deployed in industrial automation for oil refineries along the Gulf, it pairs with a twin unit via Memory Xchange links, mirroring logic and diagnostics in real time to sidestep total halts. Used in control systems for wastewater treatment grids, the GE IC695CRU320CA-EJ handles 32K discrete points amid pump surges, ensuring seamless failover under lightning storms or motor stalls. Applicable in control systems for metal forming lines, its hot standby design catches output enables and force bits instantly, preventing die crashes from logic drift.

European pharmaceutical fillers rely on it for batch integrity, where dual CPUs synchronize recipe handoffs without recipe corruption during vial jams. Aerospace test stands endure vibration while it maintains one-scan switchovers, outperforming simplex nodes in EMI-heavy bays. Steel continuous casters use its serial backplanes to daisy-chain Series 90-30 I/O legacies, bridging old valves to new PROFINET scanners flawlessly. Only in these high-availability proving grounds does its role clarify: a redundancy-capable CPU from GE Vernova’s RX3i PACsystems, wielding 1 GHz Celeron-M power with 64 MB RAM and flash for bumpless continuity in mission-critical loops. Integrators swear by GE IC695CRU320CA-EJ for slashing MTTR in environments demanding 99.999% uptime.

Product Introduction & Positioning

The GE IC695CRU320CA-EJ functions as a high-availability central processing unit in the RX3i PACsystems platform, engineered for hot standby redundancy where primary and secondary CPUs mirror each other down to the interrupt level. Install it in universal backplanes alongside an IC695RMX128/228 for the fiber link, and it drives ladder logic or structured text across local expansions and remote racks, supporting up to 512 blocks of 128 KB each. Dual serial ports—one RS-232, one RS-485—handle SNP, Modbus RTU, or raw I/O drivers, while PCI/high-speed serial buses integrate Series 90-30 modules without rewiring.

Positioned for engineers tackling failover in utilities or discrete assembly, the GE IC695CRU320CA-EJ delivers 64 MB battery-backed RAM plus equal flash, configurable for %W bulk data up to memory limits. It auto-corrects single-bit errors and checks multiples, with firmware-upgradable fields ensuring longevity. This makes it a smart pivot from non-redundant CPE310s, offering synchronized data transfers to 2 MB and PROFINET V2.3 for IO controllers—perfect for scaling legacy sites without full rip-and-replace.

Key Technical Features & Functional Benefits

Blazing Boolean execution at 0.047 ms per 1K instructions powers the GE IC695CRU320CA-EJ through dense PID nests in boiler controls, with floating-point hardware accelerating loops for precise fuel-air ratios. Redundancy shines via bumpless one-scan switchovers—minimum 3.133 ms—transferring states without process wobble, vital for conveyor merges in parcel sorting hubs. Eight front LEDs (CPU OK, Run, Sys Flt, etc.) flag issues at a glance, while elapsed timers hold +/-0.01% accuracy for batch proofs.

Rugged by design, the GE IC695CRU320CA-EJ pulls +3.3V at 1.0A and +5V at 1.2A, thriving passively cooled from 0-60°C in IP20 panels. Flash endures 100K write cycles, and PCI 2.2 compliance speeds advanced I/O like high-res encoders. Serial ports stretch Modbus to distant RTUs, with EGD/PROFINET stacking for hybrid nets.

In practice, integrators note its tolerance for single-point failures, from power glitches to link drops, yielding MTBF beyond a decade in dusty cement ops. Forward-facing ports ease rack access, cutting setup time versus buried simplex alternatives.

Detailed Technical Specifications

Related Modules or Compatible Units

IC695RMX128 – Essential Memory Xchange partner forming the redundancy fiber link.
IC695CRU320 – Simplex base model without -EJ firmware optimizations.
IC695CPE310 – Non-redundant counterpart for cost-sensitive expansions.
IC695PNC001 – PROFINET IO controller extending redundant fieldbus.
IC695ALG600 – Analog module with HART for process redundancy mirroring.
IC695NIU001 – Ethernet unit bridging EGD to backup CPUs.
IC694ACC300 – Battery pack ensuring RAM retention in primary/secondary pairs.

Installation Notes & Maintenance Best Practices

Pair the GE IC695CRU320CA-EJ primaries with secondaries pre-configured in Proficy—match firmware to EJ revision for sync stability, verifying RMX links light solid green. Allocate 15 cm rack depth for serial cable bends; tie grounds to backplane studs per IEC 60204, segregating redundancy fibers from power trays to block EMI ingress. Power sequence matters: bring up both units simultaneously, watching switchover tests cycle under simulated loads before going live.

Diagnostics rule maintenance: monthly LED sweeps catch Battery Low or Sys Flt, with PME service requests probing transfer lists for lag. Flash firmware pairwise over serial to dodge version skews; in corrosive paper mills, enclosure heaters hold >5°C dewpoint. Vibration mounts under racks extend LED visibility—plan annual redundancy drills, always isolating primaries first to test failovers cleanly.