GE-FanucIC600BF949LASCII / BASIC Coprocessor Module for Series Six PLC, RS-232C / RS-422

Product Description

What this part is

A GE Fanuc ASCII/BASIC coprocessor module for the Series Six PLC family, IC600BF949. It is effectively a small programmable microcomputer that occupies a single Series Six I/O slot: you write GE BASIC programs that run on the module itself, alongside the PLC’s ladder logic, to handle jobs the ladder is bad at — floating-point maths, string and ASCII message handling, report generation, and serial conversation with barcode readers, printers, scales, gauges and supervisory computers.

Physically it is a two-board assembly in a motherboard-and-daughterboard arrangement, and it carries its own RAM, its own EPROM-resident operating system, and two serial ports. It is a coprocessor and communications module — it has no I/O points of its own and it is not the PLC CPU.

Decoding the order code

IC – GE Fanuc Automation industrial controls prefix.600 – the Series Six PLC family (Model 600 / 6000). Neighbouring GE Fanuc groups do not interchange: IC610 is Series One, IC630 is Series Three, IC693 is Series 90-30, IC697 is Series 90-70.BF – the Series Six module class for I/O-rack-resident functional and interface modules. Series Six CPU and control modules carry CB, and memory modules carry CM.949 – the specific module, here the ASCII/BASIC coprocessor.L – the hardware revision letter. A revision suffix, not a different product; the -M revision of the same module appears on the market as well.

Published specifications

Function: ASCII/BASIC coprocessor module, programmable in GE BASICLanguage features: full-function floating-point math, interrupts, timersRAM: 12 KBEPROM: 32 KB, containing the resident operating systemSerial ports: two, selectable RS-232C or RS-422Maximum cable length: 50 ft (15 m) on RS-232C; up to 1.2 km on RS-422Supply: 5 to 12 V DC, taken from the rack backplaneConstruction: two boards, motherboard and daughterboardMounting: one slot in a Series Six I/O rack; compatible with Model 60 CPU racks and high-capacity I/O racks

What these specs mean in practice

“BASIC” here is the programming language, not a description of the module’s capability. This is one of the more capable modules in the Series Six range, not a stripped-down one — it is the reason a 1980s Series Six installation could produce a formatted production report or talk to a serial gauge at all.

The port choice is the specification that decides your installation. RS-232C is limited to about 50 ft, which is fine inside a panel or to an adjacent desk; RS-422 is good for up to 1.2 km and is what you use to reach a control room or another building. Choose before you pull cable, because the two are not electrically compatible.

The 12 KB of RAM is where your BASIC program and variables live, and it is volatile. Plan for the program to be reloaded, and keep a copy of the source — a used module arrives with no guarantee of what is or is not still in memory.

What is not included

Module only. This listing does not include the Series Six I/O rack or CPU rack, the rack power supply, the Series Six CPU or memory modules, the backup battery, the serial cables or connector kits for either port, RS-232C to RS-422 converters, terminal blocks, a programmer or Logicmaster software, the BASIC program listing or source, or any documentation. No BASIC program is supplied or warranted on the module — assume you will write and load your own.

Quantity and configuration

Sold as 1 piece — one ASCII/BASIC coprocessor module (the complete two-board assembly). New old stock, in an opened box.

Installation and setup notes

Power down the rack before inserting or removing the module. Handle it by the edges with a wrist strap, and check that the daughterboard is fully seated on the motherboard before installation — a partially seated daughterboard on this module presents as a coprocessor that will not start. Select the port standard, baud rate and framing to match the device at the far end before you commission anything, and on RS-422 mind the polarity of the differential pairs. Route serial cabling away from motor and drive leads.

Interchange guidance

Searchable equivalents of the same part: IC600BF949L, IC600BF949, IC600-BF-949-L, IC600 BF 949 L, IC600BF949-L. The IC600BF949M revision is the same module at a different revision level. Not interchangeable: other IC600BF numbers are different Series Six modules entirely — IC600BF942 is a bipolar ±10 V analog output module, IC600BF943 is a 4–20 mA analog output, and IC600BF814 is a thermocouple input. Same class prefix, completely different function.

Correcting the source data

Earlier copy called this a “Basic Module” offering “basic functionality”. BASIC is the programming language the module runs; this is an ASCII/BASIC coprocessor with its own processor, memory and two serial ports, and it is the wrong part to buy if what you actually want is a simple I/O card.