GE IC693PWR363-BG 24 VDC Auxiliary Power Supply Module

Description

In Series 90-30 systems that have been in continuous service since the 1990s, the day the 24 VDC field power feeding an entire I/O rack disappears is the day production stops and the troubleshooting lights come on. Too many legacy installations still rely on a single external power supply or an aging IC693PWR321/328 whose 24 V output has drifted, sagged under load, or simply failed outright after decades of heat cycles. When that happens in a critical process (think boiler forced-draft fans, main lube-oil pumps, or emergency-shutdown valve racks), engineers need more than a quick swap; they need a supply that can be dropped in place with zero rewiring and zero risk of introducing ground shifts that upset sensitive analog loops. This is exactly why the GE IC693PWR363-BG remains the go-to 24 VDC auxiliary power module for every serious 90-30 installation still in operation. Delivering a rock-steady, isolated 30 W at 24 VDC directly from the backplane, the GE IC693PWR363-BG is the factory-refreshed, extended-support revision that eliminates the single biggest field-failure point in mature 90-30 systems while maintaining exact mechanical and electrical compatibility with the original IC693PWR321 it typically replaces.

The GE IC693PWR363-BG occupies the left-most power-supply slot in any IC693CHSxxx base and sources 30 W total across three isolated output terminals: +24 VDC for discrete outputs, +24 VDC Isolated for analog and third-party devices, and a dedicated +24 VDC Relay output for driving relay coils without pulling down the main field supply. It accepts the standard 85–264 VAC or 100–300 VDC input range, so no jumper changes are required when replacing an old 321/328/330 unit. On-board overvoltage, overcurrent, and overtemperature protection with automatic restart keep the rack alive even during brown-outs or accidental shorts. The refreshed -BG revision uses newer switching components that run 15 °C cooler than the original 1994-era design, dramatically extending electrolytic-capacitor life in 50 °C panels.

Specifying the GE IC693PWR363-BG is usually the difference between a two-hour repair and a multi-day forced outage. Because the three output terminals are fully isolated from each other and from the incoming line, you can finally separate noisy valve solenoids from sensitive 4–20 mA transmitters without adding external isolation bricks. Plants that once carried a spare 321 on the shelf now stock a single -BG and know it will outlast the rest of the rack. The cooler operation and modern capacitors routinely push mean-time-between-failure past 25 years in real-world 40–50 °C enclosures.

You’ll find the GE IC693PWR363-BG powering turbine-generator auxiliary consoles that cannot tolerate even a 200 ms dip, feeding valve racks on offshore platforms where a standard 321 would have cooked years ago, and keeping municipal water-filtration plants running where the original supply failed during a heat wave and nearly cost the city its operating permit.

IC693PWR321 – Original standard 24 VDC 30 W supply (end-of-life)

IC693PWR328 – 48 VDC version if battery-backed inputs are needed

IC693PWR330 – High-capacity 120/240 VAC version for heavier loads

IC693MDL754 – 24 VDC 0.5 A output module often powered from the 363’s isolated terminal

IC693ACC301 – Replacement battery pack for CPU when swapping supplies

IC697PWR711 – 90-70 equivalent for mixed 90-30/90-70 sites

HE693PWR024 – Third-party 24 VDC drop-in if budget is tight

Before sliding in a GE IC693PWR363-BG, kill AC to the rack, move the incoming line and neutral wires straight across (terminals 1–3 are identical), then reconnect the three 24 VDC output groups exactly as they were labeled on the old supply. The module auto-starts; watch for a steady green “PWR OK” LED within five seconds. Torque the front terminal screws to 0.7 N·m and leave the ventilation slots clear. Annual maintenance is literally a visual check of the LED and a quick finger test that the heat sink is only warm, not hot. Most sites install it and forget it for the next decade.