GE IC695CPE320-HS Rx3i PACSystems CPU

Description

In modern industrial automation environments where a single millisecond of scan jitter can throw a high-speed packaging line into chaos or cause a motion axis to fault, engineers have outgrown the predictable but aging 300 ms scan times of the classic Rx3i CPE305/CPE310 CPUs. The real pain point isn’t raw throughput; it’s the inability to guarantee deterministic execution when you’re mixing high-density analog, motion, and Ethernet Global Data traffic on the same backplane. This is precisely where the GE IC695CPE320-HS takes over. As the current flagship single-slot Rx3i controller with a 1.1 GHz Intel Atom processor and 64 MB of user memory, the GE IC695CPE320-HS delivers a typical Boolean scan rate of 0.072 ms/k — fast enough for synchronized servo drives, high-speed counters, and data-intensive energy metering while still running the same Proficy Machine Edition logic you already validated. The -HS firmware revision adds native OPC UA server capability and hardware-accelerated time-stamping to 1 µs, making it the natural upgrade path for any Rx3i site that needs PACSystems performance without rewriting a single rung of ladder.

The GE IC695CPE320-HS drops into any IC695CHSxxx universal backplane and boots from existing PME projects with zero code conversion. Dual independent Gigabit Ethernet ports support ring (MRP) or star redundancy, while the built-in USB programming port and SD-card slot allow field firmware updates without a laptop. Four high-speed inputs on the front faceplate can be wired directly to registration marks or encoder Z-pulses with 1 µs time-stamping, eliminating the need for a separate HSC module in most packaging and converting applications. Energy monitoring is native: the CPU continuously calculates kWh, power factor, and harmonic content from any IC695ALG6xx analog module without extra function blocks. All I/O is still refreshed over the high-speed PCI backplane at the exact same deterministic rate the Rx3i platform has always delivered, so your existing IC694 and IC695 modules continue to work without timing changes.

Choosing the GE IC695CPE320-HS means you finally get true hard-real-time performance in an Rx3i footprint: motion commands execute in the same scan as the ladder that generates them, and OPC UA clients see process values updated every 5–10 ms instead of every half-second. Plants that once had to add a separate motion controller or a second PLC for high-speed data logging simply remove those boxes and consolidate everything onto the CPE320. The extended temperature rating and conformal coating on the -HS revision have made it the default choice for wind-turbine nacelle controls and desert solar inverters where the older CPE310s were running at their thermal limits.

You’ll find the GE IC695CPE320-HS running synchronized cut-to-length flying shears in tissue and film converting lines, coordinating thirty-plus servo axes in robotic palletizers, and serving as the master controller on automotive test stands where 1 µs time-stamps are required for NVH analysis. It’s also the standard CPU in new offshore wind SCADA skids and in battery-giga-factory BMS systems that need both IEC 61131-3 logic and native OPC UA security.

IC695CPE310-AB – Previous-generation 1 GHz Atom if cost is the driver

IC695CPE330-AB – Dual-core version for heavy C-block or Java tasks

IC695CPE400 – Rackless standalone with built-in I/O when no backplane is needed

IC695PNC001 – PROFINET controller module (not needed with CPE320-HS)

IC695RMX128 – Redundancy memory module for high-availability pairs

IC695ETM001 – Legacy Ethernet module (removed when upgrading to CPE320)

IC695ACC600 – Extended-temperature battery and SD card kit

Before swapping in a GE IC695CPE320-HS, download the latest firmware bundle (v9.80 or higher) to the SD card so the CPU boots with the current OPC UA certificate. Transfer your existing PME project via USB or Ethernet — the conversion assistant runs automatically and flags only obsolete instructions (almost never an issue). Verify the backplane power supply is IC695PSD040 or better; the older 40 W units can sag under a fully loaded high-speed rack. After power-up, check the front OLED for “RUN” and both Ethernet ports showing link/activity. Routine maintenance is limited to replacing the lithium battery every five years and keeping the fan filter clean in dusty environments.