GE IC697MDL653 32-Point 24 VDC Pos/Neg Logic Input

Description

In high-density discrete input applications across factory automation and process plants, the cost of missed or false signals compounds quickly: a single photoelectric eye not registering a part on a 2000-part-per-hour line means scrap, downtime, and potential safety incidents. When you’re scanning hundreds of 24 VDC sensors — proximity switches on transfer lines, limit switches on robotic cells, pushbuttons on operator stations — the limitations of 16-point or low-voltage modules become obvious. You either crowd multiple cards into a rack, burning slots and backplane power, or you settle for slower filtering that misses fast events in high-speed machinery.

This is precisely the problem the GE IC697MDL653 was built to eliminate. This 32-point, 24 VDC positive/negative logic input module for the Series 90-70 PLC platform packs twice the density of standard cards into a single wide slot while delivering configurable per-group filtering (1 ms to 100 ms), optical isolation, and true pos/neg flexibility on the same module. Each of the four 8-point groups has its own common and independent filter selection, so you can mix high-speed prox switches (1 ms filter) on one group with pushbuttons or selector switches (10–20 ms filter) on another — all without external signal conditioners or interposing terminals. Introduced in the 1990s yet still in full production in 2025, the GE IC697MDL653 remains the highest-density, most noise-immune 24 VDC input solution for plants that refuse to abandon the bulletproof Series 90-70 architecture.

The GE IC697MDL653 occupies one wide slot in any Series 90-70 I/O rack (local or remote) and presents thirty-two %I references to the PLC programmer. Inputs are rated for 10–30 VDC with a low 4 mA draw per point and 1500 V isolation field-to-backplane. The module supports both positive logic (sourcing sensors) and negative logic (sinking sensors) simultaneously by simply wiring the field common to the appropriate group terminals — no jumpers or configuration bits required. On-board diagnostics continuously monitor field power loss per group and report it to the I/O fault table.

Four removable 24-pin connectors (Fujitsu FCN-365P series) accept up to 18 AWG wire and mate with industry-standard pre-made cables (IC697CBL700 series), dramatically reducing installation and maintenance time compared to screw terminals. LED arrays show individual point status at a glance, and the module can be hot-inserted in most 90-70 remote bases without cycling rack power.

Specifying the GE IC697MDL653 means you finally get the density and flexibility that match the capability of the Series 90-70 CPU itself. Four independently filtered groups let you optimize response time versus noise rejection on a per-application basis — critical when the same rack monitors both 800 Hz prox switches and manual operator controls. The Fujitsu connectors and optional pre-wired cables cut panel wiring time by 60–70 % compared to screw-terminal modules, while the robust optical isolation and high ESD rating (4 kV contact) shrug off the welding environments and long cable runs that destroy lesser cards.

Maintenance teams love the instant visual feedback and the fact that a damaged cable can be swapped in minutes without powering down the rack. Plants that track MTBF consistently see these modules running 25+ years without a single input failure.

You’ll find the GE IC697MDL653 reading pallet detection sensors on high-speed automotive transfer lines, monitoring hundreds of limit switches in tire-building machines, scanning operator pushbuttons and e-stops in large material-handling systems, and watching valve limits in refinery distributed I/O racks. Utilities use it in substation remote drops where cable runs exceed 300 m and lightning immunity is non-negotiable. In every case the requirement is maximum point count, maximum noise immunity, and minimum panel footprint — exactly what the IC697MDL653 has delivered flawlessly for three decades.

IC697MDL652 – 32-point 12 VDC version (lower voltage)

IC697MDL654 – 32-point 48 VDC version

IC697MDL640 – 16-point 24 VDC positive logic (lower density)

IC697MDL671 – 32-point interrupt input version (high-speed events)

IC697MDL740 – 16-point 24 VDC output companion

IC697CBL700 – Pre-wired 3 m cable kit for Fujitsu connectors

IC697ACC721 – Replacement connector kit (set of 4)

IC697MDL653E – Later revision with minor component updates

Before installing the GE IC697MDL653, confirm your 90-70 power supply has at least 1 A spare on the 5 V rail (the module draws ~0.5 A). Set the four filter jumpers (JP1–JP4) on the rear of the module before insertion — 1 ms for fast sensors, 10–20 ms for everything else. Use only genuine GE or compatible Fujitsu FCN-365P024-AU connectors; third-party knock-offs can cause intermittent connections. Always keep one set of spare connectors (IC697ACC721) and a pre-made cable on the shelf.

In service, maintenance is visual: green LEDs per point, red field-power LEDs per group. Once a year, cycle field power while monitoring the fault table to verify wiring integrity. The module itself rarely fails; when it does, hot-swap replacement takes under five minutes with no reconfiguration.