Description
Key Technical Specifications
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Model Number: DS200CTBAG1A
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Manufacturer: General Electric
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Function: Analog termination & signal conditioning
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Connectors: 1 × 9-pin D-Shell RS-232 (TIMN diagnostics), multiple screw-clamp terminals
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Protection: 23 metal-oxide varistors for transient absorption
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Signal Range: ±10 V differential, 0–20 mA loops (jumper-select)
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Isolation: 500 V channel-to-ground on analog paths
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Board Size: 6.25 in × 4.25 in (159 × 108 mm)
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Operating Temperature: –28 °C to +55 °C
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Power: +5 V & ±15 V supplied from C-core back-plane; no on-board DC-DC
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Mounting: Plug-in on 2PL rail; captive screws at top & bottom
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Coating: Normal conformal coat; repairable trace & varistor design
DS200CTBAG1A
Field Application & Problem Solved
In a peaker plant C-core you’ve got RTDs, LVDTs, and speed probes all trying to reach the SDCC on one end of the rack. This card is the cheap, replaceable landing pad. You bring shielded pairs to the screw terminals, the board knocks down any spikes with its varistor string, and the SDCC sees clean ±10 V on the other side of the back-plane. When a lightning hit blows the varistors you lose one channel, swap the card in five minutes, and you’re back online—no re-cal, no download. That’s the real value: sacrificial barrier between field wiring and expensive control hardware.
In a peaker plant C-core you’ve got RTDs, LVDTs, and speed probes all trying to reach the SDCC on one end of the rack. This card is the cheap, replaceable landing pad. You bring shielded pairs to the screw terminals, the board knocks down any spikes with its varistor string, and the SDCC sees clean ±10 V on the other side of the back-plane. When a lightning hit blows the varistors you lose one channel, swap the card in five minutes, and you’re back online—no re-cal, no download. That’s the real value: sacrificial barrier between field wiring and expensive control hardware.
Installation & Maintenance Pitfalls (Expert Tips)
Varistors fail short—meter before power-up
A varistor that took a hit will read <10 Ω to ground; if you power the rack you’ll drag the ±15 V rail down and fault the whole C-core. Ohm-out each input pin to chassis before you close the door.
Varistors fail short—meter before power-up
A varistor that took a hit will read <10 Ω to ground; if you power the rack you’ll drag the ±15 V rail down and fault the whole C-core. Ohm-out each input pin to chassis before you close the door.
RS-232 TIMN port is live at 5 V
Techs plug in a laptop with a cheap USB adapter and short pin-2 to ground—blown MAX232 on the SDCC. Use an isolated dongle or kill 5 V before you plug in.
Techs plug in a laptop with a cheap USB adapter and short pin-2 to ground—blown MAX232 on the SDCC. Use an isolated dongle or kill 5 V before you plug in.
Screw torque is 8 in-lb—no hero moves
Over-tighten and the screw post snaps; under-tighten and vibration backs the wire out until it touches the cabinet wall—then you chase random ground faults. Calibrate the driver and tug-test every conductor.
Over-tighten and the screw post snaps; under-tighten and vibration backs the wire out until it touches the cabinet wall—then you chase random ground faults. Calibrate the driver and tug-test every conductor.
Trace repair is allowed—varistor replacement is mandatory
If a trace burns, jumper it with 20 AWG high-temp wire and seal with epoxy. Always replace every varistor in the string; if you leave one wounded it’ll short next surge and take the new trace with it.
If a trace burns, jumper it with 20 AWG high-temp wire and seal with epoxy. Always replace every varistor in the string; if you leave one wounded it’ll short next surge and take the new trace with it.
DS200CTBAG1A
Technical Deep Dive & Overview
Internally the board is nothing more than a passive landing field. Precision divider networks scale ±10 V signals to the SDCC A/D range; 1 kΩ series resistors limit fault current; 23 20 mm varistors clamp at 47 V. A MAX232 chip on the left corner converts TTL-level TIMN traffic to RS-232 for laptop diagnostics—no processor, no firmware. Because everything is hardware you can swap it live: pull the old card, move wires one-for-one, snap the 2PL connector, and the Mark V picks up the exact counts it saw five minutes earlier.
Internally the board is nothing more than a passive landing field. Precision divider networks scale ±10 V signals to the SDCC A/D range; 1 kΩ series resistors limit fault current; 23 20 mm varistors clamp at 47 V. A MAX232 chip on the left corner converts TTL-level TIMN traffic to RS-232 for laptop diagnostics—no processor, no firmware. Because everything is hardware you can swap it live: pull the old card, move wires one-for-one, snap the 2PL connector, and the Mark V picks up the exact counts it saw five minutes earlier.
