GE IS200CSLAH4AAA HSSL Expander Card

The GE IS200CSLAH4AAA is a High-Speed Serial Link (HSSL) Expander Card manufactured by General Electric (GE) for the Mark VI Speedtronic Turbine Control System and the related EX2100 Excitation Control System.

The primary function of this board is to provide high-speed communication and expansion within the industrial control rack, particularly in triple-redundant (TMR) systems.

⚙️ Core Functionality and System Role

The IS200CSLAH4AAA card is vital for maintaining the performance and reliability of complex industrial control applications, such as those controlling gas and steam turbines.

• HSSL Expansion: It is designed to expand the High-Speed Serial Link (HSSL) communication interface, which enables fast fiber-optic data transfer between the main controllers. This speed is essential for the deterministic and precise control required for turbine and exciter operations.
• I/O Expander: It functions as an Input/Output (I/O) Expander Card that works in conjunction with the system’s main control processor board, particularly the main control processor in the EX2100 Excitation System.
• Redundancy Support (TMR): In systems using Triple Modular Redundancy (TMR), an IS200CSLAH4AAA card is typically installed on each of the three control modules (C, M1, and M2) to ensure parallel, high-speed communication across all redundant controllers.
• Technology: It is a double-sided printed circuit board (PCB) that uses transceivers, such as the Avago HFBR-5961xxZ, for reliable, high-speed fiber optic Ethernet communication.
• Form Factor: The board is a Compact PCI High-speed Serial Link Expansion Board (CSLA) designed for integration into the control rack.

The trailing letters ‘AAA’ indicate a specific revision or assembly configuration of the base IS200CSLAH4 design.