Safety and Distributed Control

PAC8000 Process Controllers

PAC8000 delivers full-specification performance in a broad range of harsh process environment conditions; extreme
temperatures, humidity or corrosives and conditions subject to shock and vibration. In ATEX environments, PAC8000 also excels. All
components can be installed and maintained in Zone 2/Division 2 hazardous areas. The I/O includes modules that can be connected
directly to Intrinsically Safe (Exi) or Increased Safety (Exe) field wiring. PAC8000 provides comprehensive diagnostic data on
controllers, Bus Interface Modules (BIM), I/O modules, field wiring and field instruments, allowing users to respond to issues quickly
and effectively.
PAC8000 Controllers are used in conventional distributed control architectures, with the I/O modules connected directly to the
Controllers. The same I/O modules may be used in remote IO architectures.

Benefits of PAC8000 • I/O Modules • Environmental and Hazardous

Controllers
• Controller Options
PAC8000 Controllers include a Process
Controller featuring DCS style function
block programming, a Logic Controller
with 61131-style PLC programming,
and a Hybrid Controller that provides
the capabilities of both. An RTU
Controller is also available, providing
DNP3 communication. The SIL 2
SafetyNet Controller is also part of the
PAC8000 family.
A broad range of PAC8000 I/O
modules are available to meet the
needs of different applications. All
modules provide comprehensive
diagnostic information. Analog and
discrete output modules are typically
8-channel, with 8-, 16- or 32-channel
discrete input modules. Up to 64
modules can be mounted on each node.
Area Operation
PAC8000 can go where other
products cannot. They can be field
mounted and will operate under the
following conditions:
• -40°C to +70°C operating range
• ISA Level G3 corrosive atmospheres
• 30g shock and 5g vibration
• Class I, Division 2 and Zone 2
hazardous areas, with I/O field
wiring including intrinsically safe (Exi)
and increased safety (Exe) options.
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5.26 Automation & Control Systems www.geautomation.com

Safety and Distributed Control PAC8000 SafetyNet

• Controller Redundancy • Ease of Use • Power Supplies

Application availability is improved
with Controller redundancy, which is
implemented by simply mounting a
second controller on the carrier. No
configuration is required; the new
controller automatically becomes
the standby when a button on
the Controller Carrier is pressed.
Rendezvous redundancy is employed to
guarantee bump-less transfer of control
from the master to the standby.
A range of features are provided to
simplify the day-to-day operation of a
Process Automation System:
– Controllers feature numerous LEDs
to assist with fault finding.
– Controllers report failed power
supplies when used in conjunction
with PAC8000 AC power supplies
and the 8410-NS-PS nodes
services module.
12 V controller power must be
connected to each controller, in
addition to the 12 V system power
connected to the controller carrier.
This can be supplied by the AC power
supply, 8913-PS-AC, or the DC power
supply, BQ2320-9R-EX.

• Network Redundancy – On replacing an IO module, the

Network redundancy helps assure
uninterrupted communications.
PAC8000 Controllers each have
two fault-tolerant Ethernet ports to
provide redundant communication
LANs. If a fault occurs in one
LAN pathway, communication is
automatically re-routed.
Controller will automatically bring
it online if it recognizes the type as
being correct.
– Online download of new application
programs is possible with simplex
controllers, and online download of
new firmware is often possible with
redundant controllers.

• Peer-to-Peer Communications – PAC8000 controllers feature an

PAC8000 Controllers communicate
directly with each other and share
data on a peer-to-peer basis without
having to route data through a
centralized database or server. Contact
GE or information regarding large
installations that feature more than
12 redundant PAC8000 nodes (or 24
simplex nodes).
• HART Support
PAC8000 Controllers can pass HART
data from smart field devices to asset
management software applications,
allowing remote configuration and
access to field instrument diagnostic
information. PAC8000 Controllers can
also acquire HART data for use in the
process control application.
• Engineering Tools
The Workbench provides an integrated
project development environment
coupled with development modules
and tools and a comprehensive set
of diagnostic utilities. Different
versions of the Workbench work with
each Controller.
RS485 serial connection for Modbus
RTU communication (a second serial
connection can be made on the
Controller Carrier).
– When used with the dedicated AC
Power Supplies, PAC8000 nodes can
be configured to “warm start” after
power failure – the power supplies
provide sufficient hold up time for
the controller to store all necessary
live data and to re-commence control
from the point the power was lost,
when it is restored.
• Event Recording
Controllers can record up to 8000 Publication Reference Chart
events in internal memory. Data read INM8521 Hybrid, Process, Logic & EBIM
from dedicated SOE modules are time INM8900 Power Supplies
stamped by the module. All other data
is time stamped by the Controller, and
the accuracy of the time stamp is then
dependent on the execution cycle. The
records must be read from the internal
memory by a suitable historian package
before the event buffer is filled and
over-written by new data.

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 Safety and Distributed Control

PAC8000 Process Controllers

The PAC8000 Controllers include a Process Controller featuring distributed control system (DCS)-
style function block programming; a Logic Controller featuring 61131-style programmable logic
controller (PLC) programming; and a Hybrid Controller that provides both programming styles in the
same unit. A SIL 2 SafetyNet Controller and an RTU Controller are also available, which provides DNP3
communication for the PAC8000 family.
The 8521-EB-MT Bus Interface Module, for remote I/O applications, shares the same hardware as
the controllers listed below. It can be upgraded from a bus interface module to a full controller by
firmware download, which is especially useful in ongoing legacy system replacement.

8521-LC-MT 8521-PC-MT 8521-HC-MT 8521-RT-DE

Product Name Logic Controller Process Controller Hybrid Controller RTU Controller

Lifecycle Status Active Active Active Active

IEC 61131 languages:
Ladder Diagram (LD)
Structured Text (ST)
Instruction List (IL)
Programming Languages
Sequential Function Chart
(SFC)
Function Block Diagram (FBD)
And Flow Chart
Function Block Combines programming IEC 61131 languages:
Programming languages of Logic and Ladder Diagram (LD)
Hybrid Controllers Structured Text (ST)
in a single unit Instruction List (IL)
Sequential Function Chart
(SFC)
Function Block Diagram (FBD)
And Flow Chart

LAN Communication Protocol Modbus TCP/IP Modbus TCP/IP Modbus TCP/IP DNP3

24 (24 nodes with simplex 24 (24 nodes with simplex 24 (24 nodes with simplex 24 (24 nodes with simplex
controllers or 12 with controllers or 12 with controllers or 12 with controllers or 12 with
Number of Controllers per LAN redundant controllers) - redundant controllers) - redundant controllers) - redundant controllers) -
with maximum IO modules. For with maximum IO modules. For with maximum IO modules. For with maximum IO modules. For
larger systems, contact GE. larger systems, contact GE. larger systems, contact GE. larger systems, contact GE.

Number of Modules per Controller 64 64 64 64

2 RJ45 Connectors 2 RJ45 Connectors 2 RJ45 Connectors 2 RJ45 Connectors

LAN Connections
per Controller per Controller per Controller per Controller

100Base TX or 100Base TX or 100Base TX or 100Base TX or

LAN Transmission Medium
10BaseT Ethernet 10BaseT Ethernet 10BaseT Ethernet 10BaseT Ethernet

LAN Transmission Speed 10 – 100 Mb/s 10 – 100 Mb/s 10 – 100 Mb/s 10 – 100 Mb/s

LAN Isolation 1500 V dielectric withstand 1500 V dielectric withstand 1500 V dielectric withstand 1500 V dielectric withstand

One male 9-pin D-type One male 9-pin D-type One male 9-pin D-type One male 9-pin D-type
Serial Connections on each Controller (second on each Controller (second on each Controller (second on each Controller (second
female connector on Carrier) female connector on Carrier) female connector on Carrier) female connector on Carrier)

Serial Transmission Medium RS485 half-duplex RS485 half-duplex RS485 half-duplex RS485 half-duplex

Serial Transmission Speed 1.2 – 115 kb/s 1.2 – 115 kb/s 1.2 – 115 kb/s 1.2 – 115 kb/s

Direct connection to Controller: Direct connection to Controller: Direct connection to Controller: Direct connection to Controller:
Controller Power 12 VDC (10.9 – 12.6), 12 VDC (10.9 – 12.6), 12 VDC (10.9 – 12.6), 12 VDC (10.9 – 12.6),
0.4 A typical, 0.5 A max 0.4 A typical, 0.5 A max 0.4 A typical, 0.5 A max 0.4 A typical, 0.5 A max

System Power Consumption 15 mA (max) 15 mA (max) 15 mA (max) 15 mA (max)

Dimensions (W x H x D) in mm 232 x 69 x 138 232 x 69 x 138 232 x 69 x 138 232 x 69 x 138

Weight (kg) 1.35 1.35 1.35 1.35

5.28 Automation & Control Systems www.geautomation.com