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Description
Technical Specifications
| Product Model | 1746-A13 (1746-A13/B) |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Rockwell Automation / Allen-Bradley |
| Product Type | SLC 500 Series 13-Slot PLC Chassis / Backplane Rack |
| Total Slots | 13 (Slot 0 = Power Supply or Remote Adapter; Slots 1–12 = CPU / I/O / Option Modules) |
| Maximum Local I/O Module Capacity | Up to 30 discrete/analog I/O modules addressable from one SLC 500 processor (including expansion racks) |
| Backplane 5 V DC Current Rating | 10 A maximum (distributed from installed 1746-Px power supply) |
| Backplane 24 V DC Current Rating | 2.88 A maximum (for modules drawing 24 V from backplane) |
| Backplane Type | Passive parallel bus with synchronous clock, address, data, and power distribution |
| Expansion / Remote I/O Connectivity | Via 1746-C7 (7 ft), 1746-C9 (9 ft), 1746-C16 (16 ft) cables to/from adjacent chassis or remote I/O adapter (1747-SN) |
| Mounting Method | Panel mount (via chassis flange) or 35 mm DIN rail (with optional DIN-rail mounting kit) |
| Overall Dimensions (H × W × D) | Approx. 171 mm × 502 mm × 145 mm (6.73″ × 19.76″ × 5.71″) |
| Weight | Approx. 1.9 kg (4.2 lb) |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to +60 °C (+32 °F to +140 °F) |
| Storage Temperature | -40 °C to +85 °C |
| Relative Humidity | 5–95 % RH, non-condensing |
| Enclosure / Protection | Open-type (IP20 when installed in a suitable enclosure); metal shielded backplane |
| Agency Certifications | cULus listed, CE marked, FM (Class I Division 2 where applicable per system configuration), RoHS |
Main Features and Advantages
The Allen-Bradley 1746-A13 delivers the structural and electrical foundation upon which a complete SLC 500 control system is built. Its design emphasizes flexibility, robustness, and long-term serviceability in legacy and retrofit installations alike.Thirteen-slot capacity for complex systems: Unlike the 4-, 7-, or 10-slot SLC 500 chassis, the Allen-Bradley 1746-A13 provides twelve module slots beyond the power supply position, accommodating large mixtures of discrete I/O, analog I/O, specialty modules (high-speed counter, BASIC, ASCII, thermocouple, RTD), and the processor itself in a single local rack. This reduces the need for multiple expansion chassis in moderately complex applications.Universal SLC 500 backplane compatibility: The passive backplane is fully compatible with all 1746-series I/O modules, all SLC 500 processor families (fixed-style 1747-L20x through modular 1747-L55x), and all 1746-Px power supplies as well as the 1747-SN remote I/O adapter. No jumpers or DIP-switch configuration is required—module recognition and addressing are handled automatically by the processor firmware based on physical slot position.Expandability via ribbon/round cables: The leftmost edge of the Allen-Bradley 1746-A13 includes a proprietary expansion port for connecting to additional SLC 500 chassis (1746-A4, A7, A10, or another A13) using 1746-C7 / C9 / C16 cables, allowing up to three chassis (one local + two expansion) under a single SLC 500 processor—or functioning as a remote I/O rack when the slot-0 adapter (1747-SN) is installed and connected to a scanner.Robust industrial construction: The heavy-gauge metal chassis provides superior electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding for the backplane and modules, while the open-top design allows convection cooling with no fans required. Guide rails are precision-formed to ensure positive module seating and correct pin alignment, reducing insertion-related damage.Flexible mounting options: Supplied with panel-mount flanges, the Allen-Bradley 1746-A13 can also be DIN-rail mounted using an optional kit, adapting easily to new control-panel layouts or retrofits into existing enclosures originally designed for other SLC 500 chassis sizes.Long-term system viability: As the largest standard SLC 500 chassis, the Allen-Bradley 1746-A13 is frequently stocked as a spare or replacement frame in plants that continue to rely on SLC 500 technology for proven, deterministic control of legacy processes, machine lines, and infrastructure subsystems.
Application Field
The Allen-Bradley 1746-A13 is specified wherever an SLC 500-based control system demands more I/O density or specialty-module diversity than smaller chassis can accommodate. In discrete manufacturing—automotive component lines, stamping presses, packaging machinery, and material-handling systems—the 13-slot chassis houses the SLC 500 processor together with dozens of discrete input/output points, analog modules for temperature or pressure monitoring, and high-speed counter or ASCII communication modules for barcode readers or weigh scales, all in one localized rack.In process skids, water/wastewater pumping stations, and building-automation control panels, the Allen-Bradley 1746-A13 often serves as the main I/O aggregation point, with a mix of 1746 analog input/output modules monitoring tank levels, pH, flow, and valve positions, while discrete I/O manages pump start/stop and alarm annunciation. Where the control topology requires it, the chassis can be configured as a remote I/O rack using the 1747-SN adapter in slot 0, connected back to a ControlLogix or another SLC 500 scanner across a DeviceNet or RIO serial link.The Allen-Bradley 1746-A13 is also extensively used in system-retrofit and obsolescence-management projects, where original 1746-A10 or A7 chassis prove too small for added I/O during a modernization phase. Replacing a smaller chassis with the Allen-Bradley 1746-A13 allows reuse of all existing 1746 modules and the processor with no change to the control program—only the physical rack is swapped—making it a low-risk, cost-effective path to adding capacity without migrating to a newer platform prematurely.
