Product Overview

The ABB 3HNE00313-1​ is the Programming Unit (PU)​ — ABB’s S4C / S4C+ generation handheld teach pendant, later carried into early IRC5 controllers before ABB migrated the pendant line to the color-touch FlexPendant​ (3HAC022286 class). The “w/ backlight” in the filename is the product differentiator: the base S4C PU (very early, 1995–1997) may have shipped non-backlit in some markets; the 3HNE00313-1 is the backlit variant​ — early sub-revs used electroluminescent (EL) backlight​ (thin foil behind the LCD, ~10k hour life, greenish glow), later sub-revs moved to LED backlight​ (longer life, whiter). The PU is the primary human–robot interface for every IRB 2400/4400/6400/6600 still on S4C+ (2000s-vintage weld shops, machine-tend cells, die-cast extract cells) — the operator holds the PU, depresses the 3-position enable (deadman), jogs the robot axis-by-axis or linear, edits Rapid modules on the 2×16 or 4×20 monochrome LCD, views/forces I/O, runs the calibration routine (e.g., the Axis 4/6 wrist calib we referenced in the prior IRB 2400 motor entry — that “Teach Mark” step happens on this PU), and hits E-stop if the robot deviates.Physically, the ABB 3HNE00313-1​ is a gray ABS handheld, roughly 220 × 160 × 45 mm, ~0.8–1.0 kg (with cable strain-relief), IP30 (indoor MCR/cell use, not washdown — Foundry Plus cells use a separate ruggedized PU or the later FlexPendant in an IP67 pouch). Front face: monochrome LCD at top (2 lines × 16 chars early, 4×20 later — the 3HNE00313-1 sub-rev determines; S4C+ standard was 4×20), below it a membrane keypad​ with:

 

• Alpha-numeric keys​ (QWERTY-ish, robot-specific layout — not full QWERTY, optimized for Rapid: RAPID, MOD, PROC, IF, WHILE, arrow keys)
• Soft keys​ (4× horizontal keys below LCD, labels change per screen — “Next”, “Prev”, “Save”, “Calib”, etc.)
• Jog keys​ (axis 1–6 + linear/orientation jog, increment toggle — 4× jog keys arranged as a d-pad + 2 axis-select rows)
• Enable (deadman)​ — 3-position: released = robot dead; half-pressed = enable (teach speed active, max 250 mm/s); full-pressed = overtravel (disable, safety). Two enable buttons (left + right) so left/right-handed operators.
• E-stop​ — red mushroom, twist-to-release, wired as a safety loop back to the controller SMB / Drive Module safety chain (ESTOP Category 3/4 per S4C+).
• Mode key / MotOff / MotOn​ — physical keys for “Motor Off” (teach) / “Motor On” (auto, from PU) / “Auto/Manual” mode select.
• Function keys​ (F1–F4 or F1–F5, programmable per screen).

 

The ABB 3HNE00313-1​ connects to the S4C+ controller cabinet via a 10 m coiled cable​ (ABB PN 3HNE00314-1 or sibling — the cable is a separate SKU, not included with the PU typically, though some bundles ship together) — the cable terminates in a round ABB proprietary connector (12-pin + shield, keyed, ~M20 thread for strain relief on the controller’s PU outlet). The PU draws 24 V DC​ from the controller (the S4C+ cabinet has a dedicated “PU” 24 V 2 A out on the M8 / round connector, fed from the controller’s internal 24 V PSU). Communication: the PU talks to the S4C+ CPU (the M199/M291 class computer unit in the cabinet) over an RS485/serial link inside the coiled cable — the LCD content, key presses, E-stop state, enable state all serialize over that link. The PU itself has no CPU to speak of (maybe a small keyboard scan MCU + LCD driver, but the “brain” is the controller — if you unplug the PU, the robot doesn’t care except the operator loses the interface).For MRO teams, the ABB 3HNE00313-1​ is a high-wear A-class spare​ — operators handle it 8 hr/day, drop it (ABS holds up but the LCD cracks if it hits a weld-gun fixture), spill coffee on the membrane (membrane delaminates after 10–12 years in 3-shift weld shops), the E-stop button gets sticky (coolant mist in tend cells), the coiled cable’s strain relief at the PU end fatigues (10 m coiled, the PU-end gets yanked when the operator walks to the far side of the cell). The PU also has a backlight life​ issue: EL backlight sub-revs (early 3HNE00313-1) have ~10k hour EL foil — after 5 years 3-shift, the backlight dims, the LCD is unreadable in a bright weld shop (arc flash + sunlight through skylights). LED-backlight sub-revs (later 3HNE00313-1) last 50k+ hours, but many plants still have the EL version. Swapping the ABB 3HNE00313-1​ is <2 minutes: kill the controller (or at least the PU 24 V — some S4C+ cabinets have a “PU OFF” key on the cabinet door, else power-cycle the controller), unplug the coiled cable at the controller end (round connector, threaded lock-ring, unscrew), unplug at the PU end (strain-relief clip + connector), seat new PU, plug coiled cable, power up — the S4C+ enumerates the PU instantly, LCD shows the RobotWare splash, ready. For plants with S4C+ fleets (20–40 IRB 2400/6400 per weld line), stock 2–3× ABB 3HNE00313-1​ per 20–30 robots, plus 2–3× spare 10 m coiled cables (cable fails more often than PU). The ABB 3HNE00313-1​ is OEM-discontinued in the strictest sense (ABB migrated S4C+ support to “classic,” PU still available through ABB legacy/robotics-channel NOS and verified-pull from decommed S4C+ cabinets, plus third-party refurb that replaces membrane + backlight + cable strain).

⚠️ Compatibility note: The 3HNE00313-1 is for S4C / S4C+ / early IRC5 only. Later IRC5 (post-2008) and OmniCore use the FlexPendant​ (3HAC022286 class, color touch, 8×/10× series) — not backwards-compatible with the 3HNE00313-1 PU (different connector, different protocol, different 24 V PSU rating). If the plant has mixed S4C+ / IRC5 fleets, stock both: 3HNE00313-1 for S4C+, FlexPendant (3HAC022286 + 3HAC040657 cable) for IRC5/OmniCore. Don’t try to plug a 3HNE00313-1 into an IRC5 cabinet — the connector might physically fit (some early IRC5 kept the round PU outlet for legacy), but the protocol changed and the controller will flag “PU Not Recognized.”

 

Technical Specifications

Parameter Name	Parameter Value
Product Model	3HNE00313-1
Manufacturer	ABB Robotics (Västerås, Sweden)
Product Type	Programming Unit (PU) – Handheld Teach Pendant, S4C / S4C+ / early IRC5
Display	Monochrome LCD, 2×16 or 4×20 chars (sub-rev dependent; S4C+ std = 4×20), backlit​ (EL early sub-rev / LED later sub-rev)
Backlight Type	EL (electroluminescent, ~10k hr) early / LED (50k+ hr) later — “w/ backlight” = this PN includes backlight (base early PU may not)
Keypad	Membrane, QWERTY-optimized for Rapid + Jog + Softkeys + F-keys + E-stop + Enable
Enable (Deadman)	3-position, left + right (dual), Category 3/4 per S4C+ safety
E-Stop	Red mushroom, twist-release, wired to controller safety chain (SMB/Drive safety loop)
Jog Keys	Axis 1–6 + Linear/Orientation + Increment toggle
Connector (to controller)	ABB proprietary round, 12-pin + shield, ~M20 thread strain-relief (cable PN 3HNE00314-1, 10 m coiled, separate SKU)
Supply Voltage	24 V DC (from S4C+ controller “PU” outlet, ~2 A max)
Communication	RS485/serial to S4C+ CPU (M199/M291) — PU is a terminal, controller is host
Cable Length (std)	10 m coiled (ABB 3HNE00314-1) — custom lengths available (5 m, 15 m) per ABB spare BOM
Enclosure	Gray ABS, IP30 (indoor MCR/cell use; Foundry cells use separate ruggedized PU or FlexPendant in IP67 pouch)
Operating Temperature	-10 °C to +50 °C (controller cabin / cell pendants — S4C+ cabinet ambient spec)
Storage Temperature	-25 °C to +70 °C
Humidity	10–90 % RH, non-condensing
Dimensions (PU only)	~220 × 160 × 45 mm
Weight	~0.8–1.0 kg (PU only, no cable); ~1.3 kg with 10 m coiled cable
Safety Rating	PU E-stop + Enable = PLd / Cat 3 (per S4C+ overall safety architecture, ISO 13849)
Compatible Controllers	ABB S4C, S4C+ (all variants: M199, M291, M301), early IRC5 (pre-FlexPendant transition, ~2004–2008)
Compatible Robots	IRB 1400, IRB 2400 (covered prior entry), IRB 4400, IRB 6400R, IRB 6600 (S4C+ builds), IRB 7600 (S4C+ early)
Certifications	CE, EMC per S4C+ system