Application Scenarios
Picture a water treatment plant that has relied on an SLC 500 system for nearly two decades. The original 10-slot chassis (1746-A10) is fully populated, and a plant upgrade demands four new analog input modules for additional chlorine, pH, and turbidity monitoring — plus a DeviceNet scanner for new smart valves. Rather than rewire the entire control panel or migrate to a new platform (which would mean rewriting thousands of rungs of proven ladder logic), the engineering team simply swaps in the 1746-A13. Every existing module, wire, and RSLogix 500 program transfers unchanged. The extra three slots absorb the new analog cards and communication module, and the backplane’s 10 A at 5.1 VDC capacity easily handles the additional load. What could have been a six-month migration project becomes a single weekend swap — with zero changes to the proven control logic.
Parameter
| Main Parameters | Value / Description |
|---|---|
| Product Model | 1746-A13 (also referenced as 1746-A13_B for Series B revision) |
| Manufacturer | Allen-Bradley / Rockwell Automation |
| Product Category | Modular I/O Chassis / PLC Rack Backplane |
| Product Family | SLC 500 Modular Hardware Style |
| Number of Slots | 13 total module positions (1 leftmost dedicated to power supply; 12 remaining for CPU, I/O, communication, and specialty modules) |
| Backplane Bus | Integrated parallel high-speed backplane for module-to-module data exchange |
| Backplane Current (5.1 VDC) | 10 A maximum — powers all installed modules’ logic circuits |
| Backplane Current (24 VDC) | 2.88 A maximum — powers module-internal relays and isolated circuits |
| Power Supply | Not included; requires separate 1746-P1, P2, P3, or P4 module in leftmost slot |
| Compatible Processors | SLC 5/01, 5/02, 5/03, 5/04, 5/05 (e.g., 1747-L511, L524, L531, L541, L551) |
| Compatible I/O | All 1746-series digital, analog, and specialty modules (1746-IB16, 1746-OB16, 1746-NI4, 1746-NIO4I, etc.) |
| Communication Modules | 1747-SDN (DeviceNet), 1747-KE (DH-485), 1747-SCNR (ControlNet), 1747-M15 (EtherNet/IP) |
| Expansion Support | Up to 3 chassis total (30 slots max) via 1746-C7 / C9 / C16 interconnect cables |
| Dimensions (W × H × D) | 50.2 × 17.1 × 14.5 cm (19.78 × 6.73 × 5.71 in) |
| Weight | 1.9 kg (4.2 lbs) without modules |
| Mounting | Direct panel mount via 8 mounting tabs (M4 or M5 / #10 or #12 Phillips screws); DIN rail requires adapter bracket |
| Cooling | Passive convection (no fan required) |
| Mounting Clearance | ≥ 15.3 cm (6.0 in) top; ≥ 10.2 cm (4.0 in) sides; 7.7–10.2 cm when using 1746-C7 cable |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to +60 °C (32 °F to 140 °F) |
| Storage Temperature | -40 °C to +85 °C (-40 °F to 185 °F) |
| Relative Humidity | 5 % to 95 % RH, non-condensing |
| Certifications | UL Listed (US/Canada), CE marked, Class I Division 2 Groups A/B/C/D |
| Programming Software | RSLogix 500 (hardware configuration and I/O address assignment) |
| Lifecycle Status | Discontinued — Rockwell Automation ceased sales as of March 31, 2024; available through new-surplus, refurbished, and repair channels |
