ABB CI858 Series Modules – 3BSE018137R1 CI858-1 DriveBus Interface

Technical Dossier

Product Details And Specifications

ABB CI858 Series Technical Notes

The ABB CI858 series is a family of communication interface modules designed for integration within the AC800M controller platform, ABB's flagship DCS architecture deployed across global heavy industry. CI858 modules serve as the communication backbone between AC800M controllers and field devices, drives, and remote I/O stations via the DriveBus and PROFIBUS protocols. Installations span petrochemical refineries, nuclear power auxiliary systems, offshore oil & gas platforms, pulp and paper mills, and large-scale chemical processing plants. The CI858-1 (3BSE018137R1) is the primary DriveBus interface variant, enabling high-speed cyclic communication between the AC800M controller and ABB drives such as the ACS800 and ACS600 series. Its deterministic communication cycle and compact S800 I/O-compatible form factor make it a standard component in both greenfield DCS projects and brownfield upgrades where legacy drive networks must be preserved.

The Evolution of CI858 Architecture

The CI858 series was introduced as part of ABB's AC800M platform, which succeeded the earlier Advant OCS and MOD 300 control systems in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The initial CI858-1 variant established the DriveBus interface standard, providing a dedicated serial communication link optimized for ABB drive coordination tasks including speed reference, torque reference, and status word exchange at cycle times as low as 2 ms.

As the AC800M platform matured through hardware revisions (PM861, PM864, PM866, PM891), the CI858 interface retained backward compatibility, allowing existing DriveBus networks to operate without rewiring when controllers were upgraded. The introduction of the CI858K01 kit variant addressed mounting flexibility requirements in retrofit projects where original backplane configurations were constrained. Parallel to the CI858 evolution, ABB developed the CI854 (PROFIBUS DP) and CI856 (PROFIBUS DP with redundancy) interfaces for non-drive fieldbus applications, establishing a clear protocol segmentation within the S800 I/O and AC800M ecosystem. The CI858 series entered the mature/end-of-active-development phase as ABB transitioned focus toward Ethernet-based fieldbus solutions (CI873 for PROFINET, CI874 for EtherNet/IP), though the CI858 remains in active use across installed base sites with long operational lifecycles of 20–30 years. Spare part availability and lifecycle extension support are therefore critical procurement considerations for maintenance engineers.

CI858 Full Catalog & Functionalities (SKU List)

The following SKUs represent the verified CI858 series and closely related AC800M communication interface modules. Each entry reflects a distinct hardware variant or accessory within the ABB S800/AC800M ecosystem.

3BSE018137R1 CI858-1: DriveBus interface module for AC800M; supports up to 12 drives per node.
3BSE018137R2 CI858-1: Revised hardware release of CI858-1; functionally equivalent, updated component revision.
3BSE018137R3 CI858-1: Third hardware revision; improved EMC compliance for high-interference environments.
3BSE018138R1 CI858K01: CI858 kit variant; includes mounting hardware for non-standard backplane installations.
3BSE020520R1 CI854A: PROFIBUS DP interface module; 12 Mbit/s, up to 32 slaves per segment.
3BSE020520R2 CI854A: Revised CI854A; updated firmware baseline for GSD file compatibility.
3BSE025255R1 CI856: Redundant PROFIBUS DP interface; dual-channel for high-availability fieldbus networks.
3BSE030220R1 CI857: PROFIBUS DP interface with extended diagnostic support; used in safety-instrumented system adjacent applications.
3BSE056767R1 CI873: PROFINET IO interface for AC800M; IRT and RT communication classes supported.
3BSE074411R1 CI874: EtherNet/IP adapter interface for AC800M; CIP protocol, 100 Mbit/s.
3BSE013208R1 CI801: S800 I/O cluster interface; connects remote I/O stations to AC800M via optical fiber or copper.
3BSE020508R1 CI820V1: S800 I/O cluster interface, Version 1; supports up to 12 I/O modules per cluster.
3BSE020508R2 CI820V2: S800 I/O cluster interface, Version 2; extended diagnostic register set.
3BSE041882R1 CI830: Foundation Fieldbus H1 interface for AC800M; 31.25 kbit/s, intrinsically safe segment support.
3BSE042560R1 CI840A: HART multiplexer interface; enables HART pass-through for S800 analog I/O modules.
3BSE045584R1 CI860: IEC 61850 communication interface for substation automation integration with AC800M.
3BSE050696R1 CI871: PROFIBUS PA interface for AC800M; segment coupler integrated, process field device connectivity.