ABB SA168 3BSE003389R1 Advant Master Power Supply Modules

Technical Dossier

Product Details And Specifications

ABB SA168 Series Technical Notes

The ABB SA168 series is a power supply module family developed for the Advant Master distributed control system (DCS), one of ABB's most widely deployed process automation platforms across global heavy industry. Installations of the Advant Master architecture are documented in petrochemical refineries, nuclear power stations, offshore platforms, pulp and paper mills, and large-scale chemical processing facilities across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. The SA168 3BSE003389R1 is a 24 VDC regulated power supply unit designed to deliver stable bus power to the Advant Master S100 I/O subsystem, operating within the strict voltage tolerance and redundancy requirements of continuous-process environments. Its form factor and backplane interface conform to the S100 I/O bus standard, making it a direct fit for existing Advant Master cabinets without hardware modification.

The Evolution of SA168 Architecture

The SA168 power supply line was introduced as part of ABB's Advant Master S100 I/O system in the late 1980s, concurrent with the broader Advant Controller 450 (AC450) and Advant Controller 110 (AC110) platform rollouts. Early variants were designed around linear regulation topologies, prioritizing electrical isolation and low-noise output over conversion efficiency — a deliberate engineering choice for analog-heavy process control environments where power rail noise directly impacts measurement accuracy.

Through the 1990s, ABB refined the SA168 family to support higher current outputs and improved thermal management, responding to the increasing I/O density of expanded Advant Master installations. The S100 bus architecture remained backward-compatible across these revisions, allowing SA168 units to be swapped between cabinet generations without firmware or configuration changes.

By the mid-2000s, ABB formally transitioned new project engineering toward the System 800xA platform and the S800 I/O family. The Advant Master and SA168 series entered a maintenance-only lifecycle phase. ABB ceased volume production of most SA168 variants, though the installed base — numbering in the tens of thousands of cabinets globally — continued to operate. This created sustained demand for SA168 spare parts through independent distributors and MRO (maintenance, repair, and operations) supply chains. The 3BSE003389R1 revision code identifies the current-production or last-production hardware revision of the SA168 power supply, and it remains the most commonly requested variant for like-for-like replacement.

SA168 Full Catalog & Functionalities (SKU List)

The following SKUs represent the documented SA168 series and closely associated Advant Master S100 I/O power and distribution modules. Each entry reflects a distinct hardware function within the S100 subsystem architecture:

Sourcing Hard-to-Find & Obsolete SA168 Parts

For end-of-life planning, DriveKNMS also provides cross-reference guidance to ABB System 800xA S800 I/O power supply equivalents for customers undertaking phased migration from Advant Master to current-generation DCS platforms.

Quality Control for the SA168 Range

SA168 power supply modules undergo a structured test protocol at DriveKNMS prior to shipment. Each unit is bench-powered and output voltage is measured under no-load, 50% load, and full-rated load conditions using calibrated DC electronic loads. Output ripple and noise are measured with an oscilloscope to verify compliance with S100 bus voltage tolerance specifications (typically ±2% on the 24 VDC rail).