Description
The Molex Woodhead Applicom PCU2000ETH (Engineering Part Number: APP-ETH-PCU) is an intelligent, co-processor-based Universal PCI communication board. It offloads communication protocol processing—such as polling, frame management, and database updates—directly onto its onboard processor, preventing PC host CPU bottlenecks in SCADA, HMI, and industrial data acquisition systems.
Commercial Availability & Procurement
- Condition: New Original (Factory Sealed / New Surplus) or Refurbished (Fully Bench-Tested)
- Warranty: 12-Month Industrial Warranty
- Lead Time: Ships within 1–2 business days from stock availability
- Pricing Note: Listed price is indicative and subject to vintage stock availability and market conditions. Contact our team for a firm, negotiated quote.
Technical Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
| Product Family | Brad® applicom™ 112000 Series |
| Part Number / MPN | APP-ETH-PCU / PCU2000ETH |
| Bus Interface | Universal PCI, 32-bit, 33 MHz, compliant with PCI rev 2.2 (3.3 V / 5 V keying), PCI-X compatible |
| Onboard Processor | AMD SC520 running at 133 MHz |
| Memory Capacity | 8 MB to 16 MB SDRAM, 1 MB to 4 MB Flash, 32 KB Dual-Port RAM (DPRAM) |
| Onboard Communications | 1 x Ethernet RJ45 port (10/100 Mbps, Auto-Negotiation) |
| Physical I/O | 1 x Opto-coupled discrete input (10 to 30 V DC); 1 x Watchdog dry contact output (24 V DC, 0.25 A) |
| Onboard Data Cache | Internal database capacity of 32 Kwords + 32 Kbits |
| System Expansion | Up to 8 applicom cards can be combined and run simultaneously per PC host |
| Power Consumption | 5.5 W |
| Operating Temperature | 0 to +65 °C (32 to 149 °F) |
Field Experience & Engineering Insights
Protocol Autonomy and Memory Management
In field deployments, the PCU2000ETH acts as an active front-end processor. The onboard AMD SC520 processor manages industrial protocol loops independently of the Windows OS execution cycle. By exchanging data via the 32 KB DPRAM segment, it ensures stable sub-millisecond data updates to SCADA systems even if the host PC experiences application-level freezing or resource spikes.
Legacy Windows and Driver Interfacing
Because this is a legacy Universal PCI card, system integration requires careful attention to operating system compatibility:
- Driver & BIOS Alignment: Standard software packages natively support Windows XP, 2000, and Windows NT. For newer environments like Windows 7 or Windows 8/2012 Server, you must verify that the card hardware revision matches the required firmware update and that the corresponding console deployment software is installed.
- Rockwell PCCC Licensing: When communicating with legacy Allen-Bradley PLCs (such as SLC 500 or PLC-5) using proprietary PCCC messaging over Ethernet, the hardware requires an explicit runtime license driver key (
APP-DRV-AB) and specific hardware keys (e.g., CA0106 or CA0108) loaded on the card. Modern Logix5000 tag-based communication bypasses this key restriction.
Combo Card Variants
The PCU2000ETH footprint exists across multiple functional derivatives. Depending on your catalog code suffix, the card layout changes:
- APP-ETH-PCU-C: Standard standalone 10/100 Mbps Ethernet card.
- APP-EPB-PCU-C: Combo card featuring 1 x Ethernet port and 1 x isolated PROFIBUS DP port (up to 1.5 Mbps via D-Sub 9-pin).
- APP-ESR-PCU-C: Combo card featuring 1 x Ethernet port and 1 x isolated asynchronous RS485/RS422 serial port.
System Integration & Compatibility Checklist
- Software Libraries: Native connectivity is managed via embedded OPC DA (v1.0a, v2.05, and v3.0) servers, Wonderware DAServer/SuiteLink engines, and native Win32/Win64 DLL API libraries.
- Protocol Support: Operates Client/Server architectures simultaneously across more than 40 protocols, including Modbus TCP, EtherNet/IP, Siemens S7 Industrial Ethernet, and GE SRTP.
- Hardware Form Factor: Standard long PCI profile. Fits standard 5 V and 3.3 V PCI slots. Verify internal chassis depth clearance before retrofitting into low-profile industrial rack servers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if the onboard Watchdog contact changes state?
The built-in hardware watchdog relay contact (24 V DC, 0.25 A) drops open if the onboard processor halts or if communication with the PC driver drops. Connect this auxiliary dry contact directly to an external alarm light or PLC safety input to safely indicate a host PC failure loop.
Can this card run in a modern computer that only has PCIe slots?
No. The PCU2000ETH relies on the physical 32-bit Universal PCI parallel bus interface. If your host system contains only serial PCI Express slots, you must procure the modern PCIe variant, cataloged as the PCIE2000ETH (Engineering Part Number: APP-ETH-PCIE).
How do I modify the IP address of this network card?
Unlike a standard network interface card (NIC) managed directly through Windows Network Connections, the IP address and active industrial sub-nets for the PCU2000ETH must be declared and written via the applicom Console utility software. The Windows NDIS driver option should only be toggled if you intend to share the physical port for standard office networking alongside the industrial protocol stack.
