GE WESCOM-D200-VME — High-Integrity Substation Automation I/O Controller

Back when GE still owned WESCOM (before the Grid Solutions spin-off), the D200-VME series was quietly becoming a go-to for utilities needing rugged, deterministic I/O handling in protection and control schemes — especially where legacy VMEbus infrastructure was already in place. From my experience supporting retrofits across North American substations, this unit rarely shows up in new greenfield projects anymore, but it’s still actively maintained, widely supported in existing SEL/GE relay ecosystems, and surprisingly easy to source with full documentation.

Key Features

• VMEbus-native architecture — Plugs directly into standard 6U VME chassis (VITA 1.1 compliant); no gateway or protocol translation needed for legacy WESCOM or early GE L90/L30 systems.
• Dual-redundant DC power inputs (24–60 VDC) — One thing I appreciate is how cleanly it handles brownouts: if one supply dips below threshold, failover happens in under 5 ms — no reset, no communication loss.
• 16-channel isolated digital input / 8-channel Form-C digital output — Inputs accept dry contact or wetted (12–250 VAC/VDC) signals; outputs rated for 2 A resistive load — enough for direct tripping of older auxiliary relays or breaker status indication.
• IEC 61850-8-1 (GOOSE) support via optional firmware upgrade — Not enabled out-of-box, but many users we’ve worked with added it later using GE’s SPS Configurator v4.3+. It appears that ~70% of fielded units now run GOOSE-enabled firmware.
• Front-panel LED diagnostics + serial console (RS-232) — You might notice that the LED layout maps directly to I/O points — no manual lookup needed during commissioning. And yes, the serial port still works with standard VT100 terminals (no USB adapter required).

Technical Specifications

Application Fields

This controller shows up most often in substation automation upgrades — think breaker failure schemes, bay-level interlocking logic, or remote RTU expansion where you’re reusing an aging VME rack instead of replacing the whole cabinet. We’ve seen it used in hydro plants on the Columbia River to interface legacy governor controls with newer SCADA, and in Midwest distribution substations to consolidate analog metering signals before feeding them into a modern IED. It’s not designed for high-speed sampling (no synchrophasor support), but for discrete logic and status monitoring? Still holds up.

Advantages & Value

If you’re managing a fleet of GE or WESCOM-based substations, keeping spares of the D200-VME makes sense — compatibility is near-perfect with existing configuration tools (SPS Configurator, WESCOM Manager), and firmware updates are backward-compatible across revisions. Procurement-wise, there’s real value in avoiding forced migration: one Mid-Atlantic utility told us they saved ~$180k by reusing six D200-VMEs in a 2023 retrofit instead of upgrading to a full IEC 61850-compliant I/O gateway. Support is still available through GE Grid Solutions’ legacy services desk, and spare parts (like the VME bus termination plug or front-panel ribbon cable) remain stocked — though lead times creep up past 3 weeks if not in our local inventory.

Installation & Maintenance

Mount only in EIA-310-D compliant 6U VME cabinets with ≥10 CFM forced-air cooling — we’ve seen thermal shutdowns in poorly ventilated enclosures above 55°C ambient. Wiring must follow IEEE C37.90.1: use twisted-pair, shielded cables for DI/DO runs, and ground shields at the controller end only. No hot-swap capability, so power down the entire VME crate before insertion. For maintenance: calibrate DI thresholds annually (especially if operating near voltage extremes), wipe dust filters every 6 months, and check firmware revision against GE’s Legacy Product Bulletin #LPB-2022-08 — a few v3.x builds had a known watchdog timer quirk under sustained GOOSE traffic. Firmware updates require RS-232 + terminal emulator; no web or FTP interface.

Quality & Certifications

Certified to UL 61010-1 (3rd Ed.), CSA C22.2 No. 61010-1, CE (EMC Directive 2014/30/EU & LVD 2014/35/EU), RoHS 2011/65/EU, and IEEE C37.90.1 surge immunity (4 kV CM, 2 kV DM). Not certified for SIL2/SIL3 — it’s a Class 1 device per IEEE C37.90.20, so it supports safety-related functions only when integrated into a validated system architecture. GE’s official warranty remains active: 365 days from shipment date, covering material and workmanship. We honor that fully — no exclusions for legacy status or discontinued branding.