ABB RFO810｜Fiber Optic Repeater Module｜

RFO810

Functional Description

The RFO810 converts electrical bus communication into optical communication and back again, extending ABB control system networks beyond cabinet limitations.

Main functions:

Electrical-to-optical bus conversion
Optical-to-electrical signal regeneration
HN800 remote I/O bus extension
CW800 controller communication extension
Redundant communication path support
Long-distance cabinet-to-cabinet connection

The repeater operates transparently, meaning the connected controllers and I/O devices communicate as if they were directly connected to the local bus.

HN800 capabilities:

Fiber distance: up to 3 km
Supports star topology
Up to 4 optical links from the controller side
Up to 64 HN800 devices on each electrical bus segment

2. CW800 Controller Bus Extension

The RFO810 can also extend the CW800 communication bus for controller-to-controller communication.

Applications:

Distributed controller architecture
Separate control cabinets
Large plant-wide automation networks

CW800 characteristics:

Optical extension distance: up to 3 km
Supports multiple controllers on both sides of the fiber link
Supports up to 30 single HPC800 controllers or 15 redundant HPC800 controller pairs per electrical bus side

Technical Specifications
Parameter Specification
Supply Voltage 24 VDC ±10%
Typical Current Consumption Approximately 90 mA
Power Consumption Approximately 2.2 W
Communication Type Fiber optic repeater
Fiber Type Multimode fiber
Optical Wavelength 840 nm
Fiber Core 62.5/125 μm multimode
Maximum Link Distance 3 km
Fiber Connector ST type

Required Accessories

The RFO810 installation requires compatible bus termination components:

Component Function
HBX01L HN800/CW800 bus termination and extension interface
HBX01R HN800/CW800 bus termination and extension interface

These components provide the electrical connection between the controller/I/O bus and the fiber repeater link.

Typical Applications
Power Generation
Turbine control systems
Boiler control systems
Balance-of-plant automation
Remote electrical cabinets
Industrial Process Automation
Chemical processing
Oil & gas facilities
Water treatment plants
Manufacturing automation
Remote I/O Installations

Benefits:

Reduced copper cable requirements
Improved EMC immunity
Longer cabinet separation distances
Flexible plant layout
Engineering Advantages
Feature Benefit
Fiber optic communication High resistance to electrical noise and interference
3 km transmission distance Supports large plant layouts
Transparent operation No controller programming changes required
Redundant communication Improved availability
Low power consumption Reduced cabinet power demand
Replacement and Procurement Considerations

When replacing an ABB RFO810, verify:

Check Item Reason
Model: RFO810 Ensures correct S+ compatibility
HN800/CW800 application Confirms network type
Fiber type and connector Ensures optical compatibility
HBX01L/HBX01R availability Required for installation
Existing S+ controller type Confirms architecture compatibility
Lifecycle Position

The RFO810 belongs to the ABB Symphony Plus SD Series communication hardware family. For existing S+ installations, maintaining RFO810 spare units is important because it directly affects remote I/O availability and communication continuity. ABB has introduced newer HN800 fiber extender products such as RBX01e for newer Symphony Plus architectures, but RFO810 remains relevant in installed legacy S+ systems.

Summary

ABB RFO810 is a Symphony Plus HN800/CW800 fiber optic repeater module designed to extend ABB distributed control networks over multimode fiber. It provides transparent communication extension up to 3 km, supports redundant optical links, and enables flexible remote I/O and controller deployment in large industrial automation systems.