DS3800HCMA1E1G: Communications Control for GE Mark IV

The DS3800HCMA1E1G is a GE Speedtronic Dual Communication Control Board for the Mark IV (DS3800) turbine control system, offered used, cleaned and tested, with a one-year warranty. It carries data between the boards and components of the Mark IV drive — the communication function that ties a redundant control panel together. This card is the 1E group, revision G, of the HCMA family.

Jumpers, LEDs and Connectors on the HCMA

Documented DS3800HCMA1E1G cards attach to the drive through a modular connector with retention levers and are populated with roughly twenty configuration jumpers, three status LEDs (typically one amber and two red) and two 34-pin connectors. The jumpers define how the board processes the signals it receives from, and transmits to, the other boards in the rack, and each has a defined set of positions. They must be set before the card is installed, because once fitted the board is sandwiched between its neighbors and the jumpers are no longer reachable; the LEDs and the two 34-pin connectors, by contrast, stay visible and accessible while the board is in service. Recording the jumper configuration is best practice — it makes a future replacement straightforward and lets you reproduce the same setup on another card.

Localize the Fault, Then Replace

Before you fit a replacement HCMA1E1G, confirm that this card, and not its surroundings, is the problem. In a Mark IV panel the three control processors — <R>, <S> and <T> — vote two-out-of-three, and a <C> communications processor links the control to the operator interface, so a communication alarm can originate in several places:

• Status LEDs. Read the amber and red indicators first; they often show whether the fault is on the board or on the link.
• Connectors and cables. Reseat both 34-pin connections and check for damage; loose or corroded links are a common cause of intermittent communication.
• The other end. A fault on the board the HCMA communicates with can look identical to an HCMA failure.
• Power. Confirm the DS3800 supply rails are in tolerance.
• Jumper match. Verify a replacement is jumpered exactly as the removed card; a configuration mismatch will stop it communicating.

Why 1E1G Must Match Your Panel

The number decodes as DS3800 (Mark IV family), HCMA (dual communication control function) and 1E1G (group and revision). The 1E group and G revision define this specific build; because GE advanced these codes across production runs, and different groups can vary in configuration, match the full suffix to the card you are replacing. See the GE Speedtronic Part Number Decoder for a detailed breakdown of the convention.

Other DS3800 Communication and Control Boards

The HCMA is one of several DS3800 communication and processor boards, alongside cards such as the DS3800HCMB universal communication processor and the DS3800HMPF microprocessor board. Browse our GE Mark IV DS3800 Boards collection for the Mark IV set, or the GE Speedtronic Turbine Control Boards range for other generations. Planning further ahead, Mark V vs Mark VI: DS200 to IS200 explains how boards are numbered in the later platforms.

Send These Details to Quote Accurately

• Full part number with suffix (DS3800HCMA1E1G);
• Board revision and a photo of the label if you have one;
• Turbine model and confirmation of a Mark IV panel;
• Quantity, urgency and the recorded jumper settings if available.

Submit Your Quote Request

This DS3800HCMA1E1G is cleaned, tested and warranted for one year. Use Request a Quote and we will respond within 24 hours with availability and lead time. We ship worldwide DDP and accept purchase orders from qualified organizations; sharing your label photo and jumper configuration helps us confirm the exact match.