The GE Fanuc Emerson IC697BEM731 is a Series 90-70 Programmable Logic Controller that serves as a single-slot controller. Features of this hardware include thirty (30) drops per channel, IC66* I/O diagnostics, redundant blocks, cables, and CPUs supported, global communications, Hand Held Monitor (HHM) Port, IC66* LAN communications, soft configuration by CPU, and an operation that is augmented by IC697 PLC Alarm Processor function. This IC697BEM731 occupies a single IC66* PLC slot and is configured by the MS-DOS or Windows programming software configuration function. IC66* Input/Output blocks are scanned asynchronously by the bus controller and I/O data is transferred to the CPU once per scan over the backplane of the IC697 PLC rack. The bus controller also supports directed communications initiated by a PLC CPU Communication Service Request. In addition to this, it may be configured to perform global communications.

For applications requiring information transfer from peer to peer, the IC66 Bus Controller can serve as a communications node linking other devices such as Bus Controllers, PCIMs, and other IC66* devices via the IC66* bus. These networks can provide communications between multiple PLCs and host computers. These communications include transmitting global data from one CPU to another. The global data area is identified by MS-DOS or Windows configuration. After initialization, the specified data area is transferred between devices automatically and repetitively. In addition to this, messages known as 'Datagrams' can be transmitted in response to individual commands in the ladder logic. Datagrams can be sent from one device to another on the network, or broadcast to all devices on the bus. The IC66* LAN communications are supported throughout the IC69* PLC family.

The IC697BEM731 is from the Genius Bus Controller Module of GE Fanuc's Series 90-70 Programmable Logic Controller family (PLC). This Module interfaces up to thirty (30) devices and transmits data by delivering a token among all the specified devices on the same line. The IC697BEM731 includes one (1) channel for connecting with devices on the same bus and one (1) Hand-Held Monitor (HHM) port for downloading configuration to the Module through MS-DOS or Windows computer program software configurator.
 The IC697BEM731 comes with no specified bus address when it is delivered. The setup program assigns a 153.6 KBaud standard addressing and a bus address of 31. By uploading a proper configuration to the CPU, you can change the default address. When configured for 153.6 KBaud (standard), 3500 ft when configured for 153.6 KBaud (extended), 4500 ft when configured for 76.8 KBaud, and 7500 ft when configured for 38.4 KBaud, the communication bus' maximum allowed distance is 2000 feet. All devices on the same bus or network must be configured with the same baud rate; otherwise, communication may be impossible to establish, or communication may be unstable.
 Belden 9182 type communication cable with GE catalog number IC660BLC001, 15-inch, qty. 3 and IC660BLC003 with 36-inch, qty. 1 was used to set up the network. Bus Terminator plugs with catalog numbers IC660BLM506 150-ohm, qty. 4 and IC660BLM508, 75-ohm, qty. 4 ought to be implanted at both edges of the bus ends.
 The IC697BEM731 Bus controller allows global data transfer between CPUs through a Windows-based software setup, and it can be fitted in conjunction with the IC697 PLC alarm system to notify time-stamped errors on the processor's data table. On the back of this bus controller module, there is a handheld monitor port for connecting to handheld monitor devices, as well as a connector for creating IC66 Bus connections. Windows-based or MS-DOS configurator capabilities are used to set up the IC697BEM731 Bus controller. The baud rate is set to 153.5 kilobauds, and the serial Bus address is set to 31 by default in the Windows-based configuration function. The configurator function may be used to assign different baud rates and serial bus addresses. The IC697BEM731 Bus controller features LED light indicators that display operation and communication status updates, and it performs self-diagnostics upon installation.