GE VMIVME5599 332-005599-000 Automatic Fiber-Optic Bypass Switch

The GE VMIVME5599 332-005599-000, also cataloged as the VMIVME5599 Automatic Fiber-Optic Bypass Switch, operates as a dedicated hardware component for physical-layer ring routing within distributed VMEbus network architectures. Configured as a passive optical switch, this module automatically isolates non-operational nodes that experience a complete loss of electrical power natively at the hardware tier. It maintains continuous fiber ring continuity parallel to master processor bus execution cycles.

Hardware Specifications

Deterministic Industrial Control & Drive Processing Architecture

• Backplane Bus Communication Velocity and Registration: The VMIVME5599 functions at the physical optical layer completely independent of VMEbus timing or host processor clock cycles. By removing the dependency on software handshakes or software-driven failover layers, the device achieves zero-latency physical rerouting, preventing structural packet dropping when a linked node suddenly drops out of the active data bus cycle.
• Profinet / EtherNet/IP and Network Token Synchronization: When deployed across critical Reflective Memory or high-speed deterministic token rings, this switch prevents network segmentation faults. If a specific processor slot loses power, the passive mechanical assemblies within the switch instantly redirect the optical path around the failed node, keeping token rotation times stable across the remaining live network segments.
• Firmware Flash Compatibility and Passive Structural Integrity: The module uses a purely hardware-driven optical bypass assembly that operates without active embedded firmware or power supplies. This passive design ensures the device remains unaffected by code exception drops, localized electrical faults, or master power bus drops, creating a permanent hardware-tier layer of physical safety.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What specific hardware behaviors manifest when power is restored to a previously isolated VME node paired with the VMIVME5599?

A: The switch automatically detects the return of optical signal or local power from the re-energized node card. Once the signal path stabilizes, the passive routing mechanisms click back to the active state, reconnecting the node into the master fiber ring without causing manual intervention delays.

Q: Can this 0.85 lbs bypass switch be disconnected or mounted inside a field enclosure while the main fiber-optic network is transmitting live data?

A: No. Disconnecting any active optical cables from the bypass switch will break the physical ring loop instantly, halting serial transmission across all attached nodes. Individual node loops must be isolated or network communications paused before unplugging fiber patch cords.