The Allen-Bradley 8520EMBGD1 is a motherboard that is part of the Allen-Bradley 9/290 Series. It is also a member of the Allen-Bradley Kinetix 6500 Line of drives that operate on the input voltage range between 360 and 480V AC. It features an input frequency range between 47-63Hz and an output voltage range of 120 to 240V AC. This series of drives have a continuous power output range between 1.2 and 22kW. The efficiency and safety features of the Allen-Bradley 8520EMBGD1 Kinetix 6500 Drive 9/290 Series Motherboard include an inbuilt safe torque-off feature as well as speed monitor features. Also, it has a safe optimum acceleration monitoring feature together with a safe direction monitoring feature. The drive features a standard Ethernet port and it has transition axes directed to various networks with switchable control modules.

Both the 9/260 series as well as the 9/290 series use a similar component enclosure that supports the system and its CPU boards, the power supply, and the servo modules. The Operator Interface of this 8520EMBGD1 motherboard is comprised of an Operator Panel, the HPG, and the MTB Panel. These components offer the operator a direct interface for control. These 9/Series I/O devices are interlinked by a fiber optic I/O ring. This ring offers serial communication with control. The control inputs are initially converted to fiber-optic signals at the I/O device on the 8520EMBGD1. Signals are conveyed via a fiber optic I/O ring to the control; then they are altered back to electrical signals which can be examined and also acted on through the PAL program.