The GE Fanuc RX3i PacSystem controllers are PACs or programmable automation controllers from the larger GE Fanuc PacSystem product line. The RX3i PacSystem PACs each have 1 control engine and a universal programming environment that is compatible with several different hardware platforms just like all the other PacSystem PACs. The RX3i PacSystem PACs also come with high-speed processors, support for open communications, memory that stores both the machine documentation and the ladder logic documentation for easy troubleshooting and reduced downtime, and several analog, discrete, and special-purpose modules. The PME or Proficy Machine Edition Software is the kind of software that is used to configure and program the PACs from the RX3i PacSystem series. The PME Software has a built-in web server and it supports “drag and drop editing.”

The GE Fanuc RX3i PacSystem PACs are designed to make the migration of GE Fanuc Series 90-30 PLC systems, devices, and equipment easy. Different kinds of modules can be included in an RX3i PacSystem PAC setup, but different kinds of modules require different backplanes. For example, the IC695 modules can only be installed in RX3i PacSystem setups that have universal backplanes, while the IC694 modules can be installed in RX3i PacSystem setups that have universal backplanes or RX3i serial expansion backplanes. Many GE Fanuc Series 90-30 modules are compatible with GE Fanuc RX3i PacSystem controllers, but not all. Every RX3i PacSystem setup must have at least 1 universal backplane because the backplane is what hosts the system’s CPU. The universal backplane also either hosts the system’s power supply directly or else connects to another backplane that hosts the system’s power supply.