Allen-Bradley 1756-L63/B ControlLogix Logix5563 Processor – 1.5 MB Memory Controller

Product Overview

The Allen-Bradley 1756-L63/B ControlLogix Logix5563 Processor​ is a chassis-based controller within the Rockwell Automation ControlLogix family, identified by catalogue number 1756-L63 and manufactured in Series B. It is built around the Logix5563 processor core and delivers 1.5 MB of user memory, 478 KB of I/O memory and 4 MB of nonvolatile memory, making it the mid-range member of the original L6x controller generation. Unlike a fixed-architecture PLC, the Allen-Bradley 1756-L63/B ControlLogix Logix5563 Processor​ is a card that occupies the leftmost slot of a 1756 chassis, where it shares the backplane with I/O modules, communication modules and specialty modules while the chassis power supply provides the operating power. This design gives the platform its defining flexibility: the controller, the I/O and the network interfaces are sized independently, so a machine or process can be expanded without replacing the processor.

At the core of the Allen-Bradley 1756-L63/B ControlLogix Logix5563 Processor​ is the ControlLogix backplane running at 100 MHz with a 32-bit data path, which provides the bandwidth needed to move large I/O images and message data between modules without dedicating the controller to the task. The processor supports up to 8 local I/O modules and 4 communication modules in the local chassis, and can address a total of 4000 I/O points across the ControlLogix system. Its memory architecture deserves particular attention: 1.5 MB of user memory accommodates the ladder, function block, structured text and sequential function chart logic together with tag data, while the dedicated 478 KB I/O memory and 4 MB nonvolatile memory preserve the I/O image and retain configuration and program state through power cycles. For applications that previously required a larger, more expensive controller simply to hold a growing tag database, the L63 represents a carefully judged balance between capacity and cost.

The Series B designation is material rather than cosmetic. The -B revision introduced the integrated USB programming port on the front of the module, eliminating the need for a serial-to-USB adapter or a dedicated RS-232 cable when connecting a laptop, and it brought the enhanced diagnostics and web-server capabilities that make remote fault finding practical. The Allen-Bradley 1756-L63/B ControlLogix Logix5563 Processor​ is therefore the version most commonly specified for replacement and spares today. Positioned as the logical successor to the 1756-L1 controller and as the standard processor in LSP systems where a 1756-LSP functions as the primary, it remains a strategically important component for asset owners maintaining ControlLogix assets through long lifecycle extensions, protecting the substantial investment represented by existing I/O configurations, network projects and validated control logic.

Technical Specifications