ABB (Cyberex) Cyberex SuperSwitch 3 and SuperSwitch 4, 100-4000 A

ABB's Cyberex STS line across two generations, SuperSwitch 3 legacy and SuperSwitch 4 current, 100 to 4000 A

ABB (Cyberex) Cyberex SuperSwitch 3 and SuperSwitch 4, 100-4000 A is one of 4 static transfer switches tracked in the SecondWatt catalogue, each with specifications, lead times and indicative secondary-market pricing.

ABB Cyberex SuperSwitch 3 and 4 static transfer switch dossier: 100-4000A frames, dual transfer algorithms, UL 1008S listing scope, and market pricing.

Cyberex is ABB's static transfer switch brand, not Vertiv's. It came to ABB inside the 2.6 billion USD acquisition of GE Industrial Solutions, completed June 30, 2018. Vertiv's competing line is sold separately as the Liebert STS2, with no ownership link to Cyberex. Any support or warranty question about a Cyberex nameplate today is an ABB relationship, regardless of age. The Cyberex name covers two generations, not one model. SuperSwitch 3 runs 200 to 4000 A and no longer has a current product page on ABB's site, a 404 pointing to a legacy line still reachable through distributors. SuperSwitch 4 is the current flagship, spanning at least eleven frame sizes from 100 to 4000 A, including a dedicated 100 to 250 A data sheet. SuperSwitch GT handles microgrid separation to IEEE 1547 instead, a different device class, out of scope here. Transfer time is not one number. SuperSwitch 4 documents two named algorithms: an in-phase A9 method under 4 milliseconds, and an out-of-phase Real Time Flux Control method at 15 to 16 milliseconds, roughly a fourfold spread. ABB's own 2018 release states SuperSwitch 4 transfers 25 percent faster out-of-phase with 40 percent lower inrush than SuperSwitch 3, a generational comparison from the manufacturer, not an inference. Both generations carry the same marketing language: a claimed 1.5 million hour MTBDE and a fault-tolerant, no-single-point-of-failure architecture. That figure repeats verbatim across both, which reads as brand-level marketing rather than a generation-specific test result, and neither is an independently audited figure.

Why it matters

Cyberex is the nameplate most likely to be mistaken for a Vertiv product, and the line most often catalogued at the wrong amperage, since its documented range runs from a 100 A data sheet up to 4000 A cabinets across two still-referenced generations. Getting the manufacturer relationship and the frame size right is the difference between a buyer who can reach ABB for support and one who cannot, and between a fair per-amp price and a mispriced listing.

Who buys it

Data centers, hospitals, manufacturing sites and semiconductor fabs running dual-corded UPS output arbitration, per ABB's own published SuperSwitch 4 applications list. A buyer evaluating a used Cyberex nameplate is really buying into ABB's post-2018 support relationship rather than a standalone Cyberex company, so confirming which generation and which frame size a listing actually represents matters more than the brand name alone.

Role in the data center

Upstream of single-corded IT loads at the PDU or rack-row level, arbitrating between two live A/B UPS output sources so a single-power-supply server rides through the loss of either path without rebooting.

Key specifications

Technical summary

Amperage, SuperSwitch 4 (3-pole): 100/200/250/400/600/800/1000/1200/1600/2000/3000/4000 A Amperage, SuperSwitch 4 (4-pole): 200/400/600/800 A Amperage, SuperSwitch 3 (3-pole): 200/400/600/800/1000/1200/1600/2000/3000/4000 A Voltage and frequency: 208/380/400/415/480/600 V, 50/60 Hz Transfer time, SuperSwitch 4: under 4 ms in-phase (A9), 15-16 ms out-of-phase (Real Time Flux Control) Transfer time, SuperSwitch 3: 2 ms sensing, 4 ms or less auto-transfer, 3-cycle reacquisition Standards: ETL listed to UL 1008S (Intertek mark, not a UL-brand mark); CSA C22.2 No. 178 SuperSwitch 3 listing scope: ETL to UL1008S stated for 1200 A 3-pole units; higher frames unconfirmed SCCR: 35 kAIC standard, 65/100 optional (SS4 100-250A frame); to 100 kAIC (larger SS4); 25-100 kA (SS3) Efficiency: up to 99.4% at 480 V, 98.7% at 208 V Controls: 6.5in touchscreen GUI (100-250A frame) up to 10.4in (larger SS4 frames) Reliability claim: 1.5 million hour MTBDE, identical wording both generations, OEM marketing

Configurations and options

The common floor-mount configuration is a 3-pole, simultaneous non-overlapping transfer unit. A 4-pole variant with break-before-make, neutral-overlapped transfer and SCR-switched neutral is offered on SuperSwitch 4 at 200 to 800 A for separately derived systems.

Pricing and availability

Trend: flat

Lifecycle and maintenance

ABB claims an estimated 1.5 million hour MTBDE for both SuperSwitch 3 and SuperSwitch 4, framed around redundant fans, power supplies and load breakers. This is the OEM's own figure, not an independent lab test, and it repeats identically across both generations rather than varying by design vintage. Expect a 12-month service interval and the SCR-class failure modes common to this device category: thermal cycling, capacitor degradation, gate driver boards and fan wear. Controls support runs through ABB Electrification U.S. following the 2018 acquisition; SuperSwitch 3's removal from ABB's primary product site should be treated as a signal to confirm parts and firmware support directly before buying.

Common failure points

• Gate driver boards — Erratic or failed transfer, SCR conduction fault flagged on the touchscreen HMI
• DC bus and snubber capacitors — Reduced inrush suppression, transfer time drifting toward the upper end of the 15-16ms band
• Cooling fans — Elevated SCR heatsink temperature, thermal derating alarms on the HMI
• Touchscreen HMI and control board — Unresponsive menus, lost event log or waveform capture data
• Output load breakers — Failure to isolate a faulted source, or cross-tripping between the redundant breaker pair
• SCR pairs, the semiconductor conduction path — Unit fails to fully commutate off a faulted source, risking momentary cross-connection of two live sources
• Reacquisition and sensing circuit — Nuisance transfers on transient source disturbances that should not trigger a transfer

Inspection checklist

SCR heatsink thermal scan — request infrared thermography showing no hotspot above the unit's rated 40C ambient design ceiling Redundant fan verification — confirm both cooling fans engage independently under hall-effect failure sensing, not just the primary fan SCCR nameplate match — confirm the stamped rating of 35, 65 or 100 kAIC meets or exceeds the site's available fault current Transfer time verification — request a test report showing in-phase transfer under 4ms and out-of-phase transfer under 15 to 16ms Reacquisition timing — for SuperSwitch 3 units, confirm 3-cycle reacquisition performance at last test Event log pull — download the stored event log and review for repeated unexplained transfers Waveform capture review — pull stored waveform captures and check for inrush spikes exceeding the rated 1.2x inrush-limiting threshold Touchscreen HMI function test — power-cycle the 6.5-inch or 10.4-inch color TFT touchscreen and confirm every menu screen responds Firmware revision record — log the exact control-board firmware version and confirm ABB Electrification U.S. still supports it Load breaker redundancy test — manually cycle each redundant output load breaker and confirm independent operation Capacitor date codes — record manufacture dates on DC bus and snubber capacitors, since degradation accelerates past 10 to 15 years UL/ETL nameplate check — for a SuperSwitch 3 unit above 1200 A, verify ETL/UL1008S listing on the physical nameplate directly Enclosure and airflow inspection — check the IP20/NEMA 1 enclosure for corrosion and confirm forced-air vents are unobstructed Efficiency spot-check under load — measure input/output power and confirm efficiency near the rated 99.4% or 98.7% band Voltage and frequency nameplate match — confirm the stamped voltage and 50/60Hz frequency exactly matches the intended installation