Bosch Motorsport PBX 190

Quick answer: The Bosch Motorsport PBX 190 is an intelligent power distribution module — the flagship of the PowerBox range — that replaces a race car's relays, fuses and circuit breakers with 52 electronically controlled, individually diagnosable outputs and 250 A of continuous capacity. It sells for $20,005 including GST and is supplied, installed and configured in Australia by 909 Motorsport, an Authorized Bosch Motorsport Dealer in Newcastle NSW.

The PBX 190 PowerBox is the control and power-distribution unit for the electrical grid of a modern racing car. Instead of relays that click, fuses that blow and circuit breakers that hide behind the dash, every circuit becomes a software-controlled output: current limits, retry strategies, load shedding and switching logic are configured, not wired, and every channel reports its state to the data system. 909 Motorsport is an Authorized Bosch Motorsport Dealer — we supply, install and configure the PowerBox range from our Newcastle NSW workshop.

What the PBX 190 replaces

A conventional competition electrical system routes every load through mechanical protection — relays, fuse boxes, breakers — each one a wiring branch, a failure point and a trackside diagnosis session. A power distribution module collapses all of that into one unit: the PBX 190 switches and protects each circuit electronically, simplifies the wiring, and turns "why is the fuel pump dead?" into a channel status you read from the data system rather than a hunt through the loom.

The numbers

  • 250 A continuous output current; over 310 A peak for 2 seconds.
  • 52 outputs: 4× high power to 40 A (parallelable to 80 A), 10× to 25 A, 26× to 15 A, 4× high side to 25 A at up to 48 V, and 8× multi-purpose to 15 A — low side, high side, push-pull or PWM, with two output stages combinable into an H-bridge for motor loads.
  • 28 inputs: 18 analog (16-bit, switchable pull-ups) and 10 digital (switchable pull-up/pull-down), plus two 5 V / 400 mA sensor supplies with individual ground pins.
  • 3× CAN, 2× Ethernet, 1× LIN — control of Bosch Motorsport LIN devices included.
  • IP67, 1,270 grams, 245 × 183 × 37 mm, 5–16 V supply. Inspection service recommended at 220 hours or 2 years — no components to replace.

Complex functions — wiper logic, pump staging, fan strategies, startup sequencing — are programmed through the Bosch Motorsport PBX Suite.

PBX 190 or PBX 90?

The PBX 90 is the same idea at club scale: 120 A continuous across 36 outputs, at $6,994 inc GST. The PBX 190 steps up to 250 A, 52 outputs and four 48 V-capable high-side channels. The honest guidance: add up your car's loads and channel count first — plenty of builds are well served by the PBX 90, and we'll tell you which side of the line your car sits on before you spend the difference. Both pair with the CK-M12 CAN keypad for cockpit control — buttons and LED feedback ride the same CAN bus.

Part of one electronics system

Native Ethernet and CAN link the PBX 190 to the rest of the Bosch Motorsport range — MS 6 ECUs, DDU dash-loggers and Motorsport ABS — so channel states, currents and fault flags land in your logging and on your dash. That integration and configuration work is what our Newcastle workshop does daily: supply, installation, PBX Suite configuration and commissioning as one job.

Frequently asked questions

What does a power distribution module replace?

Relays, fuses and circuit breakers. Each circuit becomes an electronically switched, current-limited, individually diagnosable output — protection behaviour is configured in software rather than fixed by hardware.

What's the difference between the PBX 190 and PBX 90?

Capacity and channel count: 250 A continuous and 52 outputs (PBX 190) against 120 A and 36 outputs (PBX 90). The PBX 190 also adds four high-side channels rated to 48 V. Function-wise both are programmed through the PBX Suite.

Can it drive motors — wipers, pumps, actuators?

Yes. The multi-purpose outputs run low side, high side, push-pull or PWM, and two output stages can combine into an H-bridge for reversible motor loads like wipers.

How do I know when a circuit has a problem?

Every channel reports over CAN or Ethernet, so faults show up in your dash and logging with the channel, not as a dead circuit. Current limits and retry behaviour are part of the configuration.

Does the PBX 190 need servicing?

Bosch recommends an inspection service at 220 operating hours or 2 years. There are no user-replaceable components — no fuses to carry.

Genuine Bosch Motorsport power distribution from an Authorized Dealer — see the PBX 190 and PBX 90, browse the full range at 909, or talk to us about your car's electrical system.