Eaton RD (R-Frame) Catalog Number Decoder

Decode RD-series R-Frame catalog numbers including factory-installed accessories. Parses post-W accessory groups (S/U/T/A/B/Q/N). The decoder is free, needs no login, and runs entirely in your browser — paste a catalog number such as RD316T56W and it returns every field it can resolve, plus a position-by-position map showing which character carried which value.

Manufacturer: Eaton
Frames: RD / R-Frame
Ratings: 400A – 2,000A

What this decoder identifies

R-Frame designation and frame ampere rating, 400A through 2,000A
Trip unit and rating plug
Pole count and interrupting rating
Factory-installed accessory groups following the W character (S/U/T/A/B/Q/N)
Shunt trips, auxiliary switches and undervoltage releases

Also sold or stamped as

The same breaker family appears under several names depending on the era of the nameplate. This decoder covers numbers labelled:

Cutler-Hammer RD
Westinghouse R-Frame
Series C R-Frame
Eaton R-Frame

Eaton RD (R-Frame) — common questions

What does the string after the W in an RD catalog number mean?

Everything after the W character encodes factory-installed accessories, grouped by letter (S, U, T, A, B, Q, N). Two RD breakers with the same frame and rating can carry completely different accessory strings, which is what usually makes a like-for-like replacement fail.

Is an Eaton RD the same as a Westinghouse R-Frame?

They are the same molded-case frame family carried across the Westinghouse, Cutler-Hammer and Eaton eras. A nameplate may read any of the three brands. Send the catalog number or a nameplate photo to Voyten Electric at 1-800-458-4001 and our team will identify it.

Related resources

Free manuals for this equipment

Eaton and Cutler-Hammer R-Frame manuals

All breaker decoders

Siemens, Eaton / Cutler-Hammer, GE and Square D catalog-number tools

Working in a switchgear room with no signal? Every decoder also runs offline from a local folder.

Open the Offline Kit

Can't read the nameplate?

If the plate is painted over, corroded or missing digits, send us what you can read or a photo — our team identifies legacy and obsolete breakers every day, and sources the new-surplus or reconditioned replacement.

1-800-458-4001 Contact our team