Schneider GV2/GV3 vs ABB MS132 vs Siemens 3RV2: MPCB Comparison
How do the Schneider TeSys GV2/GV3, ABB MS132, and Siemens SIRIUS 3RV2 MPCB families compare? All three are IEC 60947-4-1 manual motor starters that combine an adjustable thermal overload dialed to the motor's full-load current with a fixed magnetic short-circuit trip near 12-13x In, and all three publish Type 2 coordination tables against their own contactor lines. What actually changes a panel drawing is current range and frame breakpoints, terminal style, phase-loss sensitivity, and how the MPCB physically bolts or snaps to its contactor. This comparison covers frame sizes and current ranges, terminal options, the shared magnetic trip threshold, trip class and phase-loss behavior, magnetic-only variants, contactor pairing and coordination tables, and which brand tends to fit which panel.
Frame Sizes and Current Ranges Compared
Schneider's TeSys GV2ME (rotary dial) and GV2P (toggle) cover thermal-magnetic protection from roughly 0.1 A up to 32 A. GV3P extends the same platform to 65 A, and GV4 reaches 115 A with either thermal-magnetic or electronic tripping (shared with GV5). Three frame jumps, three physical sizes.
ABB splits the range differently. MS116 is the compact entry point to 32 A, aimed at panels where DIN-rail width is tight. MS132 and MS165 cover 32 A and 65 A respectively on a wider body, and MS450/MS490/MS496 climb to roughly 100 A for larger motors. Two current breakpoints, four part families, because MS116 and MS132 overlap in current but not in footprint.
Siemens SIRIUS 3RV2 uses frame sizes S00, S0, S2, and S3, spanning roughly the same 0.1 A to 100 A window. The frame letter, not the current alone, dictates which 3RT2 contactor and which link module you order — get the frame wrong on a BOM and the contactor won't mate.
None of the three is interchangeable frame-for-frame with a competitor. Browse the current motor protection circuit breakers stock to check frame availability before locking a BOM to one brand.
Terminal Options: Screw, Spring, and Ring-Cage
Schneider's GV2 line ships with screw or ring-tongue terminals as the base option; spring (cage-clamp) terminals exist on later GV2/GV3 variants but are not the default across the catalog. ABB offers screw and spring-terminal versions across most of the MS132/MS165 range as parallel part numbers, so the choice is made at order time, not by accessory. Siemens 3RV2 ships screw-terminal as standard, with spring-loaded terminal blocks available as an add-on module rather than a separate base unit.
What we see in the field: panel builders wiring high volumes of motor branches favor spring terminals for cabling speed, but screw terminals remain the safer default where vibration and periodic torque-checks are already part of the maintenance routine. This depends on the panel's maintenance culture more than on any spec sheet.
Formula: Magnetic (Instantaneous) Trip Threshold — Source: IEC 60947-4-1
Im = k × In
| Symbol | Description | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Im | Instantaneous magnetic trip current | A |
| In | Rated current (thermal dial setting) | A |
| k | Fixed magnetic trip multiplier, typically ~12-13 | dimensionless |
The Magnetic Trip Threshold: One Spec All Three Publish the Same Way
This is the one number that reads almost identically across brands. Schneider GV2/GV3, ABB MS132/MS165, and Siemens 3RV2 all fix the magnetic trip near 12-13x the dial-set current, high enough that a 6-8x FLC direct-on-line inrush rides through without a nuisance trip. An MCB C-curve (5-10x) frequently cannot make that promise on a motor circuit, which is the core reason an MPCB exists as a separate device class.
The multiplier is fixed at the factory in all three families — it is not field-adjustable the way the thermal dial is. Selecting the wrong frame size changes k slightly across the range, but the 12-13x band holds as a design principle across Schneider, ABB, and Siemens.
Trip Class and Phase-Loss Sensitivity
Class 10 is the standard trip class on the thermal-magnetic versions of all three ranges: the overload trips within 10 seconds at 7.2x the dial setting from a cold start. None of GV2/GV3, MS132/MS165, or 3RV2 ships as Class 20 or 30 by default — those slower classes, for high-inertia loads, sit in accessory or electronic-relay territory rather than the base mechanical MPCB.
Phase loss is where the three differ in emphasis rather than in standard. ABB markets differential phase-loss tripping as a named feature across the MS range, reacting to single-phasing before the plain bimetal would. Siemens 3RV2 includes phase-failure sensitivity as standard behavior on the thermal-magnetic units. Schneider's GV2/GV3 three-pole thermal-magnetic types also trip on phase loss; it is documented in the technical data rather than promoted as a headline spec. The underlying physics is the same — roughly a 1.7x current rise on the two remaining phases of a running three-phase motor — the difference is how prominently each brand documents it.
Magnetic-Only Variants: GV2L, MO132/MO165, and 3RV2 Magnetic-Only
Each brand offers a magnetic-only version for pairing with a thermal overload relay instead of the MPCB's own bimetal. Schneider's is GV2L. ABB's are MO132 and MO165. Siemens covers it with magnetic-only variants inside the 3RV2 part numbering. All three exist for the same reason: an electronic overload relay downstream, or a relay that sits on the contactor itself, gives finer overload curves than the fixed 12-13x magnetic-only device alone can provide.
See the magnetic-only MPCB paired with a separate overload relay for the wiring and coordination detail — the short version here is that all three brands treat it as a standard, not a special-order, configuration.
Contactor Pairing and Coordination Tables
Schneider pairs GV2/GV3/GV4 with LC1 contactors and LR overload relays under the TeSys motor-management umbrella, with a mechanical connection accessory joining MPCB to contactor. ABB pairs MS116/MS132/MS165 with AF contactors, bolted directly to form a compact starter. Siemens pairs 3RV2 with 3RT2 contactors and 3RU2/3RB3 overload relays through a link module, marketed as a SIRIUS load feeder once assembled — the module is what turns two separate DIN-rail devices into one mechanically joined starter.
All three publish Type 2 coordination tables for their own MPCB-plus-contactor combinations, and all three declare the associated short-circuit rating (typically in the 50-100 kA class at 400 V with adequate upstream protection) for each listed pairing. Read the Type 1 vs Type 2 coordination distinction before assuming any two devices from different brands can be substituted into a table built for one brand's own parts.
Building the branch from scratch, whether magnetic-only or thermal-magnetic, follows the same logic across brands; see building a motor starter from an MPCB and contactor for the assembly sequence.
Which Brand Fits Which Panel
Existing panel standardization usually decides this faster than a spec-sheet comparison does. A shop already stocking 3RT2 contactors gains little by introducing GV2L into the same cabinet — the link-module ecosystem doesn't cross brands. Lead time and regional stock depth matter as much as the datasheet: a panel builder exporting to a market where one brand's distribution network is thin will spec around availability, not just current rating.
Where the choice is genuinely open — a new panel line, no incumbent brand — MS116's compact width suits tight DIN-rail budgets on small motors, GV2's ring-tongue terminal option suits shops already tooled for Schneider's terminal style, and 3RV2's frame-size system suits builders standardizing on SIRIUS load feeders end to end. None wins on protection performance; the differentiator is fit to the rest of the panel. All three sit in the same manual motor starters category, which is the broader term IEC uses for this device class.
| Criteria | Schneider TeSys GV2/GV3 | ABB MS132/MS165 | Siemens SIRIUS 3RV2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current range | ~0.1-32 A (GV2), to 65 A (GV3) | to 32 A (MS132), to 65 A (MS165) | ~0.1-100 A across S00-S3 frames |
| Frame sizing basis | GV2 / GV3 / GV4 part families | MS116 / MS132 / MS165 / MS450-496 | Frame sizes S00, S0, S2, S3 |
| Terminal options | Screw or ring-tongue standard; spring on select variants | Screw and spring as parallel part numbers | Screw standard; spring via add-on module |
| Magnetic-only variant | GV2L | MO132 / MO165 | 3RV2 magnetic-only part numbers |
| Phase-loss protection | Standard on 3-pole thermal-magnetic types | Marketed differential phase-loss tripping | Standard on thermal-magnetic units |
| Trip class (standard) | Class 10 | Class 10 | Class 10 |
| Contactor pairing | LC1 (TeSys motor management) | AF contactors, bolted direct | 3RT2 via link module (SIRIUS load feeder) |
| Governing standard | IEC 60947-4-1 | IEC 60947-4-1 | IEC 60947-4-1 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I mix an ABB MS132 with a Siemens 3RT2 contactor?
Physically the link-module and mounting accessories are brand-specific, so a direct mechanical mate is unlikely. Even where wiring separately is possible, the Type 2 coordination table only applies to the exact brand pairing it was tested against, so mixing brands loses the declared coordination rating.
Is Schneider GV3 or ABB MS165 the better choice above 32 A?
Both cover the same 65 A ceiling with Class 10 tripping and a magnetic-only option. The decision usually comes down to terminal preference, existing contactor stock, and regional lead time rather than a protection-performance difference.
Do all three brands offer the same trip classes?
Class 10 is the standard thermal-magnetic offering across GV2/GV3, MS132/MS165, and 3RV2. Slower classes for high-inertia starting are handled through electronic overload relays or accessory options rather than the base mechanical MPCB in any of the three lines.
Which brand has the widest current range in one frame family?
Siemens 3RV2 spans roughly 0.1 A to 100 A across four frame sizes (S00-S3) under one naming system. Schneider and ABB cover a similar total window but split it across more distinct part families (GV2/GV3/GV4 and MS116/MS132/MS165/MS450-496).
Do magnetic-only versions cost less than thermal-magnetic MPCBs?
Magnetic-only variants (GV2L, MO132/MO165, 3RV2 magnetic-only) omit the thermal element, but the total branch cost depends on the separate overload relay required alongside it. The comparison only favors magnetic-only when an electronic relay is already specified for finer overload curves.
Conclusion
Schneider GV2/GV3, ABB MS132/MS165, and Siemens 3RV2 meet the same IEC 60947-4-1 baseline: adjustable thermal overload, ~12-13x magnetic trip, Class 10 as standard, and a magnetic-only variant for use with a separate overload relay. The differences that change a bill of materials are frame breakpoints, terminal style, and which contactor family the MPCB is built to snap or bolt onto. Pick the brand that matches the rest of the panel's contactor and overload-relay stock first; protection performance rarely breaks the tie. For the full construction, trip-class, and coordination detail behind every claim in this comparison, see the MPCB engineering guide.
