Tag Archives: rack mount enclosure

How to Choose 1U Rack Mount Patch Panel?

1U rack mount patch panel is generally used within a server rack, unlike the wall mount patch panel that is fixed on the wall. Facing the trends like high density servers and converged infrastructure that has result in amounts of cables in the server racks, rack mount patch panel is the perfect way to solve poor cable management at the source. Now I bet you come here because you have to choose one rack mount patch panel of some sort, but don’t know exactly how. Don’t worry, let’s start at the beginning. Before buying it, we should know why we need the rack mount patch panel.

Why Do We Need 1U Rack Mount Patch Panel

The main reason is that 1U rack mount patch panels have close relationship with cable performance. 1U rack mount patch panel as one tool of 1U cable management is the primary factor in maintaining high circuit performance during cable installation and use. It makes all cables connections in order so as to avoid cables becoming tangled and messy, and all changes can be made at the patch panel. Also, with all connections are made on the equipment, rack mount patch panel can save wear and tear on the ports of expensive equipment like switches, which helps reduce equipment cost.

Factors We Should Consider When Buying 1U Rack Mount Patch Panel

Rack mount patch panel seems a simple product, but there are still some aspects make you wonder. The following are the aspects that should be considered when you shopping one 1U rack mount patch panel.

  • Space and port requirement. Before buying a rack mount enclosure, first determine your requirements of space and ports because patch panels are available in different sizes and types. For standardization purposes, rack mounts are usually 19 inches and given in U units range from 1U to 4U. Make sure you know the height, depth, width and weight of the equipment.

  • Budget. Money always is the unavoidable issue. Establish a budget for the equipment, then you can narrow the buying scope and make the final selection.

How to Choose 1U Rack Mount Patch Panel

FS.COM offers different versions of 1U rack mount patch panel to meet customers’ needs. Here are three products and pick one based on your need.

1U Rack Mount Fibre Enclosure  

This rack mount equipment is made of SPCC material with black coating. It can accept 4 fibre adapter panels of LC, SC ports or 4 MTP modular cassettes, which can connect 96 fibres. The top panel uses the demountable design that allows you to put 4 splice trays or 2 slack spools to manage and protect your cables. The equipment is suitable for small or medium communication room with a favorable price of 68 dollars.

1U Rack Mount High Density Fibre Enclosure

Like the former 1U rack mount equipment, this fibre enclosure uses the same material and also can hold 4 fibre adapters or MTP cassettes, connecting 96 fibres at most. But this high density device adopts a new design of parallel sliding drawer that pulls the drawer out you can manage the cables inside the device, instead of removing the top panel. Another creative design is the semi-transparent design of front door, which makes it more convenient to check the inside cables and protect the cables from the dust. It’s an ideal solution for high density cabling with a price of 89 dollars.

1U Rack Mount Ultra High Density Fibre Enclosure

Featured with 3 independently sliding drawers, this ultra high density equipment can house 12 MTP cassettes or fibre adapter panels. Thus, with the 50% increase in usable density, it can connect 144 fibres in 1U server rack. And the open design of the back can improve the airflow which is beneficial to equipment cooling. This equipment enjoys a higher price of 120 dollars for it’s designed to satisfy the most extreme fibre density demands.

The following table is the comparison of the three products.

1U Rack Mount Fibre Enclosure
1U Rack Mount High Density Fibre Enclosure
1U Rack Mount Ultra High Density Fibre Enclosure
Sliding Version
No
  One sliding drawer  Three sliding drawers
Material
SPCC
                   SPCC  Aluminum
Fibre Count
96
  96  144
Price (USD)
                     $68  $89  $120

Summary

If you want to buy a rack mount patch panel with good quality at low price, the 1U rack mount fibre enclosure can satisfy your need. If you prefer to protect cables from dust, the second product is suitable for you. And if you have to deal with ultra high density fibres, choose the last product. Whether you are ready to buy a rack mount patch panel, FS.COM is here to help. Get in touch with us via our website FS.COM.

Secrets of Choosing Fibre Rack Mount Enclosure

Fibre rack mount enclosures can provide a high-density solution for inter-connects or cross-connects between backbone horizontal cable and active equipment. Enclosures allow for easy field termination of connectors or installation of pre-terminated solutions, and are ideal for high-density fibre applications in data centres, equipment rooms, and central offices. Fibre rack mount enclosures come in different configurations. You may find fibre enclosures in the market with different sizes, slide-out or lid type, fixed front panel or removable front panel, splice tray or preterminated. Among so many types, you have to choose one that suits your application the most. So how to make the right decision? The following will tell you the method.

Which Size of Rack Mount Enclosure?

The rack mount units are designed for rack mounting in 19-in (48 cm) racks. They are available in rack space options of 1U (two panels, cassettes or modules), 2U (four panels, cassettes or modules), 3U (six panels, cassettes or modules) and 4U (twelve panels, cassettes or modules), etc.(See the following picture.) You should choose the most proper one depending on the space and port requirement of your project.

rack-sizes-rack-units

Slide-out Type or Lid Type?

The rack mount enclosures include two kinds. One is the slide-out type, and the other incorporates a removable lid. The slide out type is more expensive while the lid type is less expensive but requires the user to remove the whole enclosure from the rack to gain internal access. If your budget is sufficient, I will recommend you to use the slide-out type. Then you may get more benefits during installation and maintenance, as they respectively feature a convenient slide-out support tray and a integrated swing-out tray so that you don’t need to remove the whole enclosure from the rack to gain internal access.

Fixed Front Panels or Removable Front Panels?

As we know, fibre optic adapters are the key part of an enclosure to accept the various fibre optic connectors. Thus, to choose a proper front panel option is also important. For general rack mount enclosures, there are mainly two types—one type uses fixed 1U High 19” front panel, and the other type incorporates three, or even up to five removable front panels. The latter is now becoming more popular with users, because a plug & play fibre adapter panel solution assures flexibility and ease of network deployment and MAC (moves, adds, and changes).

Splice or Pre-terminated?

Pigtail splicing and pre-terminated assemblies are the two basic way to do fibre termination. Depending on which method you choose, there are some differences in the rack mount enclosure selection. For pigtail splicing, you may need a rack mount panel with fibre splice tray, which are used for efficient management and storage of the spliced optical fibres. Splice tray is used for efficient management and storage of the spliced fibre optic cables. Fibre optic adapters are installed into the cut outs in the enclosure to accept the various fibre optic connectors. Fibre optic pigtails mate with the adapters and the fusion-spliced tails are stored on the splice tray.

But if you apply pre-terminated assemblies, the inner configuration of the rack mount panel is only the spools that are used to organize the cables. Obviously, the pre-terminated solution will help you save more installed time and labor cost.

Conclusion

In this article, you are advised to select the best fibre rack mount enclosure suitable for your own application from so many types. FS.COM offers a wide range of rack mount enclosures, which is good for interconnect and cross-connect in building your data centres. It’s ideal for the organization and protection of optic backbone terminations. Any service need, please contact us via sales@fs.com or call 24/7 Customer Service: 1 (718) 577 1006.