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The interface panel that connects multiple optical fibre cables and optical equipment is commonly referred to as a fiber optic patch panel. Patch panels can be Din rail -Mounted, rack-mounted onto 19″, 21″, and 23″ rack systems, and some are wall-mountable.
It is typically a metal enclosure that houses adapter panels, fibre splicing trays, and excess fibre storage. Its basic design is an array of ports, each of which interfaces with another patch cable that connects to optical equipment located elsewhere in the building. The adaptor panel serves as an interface for the enclosure’s outside and inside ports.
A patch panel is a basic but essential component of any networking system. The device is made up of jacks that allow for connections, interconnections, testing circuit installation, and routing. Patch panels allow circuits and routing cables to be connected in a flexible and convenient manner.
Patch panels are essential accessories for organised cabling because they provide a variety of connectivity solutions to network hardware. Without patch panels, a local area network (LAN) is incomplete.
The two types of patch panels used in networking solutions are Ethernet patch panels and Fibre Optic patch panels. Ethernet patch cables are required for Ethernet applications.
Fiber optic patch panels are the most common advanced type of patch panel used today. A fiber optic patch panel connects optical fibre cable and optical equipment. These can be installed in 19″ to 23″ rack systems as well as wall-mounted fiber patch panels.
Previously, fibre optic cables had a number of problems that hampered their performance. Cable bending and breaking were common, and people were opposed to using fibre optic cables. Furthermore, cleaning was required for optimal performance. Furthermore, the complex installation process, cost, and maintenance difficulties impacted acceptability. As a result, fibre optic systems suffered significant market setbacks.
Choose Best Fiber Optic Patch Panels?
Only buy fiber patch panels from reputable manufacturers. The production firm guarantees the life and error-free performance of the fibre optic patch panels through meticulous design, a well-organised manufacturing process, and detailed quality assurance analysis.
The selection process for fiber patch panels would primarily involve selecting the one that best meets your needs. Fiber optic panels should ideally be chosen based on panel location, panel compatibility, panel capacity, panel design, and panel density.
There are two common methods for terminating fiber optic cable. The first method is to use connectors to connect two cables, and the second method is to connect the fibers to network equipment such as fibre optic patch panels or switches for better cable management. Fiber optic cable should be installed in a way that minimises signal loss, regardless of the terminations used. However, how do you properly connect fibre optic cables to fibre optic patch panels? Today, we’ll go over the steps of this process. First, let’s take a look at the patch panel.
A patch panel is the interface between several optical fibres and optical equipment. It is a fiber termination unit that aids in networking and fibre distribution from the wiring closet to various terminal equipment. Patch panels are classified into two types based on their design: wall mount and rack mount. Fiber optic cable and connectors can be housed, organised, and protected in either type.
A low-profile and compact wall mount fibre patch panel is typically installed on interior walls. It has a terrace where a flexible cabling system can be installed. This patch panel is ideal for installing pre-connected cables and connectors on-site.
A rack mount fiber patch panel is an indoor network device designed for standard 19-inch rack mounting. Because of the various connection requirements, it is available in 1U, 2U, and 4U sizes. This type can accommodate all types of fiber adapter ports, including SC, LC, ST, and FC.
A typical fibre enclosure is made up of four distinct elements. They are enclosed chambers for holding adapter panels, mating connector adapters, and organising splice trays. Thus, technicians can use a fibre optic patch panel to neatly and securely terminate fibre optic cables. They can also install, repair, and upgrade networks quickly and efficiently with the help of a patch panel.
It is critical to connect the cables correctly to the fibre optic patch panel so that the device can function properly. You can do it if you follow the steps.
Step 1: First, prepare a fibre optic patch panel and ensure that this work will be done on a clean and level work surface. Because the patch panel is delivered empty, the adapters must be inserted into the mounting plate. Then secure the mounting plate in place.
Step 2: Prepare cables according to standard termination procedures, and make sure there is plenty of extra cable to work with. Fix the cable to the gland and roll the excess fibre onto the spool. After that, remove the safety cap and insert it into the adapter. Once all of the cables are connected, use a zip tie to secure the cables in a bundle.
Step 3: To distinguish the cables, label each jack location on the fibre optic patch panel. Install the patch panel in a rack or cabinet.
Patch panels can be categorized into different types based on a few different criteria.
Din Rail Patch Panel:
The din rail liu / fiber patch panels are designed to mount on a 35 mm Din rail frame to provide cross-connect and interconnect capabilities for splicing & termination of OFC cables, pigtails in fiber access network called Din Rail mount fiber optic LIU or patch panel / liu fully loaded.
Rack Mount versus Wall Mount:
Rack Mount Fiber Patch Panels
Typically, the rack mount panel, which resembles a drawer, holds the fibres horizontally. Rack mount panels are available in 1U, 2U, and 4U sizes and can accommodate up to 288 or more fibres. They can be installed on standard 19″ relay racks.
Wall Mount Fiber Patch Panels
Using the internal mounting holes, wall mount fiber optic patch panels can be easily mounted to any wall.
Fiber Enclosure Design
The rack mount enclosures include two kinds. One is the slide-out variety and the standard variety.
Sliding Design
The sld rack mount patch panel design gives engineers easy access to the fibers inside but it’s more expensive.
Jack Panel Design
The lid type is less expensive but requires the user to remove the whole enclosure from the rack to gain internal access.
Rack Size (1U, 2U, 3U, 4U…)
In general, rack size is measured in U or RU units. This unit specifies the height of rack-mountable equipment. The most common rack size in data centres is 1RU.
Furthermore, 2RU and 4RU are used for high-density applications. In this section, you should select the appropriate size for the panels based on their intended working location.
Is there a splice tray?
Pigtail or field termination can be used for the connection in a patch panel. If the pigtail method is used, a splice tray in the patch panel is required. This method provides the best connection quality and is usually the quickest.
For field termination, the second method employs a fibre optic connector. A fibre optic connector is installed directly onto the individual fibres. This method takes longer than pigtail but does not require a splice tray in the patch panel. However, the connection quality may be inferior to that of pre-terminated pigtails.
Port Numbers
Fiber patch panel ports allow data to enter and exit the panel. The number of these ports varies between 12, 24, 48, 64, 72, 96, and even 288. There is no restriction on the number of ports on a patch panel.
Unisol provides a 4RU rack mount fibre optic enclosure with 288 fibres and 12 slots duplex fiber adapter panels.This high density patch panel provides a flexible and modular system for managing fiber terminations, connections, and patching in all applications.
With its high fiber densities and port counts, it maximises rack space utilisation and minimises floor space. This enclosure makes network deployment, moves, additions, and changes simple. It’s an ideal solution for engineers who need to terminate and distribute fiber.
Where do you want the patch panel to be installed? Should it be placed indoors or outdoors? What level of protection would there be from natural elements such as rain and dust? As a first step, examine all of these variables. A patch panel that will be used outside must be strong enough to withstand the elements.
Prior to selecting the patch panel, confirm the polarity, performance, and connector type. Compatibility is doubtlessly an important consideration when selecting fiber patch panels. The compatibility of the panel with the embedded components would determine connectivity and performance. The technology used must be scalable in order to accommodate potential future changes.
The intended area to be examined is the volume, load, and connections. You must ensure that the fibre patch panel meets your networking requirements. Overloading the patch panel can have a negative impact on performance. Loaded and unloaded (modular) fibre patch panels are available. Preloaded ports, adapter panels, and other accessories are included with the loaded patch panels. Unloaded/modular patch panels, on the other hand, are adaptable, allowing you to increase the number of connectivity ports and capacity.
The Advantages of using a Fiber Patch Panel include:
Which are the Applications using a Fiber Optic Patch Panel?
Din Rail Patch Panel :
Rack Mount Patch Panel:
Wall Mount Patch Panel:
Fiber optic patch panel is a cost-effective way for cable management. Connecting fiber optic cable to the patch panel is easy and can actually optimise the network work. So why not have a try?
At FIBERONE, we manufacture a range of fiber patch panels to fit a variety of network needs. This includes:
Every one of our fiber patch panels is manufactured in the United States to strict quality standards and are available to be shipped quickly according to your project timelines. Our fiber product experts are standing by to consult on any questions you have.
Order a fiber patch panel from FIBERONE today and we’ll get you the right equipment quickly – and you’ll never need to make a return.
For more information, please visit supplier fiber optic cable.
On the rest of this page, we’ll provide answers to commonly asked questions about fiber patch panels, so that you can have a high-level understanding of what these networks components are used for and what you can expect when using them.
We’ll cover topics like:
By the end, you should have a general understanding of fiber patch panels – and potentially be ready to order the right type for your network needs.
Ready to learn more about fiber patch panels? Read on.
To begin, let’s review what a fiber patch panel is.
As we’ve written before, fiber networks use thin strands of glass arranged in bundles called optical cables to transmit light signals over long distances. Light travels by bouncing off the walls of the cable repeatedly, until it eventually arrives at a destination where the signal is translated back into data and output for use by applications.
Fiber patch panels are connectivity points for interconnecting network fiber cables to fiber optic adapter plates which are used for network connectivity.
These connectivity points may be in a rack along with other network products where signals originate, or even in remote customer premise locations. Often (but not always) housed in a wiring closet, they usually take the form of metal enclosures. They’re designed to hold adapter panels and splice trays, with space to spare for fiber storage.
For example, here’s a picture of our 12-port rack mount splice & patch panel.
And here’s our 24-port wall mount patch panel.
While the specs on these two pieces of equipment vary significantly, they both (like all patch panels) serve as hubs for fiber connection.
As you can tell from the pictures above, the devices that network technicians call fiber patch panels are built from a variety of components. These commonly include:
Different variations of fiber patch panels include different combinations of these components. (We’ll delve into the different types of fiber patch panels shortly.)
Fiber patch panels are passive devices that help with fiber cable management.
The alternative to using a patch panel is to run fibers at a greater length – perhaps directly all the way from switches to endpoints. This makes cables more difficult to keep track of and more difficult to move. For example, if a server needed to be put on a different subnet, you would probably need to do a bit of construction work to rearrange the entire length of the cable.
However, with patch panels, adjusting cable connections is much easier. Ports are all in one place and patch cords are shorter, so network adjustments can be managed much more efficiently.
While fiber patch panels and fiber network switches may look a bit similar with their rows of ports, they serve markedly different functions.
As we’ve just noted, fiber patch panels are passive connection hubs that are used primarily for cable management. They make fiber networks easier to work with, but they don’t play any active role in passing data through the network.
Network switches, on the other hand, actively filter and route data – they take incoming data and determine where to send it to. In essence, they connect clients into a network.
It would be possible to construct a fiber network without using any patch panels (although it would definitely be unideal and the network would be tedious to manage). It would not be possible to construct a fiber network without a switch.
With the function of patch panels clarified, a logical next question is, how are they installed?
The answer, unfortunately, is that it depends.
As we’ll cover shortly, there are many different types of fiber patch panels, and the process for installation varies depending on the type of path panel that’s being installed.
However, here’s a very generalized installation process that should give you an idea of what you’ll need to do:
You should plan this out in as much detail as possible.
If you’re installing the panel in a rack, for example, you’ll want to make sure it’s positioned so that cables can be easily run to it. When adopting ground outlet, cables typically run into the rack from the bottom, so you’d want to mount the patch panel on the lower part of the rack. When adopting bridge outlet, cables come in through the top, so you’d want to mount the patch panel on the upper part of the rack.
Determine which switch port should be connected to which patch panel port.
Once you know where the patch panel should be mounted and have mapped out the connections that will be run to it, go ahead and mount it.
Once the patch panel is mounted, you can run the cables from the patch panel to the switch port as you’d mapped out.
Finally, you should organize cables to make future adjustments easier. This typically includes bundling them and labeling each cable with the same tag on both ends.
Again, this is a very high-level overview of the installation process. If you have questions about installing a specific fiber patch panel, it’s best to follow manufacturing guidelines – and, if necessary, to consult with product experts.
At FIBERONE, we provide responsive customer support for any installation questions, as well as access to robust educational materials for specific fiber products.
As mentioned above, fiber patch panels come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Here are some of the most common factors that influence the configurations you’ll see.
One of the key factors in distinguishing types of patch panels is the location the panel is designed for.
Rack mount fiber patch panels
Rack mount fiber patch panels are designed, obviously, for inclusion in an equipment rack. Flat patch panels are most commonly 19” or 23” between the two vertical posts.
Panels may occupy multiple rack units. They commonly use a splice tray to organize splice modules.
Wall mount fiber patch panels
Wall mount fiber patch panels vary a bit more because they aren’t built to standard rack specifications. These patch panels are typically used in remote locations such a wiring closets or similar customer premise applications.
Outdoor fiber patch panels
Outdoor fiber patch panels are built to be weatherproof and will carry a NEMA rating to represent how protected they are from elements. They’re usually installed on walls or poles.
Another key factor is the number of ports on the patch panel. Fiber patch panels tend to have a number of ports that is some multiple of twelve. Common configurations include 12-port patch panels, 24-port patch panels, 48-port models, 72-port models, all the way up to 288-port models – and there are patch panels that go beyond that, too.
Patch panels can be supplied with fiber pigtails that feed into a splice tray for fusion splicing. Factory polished connectors on the other end provide a high-quality connection required for most applications.
Field termination connectors can be used in some applications. These are generally used with multimode fiber as the data rates are much lower and the tolerances for fiber loss are much higher. We would not recommend using field terminations for single mode fiber, except for temporary use such as emergency restoration kits.
Finally, fiber patch panels are available for both standard (10G) and high-density (40/100G) network configurations. Higher density fiber patch panels obviously take up more rack space. Note that our innovative U-Series line of products use about 1/3 the rack space of traditional LGX style products.
If you’re considering purchasing a fiber patch panel, you’re probably wondering what a standard price is – and you’ll probably be unsurprised to find that the cost varies a good deal depending on the configuration you’re looking for.
But in general, you may be looking at well over $100 for a 12F patch panel to well over $1,000 for higher density fiber patch panels.
If you are looking to order a fiber patch panel, there are a number of things to consider:
Careful planning will help eliminate incorrect parts.
It’s not uncommon for technicians to order a certain fiber patch panel, only to discover that another variation is needed. There is a wide variety of configurations available, after all.
Ordering incorrect parts can slow down network timelines – so, if you need to purchase a fiber patch panel, it’s crucial that the device you order fits your application.
The best way to make sure of that is to consult with the manufacturers to ensure that the product you’re considering will fit your needs.
Our technical experts can help. As noted above, at FIBERONE, we offer a variety of fiber patch panels, including:
If you’re not sure which variation will best meet your needs, get in touch with us.
We help network engineers and technicians to access the quality fiber products they need, quickly and with full confidence in performance. We’ll make sure that you order the right fiber optic splitter so that your installation goes according to plan – and you never need to make a return.
Talk to a technical expert today to order the right fiber patch panel for your application.