What is a #Fiber #Optic Patch Panel?

A fiber optic patch panel is termination equipment meant for interfacing pre-terminated fiber cables at termination enclosures, such as fiber wall cabinets, rack-mount cabinets, or rack-mount shelves. It allows a company to undertake a network expansion with minimal cost or downtime, and reduces the need for extra cabling during moves and changes.

Fiber patch panels are the equipment used to interconnect pre-terminated products. In addition, the fiber feed terminal panel connects the jumpers and pigtails to the equipment or system. Replacing those connections may be a costly inconvenience to the company. Most times, the fiber patch panel is loaded with fiber patch panel enclosure. The image demonstrates the four rack-mount patch panels being mounted in 1U rack enclosures that are suitable for 19” racks.

On the physical side, a panel is generally a metal housing, and it typically contains adapter panels, fiber splicing trays, and space for the excess fiber storage.

Types of Fiber Optic Patch Panels

LC/SC/FC/ST/MTP/MPO Fiber Optic Patch Panel

There are several types of fiber patch panel connection points, like LC, SC, FC, ST, MTP/MPO. Fiber patch panels with different types of connectors connect to specific fiber optic cables as appropriate. Among the various patch panels, the LC patch panel and the MTP patch panel are most commonly used in data center cabling.

6/12/24/48-Ports Fiber Optic Patch Panel

These are found in patch panels specified for all port specs. However, the most used port specs for data center patch panels are 6-port, 12-port, 24-port, and 48-port fiber.

Rack Mount/ Wall Mount Fiber Optic Patch Panel

The fiber optic patch panels are wired connections that are frequently housed in a fiber patch panel enclosure and can be mounted on 19″, 21″, or 23″ rack systems. The fiber enclosures of patch panels are also known as the fiber termination boxes, which can be mounted on wall or rack, but can be wall mountable, too.

●The rack mount panel forms a horizontal structure for the fiber, which is similar to a drawer. The rack mount panel has been designed in different sizes, holding up to 288 or more fibers. These devices can be fitted onto 19″ and 23″ standard relay racks.

● A fiber-of-fiber cable optical termination box typically features:

– A possibility to splice or terminate fiber optic cables.

– The hood protects the connection and termination parts of optical fiber cables and keep them away from dirt as well.

– Storage and tagging of different size and length fiber cables.

– Allowing different types of fiber adapter panels, for instance, LC, SC, MTP, etc.

● Wall-mount fiber patch panels can be easily mounted to any wall using internal mounting holes.

Slide out Fiber Enclosure/Removable Lid Enclosure Fiber Optic Patch Panel

• Engineers utilize panelized sliding design for simplicity of local access to fibers, but this is rather costly.
• The removable lid option is a low cost alternative, but the entire enclosure must be taken out from the rack in order to gain internal access.

Loaded with Adapter Fiber Patch Panel VS Unloaded with Adapter Fiber Patch Panel

• This load patch panel of fiber, the user should select the adapter and pigtail according to their fiber connector type or use a tray for single- and mass-fusing.
• A patch panel is considered unloaded when it is more flexible than a loaded panel. However, it may need some extra purchases of the accessories that complete the unit.

How to select the fiber patch panel?

Choosing the most suitable fiber optic patch panel for your switch requires the consideration of the several main aspects that will contribute to obtaining appropriate equipment which will correspond with your specific needs, purpose, and allow later scaling. Below, a guide to aid your decision-making concerning your network Size and a Scalability is outlined. 

Network Dimension and Flexibility: Formulate your current network size and the number of users already using it. Highest quality patch panels are those which are 6, 12, or 48 ports, as they suit the applications that require more connections. Be sure to keep higher-density panels in mind for large networks of data centers or for those whose floor area is limited. 

Fiber Patch Panel Connectors Specified: Identify whether the network is made up of single-mode or multimode fiber optic cables and select a panel that matches the respective cable types. The fibers designed for the network environment should not only be compatible with the route conditions introduced but also with the connectors (LC, SC, ST, etc.) used in the network. 

Space: Gather information on how it affects the suitability of the installation site. If possible, use a wall-mounted or compact panel to save space if there is a shortage of it. Select from the outdoor panels which have weather-resistant features for use in outdoor installations. 

Rack Space: Select a panel that will fit in the rack space available. The size of the racks is measured in terms of rack units, denoted by alphabet U. Construction of a fiber patch network cable typically takes up some valuable space in your equipment rack, please ensure that it fits in the configuration of your existing racks before proceeding. Further to the rack, space usage is common problem for multiple invention-developed shock resistant elastic foot wrappers. 

Cable Management system: Good cable management is crucial for stabilizing the network connection and enhancing ease of maintenance. Make sure you look for a panel where the cable management aspect is very robust, this is evident through the presence of routing guides for the cables, labels alongside your access points. 

Greener Non-Functional Elements and Modular Options: High-density arrays allow multiple ports to be placed on tighter space as an increasing space-saving factor in some environments such as data centers. Modular panels are flexible, providing options to alter the overall layout and the needed type of connections.