Cable Support inside a VME Chassis

[TJK1]

I am looking for a method to support 80 RJ-58 or RJ-214 cables as they leave 10 different transition boards in the back side of a standard VME chassis. We plan to run the cables from the transition boards to the rear hinged panel of the chassis. The hinged panel will act as a patch panel. Since the rear panel will be opened from time to time, we need to prevent the cable from touching the moving surface and prevent fraying. I was thinking of using some sort of strain reliefs, or cable clamps, etc. to support the cables as they pass over the hinged area. What would you recommend and are there any standard ways of doing this? Is there any standard hardware designed for this type of application?

 

[drawoh]

TJK1,

This sounds like a complete design job.

You need to route the cables and add service loops so that you can open and close the rear panel without straining the cable and without the cable coming into contact with anything. This is more of a design and configuration issue than an issue of what hardware to order.

How cooperative are your electronics people? At the very least, they should tell you what the minimum bend radii are. At best, they will set down with you and advise you on the layout. At worst, they will wait until the hardware comes in and then completely ignore your drawings as they wire it up on a work bench.

Remind everybody that if mechanical is involved early on, there will be a complete set of drawings in place when everybody is done.

JHG

 

[TJK1]

It is a big design job.

 

[Heckler]

I've enclosed a few pictures of a prototype rack that is used for ground based training. The flight hardware will be on a 747-200 converted freighter. Is this hardware ground based, flight or other mobil? Like drawoh stated you will need service loops, strain relief, and some mechanism to gather/store the cable runs when the service door is closed.

http://img286.imageshack.us/my.php?image=blockhouserearisokq7.jpg

http://img177.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01058yg9.jpg

http://img177.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01051db5.jpg

Best Regards,

Heckler
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
SW2005 SP 5.0 & Pro/E 2001
Dell Precision 370
P4 3.6 GHz, 1GB RAM
XP Pro SP2.0
NVIDIA Quadro FX 1400
o
_`\(,_
(_)/ (_)

Never argue with an idiot. They'll bring you down to their level and beat you with experience every time.

 

[TJK1]

Heckler, thanks for the photos.

 

[drawoh]

TJK1,

To answer your question more precisely...

Find out what cable ties and clamps your electronics people like to use, and use them. I assume your VME chassis is a 19" rack mounted box? I don't think you have room for a retracting mechanism.

Consider mounting a long straight cable section as close as possible and parallel to your hinge. If this is free to rotate torsionally with the hinge, you minimize strain on the cables.

Good cable routing is a team effort. Office politics is more important than the hardware you select.

JHG

 

[Heckler]

Good cable routing is a team effort. Office politics is more important than the hardware you select.

That is so true. Thinking back on all the equipment racks and bays I've worked on cable runs have always been a sore spot for the ego driven engineers and PM's

Best Regards,

Heckler
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
SW2005 SP 5.0 & Pro/E 2001
Dell Precision 370
P4 3.6 GHz, 1GB RAM
XP Pro SP2.0
NVIDIA Quadro FX 1400
o
_`\(,_
(_)/ (_)

Never argue with an idiot. They'll bring you down to their level and beat you with experience every time.