What Are the Best Practices for Fiber Patch Panel Installation?

Topic

  • What are the best practices for fiber patch panel installation?

Environment

  • Patch panels

Steps

The best practices below help to avoid installation issues and ensure ease of service for the system.

  1. Penetrate the enclosure from the side or bottom to minimize the risk of water intrusion.
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  2. Install grommets on all openings before routing cables into the enclosure to prevent chafing of cables.
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  3. Clean out any metal shavings or other debris in the enclosure to prevent damage and signal degradation from contaminants.
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  4. Before stripping off the sheath, cut the first five to ten feet from the run to eliminate any sections that may have been damaged during pulling.
  5. A standard sheath length of 18 inches provides a sufficient amount of free strand.
  6. When a horizontal plate is present in the enclosure, place home run fibers within the bottom portion. If the plate is oriented vertically, place home run fibers on the left side. Fiber cables opposite the home run will go to the display equipment.
  7. Keep courtesy loop behind strands.
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  8. Per DD1746547: Spec Fiber-Optic Communications Cable, maintain a minimum bend radius of 5 inches when making cable loops. Maintain a minimum bend radius of 1.5 to 2 inches when looping individual fiber strands. Failure to do so may result in high attenuation and damage to the cable and fiber.

  9. Do not run strands through the bracket. This negates the risk of shearing and signal degradation and facilitates future ease of service.
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  10. Terminate all fiber ends to ensure ease of service in the future. It may not be possible or practical to terminate fiber ends during future service or events.
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  11. Cap all unused fiber ends to maintain cleanliness and avoid physical damage.
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  12. Use hook-and-loop fastener ties (such as Velcro® brand) to manage fiber cables. Cable ties can deform the cable jacket and degrade signal strength.
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  13. Secure fiber cables to provide strain relief.
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  14. Label each fiber cable with to/from destination for ease of future service and troubleshooting.
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  15. Attach a panel label to the inside of the patch panel door.
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  16. Label outside of panel with print designation.
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KB ID: DD3460423


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