Managing cables

The minimum radius that a 50 micron cable can be bent under full tensile load is 5.1 cm (2 in.). For a cable under no tensile load, that minimum is 3.0 cm (1.2 in.). Cables can be organized and managed in a variety of ways, for example, using cable channels on the sides of the rack or patch panels to minimize cable management. Following is a list of additonal recommendations:

• Plan for rack space required for cable management before installing the device.
• Leave at least 1 m (3.28 ft) of slack for each port cable. This provides room to remove and replace the device, allows for inadvertent movement of the rack, and helps prevent the cables from being bent to less than the minimum bend radius.
• For easier maintenance, label the fiber-optic cables and record the devices to which they are connected.
• Keep LEDs visible by routing port cables and other cables away from the LEDs.
• Do not route the cables in front of air vents.
• Use Velcro ® type straps to secure and organize fiber-optic cables.
• Route the cables away from LEDs to keep them visible.
• Use the cable management comb that attaches to the chassis for simple cable management. The comb can be installed without service disruption.

Caution

Before plugging a cable into any port, be sure to discharge the voltage stored on the cable by touching the electrical contacts to ground surface.

Note

Do not use tie wraps with optical cables because they are easily overtightened and can damage the optic fibers.