PLEASE BEAR WITH US, AS THIS PAGE IS UNDER MODIFICATION.  A MORE COMPLETE VERSION, INCLUDING VISUAL AIDS, IS IN PRODUCTION AND IS EXPECTED TO BE AVAILABLE SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE.

The VIPA subrack has been found to be sensitive to mounting within a equipment relay rack.  It is imperative that the subrack be installed plumb and level in the equipment rack to reduce the possibility of physical damage to subrack and modules.

This page will attempt to walk the user through the mounting process to achieve a subrack which will present few operational problems.
 

1. The opening in the equipment rack for the subrack  must be a minimum 17-1/2 in height.  Additional height for any mechanically aided cooling equipment (fans, heat exchangers, etc.), if used, must also be provided.  Mechanical cooling should be placed below the subrack, forcing airflow upward through the subrack.  If a J3 backplane is installed in the subrack, additional cooling equipment may be required to provide adequate airflow to the transition area of the subrack
2. The subrack must be supported by means other than by the front mounting flanges only.  It is recommended that majority of the weight of the subrack, installed modules and power cables be supported by crossbar supports made of sections of UniStrut rail mounted between the upright rails.  The crossbars are attached to the uprights with 90 degree angles.  The crossbars should be located directly beneath the front extrusion and directly below the backplane area of the subrack.  A third crossbar may be added directly below the rear most extrusion.  We have found that with the crossbars placed in these positions, minimal resistance to airflow is introduced and additional strength is provided to the front and rear most extrusions.
3. The subrack must be level from front to back and from side to side.  Failure to achieve this can result in excessive installation force for the modules, damaged backplanes and modules.
4. Users are encouraged to use at least 6 of the 12 oblong mounting holes available in the front mounting flanges.  The round holes are used for mounting equipment handles, where necessary.