Filler Panel Guidelines
Filler panels are used in a chassis to cover an unused card slot. Filler panels are always blank and have no cut-outs. Filler panels mount directly to the chassis card cage and have no mounting hardware for card mounting [like Front Panels]. The standard height is 3U, 6U, or 9U, and the standard width is from 1 to 21 slots for euro-card formats. A Filler Panels is used for a number of reasons;
1. A Filler panel fills the blank slot of a card cage [a slot with no card installed].
2. A Filler panel stops forced air from escaping out the front of the card cage [by closing the gap in the empty slot].
3. A Filler panel provides EMI protection from other components within the chassis [if the panel has EMI fingers]. Also refer to Slot Bypass Cards for air flow management and EMI protection.
Filler Panel Manufacturers
Comm Con
{CPCI, VME64x Filler panels w/ EMI gasket. 4H/8H width, 3U/6U Height}
Dawn VME Products
{Filler Panels for VME, VME64x, cPCI, 1101.10}
Gompf Brackets
{ISA Faceplates}
Keystone Electronics Corp.
{PC Card Filler Panels, EISA/ISA, PCI}
Phillips Components,Inc
{VME Front Panels, PMC Bezel Panels, PCI Brackets}
Rittal Corporation
{Anodized Filler Panels for AdvancedTCA, cPCU, VME}
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Of course filler panels can also perform other functions in addition to covering an empty card slot. Informational LEDs could be attached to the blank panels to provide status not shown on another card panel. The filler panel could have a connector attached to it allowing more I/O to route through the front of the chassis. Cable management hardware could be affixed to either the inside or front side of the panel to aid in cable routing, and so on.
Next Topic Chassis Handle Concerns within a chassis
How To Specify Equipment Chassis Requirements; Section Index page
