Panel assembly for a connectivity management system
View Patent ↗A panel assembly includes a panel having an opening therethrough that selectively receives either a first cassette or a second cassette, where the first and second cassettes have front and rear mating interfaces that mate with cable connectors. The first cassette has at least one of the front and rear mating interfaces being different than the front and rear mating interfaces of the second cassette, respectively. A connectivity sensor is mounted to either the first cassette or the second cassette depending on which of the first cassette and the second cassette is received in the opening of the panel. The connectivity sensor senses a connectivity status of the front mating interface of the corresponding first cassette or second cassette and generates a connectivity status signals relating to the connectivity status. An input/output connector is held by the panel. The input/output connector is electrically connected to the connectivity sensor and is configured to be electrically connected to an input/output cable of a connectivity management system that monitors the connectivity status signals of the connectivity sensor.
1. A panel assembly comprising:
a panel having an opening therethrough that selectively receives either a first cassette or a second cassette, the first and second cassettes having front and rear mating interfaces that mate with cable connectors, the first cassette having at least one of the front and rear mating interfaces being different than the front and rear mating interfaces of the second cassette, respectively, wherein the first cassette is of a first type configured to mate with cable connectors of a first type at the front mating interface, and the second cassette is of a second type configured to mate with cable connectors of a second type at the front mating interface that are different from the first type of cable connectors;
a connectivity sensor mounted to either the first cassette or the second cassette depending on which of the first cassette and the second cassette is received in the opening of the panel, the connectivity sensor sensing a connectivity status of the front mating interface of the corresponding first cassette or second cassette and generating connectivity status signals relating to the connectivity status; and
an input/output connector held by the panel, the input/output connector being electrically connected to the connectivity sensor, the input/output connector being configured to be electrically connected to an input/output cable of a connectivity management system that monitors the connectivity status signals of the connectivity sensor.
2. The panel assembly of claim 1 , wherein the panel includes a window adjacent the opening, the connectivity sensor includes a connectivity sensor connecter extending from a rear of the connectivity sensor, the connectivity sensor connector extending through the window when the connectivity sensor is mounted to the first or second cassette.
3. The panel assembly of claim 1 , wherein the panel includes a bracket mounted to a rear of the panel, the input/output connector being coupled to the bracket.
4. The panel assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first cassette is of a first type configured to mate with a first type of cable connectors having sensor probes, and the second cassette is of a second type configured to mate with a second type of cable connectors having sensor probes, the connectivity sensor including a circuit board and sensor pads electrically connected to the circuit board, the sensor pads being configured to interface with the sensor probes of both the first and second types of cable connectors.
5. A panel assembly comprising:
a panel having an opening therethrough that selectively receives either a first cassette or a second cassette, the first and second cassettes having front and rear mating interfaces that mate with cable connectors, the first cassette having at least one of the front and rear mating interfaces being different than the front and rear mating interfaces of the second cassette, respectively;
a connectivity sensor mounted to either the first cassette or the second cassette depending on which of the first cassette and the second cassette is received in the opening of the panel, the connectivity sensor sensing a connectivity status of the front mating interface of the corresponding first cassette or second cassette and generating connectivity status signals relating to the connectivity status;
an input/output connector held by the panel, the input/output connector being electrically connected to the connectivity sensor, the input/output connector being configured to be electrically connected to an input/output cable of a connectivity management system that monitors the connectivity status signals of the connectivity sensor; and
a wire harness extending between the connectivity sensor and the input/output connector, the connectivity status signals being transmitted along the wire harness to the input/output connector.
6. The panel assembly of claim 5 , wherein the first cassette is of a first type configured to mate with cable connectors of a first type at the front mating interface, and the second cassette is of a second type configured to mate with cable connectors of a second type at the front mating interface that are different from the first type of cable connectors.
7. A panel assembly comprising:
a panel having first and second openings therethrough and a window positioned between the first and second openings;
cassettes loaded into the first and second openings, the cassettes each including a housing having discrete plug cavities at a front of the housing, the plug cavities being configured to receive cable mounted plugs therein, the cassette having communication modules transmitting signals from the plug cavities to at least one connector module at a rear of the housing; and
a connectivity sensor mounted to the cassettes along the front of each of the housings, the connectivity sensor sensing a connectivity status of the plug cavities of both the first cassette and the second cassette, the connectivity sensor having a connectivity sensor connector extending through the window of the panel.
8. The panel assembly of claim 7 , wherein the panel includes a bracket extending therefrom proximate to the window, the connectivity management system further comprising a wire harness mounted to the bracket, the wire harness having a mating connector mated with the connectivity sensor connector.
9. The panel assembly of claim 7 , wherein the connectivity sensor is held relative to the panel by the cassettes such that the connectivity sensor connector extends through the window.
10. The panel assembly of claim 7 , wherein the cassettes are identical to one another.
11. The panel assembly of claim 7 , wherein the cassettes are removable and replaceable by replacement cassettes having different mating interfaces that receive a different type of cable mounted plugs therein, the connectivity sensor being mounted to the replacement cassettes for sensing a connectivity status of the replacement cassettes.
12. A panel assembly comprising:
a panel having an opening therethrough that selectively receives a first cassette and a second cassette;
the first cassette including a housing having a front mating interface and a rear mating interface, the housing having discrete plug cavities at the front mating interface, the housing having at least one connector module at the rear mating interface, the first cassette having communication modules transmitting signals from the plug cavities to the at least one connector module;
the second cassette including a housing having a front mating interface and a rear mating interface, wherein at least one of the front mating interface and the rear mating interface of the second cassette differs from the front mating interface and the rear mating interface of the first cassette, the housing having discrete plug cavities at the front mating interface, the housing having at least one connector module at the rear mating interface, the second cassette having communication modules transmitting signals from the plug cavities to the at least one connector module; and
a connectivity sensor mounted to either the first cassette or the second cassette depending on which of the first cassette and the second cassette is coupled to the panel, the connectivity sensor sensing a connectivity status of the plug cavities of the corresponding first cassette or second cassette.
13. The panel assembly of claim 12 , wherein the first cassette is of a first type configured to receive plugs of a first type into the plug cavities, and the second cassette is of a second type configured to receive plugs of a second type into the plug cavities different from the first type of plugs.
14. The panel assembly of claim 12 , wherein the plug cavities of the first cassette are configured to receive cable mounted quad connectors therein, the plug cavities of the second cassette are configured to receive cable mounted RJ-45 connectors therein.
15. The panel assembly of claim 12 , wherein the communication modules of the first cassette include copper contacts arranged in a predetermined arrangement for mating with a corresponding plug, the communication modules of the second cassette include fiber-optic connectors arranged for mating with fiber-optic plugs.
16. The panel assembly of claim 12 , wherein the housing of the first cassette has an outer perimeter configured to fit within the opening, the housing of the second cassette has an outer perimeter being identical to the outer perimeter of the housing of the first cassette.
17. The panel assembly of claim 12 , wherein the housing of the first cassette has a front mating interface and a rear mating interface, the front and rear mating interfaces being different than one another.
18. The panel assembly of claim 12 , wherein the connectivity sensor includes a circuit board and sensor pads electrically connected to the circuit board, the sensor pads being configured to interface with sensor probes of plugs received in the corresponding plug cavities.
19. The panel assembly of claim 12 , wherein the connectivity sensor includes a connectivity sensor connector received in a window of the panel.
20. The panel assembly of claim 12 , wherein the housings of the first and second cassettes each include walls defining the plug cavities, the communication modules being loaded into the plug cavities.
21. The panel assembly of claim 12 , wherein the first cassette includes a contact sub-assembly having a circuit board, a plurality of the communication modules extend from the circuit board into the plug cavities, at least one communication module being electrically connected to the at least one connector module.
22. The panel assembly of claim 12 , further comprising a wire harness coupled to the panel, the wire harness having a mating connector coupled to the connectivity sensor and the wire harness having an input/output connector configured to be electrically connected to an input/output cable of the connectivity management system.