Everything You Need To Know About Eurocards PCB

Eurocard PCBs are - as you might’ve guessed from the name - a European standard format for printed circuit boards (PCB). The fact that they’re standardised means they can be plugged together into an (equally standardised) subrack or chassis, and are completely interchangeable without needing to significantly alter, upgrade or replace the overall mounting system to accommodate new hardware.

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In proper use, the term Eurocards strictly refers to a mechanical slotting/mounting system and does not define the specific connector to be used for channelling the output signal from the PCBs through to subsequent components (nor, in fact, the types of signals that are assigned to those connector contacts).

In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at precisely what Eurocards are, what types and sizes are available on the current market, and some of the different uses of Eurocards found installed in hardware networks across a significant proportion of our modern industries and sectors today.

Eurocards in turn slide into these guides, where they’re held securely in place standing either horizontally or (more commonly) on end, effectively filed neatly away in the housing subrack, rather like the way files slot into a filing cabinet.

Connections on the rear panel of the subrack click into place with mating connectors on the PCBs as each one is inserted, and these allow for the PCB output signal to flow onward through the network as required.

Again, as noted above, these connectors are not technically standardised or universal in the same way the Eurocards themselves are. however, a few widely used variants tend to dominate the market and help support the general drive towards interchangeability that makes the Eurocard PCB format so handy to engineers, technicians and installers.

Rack-fitting enclosures and chassis mounts are specialised installation devices, used as protection and housing for PCBs that are inserted and supported via a series of slots. As well as PCBs, they’re designed for mounting a wide range of standard 19” rack-mount equipment into, which might include:

• Servers
• Routers
• Power supplies
• UPS (uninterruptible power supply) systems
• Switches or network hubs
• Audio/video-units

Rack mounts, subracks and enclosures should be approached as highly modular solutions to storage and protection of delicate or important components and hardware. For standardised electronic equipment racks, the term 1U is used to define one rack unit of height.

You’ll find a range of specific Eurocard-friendly enclosures, cabinets and component sizes available to buy from most quality UK suppliers, and the majority of these compatible products will be listed as being 1U, 2U, 3U or 4U accordingly. In each case, this refers either to the available height for component installation, or the height of the component itself.

As we outlined in this guide’s previous section on Eurocard sizing, 1U of rack height equals 44.45mm, where ‘U’ is the standardised unit of measurement for designating vertical usable space in the metal frames designed to hold hardware devices. This standardised system of measurement applies both to basic racks, and to entire cabinets (rack mounting enclosures with one or more doors on the front).

The front panels of Eurocard rack fitting cases are usually pre-drilled, to allow installers easy mounting of components and hardware in an industry-standard layout. They’re typically designed with ventilation slots built-in - usually at the top and bottom, but sometimes on either side - to help keep electronics cool under load. The cases and enclosures will also come with screws to prevent equipment from moving about within the rack, and they’re widely available in a broad range of different configurations.

Rack fitting cases and enclosures are fitted inside rack mount units to secure equipment, save on storage space, to help keep things organised and accessible for quick and easy maintenance or repositioning, and to help protect fragile rack-mounted hardware, equipment and components. They’re used across a very broad range of industries and sectors, including:

• Satellite and telecoms bases
• Data centres
• Office HQs and other network hubs
• Live performance, test and measurement environments
• Equipment and hardware rooms, including most computing and server environments

We’re always happy to offer further information and advice on all aspects of buying and installing Eurocard PCBs, DIN connectors, or Eurocard-compatible subracks, enclosures and chassis mounts. If you’ve any further questions about which hardware, mounting solutions and component products you need to complete your network node installation, you can contact a member of our expert customer support team at any time.

19" rack cabinets for outdoor installation and in environments with dust or corrosive agents, made of polyester with an IP66 degree of protection, steel IP65.
19 inch rack cabinets with sloping roof, load-bearing structure in aluminum profiles joined by three-way joints. In the frame made of aluminum profiles extruded is the abutment flap for the covers is integrated which, together with the frame, guarantee an IP55 degree of protection.

Industrial cabinets: Custom cabinets with IP55 protection degree. The high IP degree allows use in dusty contexts or with substances potentially harmful to the equipment. It is also possible to transform these cabinets into climate-controlled environments by installing industrial air conditioners, heat exchangers and other solutions for cooling, heating, dehumidification.

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Contact us to discuss your requirements of Subrack Chassis. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

Server rack cabinets: generally used in Data Centers to contain servers, NAS and other active equipment, they have particular characteristics linked to the specific type of use, such as anti-tipping systems and optimized solutions for cooling. Large in size, particularly robust, with 4 or more 19" profiles made of 2 mm thick steel suitable for containing and supporting both servers and other network equipment. They usually have perforated rear and front doors to allow maximum heat exchange with the outside.

19" rack containers for desk: Transportable cabinets with handles and feet for instruments, subracks and other electronics, suitable for any area of application.
Available from 2 to 21 units rack height, depth from a few cm up to over one meter and three standard widths: 84 TE = 451 mm (19"), 60 TE = 328 mm, 42 TE = 237 mm.

Modul Rack Frames: The Modul Rack frames are ideal for making containers for subracks, 19’’ and electronics in general. For all models it is a wide range of accessories is available such as front plates, side walls with handles, roof and bottom, component holder plate and much more. With the Modul Rack structure you can create 84TE (19") wide frames and smaller width structures: 60 TE (328 mm), 42 TE (237 mm).

Universal Rack Structure: In extruded aluminium, ideal for creating solid and important cabinets and frames with dimensions of up to 3 meters per side. Standard production includes structures with a height of 6 to 50 units. racks with widths of 551, 596 and 818 mm and depths up to more than 1 metre. The Universal Rack frames can be supplied natural anodized or with a colorless conductive Surtec650 treatment or in other variants of your choice, both as galvanic treatments and as painting.

Open Frame 19" wall mounted: Wall rack frames are very simple and economical structures designed to be mounted affixed to a wall or more in general to a vertical wall, they have limited dimensions in terms of capacity and depth. These structures can also be used inside control panels or machinery without 19" rack uprights.

Laboratory rack frames: Modular structures in extruded aluminum with 2 19" rack profiles, with fixed plinth, with wheels or for desks. Made for specific testing and demonstration uses in the laboratory or at stands. The materials used and the fine finishes make them suitable for contexts in which frequent movements are required, in fairs and events where it is necessary to the aesthetic result is important.

Subracks (or module rack drawers) have standard dimensions, the height is measured in rack units and the smaller models widespread are those 3, 6 and 9 units high, and multiples thereof. The longest external width common is of 19" including flanges for cabinet mounting, or lower when used to make containers for different uses. Internally the width is defined by the unit TE or HP (Horizontal Pitch), where 1 HP equals 0.20 inches (5.08 mm).

Bridge handles for drawers and sub-racks, in monobloc aluminium, extruded, machined from solid, in steel or plastic. For drawers and containers from 1 to 12 units. rack and beyond.
Handles and grips in natural or colored anodized aluminium, in stainless steel or  painted.

Modular electrical cabinets: Designed to offer extreme safety and great versatility, to be able to satisfy any type of need. Depending on the series chosen, they have a nominal insulation voltage of up to V, a nominal operational voltage of up to 690V, a maximum nominal operational current of the busbar holders of A, a short-circuit current of up to 65KA effective for 1s.
Available both as monoblock cabinets and as open frame cabinets for battery applications with heights from to mm, depth up to 800 mm and wide possibility of customizations. Each wardrobe is equipped with a standard plinth but, on request, a second one can be added.

Lectern control panel: The consoles, in monobloc and modular versions, complete the offer of automation containers, ideal for all specific uses in the control and command of industrial machines and systems . The 440 series constitutes the compact range of consoles, in which the lectern is; obtained directly on the base.
The 550 series creates pulpits whose structure is made up of two elements, the base and the lectern bench, welded together to form a single block. It is possible to have a greater usable surface for the lectern.
The 600 series is modular and is consisting of base, lectern, riser and palletisable plinth.

Folded aluminum electronics enclosures: Robust and versatile, made entirely of folded brushed natural anodized aluminium. Economical and available in many sizes to satisfy all electrical board containment needs. The panels and covers can be modified to position displays, LEDs and connectors. Possibility to customize the boxes with your own silk-screen printing, colours, prints and/or aluminum passivation treatments. Leveling feet, fixing brackets to DIN 35 mm omega bars or other systems available.

Extruded aluminum electronics containers: Used for the medical, industrial, educational sectors, etc. Europa cards with a height of 100 mm can be used. and auxiliary boards 45 and 42 mm high. Front, side closures, threaded strips must be ordered separately.
The aluminum alloy extrusion is painted RAL , on request and for quantities, other colors or natural anodization can be requested.

Die-cast aluminum electronics boxes: Universal, stable and easily adaptable for electrical, electronic and pneumatic components. The production takes place with a die casting and shell casting process. The housings can be processed using various mechanical processes and the customization of the surface design to customer-specific requirements knows almost no limits.

Multi-socket power bars: Optimizing space inside a cabinet is essential. fundamental, to be able to have the greatest number of tricks, the most; versatile as possible and occupying the least space are crucial aspects in all applications. For these reasons we produce power bars with different combinations of sockets, 16A or 32A wiring, magneto-thermal and differential switches, safety systems, colored sockets.

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