Enclosure horizons broaden

Once little more than sheet metal that housed equipment,
today's enclosures are likely to include a power supply and cooling,
as well as serve increasingly diverse applications

BY SPENCER CHIN
Senior Editor

In the past, most enclosures were little more than sheet metal structures that housed electronic equipment. Although some are still available in that format, today's enclosures are more likely to include features such as power supplies and built-in cooling.

In addition, emerging standards such as CompactPCI have sparked a whole new generation of enclosure products. Enclosures come in metal and nonmetal versions, for desktop and portable equipment, and for military and industrial uses.

PCI enclosures

Several enclosure manufacturers have introduced enclosures that meet the CompactPCI standard for computer buses. I-Bus (San Diego, CA) has its Galaxy 16, a 16-slot enclosure that supports 14 6U expansion slots, up to three hot-swap redundant supplies, and up to eight drives in either a RAID or JBOD format.

I-Bus

The enclosure's backplane supports a continuous H.110 telephony bus across all expansion slots. The Galaxy 16 costs $4,950, with availability from stock.

Schroff (Warwick, RI) has introduced fully configured CompactPCI subracks that integrate the backplane, power supply, drive mounting, and cooling in a single package. The 19-in. tabletop, portable, or rack-mount subrack kits come with a four-, six-, or eight-layer backplane in 3U or 6U heights. The subracks come with a choice of 235 to 400-W ATX-format power supplies. Pricing for a 3U subrack starts at under $1,500, with availability from stock.

Tracewell Systems (Westerville, OH) now offers its T-Frame PCI chassis. This open-frame chassis comes with a digital voltage/temperature display and a 350-W power-factor-corrected supply. Other features include an eight-layer backplane, a 3.5-in. peripheral bay, and removable side panels. The enclosure costs $3,395 and is available 2 weeks ARO.

Hybricon (Ayer, MA) recently unveiled a portable tower enclosure, Part No. 078-350, which contains the company's five-slot CompactPCI backplane.

Hybricon

It has two slots for 6U x 160-mm cards, and three slots for 3U x 160-mm cards. The enclosure has a 230-W supply, dual tube-axial fans, and provisions for CD-ROM, hard-disk drives, and floppy-disk drives. It is priced from $988, with availability from stock to 4 weeks ARO.

One Stop Systems (Escondido, CA) has introduced a CompactPCI enclosure for burn-in. The 19-in. rack-mount enclosure is available in a 3U-high version with a 20-slot backplane, or a 6U-high version with a 10-slot backplane (20 slots optional). A 600-W, high-current supply is optional. Pricing for the 3U enclosure is $1,995; the 6U version with a 10-slot backplane costs $2,495. Both are available from stock.

APW Electronic Solutions (San Diego, CA) offers its Vanguard and Centaur PCI enclosures. The Vanguard 19-in. tabletop or rack-mount enclosure comes with a 6U x 160-mm card cage; a four-, six-, or eight-slot, 10-layer backplane; and 150- or 300-W hot-swap supplies.

APW Electronic Solutions

The 19-in. Centaur enclosure has a four- or eight-slot backplane, a 300-W ATX supply, and an 80-mm transition cage. The Centaur is $1,228 each in quantities of 100, with availability of 4 weeks ARO. The Vanguard is $2,692 each in quantities of 100, with availability of 2 weeks ARO.

Carlo Gavazzi's Computer System Div. (Brockton, MA) has introduced its 525 Series CompactPCI enclosure in 19- and 24-in. rack-mount versions. The enclosure has flush or recessed subracks and removable mounting flanges. It is available with single or dual 350-W power supplies and can incorporate hot-swap capability. The units start at $4,317 and are available from stock.

Other rack enclosures

The 7490 Series 15-slot, rack-mount chassis from Industrial Computer Source (San Diego, CA) enables the user to select over 40 system combinations of base models, backplanes, and power supply options. It can incorporate ISA, ISA/PCI, or Pentium II backplanes.

Industrial Computer Source

Alternatively, it can have a mount for Baby AT or ATX motherboards. Up to seven externally accessible drives can be installed. The chassis is priced from $1,319 to $2,299 and is available from stock to 1 week ARO.

The Model IS500 19-in. rack-mount PC enclosure from Industrial CPU Systems (Santa Ana, CA) has up to three shock-mounted, half-height 5.25-in. drives or two 5.25- and two 3.5-in. half-height drives.

Industrial CPU Systems

Other features include support for 11 types of passive backplanes, a hot-swap power supply, and a 110-cfm fan. List price for a base system with a 230-W supply, 14-slot backplane, and cabling is $590, with availability from stock.

A line of 19-in. equipment rack-mount enclosures from Recortec (Sunnyvale, CA) features a built-in 9-in. monochrome SVGA monitor (RME-170) or 10-in. color SVGA monitor (RME-171). The enclosures include two 5.25- and two 3.5-in. front-panel drive bays, a 300-W supply, and optional cooling fans. Both versions come in an ATX form factor as well as in 8- and 14-slot versions. The RME-170 is $995, and the RME-171 is $1,795, with availability from stock.

High-speed-drive enclosures

Trimm Technologies (Las Vegas, NV) has unveiled its Ultra2 LVD storage enclosure for fast SCA drives. Designed to support data transfer rates of 80 Mbytes/s and cable lengths to 12 m, the enclosure has hot-swap field-replaceable drive trays. It is available in a two- and four-bay tabletop as well as an eight-drive-bay design in tower and 3U rack-mount configurations.

Trimm Technologies

The enclosure comes with dual redundant power supplies and three high-pressure blowers. A two-bay version is $667 and is available from stock.

The Rack 7RC RAID enclosure from Ci Design (Costa Mesa, CA) accommodates up to seven drives plus a full- or half-height controller with removable locking drive tray modules in a 4U 19-in. rack form factor. It supports Ultra and Ultra 2 SCSI drives. Other features include front-panel drive-status LEDs and a sensor panel to indicate power and alarm conditions. The enclosure costs $2,775, with availability from stock.

Axiom Technology (City of Industry, CA) has introduced the AX6110 industrial computer chassis, which measures 19 (W) x 16.8 (D) x 1.75 (H) in. The chassis supports a variety of board configurations and can accommodate a 3.5-in. floppy-disk drive, CD-ROM drive, and internal 3.5- or 2.5-in. hard-disk drive. Other features include a 75-W supply and drive and power status indicators. The chassis is priced from $300 with availability from stock.

Desktop and portable enclosures

The RiCase 19-in. metal housing from Rittal (Springfield, OH) can be easily changed to accommodate various components. It can be used as a desktop or portable unit.

Rittal

Features include depth-variable 19-in. mounting angles, slide rails, side clip-down handles, and a vertically hinged door.

The rack comes in heights of 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7U, and depths from 300 to 540 mm. Pricing is from $125 to $525, with availability from stock.

Electronic Packaging Systems (Marion, IA) now offers a 19-in. desktop enclosure for portable needs. Designated the Series 4000, the enclosure is available in panel heights from 5.25 to 15.75 in. and with depths from 14 to 26 in. The aluminum enclosure has steel panels and a gray finish. Pricing starts at $120, with availability from stock.

The Topas 19-in. bench case from Knurr USA (Simi Valley, CA) is offered in 10 heights from 3 to 12U and with a choice of four depths. It is available with closed rear panels from 1U to 12U, 3U rear panels with vent holes, or 3U rear panels with cable port and Euro-plug cutouts. The case is priced from $175 to $300 and is available from stock to 4 weeks ARO.

The E-Series Build Your Own Box enclosure from Buckeye ShapeForm (Columbus, OH) comes in a choice of six standard aluminum extrusions to build 21 profiles with heights from 1.71 to 7.20 in. and widths from 1.93 to 7.20 in. The cases come in 1/8, 1/4, and 1/2 DIN sizes with integral card slots on 0.200-in. centers.

Options include screen printing, painting, custom sizes, and various custom modifications. Pricing is from $15 to $52, with availability from stock.

JMR Electronics (Chatsworth, CA) has added two- and four-bay versions to its STAX line of desktop enclosures. The line includes seven models that accommodate 3.5-in. full-height, 3.5-in. low-profile, and 5.25-in. half- or full-height devices. Features include a power-on LED, universal input switching power supply, ball-bearing fan, and filler panels. Pricing is $100 to $500, and availability is from stock to 2 weeks ARO.

The Type 33 portable case from Elma Electronic (Fremont, CA) incorporates 3-mm-thick aluminum extrusions and is offered in 18 depth and width combinations. The shielded case is available with a choice of accessories. Pricing is $40.40 each in 100-piece quantities, with availability from stock.

Nonmetallic enclosures

The CAB PC polycarbonate wall-mount cabinet from Fibox (Elk-ridge, MD) is now UL listed to types 4, 4X, 12, and 13. The flame-retardant cabinet measures 7 in. deep and is offered in widths from 8 to 24 in. and heights from 8 to 20 in. The cabinet is available with a swing-out door and range of plates, DIN rails, and mounting hardware. Pricing is $58 to $223, with availability from stock.

Bud Industries (Willoughby, OH) has introduced a line of nonmetallic enclosures in five different styles.

Bud Industries

Molded from ABS and polycarbonate, the gasketed enclosures meet UL 508, NEMA, and IEC 529 specifications for use in dirty and corrosive environments. Most of the styles are available in multiple sizes and come with gray or clear polycarbonate doors. Prices range from $18 to $350, and availability is from stock.

The JB Series plastic desktop enclosure from Polycase (Avon, OH) comes in sizes of 5.5 x 5.25 x 1.63 in. or 5.0 x 3.80 x 1.50 in. It has a recessed area for labeling, and a flush textured or 0.030-in. recessed smooth top. The removable end panels can be modified for switches, displays, and connectors. The enclosure is priced from $4.08 each in quantities of 500, with availability from stock.

OKW Enclosures (Bridgeville, PA) has introduced its Meditec line of plastic desktop cases. The ABS plastic cases come in sizes of 11.4 (L) x 10.2 (W) in., 11.4 (L) x 7.9 (W) in., or 6.3 (L) x 10.2 (W) in.

OKW Enclosures

Accessory side panels are available to increase the case height from 2.9 to 4.9 in. The cases accept Eurocards up to 233.4 x 220 mm and are priced from $25, with availability from stock.

Adalet (Cleveland, OH) now offers a line of fiberglass-reinforced polyester enclosures certified for NEMA Type 1, 2, 4, 4X, 12, and 13 applications. The enclosures come in sizes from 6 x 6 x 4 in. to 30 x 24 x 10 in. and are available with a choice of covers including screw, hinged-screw, snap-latch, twist-latch, and raised styles. Prices range from $31.50 to $368.80, and availability is from stock to 6 weeks ARO.

The DBS line of panel meter DIN-rail-mount enclosures from JIT Components (Tampa, FL) conforms to DIN 43700 and comes in 1/4-, 1/8-, and 1/16-size cutouts with a choice of 20 different lengths. The enclosures are made of UL 94V-0-rated Noryl plastic and have snap-in front bezel and rear covers. Pricing is from $7 to $50, and availability is from stock to 8 weeks ARO.

MIL and industrial
enclosures

The Model MAI-5515 from SBS Technologies (Vista, CA) is a welded-aluminum enclosure for COTS military requirements. Measuring 10.475 (H) x 15.38 (W) x 19.435 (D) in. the enclosure houses up to 15 6U VME 64/64X slots or multiple 3U/ 6U CompactPCI backplanes. It comes with a 500-W supply and operates from –20° to +50°C without derating. The enclosure costs $11,500, with availability of 8 weeks ARO.

Tri-M Engineering (Coquitalam, BC, Canada) has introduced its Can-Tainer enclosure for protecting PC/104 electronics in harsh environments. The black anodized aluminum enclosure has a rubber mounting pad for bulkhead mounting and rubber mountings to absorb shock and vibration. The enclosure measures 5.4 (L) x 6.0 (W) x 4, 6, or 8 (H) in. It costs $99 and is available from stock.

The MCH-314 four-slot industrial chassis from Mitac Industrial (Fremont, CA) is smaller than a shoebox and can be configured with four ISA or PCI half-slot cards. It comes with a drive housing for a 3.5-in. floppy-disk drive and 3.5-in. hard-disk drive, a 100-W ac-input supply, and a 29-cfm cooling fan. Pricing is $390, with availability from stock.

Zero Cases (North Salt Lake, UT) now offers outdoor cases made of deep-drawn aluminum for telecom applications. The construction produces a seamless, sealed case that can be made at lower cost than a welded-seam case. Built to the user's requirements, the cases can be made in sizes up to 26 (H) x 23.5 (W) x 36 (D) in. They are priced from $500 to $1,000, with availability from stock.

Large enclosures

Amco Engineering (Schiller Park, IL) now offers a line of 19-in. server cabinets. Used in single- or multi-bay configurations, the cabinets come in 20 colors. The cabinets meet or exceed Compaq's third-party vendor rack specifications and can be used for rack- or free-standing hardware. Price starts at $837, depending on configuration, with availability of 10 days ARO.

The EVR line of vertical racks from CMP Enclosures (Gurnee, IL) comes in panel widths of 19, 24, or 30 in.; 12 panel heights from 14 to 78 in.; and frame depths of 18, 22, 25, or 30 in. The racks are made of 14-gauge roll-formed steel and have adjustable front- and rear-mounting angles. They are priced from $200 to $1,800 depending on size and options, with availability of 1 to 5 weeks ARO.

Alusett (Peekskill, NY) now offers a modular mobile workstation in a choice of colors. The workstation has an aluminum extruded frame and rolls on six casters. It comes with a power strip and measures 72 (W) x 60 (H) x 30 (D) in. A typical configuration costs $498, with availability from stock.

The Proline DataCom cabinet from Hoffman (Anoka, MN) is available in 22 frame sizes that can be configured as standalone enclosures or ganged together for greater capacity.

Hoffman

Each cabinet is available with a range of external components such as doors, sides, covers, tops, and bases. Internal components and accessories include grid systems, subpanels, and rack-mount capabilities. The pricing is from $1,000, with availability from stock.

The Vent Rak series 7500 shielded cabinet from General Devices (Indianapolis, IN) is rated to hold 1,500 lb and has a 12-gauge steel frame and 16-gauge steel side panels and rear doors. Welded seams protect against EMI, and perforated or honeycomb vents promote airflow. The cabinet can be built in any size from 24 to 30 (D) x 19 (W) x 40 to 84 (H) in. The enclosure costs $1,500 to $3,000 depending on configuration, with availability of 6 to 8 weeks ARO.

Thriftline cabinets from Premier Metal Products (Bronx, NY) are offered in 70- and 77-in. panel heights. The cabinets are constructed of welded steel with heavy-duty horizontal cross braces. Two pairs of panel-mounting angles are adjustable front to rear. Pricing is $800 each in quantities of 25, with availability of 5 days ARO.

Equipto (Aurora, IL) now offers its Heavy Duty line of vertical racks and sloped front consoles for tough environmental conditions. The cabinets meet MIL-STD-810D and MIL-STD-901 for shock and vibration, and can be reinforced to meet testing through Zone 4. Load capacity is 3,000 lb.

The enclosures come in 37 panel heights to 84 in.; panel widths of 19, 24, or 30 in.; and depths from 24 to 36 in. Pricing is from $1,000, with availability from stock to 1 week ARO.

Optima Electronic Packaging Systems (Tucker, GA) has introduced its Network Series of enclosures for networking and server equipment. The enclosures come in panel heights of 21 to 77 in. widths of 19 or 24 in. and depths of 24 to 36 in. They are priced from $1,256, with availability of 3 to 10 days ARO.