Backplane in an EX8208 Switch

The backplane is a printed circuit board that forms the back of the line card cage. The Switch Fabric and Routing Engine (SRE) modules, Switch Fabric (SF) module, power supplies, and line cards plug into the backplane from the front of the chassis. The backplane contains an EEPROM that stores the serial number and revision level of the backplane.

The backplane performs the following functions:

• Power distribution—The backplane distributes power to all the switch components from the power supplies that plug into it.
• Control-signal connectivity—The backplane transports the control signals exchanged by system components for monitoring, control, and management purposes.
• Transfer of data between line cards and SRE modules—The backplane provides connectivity for data traffic to and from the line cards and the SRE modules.

Warning: High levels of electrical energy are distributed across the switch backplane. Do not touch the backplane connectors, or any component connected to the backplane, with any metallic object while servicing components installed in the switch.