Midplane in an EX8216 Switch

The midplane is located in the center of the chassis and forms the rear of the line card cage. The Routing Engine (RE) modules, power supplies, fan trays, and line cards plug into the midplane from the front of the chassis. The Switch Fabric (SF) modules plug into the midplane from the rear of the chassis. The midplane contains an EEPROM that stores the serial number and revision level of the midplane.

The midplane performs the following functions:

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

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