Installing an FPC

To install an FPC, follow this procedure (see Figure 58 and Figure 59):

1. Attach an electrostatic discharge (ESD) grounding strap to your bare wrist and connect the strap to one of the ESD points on the chassis. Verify that the router is attached to a proper earth ground. For more information about ESD, see Preventing Electrostatic Discharge Damage.
2. Install or remove PICs as desired by following the instructions in Replacing a PIC. You must install or remove PICs before installing the FPC into the chassis. If any PICs use fiber-optic cable, make sure that each transceiver is covered with a rubber safety cap.
3. Verify that the ends of the ejector levers, which are located at each end of the FPC, are pushed outward, nearly perpendicular to the face of the FPC.
4. Grasp the front of the FPC with one hand and place the other hand under the FPC to support it.

   Caution: When the FPC is out of the chassis, do not hold it by the ejector levers. They cannot support its weight.

5. Align the rear bottom corners of the FPC with the guides at the bottom of the FPC slot. Slide the FPC into the card cage until it contacts the midplane.

   Caution: When about 1 in. (2.5 cm) of the FPC remains outside the slot, adjust the insertion speed so that it takes between 1 and 15 seconds for the FPC to contact the midplane. Completing the insertion too quickly or too slowly can cause the router to reset.

   As the FPC comes online, the green FPC LED labeled OK begins to blink. It continues to blink while the Routing Engine downloads software to the FPC, the FPC runs its diagnostics, and the PICs housed in the FPC are enabled. Packet forwarding then halts for about 200 ms while the Packet Forwarding Engine incorporates the memory on the new FPC into the memory buffers shared by all FPCs. When the FPC is online, the OK LED lights steadily.

   Caution: After the OK LED lights steadily, wait at least 30 seconds before removing the FPC again, removing a FPC from a different slot, or inserting an FPC in a different slot.

6. Push the ends of the ejector levers inward until they are nearly flush with the face of the FPC.
7. Tighten the thumbscrew at each end of the FPC to seat the FPC securely in the chassis.
8. If any of the PICs on the FPC connect to fiber-optic cable, remove the rubber safety cap from each transceiver and cable.

   Warning: Do not look directly into the ends of fiber-optic cables or into the transceivers on the interface faceplate. Single-mode fiber-optic cable and the interfaces that use it (such as ATM and SONET/SDH interfaces) emit laser light that can damage your eyes.

   Caution: Do not leave a fiber-optic transceiver uncovered except when inserting or removing cable. The safety cap keeps the port clean and prevents accidental exposure to laser light.

9. Insert the appropriate cable into the cable connector ports on each PIC on the FPC. Secure the cables so that they are not supporting their own weight. Place excess cable out of the way in a neatly coiled loop, using the cable management system. Placing fasteners on a loop helps to maintain its shape.

   Caution: Do not let fiber-optic cable hang free from the connector. Do not allow fastened loops of cable to dangle, which stresses the cable at the fastening point.

   Caution: Avoid bending fiber-optic cable beyond its minimum bend radius. An arc smaller than a few inches in diameter can damage the cable and cause problems that are difficult to diagnose.

10. To verify correct PIC and FPC functioning, issue the show chassis fpc commands described in Maintaining the FPCs and Maintaining PICs and PIC Cables.

Figure 58: Installing an FPC

Figure 59: Connecting Fiber-Optic Cable to a PIC