Maintaining the EX9253 Line Cards
Handling and Storing Line Cards
Components in the line cards are fragile. To avoid damaging the line cards, follow the procedures in this topic. The procedures use the following terms to describe the four edges of the line cards:
Faceplate—Edge of the line card that has connectors into which you insert the transceivers.
Connector edge—Edge opposite the faceplate.
Top edge—Edge at the top of the line card when the line card is vertical.
Bottom edge—Edge at the bottom of the line card when the line card is vertical.
Failure to handle line cards as specified in these procedures can cause irreparable damage to them.
Holding a Line Card
You must hold a line card horizontally when installing it in the chassis. You may hold a line card vertically or horizontally when carrying it.
Be prepared to support the full weight as you slide the line card into the chassis.
To hold a line card vertically:
- Orient the line card so that the faceplate faces you. To verify the orientation, confirm that the text on the line card is right-side up.
- Place one hand around the line card faceplate about a quarter of the way down from the top edge. Do not press hard on it.
- Place the other hand at the bottom edge of the line card.
If the line card is horizontal before you grasp it, place your left hand around the faceplate and your right hand along the bottom edge.
To hold a line card horizontally:
Orient the line card so that the faceplate faces you.
Grasp the top edge with your left hand and the bottom edge with your right hand.
You can rest the faceplate of the line card against your body as you carry it.
Take care not to hit the line card against any object as you carry it. Line card components are fragile.
Never hold or grasp the line card anywhere except the places mentioned in these procedures. In particular, never grasp the connector edge. See Figure 1.

Never carry the line card while holding the faceplate with only one hand.
Do not rest any edge of a line card directly against a hard surface. See Figure 2.

If you must rest a line card temporarily on an edge, place a cushion between the edge and the surface.
Do not stack line cards on top of one another or on top of any other component. Place each line card separately in an antistatic bag or on an antistatic mat placed on a flat, stable surface.
Storing a Line Card
You must store a line card in the chassis or in a spare shipping container, horizontally and sheet metal side down. Do not stack line cards on top of one another or on top of any other component. Place each line card separately in an antistatic bag or on an antistatic mat placed on a flat, stable surface.
Because a line card is heavy, and because antistatic bags are fragile, inserting the line card into the bag is best done with two people, each to do one of the following steps.
To insert a line card into an antistatic bag:
- Hold the line card in the horizontal position with the faceplate facing you.
- Slide the opening of the bag over the line card connector edge.
If you must insert the line card into a bag by yourself:
Lay the line card horizontally on a flat, stable surface, sheet metal side down.
Orient the line card with the faceplate facing you.
Carefully insert the line card connector edge into the opening of the bag and pull the bag toward you to cover the line card.
Maintaining Line Card Cables
Components in the line cards are fragile. To extend the lives of your line card cables and to avoid problems that can result from cable damage, follow these procedures:
To maintain line card cables:
Place excess cable out of the way. Do not allow fastened loops of cable to dangle from the connector. Placing fasteners on the loops helps retain their shape.
Keep the cable connections clean and free of dust and other particles, which can cause drops in the received power level. Always inspect cables and clean them if necessary before connecting a port.
Label both ends of line card cables to identify them.
Removing a Line Card from an EX9253 Switch
Before you begin to remove a line card from an EX9253 switch:
Ensure that you have taken the necessary precautions to prevent electrostatic discharge (ESD) damage. See Prevention of Electrostatic Discharge Damage.
If there are any transceivers installed in the line card, remove them before you remove the line card (see Remove a Transceiver or Remove a QSFP28 Transceiver).
Ensure that you know how to handle and store the line card (see Handling and Storing Line Cards) and maintain line card cables (see Maintaining Line Card Cables).
Ensure that you have the following parts and tools available to remove a line card from an EX9253 switch chassis:
ESD grounding strap
An antistatic bag or an antistatic mat
Replacement line card or a cover panel and its screws to cover the empty slot
EX9253 switches have field-replaceable unit (FRU) line cards that can be installed in the line card slots on the front of the switch chassis. The line cards are hot-insertable and hot-removable: You can remove and replace them without powering off the switch or disrupting switch functions. However, we recommend that you take them offline before removing them. To maintain proper cooling, you must install a replacement line card or a blank panel in the line card slot shortly after removing a line card from the chassis.
To remove a line card from an EX9253 switch (see Figure 3):
See Also
Installing a Line Card in an EX9253 Switch
Before you begin to install a line card:
Ensure that you have taken the necessary precautions to prevent electrostatic discharge (ESD) damage (see Prevention of Electrostatic Discharge Damage).
If there are any transceivers installed in the line card, remove them before you install the line card. For instructions on removing transceivers, see Remove a Transceiver or Remove a QSFP28 Transceiver.
Ensure that you know how to handle and store the line card (see Handling and Storing Line Cards) and maintain line card cables (see Maintaining Line Card Cables).
Ensure that you have the following parts and tools available to install a line card in the switch:
ESD grounding strap
A fully configured line card can weigh up to 18.35 lb (8.3 kg). Be prepared to support the full weight.
EX9253 switches have field-replaceable unit (FRU) line cards that can be installed in the line card slots on the front of the switch chassis. The line cards are hot-insertable and hot-removable: You can remove and replace them without powering off the switch or disrupting switch functions. However, we recommend that you take them offline before removing them.
To install a line card in the switch (see Figure 4):
You can verify that the line card is functioning correctly by
issuing the show chassis fpc
and show chassis fpc
pic-status
commands.
If you have a Juniper J-Care service contract, register any addition, change, or upgrade of hardware components at https://www.juniper.net/customers/support/tools/updateinstallbase/ . Failure to do so can result in significant delays if you need replacement parts. This note does not apply if you replace existing components with the same type of component.