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Defining the N20-CBLKB1: Purpose and Mechanical Design
The Cisco N20-CBLKB1 is a single-slot blanking panel designed for Cisco’s UCS 5108 Blade Server Chassis, serving critical roles in airflow management and electromagnetic interference (EMI) containment. This component fills unused blade slots to maintain optimal thermal dynamics in high-density server environments. Its 1.5mm cold-rolled steel construction with conductive nickel plating ensures 98% EMI shielding efficiency, a requirement for data centers adhering to NEBS Level 3 and EN 55032 Class A compliance standards.
Technical Specifications: Beyond Basic Slot Coverage
- Dimensions: 1.25″ (H) × 2.3″ (W) × 30.5″ (D) – matches UCS B200 M5 blade profile
- Airflow Resistance: ≤0.02 inH₂O at 100 CFM airflow velocity
- Thermal Tolerance: Operates in -5°C to 55°C ambient temperatures
- Compatibility: Exclusive to UCS 5108 chassis; incompatible with older 3100/2500 series
Cisco’s UCS 5108 Installation Guide confirms that deploying N20-CBLKB1 panels reduces hotspot formation by 18% in partially populated chassis configurations.
Key Use Cases: Operational and Regulatory Necessities
1. Thermal Optimization in Partial Deployments
When only 4 of 8 blade slots are occupied in a UCS 5108 chassis, unblanked slots create air recirculation loops that increase intake temperatures by 7-12°C. The N20-CBLKB1 prevents this by forcing front-to-back airflow patterns.
2. EMI Containment for Financial Trading Systems
In SEC/FINRA-regulated environments, the panel’s 360° conductive gasket prevents high-frequency EMI leaks from affecting adjacent storage arrays – crucial when chassis operate near NVIDIA DGX A100 clusters with 40Gbps InfiniBand links.
Installation and Maintenance Considerations
A critical user question: “Does the blanking panel affect chassis firmware upgrades or diagnostics?” The answer involves three operational layers:
- Hot-Swap Compatibility: Can be installed/removed without powering down the chassis
- Sensor Interactions: No interference with chassis’ IMC 2208 thermal sensors
- Serviceability: Does not obstruct access to power supply units (PSUs) or fabric interconnects
Performance Benchmarks and Limitations
- Airflow Efficiency: Maintains ≤2°C temperature delta across all blade positions
- Constraints: Cannot substitute for N20-C220-BLKB (dual-slot variant) in UCS 220 M5 expansions
- Scaling Factor: Requires replacement every 5-7 years due to gasket material degradation
Regulatory Compliance Framework
The N20-CBLKB1 meets:
- FCC Part 15 Subpart J for unintentional radiator systems
- IEC 61000-4-3 radiated RF immunity up to 10V/m
- RoHS III Directive (2015/863/EU) hazardous substance restrictions
Deployment Best Practices
- Pre-Installation Checks:
- Verify chassis firmware ≥ 4.1(3d) to avoid false PSU fault alerts
- Clean slot edges with IPA 99% to ensure conductivity
- Post-Deployment Monitoring:
- Use UCS Manager 4.2+ to track chassis inlet temps post-installation
For bulk procurement and validated compatibility matrices, visit the N20-CBLKB1 product page at itmall.sale.
Why This Component Matters in Hyperscale Infrastructure
Having managed UCS 5108 deployments in SEC-regulated environments, I’ve observed how the N20-CBLKB1 solves the paradox of scaling compute density without compromising thermal headroom. Its true value emerges in mixed-generation blade configurations – when M4 and M5 blades coexist, their varying power profiles create asymmetric heat distribution that blanking panels help mitigate. While often perceived as a “dumb” mechanical part, this component exemplifies Cisco’s systems engineering philosophy: every element – down to a $55 panel – contributes to the 99.999% uptime promise in UCS architectures. For operators balancing TCO with 10-year infrastructure amortization cycles, it provides an often-overlooked leverage point for optimizing PUE metrics.