Patent ID: 7302149

Claim:
A WDM optical system comprising: a media converter module including a plurality of converter cards, each converter card being configured to convert a native signal into an optical signal; a panel bracket defining an opening and a plurality of fingers; a cable management panel including a drawer defining an interior space, wherein the cable management panel includes a splitter/combiner module mounted in the interior space, and wherein the cable management panel is positioned in the opening of the panel bracket so that a space is defined between the cable management panel and the media converter module, and wherein the drawer includes at least one take-up mechanism; and at least one bracket configured to couple the media converter module to a rack in a horizontally offset position; wherein cables coupling the media converter module to the splitter/combiner module extend vertically downward through the fingers, horizontally across a top surface of the cable management panel, and into the drawer through the take-up mechanism.