In 1922, Western Electric introduced a rack system with 19 inches between the mounting holes on the vertical rails. The design quickly gained traction due to its practicality. A 19-inch rack is a standardized frame or enclosure for mounting multiple electronic equipment modules. The 19-inch dimension includes the edges or ears that protrude from each side of the equipment, allowing the module to be fastened. Equipment designed to be placed in a rack is typically described as rack-mount, rack-mount instrument, a rack mounted system, a rack mount chassis, subrack, rack mountable, or occasionally simply shelf. 45 mm). Most engineering-grade equipment, as well as servers, have a panel width of 19 inches (482. 6mm) and mounting hole spacing of 456mm. Therefore, as long as a normal cabinet can meet the installation of most 19-inch devices, the. Wikipedia traces the term “relay rack” back to at least 1911, although “there is little evidence that dimensions of that early rack were standardized”—at least until 1934.
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