Modular controller housing having movable card guides

A structure of a controller housing comprising:

• a front panel, a back panel and two sides panels coupled together and defining an interior;
• an opening in the front panel that provides access to the interior, an upper portion of the opening having a first slot extending substantially perpendicular to the back panel, a lower portion of the opening having a second slot extending substantially parallel to the first slot;
• a first card guide coupled to the opening by way of a tool-less connection, the card guide having an elongate body and having card guide slots on opposing sides of the elongate body, one of the card guide slots in functional alignment with the first slot, and one of the card guide slots in functional alignment with the second slot;
• and
• wherein the card guide divides the opening such that electronic circuit cards may be inserted into the controller housing by sliding their card edges in the functionally aligned slots, and wherein the card guide may be removed without the use of tools such that an electronic circuit card by be inserted by sliding card edges of the electronic circuit card in the first and second slots.

A structure of a controller housing comprising:

• a back panel adapted to hold a backplane board substantially parallel thereto;
• a top panel;
• a bottom panel;
• a front panel coupled to the back panel by way of the top and bottom panels;
• a rectangular opening through the front panel to allow insertion of an electronic circuit card into the controller housing;
• a collar surrounding the rectangular opening;
• a first card guide connection portion on a first inside location of the collar at an elevation;
• a second card guide connection portion on a second inside location of the collar at the elevation;
• and
• wherein the first and second card guide connection portions are adapted to allow tool-less installation and removal of a device that divides the rectangular opening so that multiple electronic circuit cards may be inserted into the controller housing.

A card guide for a controller housing to allow insertion of varying form factor circuit cards into the controller housing, the card guide comprising:

• a handle portion;
• an elongate body coupled to and extending from the handle portion;
• a first slot in an upper portion of the elongate body;
• a second slot in a lower portion of the elongate body;
• a first connection portion coupled to the elongate body proximate to the handle portion, the first connection portion designed and constructed to allow tool-less installation and removal of the card guide from the controller housing;
• and
• a second connection portion coupled to the elongate body proximate to the handle and on an opposing side of the elongate body, second first connection portion designed and constructed to allow tool-less installation and removal of the card guide from the controller housing.