<s>
A	O
patch	B-Protocol
panel	I-Protocol
is	O
a	O
device	O
or	O
unit	O
featuring	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
jacks	B-Protocol
,	O
usually	O
of	O
the	O
same	O
or	O
similar	O
type	O
,	O
for	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
connecting	O
and	O
routing	O
circuits	O
for	O
monitoring	O
,	O
interconnecting	O
,	O
and	O
testing	O
circuits	O
in	O
a	O
convenient	O
,	O
flexible	O
manner	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Patch	B-Protocol
panels	I-Protocol
are	O
commonly	O
used	O
in	O
computer	B-Architecture
networking	I-Architecture
,	O
recording	O
studios	O
,	O
and	O
radio	O
and	O
television	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
reconnection	O
was	O
done	O
via	O
patch	B-Device
cords	I-Device
and	O
patch	B-Protocol
panels	I-Protocol
,	O
like	O
the	O
jack	B-Protocol
fields	I-Protocol
of	O
cord-type	O
telephone	B-Device
switchboards	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
are	O
also	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
a	O
patch	B-Protocol
bay	I-Protocol
,	O
patch	B-Protocol
field	I-Protocol
,	O
jack	O
panel	O
or	O
jack	B-Protocol
field	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
recording	O
studios	O
,	O
television	O
and	O
radio	O
broadcast	O
studios	O
,	O
and	O
concert	O
sound	O
reinforcement	O
systems	O
,	O
patchbays	B-Protocol
are	O
widely	O
used	O
to	O
facilitate	O
the	O
connection	O
of	O
different	O
devices	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
microphones	O
,	O
electric	O
or	O
electronic	O
instruments	O
,	O
effects	O
(	O
e.g.	O
</s>
<s>
Patchbays	B-Protocol
make	O
it	O
easier	O
to	O
connect	O
different	O
devices	O
in	O
different	O
orders	O
for	O
different	O
projects	O
,	O
because	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
changes	O
can	O
be	O
made	O
at	O
the	O
patchbay	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
patchbays	B-Protocol
make	O
it	O
easier	O
to	O
troubleshoot	O
problems	O
such	O
as	O
ground	O
loops	O
;	O
even	O
small	O
home	O
studios	O
and	O
amateur	O
project	O
studios	O
often	O
use	O
patchbays	B-Protocol
,	O
because	O
it	O
groups	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
input	O
jacks	B-Protocol
into	O
one	O
location	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Using	O
a	O
patchbay	B-Protocol
also	O
saves	O
wear	O
and	O
tear	O
on	O
the	O
input	O
jacks	B-Protocol
of	O
studio	O
gear	O
and	O
instruments	O
,	O
because	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
connections	O
are	O
made	O
with	O
the	O
patchbay	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Patch	B-Protocol
panels	I-Protocol
are	O
being	O
used	O
more	O
prevalently	O
in	O
domestic	O
installations	O
,	O
owing	O
to	O
the	O
popularity	O
of	O
"	O
Structured	O
Wiring	O
"	O
installs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
conventional	O
to	O
have	O
the	O
top	O
row	O
of	O
jacks	B-Protocol
wired	O
at	O
the	O
rear	O
to	O
outputs	O
and	O
bottom	O
row	O
of	O
jacks	B-Protocol
wired	O
to	O
inputs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Patch	B-Protocol
bays	I-Protocol
may	O
be	O
half-normal	O
(	O
usually	O
bottom	O
)	O
or	O
full-normal	O
,	O
"	O
normal	O
"	O
indicating	O
that	O
the	O
top	O
and	O
bottom	O
jacks	B-Protocol
are	O
connected	O
internally	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
a	O
patch	B-Protocol
bay	I-Protocol
has	O
bottom	O
half-normal	O
wiring	O
,	O
then	O
with	O
no	O
patch	B-Device
cord	I-Device
inserted	O
into	O
either	O
jack	O
,	O
the	O
top	O
jack	O
is	O
internally	O
linked	O
to	O
the	O
bottom	O
jack	O
via	O
break	O
contacts	O
on	O
the	O
bottom	O
jack	O
;	O
inserting	O
a	O
patch	B-Device
cord	I-Device
into	O
the	O
top	O
jack	O
will	O
take	O
a	O
feed	O
off	O
that	O
jack	O
while	O
retaining	O
the	O
internal	O
link	O
between	O
the	O
two	O
jacks	B-Protocol
;	O
inserting	O
a	O
patch	B-Device
cord	I-Device
into	O
the	O
bottom	O
jack	O
will	O
break	O
the	O
internal	O
link	O
and	O
replace	O
the	O
signal	O
feed	O
from	O
the	O
top	O
jack	O
with	O
the	O
signal	O
carried	O
on	O
the	O
patch	B-Device
cord	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
a	O
patch	B-Protocol
bay	I-Protocol
is	O
wired	O
to	O
full-normal	O
,	O
then	O
it	O
includes	O
break	O
contacts	O
in	O
both	O
rows	O
of	O
jacks	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dedicated	O
switching	O
equipment	O
can	O
be	O
an	O
alternative	O
to	O
patch	B-Protocol
bays	I-Protocol
in	O
some	O
applications	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Switches	O
can	O
make	O
routing	O
as	O
easy	O
as	O
pushing	O
a	O
button	O
,	O
and	O
can	O
provide	O
other	O
benefits	O
over	O
patch	B-Protocol
bays	I-Protocol
,	O
including	O
routing	O
a	O
signal	O
to	O
any	O
number	O
of	O
destinations	O
simultaneously	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
switching	O
equipment	O
that	O
can	O
emulate	O
the	O
capabilities	O
of	O
a	O
given	O
patch	B-Protocol
bay	I-Protocol
is	O
much	O
more	O
expensive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
an	O
S-Video	O
matrix	O
routing	O
switcher	O
with	O
the	O
same	O
capability	O
(	O
8×8	O
)	O
as	O
a	O
16-point	O
S-Video	O
patch	B-Protocol
panel	I-Protocol
(	O
8	O
patch	B-Device
cables	I-Device
connects	O
8	O
inputs	O
and	O
8	O
outputs	O
)	O
may	O
cost	O
ten	O
times	O
more	O
,	O
though	O
it	O
would	O
probably	O
have	O
more	O
capabilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
patch	B-Protocol
panels	I-Protocol
,	O
switching	O
equipment	O
for	O
nearly	O
any	O
type	O
of	O
signal	O
is	O
available	O
,	O
including	O
analog	O
and	O
digital	O
video	O
and	O
audio	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
RF	O
(	O
cable	O
TV	O
)	O
,	O
MIDI	O
,	O
telephone	O
,	O
networking	O
and	O
electrical	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
emulating	O
or	O
exceeding	O
the	O
capabilities	O
of	O
audio	O
or	O
video	O
patch	B-Protocol
panels	I-Protocol
requires	O
specialized	O
devices	O
like	O
crossbar	O
switches	O
.	O
</s>
