HP-branded InfiniBand DDR/QDR active optical cable (AOC) — the HP 498386-B28 is a 4X QSFP-to-QSFP active optical cable supporting InfiniBand DDR (20Gb/s) and QDR (40Gb/s) at 30-meter reach. MPN: 498386-B28. This product IS an active optical cable for InfiniBand DDR and QDR applications at 30m; it is NOT a passive copper cable, NOT an FDR (56Gb/s) cable, and NOT compatible with QSFP28 (EDR/100GbE) ports. OEM: HP (HPE). Condition: refurbished.
Engineering Context
The 498386-B28 is a 4-lane active optical cable (4X IB). In QDR mode the cable operates at 10 Gb/s per lane × 4 lanes = 40Gb/s aggregate. In DDR mode it operates at 5 Gb/s per lane × 4 lanes = 20Gb/s aggregate. Active optical modules at both QSFP connector ends perform electrical-to-optical conversion, enabling the 30-meter reach that would be impossible with passive copper at these IB data rates. The cable uses multimode fiber sealed inside the jacket with no field-serviceable fiber components. At 30m, active optics are required; this length is far beyond the passive copper reach boundary for QDR InfiniBand signaling.
Deployment & Use Cases
Deployed in InfiniBand QDR fat-tree or spine-leaf HPC fabrics requiring extended 30m inter-rack or cross-row connections between leaf switches and compute nodes. Used in large-scale HPC and research clusters where racks are physically separated by cross-aisle or inter-row distances exceeding passive copper limits. Suitable for QDR IB storage area networks (SRP over IB QDR) where storage and compute rows are 30m apart. Appropriate for HP ProLiant server environments with QDR IB HCAs requiring long-reach switch-to-server connections. Compatible with NVIDIA Mellanox QDR InfiniBand switch infrastructure at 30m reach.
Technical Specifications
MPN: 498386-B28
OEM: HP (HPE)
Cable Type: Active Optical Cable (AOC)
InfiniBand Speed: 40Gb/s (QDR) / 20Gb/s (DDR)
Lane Configuration: 4X (4 lanes)
Lane Rate (QDR): 10 Gb/s per lane
Lane Rate (DDR): 5 Gb/s per lane
Connectors: QSFP (both ends)
Cable Length: 30 meters
Fiber Type: Multimode (internal, sealed)
Active Components: Yes (optical modules at each end)
Condition: Refurbished
Compatibility & Constraints
Compatible with InfiniBand QDR and DDR HCA ports including HP ProLiant servers equipped with QDR IB HCAs, and with NVIDIA Mellanox InfiniBand QDR switches (SX6036, SX6012 in QDR mode, InfiniScale IV). The 498386-B28 uses QSFP connectors and is NOT compatible with QSFP28 (EDR/100GbE) ports. NOT compatible with FDR (56Gb/s) IB ports at native FDR speed. NOT a passive cable — active optical modules at both ends require power from the QSFP host cage. NOT compatible with SDR (single data rate) IB ports. Predecessor IB generation cables: DDR copper/fiber variants; successor for longer reach at higher speeds: FDR or EDR AOC family (MFA1A00, MFS1200 series).
Why Choose T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS tests all AOC cables for optical signal integrity and IB link-up at QDR speeds prior to dispatch. Lab-verified stock, 1–3 business day handling, global shipping. Technical consultation available for IB QDR fabric reach planning. Visit tes-itsolutions.com.