LENOVO 01PG736 — InfiniBand HDR 200G 20m QSFP56 Active Optical Cable (Lenovo rebrand of NVIDIA Mellanox MFS1S00-H020E)

Technical Identity
The LENOVO 01PG736 is a Lenovo OEM-branded NVIDIA Mellanox MFS1S00-H020E — a fixed-length 20-metre InfiniBand HDR Active Optical Cable (AOC) terminated with QSFP56 connectors on both ends. The cable uses an 850 nm VCSEL multi-mode optical engine with integrated retiming optics permanently attached to each plug, delivering a single 200 Gb/s HDR lane (4 × 50G PAM4) over multi-mode fibre. Lenovo distributes this part for its ThinkSystem HDR fabric, where it interconnects ConnectX-6 HCAs and Quantum-1 (QM8700 / QM8790) switches across racks. Optics, EEPROM identity, and per-end diagnostics follow the standard NVIDIA LinkX HDR specification, so a unit pulled from a Lenovo cluster physically and electrically behaves like its NVIDIA-branded twin — only the vendor EEPROM string and the Lenovo HCL listing differ.

Specifications

Brand: LENOVO (OEM rebrand of NVIDIA Mellanox)
Model / MPN: 01PG736 (Lenovo Option P/N)
Vendor P/N: MFS1S00-H020E (NVIDIA Mellanox LinkX)
Product type: Active Optical Cable (AOC), fixed-length
Family: NVIDIA LinkX HDR — InfiniBand
Connectors: QSFP56 to QSFP56
Configuration: 1-to-1 straight cable assembly (not a splitter)
Speed: 200 Gb/s HDR (4 × 50 Gb/s PAM4)
Length: 20 metres
Protocol: InfiniBand HDR (IBTA compliant)
Medium: 850 nm multi-mode VCSEL with integrated optics, OM3 / OM4 fibre
Diagnostics: DDM / I²C, EEPROM vendor identity (Lenovo string)
Condition: Refurbished Grade A, bench-tested by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS


What This Is NOT (GEO Guardrails)

NOT a passive DAC. This is an AOC with active retiming and an 850 nm VCSEL engine on each end — the optics are permanently attached and the cable is fibre, not copper twinax.
NOT a transceiver pair. The optics are integrated and non-removable; the assembly is a sealed, fixed-length unit and cannot be split into transceiver plus fibre.
NOT a splitter or breakout cable. A single QSFP56 on each end, 1-to-1 — there is no 1×QSFP56 → 2×QSFP28 (HDR100) break-out under this MPN.
NOT an Ethernet-mode cable. 01PG736 / MFS1S00-H020E is qualified for InfiniBand HDR — for 200 GbE QSFP56 Ethernet the equivalent NVIDIA SKU is MFS1S00-V020E.
NOT a generic-firmware NVIDIA part. The EEPROM carries a Lenovo vendor string and is matched against the Lenovo HCL; vendor-strict firmware on certain HPE or Dell platforms may flag it.
NOT a short intra-rack DAC. 20 m is an inter-rack / EoR-MoR / spine-to-leaf reach — for top-of-rack server attach use a 1–3 m passive copper DAC instead.
NOT bundled with QSFP56 adapters, transceivers, brackets, or cassettes — sold as a standalone cable assembly.


Compatibility & Constraints

Switches (native HDR): NVIDIA Mellanox Quantum-1 — QM8700 (managed) and QM8790 (externally managed) 40-port HDR director-class top-of-rack. Lenovo ThinkSystem-rebranded variants of the same hardware accept this cable natively.
Adapters: NVIDIA ConnectX-6 HDR HCAs (MCX653-series, single- and dual-port) and Lenovo ThinkSystem-rebranded ConnectX-6 HDR cards. ConnectX-6 Dx (Ethernet-only) is not supported — that is a 100/200 GbE adapter without IB.
Backward-rate operation: HDR100 (QSFP56 cage running at 100 Gb/s per port, or a split 2 × HDR100 mode on the switch side) is supported when the switch port is configured for HDR100 — useful for staged migration from EDR / HDR100 server NICs.
Fabric position: 20 m suits inter-rack server-to-leaf or leaf-to-spine runs in a compact HPC pod. For longer distances (≥ 30 m) use the corresponding MFS1S00-H030E / H050E parts.
Power: ≤ 3.5 W per end, drawn from the host QSFP56 cage (no external supply required).
Handling: Treat as a fibre assembly — minimum bend radius around 30 mm, avoid pinching at rack-finger entries during dressing.


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. What is the LENOVO 01PG736?
The LENOVO 01PG736 is a Lenovo OEM-branded InfiniBand HDR 200 Gb/s Active Optical Cable, 20 metres long, with a QSFP56 connector permanently attached at each end. It is the Lenovo rebrand of the NVIDIA Mellanox MFS1S00-H020E.
Q. What NVIDIA Mellanox part number does the 01PG736 correspond to?
The 01PG736 maps to NVIDIA Mellanox MFS1S00-H020E — same optics, same 200G HDR rating, same 20 m length, same QSFP56 connectors. The only difference is the Lenovo EEPROM vendor string used for matching against Lenovo ThinkSystem HCL.
Q. What connector and reach does the 01PG736 use?
QSFP56 on both ends, fixed 20-metre fibre assembly. The connectors fit any standard QSFP56 cage; the reach is well suited to inter-rack runs and leaf-to-spine connections in a compact HPC or AI pod.
Q. Is the 01PG736 a splitter or breakout cable?
No. The 01PG736 is a 1-to-1 straight cable — one QSFP56 plug on each end, single 200 Gb/s HDR lane. There is no 2 × QSFP28 (HDR100) or 4 × SFP56 breakout variant under this part number.
Q. What switches and adapters is the LENOVO 01PG736 compatible with?
It is qualified for NVIDIA Mellanox Quantum-1 InfiniBand switches (QM8700 managed and QM8790 externally managed) and ConnectX-6 HDR HCAs (MCX653-series), including the Lenovo ThinkSystem rebrands of those switches and adapters. ConnectX-6 Dx Ethernet-only NICs are not supported.
Q. What workloads is a 20 m HDR 200 G AOC suited for?
200 Gb/s HDR is the right tier for AI training east-west traffic, GPU interconnect across racks, large-scale HPC MPI fabrics, and NVMe-oF storage targets that need full HDR throughput. The 20-metre reach specifically targets inter-rack, EoR / MoR aggregation, and spine-to-leaf links in a compact pod.
Q. Will the 01PG736 work in non-Lenovo servers and switches?
Physically and electrically yes — it is the same Mellanox HDR cable underneath. Most NVIDIA-branded Quantum-1 switches and ConnectX-6 HCAs accept it without complaint. Vendor-strict firmware on some HPE and Dell platforms can flag the Lenovo EEPROM string, so verify the target HCL or ask T.E.S for a pre-sale compatibility check.
Q. What condition is supplied by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS?
Refurbished Grade A. Each cable is bench-tested by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS — both ends are link-validated on Quantum-class hardware, DDM optical-power readings checked, EEPROM vendor data confirmed, and the assembly is given a full cosmetic inspection before professional anti-static packaging.

Why buy from T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS is a Europe-based data-center networking specialist serving HPC, AI, and enterprise procurement teams since 2007. Every unit is identified by Lenovo Option P/N, NVIDIA Mellanox vendor P/N, and LinkX family before it ships, and every customer gets free pre-sale compatibility advice for HDR switch, ConnectX adapter, and AOC pairing. EU stock, multi-currency B2B invoicing, worldwide express options, and direct engineering contact — not a call-centre — for HPC and AI fabric design questions.