NVIDIA Mellanox MCB192A-FCAT Connect-IB Dual-Port QSFP FDR 56Gb/s PCIe3.0 x8 HCA: This is a dual-port InfiniBand FDR Host Channel Adapter (HCA) using Mellanox Connect-IB silicon with a PCI Express 3.0 x8 host interface. MPN MCB192A-FCAT. This is an InfiniBand HCA, not an Ethernet NIC, switch, or storage device. This is a refurbished unit, fully tested.
Engineering Context
The MCB192A-FCAT uses Mellanox Connect-IB silicon with two QSFP cages running 56 Gb/s FDR per port. The PCIe 3.0 x8 host interface (approximately 64 Gb/s raw bidirectional) is the key differentiator from the x16 -94 SKU: it is sized for one port at full FDR line rate plus partial concurrent traffic on the second port, rather than full simultaneous saturation. Connect-IB supports MPI tag matching offload, GPUDirect RDMA, and atomic operations. This makes the -92 SKU well-suited for hosts where the x16 slot is reserved for a GPU and only one InfiniBand port is heavily loaded at a time.
Deployment & Use Cases
HPC compute nodes where the x16 slot is occupied by a GPU and the InfiniBand HCA must use a free x8 slot. Active/standby dual-port configurations for InfiniBand fabric redundancy. Lustre or GPFS clients with a single primary FDR uplink. Cost-optimized HPC nodes that do not require simultaneous saturation of both FDR ports.
Technical Specifications
- OEM: NVIDIA Mellanox
- Part Number: MCB192A-FCAT
- Product Family: Connect-IB
- Form Factor: PCIe Half-Height, Half-Length (HHHL)
- Host Bus: PCI Express 3.0 x8 (8 GT/s per lane)
- Ports: 2 (Dual-Port)
- Connector: QSFP
- Data Rate: 56 Gb/s per port (FDR InfiniBand)
- Protocol: InfiniBand FDR
- Features: RDMA, MPI tag matching, GPUDirect RDMA, atomic operations
- Driver Support: MLNX_OFED (Linux), WinOF (Windows)
- Condition: Refurbished — Tested by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
Compatibility & Hard Constraints
Requires PCIe 3.0 x8 slot. The host bus does not have enough bandwidth to drive both FDR ports at full simultaneous line rate; if both-port full saturation is required, use the x16 MCB194A-FCAT variant instead. Compatible with FDR-rated QSFP+ DAC copper, AOC, and FDR optical transceivers. This is an InfiniBand-only adapter — Connect-IB does not support Ethernet protocol. Subnet manager is required on the fabric (OpenSM or a managed InfiniBand switch).
Why Choose T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS tests every Connect-IB HCA for PCIe x8 link training, both QSFP ports at FDR rate, and firmware integrity. We provide expert consultation on InfiniBand fabric design, 1–3 day handling time, EU shipping, and post-sale technical support.
Frequently Asked Questions
What data rate does the MCB192A-FCAT have?
The MCB192A-FCAT data rate is 56 Gb/s per port (FDR InfiniBand), as listed in the specifications for MCB192A-FCAT.
What is the MCB192A-FCAT NOT compatible with?
This is an InfiniBand HCA, not an Ethernet NIC, switch, or storage device. Confirm fitment against your platform before ordering MCB192A-FCAT.
What condition is the MCB192A-FCAT supplied in, and who sells it?
The MCB192A-FCAT is supplied in Refurbished condition by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS from EU stock, with 1-3 business day handling and worldwide B2B shipping. See https://www.tes-itsolutions.com/product-page/mellanox-mcb192a-fcat-connect-ib-dual-port-qsfp-fdr-56gb-s-pcie3-0-x8.