NVIDIA Mellanox MCP1600-E004 QSFP28 Passive Copper Cable, 4m, EDR 100Gb/s: This is a 4-meter passive copper Direct Attach Cable (DAC) with QSFP28-to-QSFP28 connectors. The cable is rated for InfiniBand EDR (100Gb/s) and is built with 26AWG conductors. This is a passive cable with no signal conditioning electronics; it is not an active copper cable, not an active optical cable (AOC), and not a transceiver-with-detachable-patch-cord. This is a refurbished unit.
Engineering Context
The MCP1600-E004 carries four lanes of 25Gb/s NRZ signaling (4x25Gb/s = 100Gb/s aggregate) for EDR InfiniBand operation. As a passive cable, it draws no power from the host and contributes negligible added latency. The 26AWG copper construction balances reach and bend radius for the 4-meter length, suitable for top-of-rack switch to host adapter runs within a single cabinet. The QSFP28 form factor provides the higher per-lane signaling required for the EDR generation, distinct from legacy QSFP+ FDR cables.
Deployment & Use Cases
Connecting Mellanox SB7700/SB7800 series EDR switches to ConnectX-4 / ConnectX-5 host adapters. HPC cluster compute-to-storage links at 100Gb/s InfiniBand EDR. Top-of-rack to mid-cabinet runs where copper passive is preferred over AOC for cost. AI/ML training cluster fabrics built on the EDR generation.
Technical Specifications
OEM: NVIDIA Mellanox
Part Number: MCP1600-E004
Form Factor: QSFP28 to QSFP28 (Point-to-Point)
Cable Type: Passive Copper DAC
Length: 4 meters
InfiniBand Rate: EDR (100Gb/s, 4x25G NRZ)
Conductor Gauge: 26AWG
Jacket Color: Black
Power Draw: 0 W (passive)
Condition: Refurbished — Tested by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
Compatibility & Hard Constraints
Compatible with Mellanox QSFP28 ports on SB7700, SB7800, and SN2000/SN3000-series switches and ConnectX-4 / ConnectX-5 / ConnectX-6 (in QSFP28 mode) adapters running EDR. The Mellanox -E suffix indicates the InfiniBand EDR variant; for 100GbE Ethernet use the MCP1600-C-series part. Not rated for HDR (200Gb/s) — link will negotiate down or fail link training on HDR-only ports. Not a breakout cable; QSFP28-to-QSFP28 only. Fixed 4-meter length.
Why Choose T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS tests every cable for continuity, signal integrity, and connector condition before shipment. Visit tes-itsolutions.com for the full Mellanox EDR cabling inventory. We provide expert consultation on InfiniBand fabric cabling, global shipping, and 1–3 day handling time.