NVIDIA Mellanox MC2207310-020 56Gb/s VPI Active Optical Cable, QSFP+, 20m: This is a 20-meter active optical cable (AOC) engineered for FDR InfiniBand at 56Gb/s and 56GbE Ethernet over the same QSFP+ form factor. The cable is built for VPI (Virtual Protocol Interconnect) deployments where the same physical link can carry InfiniBand or Ethernet depending on switch configuration. This is a fixed-length integrated assembly with embedded VCSEL optics on multi-mode fiber, not a transceiver with a detachable patch cord. This is a refurbished unit.
Engineering Context
The MC2207310-020 covers a 20m span that exceeds the practical reach of QSFP+ passive copper, which is bounded near 7m. At 20 meters the AOC is well-suited to mid-row and adjacent-row connections, providing line-rate 56Gb/s with low latency and full EMI immunity. Multi-mode VCSEL optics deliver the BER characteristics required for InfiniBand RDMA, and the integrated assembly avoids the dirty-end-face risks of separate transceiver-and-patch-cord configurations.
Deployment & Use Cases
InfiniBand FDR fabric links between Mellanox SX6000-series spine switches and aggregation chassis at 20m reach. 56GbE Ethernet uplinks for ConnectX-3 Pro VPI HCA-equipped servers. HPC and storage clusters where east-west fabric runs exceed copper reach but stay within a single data hall. Spine-leaf VPI deployments where 20m point-to-point cabling is needed.
Technical Specifications
OEM: NVIDIA Mellanox
Part Number: MC2207310-020
Form Factor: QSFP+ to QSFP+ (Point-to-Point)
Cable Type: Active Optical Cable (AOC)
Data Rate: 56Gb/s (IB FDR / 56GbE)
Protocol: InfiniBand FDR + 56GbE Ethernet (VPI)
Length: 20m
Fiber: Multi-mode, VCSEL optics
Power Class: <2W per end
Condition: Refurbished — Tested by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
Compatibility & Hard Constraints
Compatible with Mellanox SwitchX and SwitchX-2 family (SX6000, SX6036, SX6018, SX6710) and ConnectX-3, ConnectX-3 Pro, and ConnectX-4 VPI adapters configured for FDR. Operates in InfiniBand FDR or 56GbE Ethernet modes; switch ports must be configured accordingly. Not compatible with QSFP28 100GbE or EDR ports — this is a QSFP+ generation cable. Not compatible with 40GbE-only platforms that do not negotiate 56GbE FDR signalling. Fixed 20m length; no breakout support.
Why Choose T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
At T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS every AOC is tested for optical power output, lane integrity, and connector condition before shipment. We provide expert consultation on InfiniBand and VPI fabric cabling, global shipping with 1–3 day handling, and comprehensive after-sale support.