NVIDIA Mellanox C-DQ8FNM005 400GbE QSFP-DD to QSFP-DD Active Optical Cable, 5m OM3: This is a 5-meter Active Optical Cable (AOC) with QSFP-DD connectors on both ends for 400Gb/s Ethernet point-to-point interconnects (NVIDIA P/N 980-9I08N-00W005). The cable carries 8 lanes of 50Gb/s PAM4 over OM3 multi-mode fiber in a factory-integrated assembly. This is not a separable transceiver with patch cord and not a passive copper DAC. This is a refurbished unit.
Engineering Context
The C-DQ8FNM005 implements 400GBASE-SR8 signaling per IEEE 802.3cd using 8x50Gb/s PAM4 lanes. At 5 meters, the cable is suited to in-rack and adjacent-rack 400GbE point-to-point links where DAC reach is marginal. The factory-terminated AOC removes the need for field MPO termination and provides full EMI immunity. The optical link reduces cabling weight on switch ports compared with passive copper bundles.
Deployment & Use Cases
Top-of-Rack to End-of-Row 400GbE uplinks in spine-leaf fabrics. AI training clusters connecting GPU servers to Spectrum-3/4 switches over short distances. NVMe-oF storage to compute over 400GbE. Hyperscale and HPC environments requiring 50Gb/s PAM4 lane structure for ConnectX-6/7 adapters.
Technical Specifications
OEM: NVIDIA Mellanox
Part Number: C-DQ8FNM005
NVIDIA P/N: 980-9I08N-00W005
Form Factor: QSFP-DD to QSFP-DD (Point-to-Point)
Data Rate: 400GbE (8x50Gb/s PAM4)
Length: 5m
Fiber Type: OM3 Multi-Mode
Standard: IEEE 802.3cd 400GBASE-SR8
Cable Type: Active Optical Cable (AOC)
Condition: Refurbished — Tested by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
Compatibility & Hard Constraints
Compatible with NVIDIA Spectrum-3 (SN4000) and Spectrum-4 (SN5000) switches and ConnectX-6/7 adapters configured for 400GbE QSFP-DD. Both endpoints must negotiate 8x50G PAM4; will not interoperate with 200GbE QSFP56 ports without a breakout assembly. Fixed 5m length, direct point-to-point only — does not support 2x200G or 8x50G breakout. Not compatible with InfiniBand HDR/NDR fabrics. QSFP-DD only; will not fit QSFP56 or QSFP28 cages.
Why Choose T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS bench-tests every AOC for optical power, lane integrity, and connector condition before shipment. Visit tes-itsolutions.com for global shipping with 1–3 day handling and expert support on 400GbE fabric cabling.