NVIDIA Mellanox MBF1L516A-ESNAT BlueField SmartNIC VPI EDR/100GbE 16GB PCIe4

NVIDIA Mellanox® MBF1L516A-ESNAT — BlueField-1 SmartNIC VPI EDR IB & 100GbE Dual QSFP28

Technical Identity

The NVIDIA Mellanox® MBF1L516A-ESNAT is a first-generation BlueField SmartNIC with VPI dual-protocol (InfiniBand EDR 100Gb/s and 100GbE Ethernet), dual-port QSFP28, PCIe Gen4.0 x16 host interface, G-Series 16-core ARM Cortex-A72 CPU complex, Crypto disabled, 16GB on-board DDR4, FHHL (Full Height Half Length) Single Slot form factor, Tall Bracket. Delivers hardware-accelerated networking, storage, and security offloads with a fully programmable on-card ARM CPU complex running Linux. Condition: Refurbished Grade A.

Specifications

• Brand: NVIDIA Mellanox
• Model / MPN: MBF1L516A-ESNAT
• Product family: BlueField-1 SmartNIC
• Product type: SmartNIC / DPU (first generation)
• Ports: 2× QSFP28 (EDR IB 100Gb/s or 100GbE)
• Protocol: VPI dual-protocol — InfiniBand EDR (100Gb/s) or 100GbE Ethernet
• Host interface: PCIe Gen4.0 x16 (Gen3 x16 backwards compatible)
• On-board CPU: G-Series, 16× ARM Cortex-A72 cores
• On-board memory: 16GB DDR4
• Crypto: Disabled (no hardware IPsec/TLS offload)
• Form factor: FHHL, Single Slot
• Bracket: Tall Bracket
• Condition: Refurbished Grade A

What This Is NOT

• NOT BlueField-2 or BlueField-3. First-generation BlueField (BF1) — uses different SDK/BSP from BF2/BF3. Verify software stack compatibility before deployment.
• NOT Crypto Enabled. Crypto disabled on this SKU — no hardware IPsec/TLS offload.
• NOT HDR or NDR. EDR InfiniBand (100Gb/s) maximum. For HDR see BlueField-2 E-Series; for NDR see BlueField-3.
• NOT supplied with cables, transceivers, or accessories — sold standalone.

Compatibility & Constraints

• Host: PCIe Gen4.0 x16 slot (Gen3 x16 backwards compatible).
• InfiniBand fabric: EDR — pairs with ConnectX-4/ConnectX-5 EDR adapters and Switch-IB / Switch-IB 2 EDR switches (e.g., MSB7790, MSB7800).
• Ethernet fabric: 100GbE QSFP28 mode — pairs with Spectrum/Spectrum-2 100GbE switches (e.g., SN2700) and any standards-compliant 100GbE QSFP28 switch.
• Software: BlueField-1 BSP (Ubuntu-based), MLNX_OFED. BlueField-1 SDK differs from BlueField-2 DOCA — software stacks are not interchangeable.
• Cabling: EDR/100GbE QSFP28 DAC, AOC, or optical transceivers (sold separately).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q. What is the MBF1L516A-ESNAT?
BlueField-1 SmartNIC VPI: dual QSFP28 EDR IB 100Gb/s or 100GbE, PCIe Gen4 x16, 16-core ARM Cortex-A72, 16GB DDR4, Crypto disabled, FHHL Single Slot.

Q. How does BlueField-1 differ from BlueField-2?
BF1 uses an earlier ARM complex and BSP. BF2 adds BMC integration, DOCA SDK, and more PCIe bandwidth. Software stacks are not interchangeable.

Q. What does VPI mean on MBF1L516A-ESNAT?
VPI = Virtual Protocol Interconnect. The card runs InfiniBand EDR 100Gb/s or 100GbE Ethernet on the same ports — protocol selected via mlxconfig.

Q. Is MBF1L516A-ESNAT Crypto Enabled?
No — Crypto disabled on this SKU. No hardware IPsec/TLS offload.

Q. What condition does T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS supply?
Refurbished Grade A — EEPROM-verified, link-tested, cosmetically inspected, EU stock.

Why buy from T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS

T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS is a Europe-based NVIDIA Mellanox data-center networking specialist. Every unit is MPN-identified, EEPROM-verified, and cosmetically inspected before leaving our EU warehouse. Multi-currency B2B invoicing, worldwide express shipping, and free pre-sale technical consultation for HPC / AI fabric design included. See tes-itsolutions.com.