NVIDIA Mellanox® MC2206130-0A3 — Passive Copper QSFP+ DAC Cable, 40Gb/s, 3.5m
Technical Identity
The NVIDIA Mellanox® MC2206130-0A3 is a 3.5-meter passive copper Direct Attach Cable (DAC) terminated with a 4-lane QSFP/QSFP+ connector on each end, designed for 40Gb/s dual-protocol traffic — 40GbE Ethernet (IEEE 802.3ba 40GBASE-CR4) and QDR InfiniBand (4× 10Gb/s lanes). The "4X" designation in the product name refers to the four parallel electrical lanes inside a standard QSFP/QSFP+ housing — this is a one-to-one cable, NOT a splitter. Condition: Refurbished Grade A, bench-tested by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS.
Specifications
Brand: NVIDIA Mellanox
Model / MPN: MC2206130-0A3
Product type: Passive Copper Direct Attach Cable (DAC)
Topology: 1:1 QSFP/QSFP+ to QSFP/QSFP+ (straight-through, not a splitter)
Aggregate data rate: 40Gb/s (4 × 10Gb/s lanes)
Protocols supported: 40GbE (40GBASE-CR4) and InfiniBand QDR
Connector form factor: QSFP / QSFP+ (SFF-8436 MSA)
Cable length: 3.5 m
Signal type: Passive twin-axial copper — no signal conditioning, no power draw
Power consumption: 0 W (passive)
EEPROM: Vendor identification readable via I²C on each end
Hot-pluggable: Yes, into any compliant QSFP/QSFP+ cage
Condition: Refurbished Grade A — bench-tested by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
What This Is NOT
NOT a splitter / breakout cable. Despite the "4X" in the legacy product name, this is a 1:1 QSFP-to-QSFP straight cable. The "4X" denotes 4 internal electrical lanes, which is standard for every QSFP/QSFP+ port.
NOT an AOC. Passive copper — limited reach (typically ≤7m at 40Gb/s).
NOT QSFP28 / QSFP56 / OSFP. Pure QSFP/QSFP+ (4×10Gb/s) cable — does not support 100GbE, EDR, HDR, or NDR.
NOT a transceiver. Fixed-length cable assembly; ends are not field-replaceable.
NOT bundled with adapters, switches, or accessories — sold standalone.
Compatibility & Constraints
Compatible adapters: NVIDIA Mellanox ConnectX-2, ConnectX-3, ConnectX-3 Pro (QDR / 40GbE QSFP+ ports). Also operates at 40Gb/s in QSFP+ ports of ConnectX-4 Lx / ConnectX-4 / ConnectX-5 when negotiated to QSFP+ speed.
Compatible switches: NVIDIA Mellanox IS5000 series (QDR InfiniBand), SwitchX / SwitchX-2 (SX6000 / SX1000 Ethernet) on QSFP+ ports.
Reach: 3.5m fixed length — well within passive-copper reach budget for 40Gb/s.
MSA compliance: SFF-8436 QSFP/QSFP+ — interoperable with 40Gb/s QSFP+ ports on most major switch / NIC vendors (Cisco, Arista, Juniper, Dell, HPE) where the port is in 40Gb/s mode.
Verify before deploying: Switch firmware and port mode (Ethernet vs IB) must match cable use case. For dual-protocol Mellanox VPI ports, the host-side configuration determines protocol.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. What is the NVIDIA Mellanox MC2206130-0A3?
A 3.5-meter passive copper QSFP/QSFP+ Direct Attach Cable (DAC) rated at 40Gb/s. It supports both 40GbE Ethernet and QDR InfiniBand protocols on compatible ports. Manufacturer P/N: MC2206130-0A3.
Q. Is this a splitter or breakout cable?
No. This is a 1:1 QSFP-to-QSFP straight cable. The "4X" in the product title refers to the four electrical lanes inside the QSFP connector — a standard QSFP feature — not a 1-to-4 splitter configuration.
Q. Will it work at 56Gb/s (FDR) or 100GbE?
No. The MC2206130 series is rated only for 40Gb/s (QDR / 40GbE). For FDR (56Gb/s) use MC2207130 series; for 100GbE / EDR use QSFP28 cables.
Q. Is the MC2206130-0A3 compatible with non-NVIDIA equipment?
Yes. As an MSA-compliant QSFP+ passive copper cable, it interoperates with most major switch and adapter brands (Cisco, Arista, Juniper, Dell, HPE) on 40Gb/s QSFP+ ports. Some switches require vendor-coded cables to clear coding checks — verify before deployment.
Q. What condition is supplied by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS?
Refurbished Grade A. Each unit is bench-tested by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS — link verification, EEPROM / vendor data check, and cosmetic inspection. Ships from EU stock in anti-static packaging with global B2B logistics. Free pre-sale compatibility consultation included.
Why buy from T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS is a Europe-based NVIDIA Mellanox specialist serving HPC, AI, and enterprise data-center procurement teams since 2007. We focus on a single brand, so every unit is identified by MPN, NVIDIA P/N, and ASIC / form-factor generation before it ships. Every customer gets free pre-sale compatibility advice for switch, adapter, and cable pairing. Multi-currency B2B invoicing, EU stock with worldwide express options, and direct technical contact with our engineering team — not a call-center. See tes-itsolutions.com.