NVIDIA Mellanox MC2210310-020 QSFP 40 Gb/s Ethernet Active Optical Cable (AOC) - MC2210310-020
This active optical cable (AOC) is the NVIDIA Mellanox MC2210310-020, a QSFP-to-QSFP cable rated for 40GbE Ethernet at 40 Gb/s over a 20-meter length using multimode optical fiber. This is a new unit from T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS. It is NOT a passive copper DAC cable. It is NOT a VPI cable — this is an Ethernet-only AOC. It does NOT support InfiniBand protocols.
Engineering Context
The MC2210310-020 carries 40 Gb/s over four lanes of 10 Gb/s each (4x10G NRZ signaling) through QSFP connectors at both ends with integrated optical transceivers. The cable uses multimode optical fiber and draws power directly from the QSFP ports. At 20 meters, passive copper DAC cables are not viable for 40GbE due to signal attenuation — the AOC design provides stable optical signaling with EMI immunity and reduced cable weight.
Deployment and Use Cases
The MC2210310-020 is deployed for medium-reach 40GbE Ethernet interconnects that exceed passive copper DAC distance limits. Common use cases include switch-to-switch 40GbE uplinks across multiple cabinet rows, end-of-row to top-of-rack connections in leaf-spine Ethernet fabrics, iSCSI and NFS storage network links requiring 40GbE bandwidth, and HPC Ethernet interconnects needing 20-meter reach with clean cable management.
Technical Specifications
Model: MC2210310-020
Type: Active Optical Cable (AOC)
Connectors: QSFP to QSFP
Data Rate: 40 Gb/s (40GbE Ethernet)
Signaling: 4x10G NRZ
Fiber: Multimode Optical
Length: 20 m
Power: Drawn from QSFP ports (no external power)
Condition: New
Compatibility and Hard Constraints
The MC2210310-020 connects any two devices with QSFP ports operating at 40GbE Ethernet. Compatible with ConnectX-3 EN, ConnectX-3 Pro EN, and other 40GbE Ethernet adapters and switches. It is NOT compatible with InfiniBand deployments — for VPI (dual-protocol) operation, use the MC2207312 series instead. Not compatible with QSFP28 (100GbE), QSFP56 (200GbE), or QSFP-DD (400GbE) ports. This is an active cable and cannot replace passive DAC cables in environments requiring passive-only connections.
Why Choose T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS provides this MC2210310-020 as a new unit, tested for 40GbE Ethernet active optical operation. Technical consultation is available to verify port and distance compatibility. Global shipping with 1-3 business day handling time.