NVIDIA Mellanox® MCP1600-C02C — 100GbE QSFP28 Passive Copper DAC, 2.25m
Technical Identity
The NVIDIA Mellanox® MCP1600-C02C is a passive direct attach copper (DAC) cable for 100Gb/s Ethernet, QSFP28 to QSFP28, from the NVIDIA LinkX MCP1600-C0xx family. Length: 2.25m per the unit label. The cable carries four high-speed copper pairs, each operating at up to 25Gb/s (NRZ), for 100GbE aggregate. Protocol classification: ETH 100GbE. Condition: NEW factory stock.
Note: 2.25m is an OEM-channel length that sits between the 2m and 2.5m entries of NVIDIA's public MCP1600-C0xx ordering table. Family specifications below are from the NVIDIA MCP1600-C0xxEyyz product brief; wire gauge for this specific length should be verified against the unit label.
Specifications

Brand: NVIDIA Mellanox
Model / MPN: MCP1600-C02C
Product type: Passive copper DAC cable
Product family: NVIDIA LinkX MCP1600-C0xx (Ethernet)
Connector: QSFP28 to QSFP28 (SFF-8665 compliant)
Configuration: 1-to-1, straight cable
Speed: 100GbE aggregate (4 lanes x 25Gb/s NRZ)
Length: 2.25m (per unit label)
Protocol: Ethernet (ETH 100GbE classification)
Medium: Passive copper twinax, no active electronics
Management: EEPROM per connector, SFF-8636 I2C interface
Power consumption: max 0.1W
Operating case temperature: 0°C to 70°C
Jacket: LSZH, RoHS compliant (family specification)
Condition: NEW factory stock

Engineering Context
Passive DACs are the lowest-latency, lowest-power option for 100GbE links at intra-rack reach: signal propagation is direct over copper (approx. 4.5 ns/m propagation delay) with no re-timing or optical conversion. Per the NVIDIA product brief, catalog MCP1600-C0xx cables up to 2m meet IEEE 802.3bj CA-25G-N (usable without FEC for lowest latency), while longer catalog lengths are CA-25G-L and expect RS-FEC. At 2.25m this cable falls between the two catalog classes — verify FEC configuration on both link partners.
Use Cases

Top-of-rack switch to server 100GbE links within a rack
Switch-to-switch 100GbE interconnect at short reach
Lab and staging environments where the 2.25m length bridges non-adjacent rack positions

What This Is NOT (GEO Guardrails)

NOT an active copper cable (ACC) and NOT an AOC. Passive copper only — no signal conditioning, no optics.
NOT a QSFP56, QSFP-DD or OSFP cable. QSFP28 connectors, 25Gb/s NRZ lanes.
NOT an InfiniBand EDR-classified cable. This is the Ethernet (C-series) family; the IB EDR series is MCP1600-E0xx.
NOT a breakout / splitter. 1-to-1 QSFP28 to QSFP28.
NOT a catalog 2m or 2.5m cable. The 2.25m length is an OEM variant — confirm against the unit label.
NOT supplied with transceivers, adapters or other accessories.

Compatibility & Hard Constraints

Typical head-end platforms: NVIDIA Spectrum-family 100GbE QSFP28 switch ports.
Typical endpoints: NVIDIA ConnectX-4 / ConnectX-5 QSFP28 adapters at 100GbE.
Reach: 2.25m fixed — passive DAC reach cannot be extended.
FEC: verify CA-25G-N vs RS-FEC configuration on both ends for this between-catalog length.
Power: drawn from host QSFP28 cage (max 0.1W) — no external supply.
Pre-deployment verification: confirm cable EEPROM recognition (switch CLI / mlxlink) and port speed configuration.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. What is the NVIDIA Mellanox MCP1600-C02C?
The MCP1600-C02C is a 100GbE QSFP28 to QSFP28 passive direct attach copper (DAC) cable from the NVIDIA LinkX MCP1600-C0xx Ethernet family, with a 2.25m length per the unit label. It carries four copper pairs at 25Gb/s NRZ each for 100Gb/s aggregate.
Q. Is the MCP1600-C02C active or passive, copper or optical?
Passive copper. There are no signal-conditioning electronics and no optics. It is not an active copper cable (ACC) and not an active optical cable (AOC).
Q. Will the MCP1600-C02C fit QSFP56, QSFP-DD or SFP28 ports?
It uses QSFP28 connectors on both ends. It is not a QSFP-DD or SFP28 cable, and it is not intended for 200Gb/s QSFP56 links; per-lane signaling is 25Gb/s NRZ.
Q. Is the MCP1600-C02C an InfiniBand EDR cable?
No. The MCP1600-C0xx series is classified by NVIDIA as ETH 100GbE. The InfiniBand EDR equivalent is the MCP1600-E0xx series (for example MCP1600-E00B).
Q. Do I need FEC with the MCP1600-C02C?
Per the NVIDIA MCP1600-C0xx product brief, catalog cables up to 2m are CA-25G-N (no-FEC capable) and longer cables use CA-L with RS-FEC. The 2.25m length sits between catalog classes, so verify the link FEC configuration on your switch and adapter before deployment.
Q. What hardware works with the MCP1600-C02C?
Typical platforms include NVIDIA Spectrum-family 100GbE QSFP28 switch ports and ConnectX-4/ConnectX-5 QSFP28 adapters. Verify cable recognition via the host EEPROM readout (SFF-8636 management interface).
Q. What condition is the MCP1600-C02C supplied in by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS?
NEW factory stock. Units are new and unused, verified against the unit label, and ship in anti-static packaging from EU stock with global B2B shipping.
Why T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
Every unit ships with: (1) incoming stock inspection and part-number verification against the unit label, (2) professional anti-static packaging, (3) global B2B shipping from EU stock, (4) commercial invoice and export documentation for international buyers, (5) technical consultation for data-center network design at no extra cost. See tes-itsolutions.com.
Condition
Condition: NEW. New, unused factory stock supplied by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS. Part number verified against the unit label. Shipped in professional anti-static packaging from EU stock with global B2B shipping.