NVIDIA Mellanox MCP1660-W01AE30 400GbE QSFP-DD Passive Copper DAC, 1.5m 30AWG: This is a 1.5-meter passive copper Direct Attach Cable (DAC) for 400GbE QSFP-DD-to-QSFP-DD point-to-point links. The cable uses 30AWG twinax copper conductors. This IS a passive zero-power DAC; this is NOT an active optical or active copper assembly. This is a Refurbished unit.
Engineering Context
The MCP1660-W01AE30 carries 8 lanes at 50Gb/s PAM4 for an aggregate 400Gb/s line rate. Passive copper at 1.5m and 30AWG is at the thin-gauge end of the DAC family — optimized for in-rack, port-to-port runs where minimum bend radius and cable bulk matter (dense 32-port 400G TOR deployments). Zero power consumption per cable; no active components mean no MTBF concerns from the optics. PAM4 modulation requires the host switch and adapter to negotiate KP4 FEC for compliant link operation.
Deployment & Use Cases
Top-of-Rack 400GbE Spectrum-3 (SN4000) to ConnectX-6 server adapter links. Spine-to-leaf in-rack 400GbE fabric trunks. AI/ML compute pod east-west connections between GPU servers within a single rack. Dense storage front-end ports on 400GbE switches. Hyperscale port-to-port short-reach where active optics would add unnecessary cost and power.
Technical Specifications
OEM: NVIDIA Mellanox
Part Number (MPN): MCP1660-W01AE30
Form Factor: QSFP-DD to QSFP-DD (Point-to-Point)
Data Rate: 400GbE (8x 50Gb/s PAM4)
Cable Type: Passive Direct Attach Copper (DAC), Twinax
Length: 1.5m
Conductor Gauge: 30 AWG
Power: Passive (0W)
FEC: KP4 FEC required at link ends
Condition: Refurbished — Tested by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
Compatibility & Hard Constraints
Compatible with NVIDIA Spectrum-3 SN4000 400GbE switches and ConnectX-6 400GbE adapters in QSFP-DD ports. Requires both ends to support 400GbE PAM4 with KP4 FEC. Not compatible with 200GbE QSFP56 ports (different connector). Not a splitter — does not break out to 2x200GbE or 4x100GbE; for breakout use a dedicated splitter cable. 30AWG passive copper limits this strictly to short in-rack runs; 1.5m is fixed.
Why Choose T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS verifies every 400GbE DAC for connector mating, lane integrity, and FEC alignment before shipment. Visit tes-itsolutions.com for 1–3 business day handling, global shipping, and 400GbE deployment consultation.