NVIDIA Mellanox® MFA7A50-C003 — Active Optical Cable (AOC)

Specifications

OEM: NVIDIA Mellanox
Part Number (MPN): MFA7A50-C003
Category: Active Optical Cable (AOC)
Connector Type: QSFP28
Speed: 100GbE (split to 2 × 25GbE)
Cable Length: 3m
Type: Splitter / Breakout Cable
Type: Hybrid Cable
Standards & Compliance: SFF-8636
Operating Temperature: 0°C to 70°C (commercial)
Condition: Refurbished Grade A — bench-tested by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS


Identity
The NVIDIA Mellanox® MFA7A50-C003 is a QSFP28 100GbE 3m Active Optical Cable (AOC). This is a splitter / breakout cable assembly. Refurbished Grade A — bench-tested in both link and signal-integrity checks by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS.

What This Is NOT

NOT a passive copper DAC. Active optical cable using VCSEL multi-mode fiber technology with integrated optics on each end — reaches longer distances than DAC.
NOT a transceiver. Fixed-length cable assembly; the optics are integrated and cannot be removed or replaced.
NOT a 1-to-1 cable. This is a splitter/breakout — both endpoints on the split side must accept the lower-speed downstream connector.
NOT bundled with adapters or transceivers — sold standalone.


Capabilities & Features

VCSEL multi-mode optical engine, 850 nm.
Active retiming on each end for clean signal regeneration.
DDM (Digital Diagnostic Monitoring) — temperature, voltage, optical power readable via I²C.
EEPROM on each end with product identification and operating data.
Hot-pluggable into any matching QSFP/SFP cage.


Compatibility & Constraints

Primary connector: QSFP28 (compliant with MSA cage spec).
Reach: 3m fixed length.
Speed: 100GbE (split to 2x 25GbE).
Compatible adapters: ConnectX-4 / ConnectX-5 / ConnectX-6.
Compatible switches: NVIDIA Spectrum / Spectrum-2 / Switch-IB 2.
Power: drawn from host port (no external supply required).


Deployment & Use Cases

Top-of-Rack to server interconnect.
HPC compute node fabric.
AI training cluster east-west bandwidth.
Fan-out: one switch port serves two lower-speed endpoints.


Why T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
Every unit is bench-tested by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS: link establishment, port-by-port traffic validation, and full cosmetic inspection. Professional anti-static packaging, global B2B shipping from EU stock, and technical consultation for HPC / AI cluster deployments.