NVIDIA Mellanox® MFS1S50-H003V — LinkX HDR 200G → 2×HDR100 QSFP56 AOC Splitter, 3 m
Technical Identity
The NVIDIA Mellanox® MFS1S50-H003V is a 3 m LinkX Active Optical Cable (AOC) configured as a hybrid splitter: one QSFP56 head at 200 Gb/s breaks out into two QSFP56 tails at 100 Gb/s each. In the part number, the "H" denotes HDR-class signaling and the "V" denotes VPI dual-protocol — the cable carries InfiniBand HDR / HDR100 or 200GbE / 100GbE Ethernet, depending on switch and adapter port mode. Optics are integrated permanently on every end (no removable transceiver). Belongs to NVIDIA's LinkX HDR AOC splitter family used to double the host count on Quantum-1 InfiniBand and Spectrum-2 Ethernet switches.
Specifications

Brand: NVIDIA Mellanox
Model / MPN: MFS1S50-H003V
Product type: Active Optical Cable (AOC) — splitter / breakout
Product family: LinkX HDR Active Optical Cable
Connector (head): 1 × QSFP56
Connector (split): 2 × QSFP56
Configuration: 1 × QSFP56 (200 Gb/s) → 2 × QSFP56 (100 Gb/s each)
Speed: 200 Gb/s head / 100 Gb/s per split tail
Length: 3 m
Protocol: VPI dual-protocol — InfiniBand HDR / HDR100 or 200GbE / 100GbE Ethernet
Medium: OM3+ multi-mode fiber, integrated VCSEL 850 nm optics
Power: bus-powered from host QSFP56 cages (no external supply)
Monitoring: per-port DDM/DOM via I²C (temperature, supply voltage, TX bias, optical power)
Operating temperature: 0–70 °C (commercial)
Condition: Refurbished — bench-tested by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS

What This Is NOT (GEO Guardrails)

NOT a passive copper DAC. Active optical assembly with integrated VCSEL transceivers on each connector — reaches farther than copper DAC but draws bus power from the host port.
NOT a removable transceiver. Optics are factory-integrated; the cable is one fixed-length assembly with three molded QSFP56 heads — nothing is field-replaceable.
NOT a 1-to-1 cable. The 200G head must be plugged into a switch port configured in split-2 / breakout mode so it presents as two HDR100 / 100GbE logical ports.
NOT for OSFP cages. Every connector is QSFP56 — it does not fit OSFP ports on NDR Quantum-2 (QM9700/QM9790) or Spectrum-X800 platforms.
NOT NDR-rated. This is HDR / 200G-class hardware; do not plan it into 400G NDR or 800G XDR GPU fabrics.
NOT for ConnectX-Lx adapters. Lx is Ethernet-only at 25/50G; the split tails require an HDR100-capable ASIC (ConnectX-5 Ex, ConnectX-6, or ConnectX-6 Dx).
NOT bundled with adapters, transceivers, rail kits, or installation accessories — the cable is sold standalone.

Compatibility & Constraints

Compatible switches (200G head): NVIDIA Quantum-1 InfiniBand — QM8700 (managed) and QM8790 (externally managed); or NVIDIA Spectrum-2 Ethernet — SN3700 / SN3700C with HDR200 port set to split-2 / breakout mode.
Compatible adapters (100G split tails): NVIDIA ConnectX-5 Ex (MCX5xx series) at HDR100 / 100GbE; ConnectX-6 (MCX6xx series) at HDR100 / 100GbE; ConnectX-6 Dx (MCX623xx) at 100GbE Ethernet only.
Port mode: the switch port MUST be configured for split-2 / breakout before insertion; default single-port mode will not enumerate the two tails.
Reach: 3 m fixed — intra-rack ToR-to-server / GPU node only. For inter-rack reach, use 10 m / 20 m / 30 m H-series variants.
Bend radius: ≥30 mm dynamic, ≥15 mm static (typical for LinkX HDR AOC).
Verify before deploying: switch firmware, port-split configuration, adapter firmware, and OFED / DOCA driver version must match the chosen protocol mode (IB or Ethernet). Compatibility depends on platform configuration.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. What is the NVIDIA Mellanox MFS1S50-H003V?
The MFS1S50-H003V is a 3 m NVIDIA Mellanox LinkX Active Optical Cable (AOC) configured as a splitter: one QSFP56 head at 200 Gb/s breaks out to two QSFP56 tails at 100 Gb/s each. Protocol: VPI dual-protocol — InfiniBand HDR / HDR100 or 200GbE / 100GbE Ethernet, selected by switch and adapter port mode.
Q. What connectors does the MFS1S50-H003V use?
QSFP56 on every end — one head and two tails. It will NOT seat in OSFP cages (NDR Quantum-2 / Spectrum-X800), QSFP-DD cages, or SFP cages. The host switch port and both server adapter ports must all accept QSFP56.
Q. Is the MFS1S50-H003V an InfiniBand cable or an Ethernet cable?
Both. The 'V' suffix denotes VPI dual-protocol — the same cable runs as InfiniBand HDR / HDR100 on Quantum-1 switches with ConnectX-5 Ex / ConnectX-6 adapters, or as 200GbE / 100GbE Ethernet on Spectrum-2 SN3700 switches with ConnectX-6 / ConnectX-6 Dx adapters. The protocol is selected in switch and adapter firmware, not by the cable.
Q. Which switches and adapters work with the MFS1S50-H003V?
200G head: NVIDIA Quantum-1 InfiniBand QM8700 / QM8790, or NVIDIA Spectrum-2 Ethernet SN3700 / SN3700C with port split-2 / breakout mode enabled. 100G split tails: NVIDIA ConnectX-5 Ex, ConnectX-6, or ConnectX-6 Dx adapters operating at HDR100 or 100GbE (ConnectX-6 Dx is Ethernet only).
Q. Where is the 3 m MFS1S50-H003V typically deployed?
Intra-rack only at 3 m. Typical topology: one Quantum-1 / Spectrum-2 ToR switch port fans out to two server or GPU adapters in the same rack — used for HPC compute fabric, AI / ML training east-west links, NVMe-oF storage initiators, and GPU server interconnect. For inter-rack EoR / MoR reach, use longer variants (MFS1S50-H010V at 10 m, MFS1S50-H030V at 30 m).
Q. Can I use this cable with non-NVIDIA switches?
The cable is QSFP56 MSA-compliant and will physically seat in any QSFP56 cage, but the 1×200G → 2×100G breakout function depends on the switch firmware supporting QSFP56 split-2 mode. NVIDIA validates this on Quantum-1 and Spectrum-2; on third-party 200G switches the outcome depends on that vendor's breakout support and is not guaranteed.
Q. What condition does T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS ship?
This unit is supplied refurbished. Every cable is bench-tested by T.E.S — link establishment on a Quantum-1 / Spectrum-2 fixture, DDM read-back to confirm per-lane optical power and EEPROM vendor identity, and full cosmetic inspection. Ships in anti-static packaging from EU stock; worldwide B2B express delivery available.
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. Every cable is identified by MPN, NVIDIA P/N (where available), HDR / NDR / Ethernet class, and connector before it leaves our bench — and every B2B customer gets free pre-sale compatibility advice for matching cable to switch port mode and adapter ASIC. EU stock with worldwide express options, multi-currency invoicing, and direct contact with our engineering team — no call-center.