NVIDIA Mellanox® MTM005002 — Modular Switch Spine Blank Panel
Technical Identity
The NVIDIA Mellanox® MTM005002 is a passive mechanical blank panel designed to cover an unpopulated spine (fabric) card slot in NVIDIA Mellanox modular director-class switch chassis. It is a purely mechanical part — no electronics, no firmware, no power draw, and no protocol affiliation — its job is to maintain front-to-back airflow integrity, EMI shielding, and chassis structural rigidity when a chassis ships or operates without a full complement of spine cards. The MTM005002 is a service / sparing part: it is installed during initial chassis build-out or after a spine card removal so that conditioned cooling air cannot short-circuit through an open bay back into the intake plenum.
Specifications

Brand: NVIDIA Mellanox
Model / MPN: MTM005002
Product type: Modular chassis spine blank panel (passive mechanical filler)
Function: Empty spine-slot cover — airflow management + EMI containment
Construction: Sheet-metal / formed steel chassis filler, OEM finish
Electrical: None — no power, no data, no firmware, no LEDs
Mounting: Captive-screw / chassis-native mounting matching the spine bay form factor
Hot-serviceable: Yes — chassis can remain online while panel is fitted or removed (no electrical path)
Field-replaceable: FRU-class accessory, single-technician install
Condition: Refurbished Grade A — bench-inspected by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS for finish, fit, and captive-fastener integrity

What This Is NOT

NOT a switch, line card, or spine card. The MTM005002 does not contain ASIC silicon, ports, or any switching function — it is a blank cover plate that occupies an empty spine bay.
NOT a fan, fan tray, or PSU. No moving parts, no active cooling, no power conversion. It does not replace a fan tray or power-supply blank — those are separate SKUs.
NOT a rail kit, rack bracket, or cable management arm. It is an internal chassis filler panel, not an external mounting accessory.
NOT a leaf-slot blank. Spine and leaf bays in director chassis use different form factors; this part is dedicated to the spine (fabric-card) slot.
NOT compatible with fixed (1U / 2U pizza-box) switches. It is exclusive to modular director-class chassis where spine cards plug into the back of the chassis midplane.

Compatibility & Constraints

Target platform: NVIDIA Mellanox modular director-class switch chassis that use field-replaceable spine (fabric) cards. Verify the specific chassis SKU (e.g., CS7500 / CS8500 / CS8500D / CS9500 / equivalent generation) and revision against the OEM service manual before fitting — spine bay dimensions differ between chassis generations.
Operational rule: Every unpopulated spine bay in a director chassis must be covered by a blank panel during normal operation. Running with an open bay causes airflow short-circuit, raises ambient inlet temperature on adjacent spine and leaf cards, and can trigger chassis thermal alarms.
EMI compliance: The blank panel is part of the chassis EMI envelope. Operating without it may invalidate FCC / CE EMI certification and can cause RF leakage in noise-sensitive environments.
Installation: Hot-installable. No power-down required. Use captive screws to OEM torque spec; do not substitute non-OEM fasteners that may compromise EMI gasket contact.
Pairs with (informational only — these are separate SKUs): Active spine cards, leaf line cards, fan trays, and PSUs are sold under their own MPNs and are not included with this part.
Verify before deploying: Chassis SKU and revision, spine-bay form factor, and that the panel matches the OEM service-manual diagram for your specific director chassis.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. What is the NVIDIA Mellanox MTM005002?
The MTM005002 is a passive mechanical blank panel that covers an unpopulated spine (fabric) card slot in NVIDIA Mellanox modular director-class switch chassis. Its job is airflow management and EMI containment — it has no electronics, no firmware, and no power draw.
Q. Why do I need a spine blank panel — can I just leave the slot empty?
No. Director-class modular chassis rely on engineered front-to-back airflow. An open spine bay lets conditioned air short-circuit straight back into the intake, raising inlet temperatures on adjacent active cards and frequently triggering chassis thermal alarms. The blank also closes the EMI envelope required for FCC / CE compliance.
Q. Which chassis is the MTM005002 designed for?
It is designed for NVIDIA Mellanox modular director-class switches that use field-replaceable spine (fabric) cards — for example the CS7500 / CS8500 / CS8500D / CS9500 family and equivalent generations. Always cross-check the panel against the OEM service manual for your exact chassis SKU and revision before fitting, because spine-bay dimensions differ between chassis generations.
Q. Can I install or remove this panel without powering down the chassis?
Yes. It carries no electrical path, so it is hot-installable and hot-removable. Use captive screws to OEM torque spec to preserve EMI gasket contact.
Q. Is this the same as a fan blank or a PSU blank?
No. Fan-tray blanks and PSU blanks are different SKUs with different mechanical envelopes. The MTM005002 is specifically for the spine (fabric) card bay.
Q. What condition is supplied by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS?
Refurbished Grade A. Each panel is bench-inspected by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS for sheet-metal finish, captive-fastener integrity, and EMI-gasket condition. Units ship from EU stock in professional anti-static packaging with global B2B shipping. Technical consultation for HPC / AI fabric chassis sparing is included at no extra cost.
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. We focus on a single brand so every unit — including mechanical sparing parts like the MTM005002 — is identified by MPN and cross-referenced against the parent chassis service manual before it ships, and every customer gets free pre-sale compatibility advice for chassis sparing, spine and leaf card pairing, and full director-class build-outs. Multi-currency B2B invoicing, EU stock with worldwide express options, and direct technical contact with our engineering team — not a call-center.