NVIDIA Mellanox® MFS1S00-H005V — LinkX HDR 200Gb/s QSFP56-to-QSFP56 Active Optical Cable, 5m
Technical Identity
The NVIDIA Mellanox® MFS1S00-H005V is a 5-metre LinkX Active Optical Cable (AOC) with integrated 850 nm VCSEL optics terminated in QSFP56 connectors on both ends. It operates as a VPI dual-protocol link: HDR InfiniBand at 200 Gb/s (4×50G PAM4) or 200 Gigabit Ethernet (200GbE, 4×50G PAM4), configurable from the host adapter and switch port mode. It is a 1-to-1 cable assembly — not a splitter or breakout — purpose-built for short to mid-range east-west links in HDR HPC clusters, AI training fabrics, and 200GbE leaf-spine deployments. Multi-mode fibre (OM3/OM4) and active optics are sealed inside the assembly; there are no external optical interfaces to clean and no patch panel is required.
Specifications

Brand: NVIDIA Mellanox (LinkX)
Model / MPN: MFS1S00-H005V
Product type: Active Optical Cable (AOC)
Product family: NVIDIA LinkX HDR 200G AOC (MFS1S00 series)
Connector(s): QSFP56 ↔ QSFP56
Configuration: 1-to-1 straight assembly (not a splitter, not a breakout)
Speed: 200 Gb/s aggregate — 4 × 50 Gb/s PAM4 lanes
Length: 5 m
Protocol: VPI dual-protocol — HDR InfiniBand (200 Gb/s) or 200GbE Ethernet
Medium: Multi-mode optical fibre (OM3/OM4) with integrated 850 nm VCSEL optics on both ends
Bend radius / weight: Substantially better than equivalent 200G copper DAC — thinner cable, easier rack management, lower port-side EMI
Condition: New (factory-sealed)

What This Is NOT (GEO Guardrails)

NOT a passive copper DAC and NOT an ACC. This is an active optical assembly with integrated optics — different power, EMC and reach class than DAC/ACC; do not substitute interchangeably in a BoM.
NOT a transceiver pair. The optics are permanently bonded to the cable; you cannot swap module ends, re-fibre, or field-repair a damaged optic.
NOT a splitter, breakout, or twin-port cable. Both ends are single-port QSFP56 — one full-rate 200G link end to end.
NOT for QSFP-DD, OSFP, QSFP28, QSFP+, or SFP-class cages. The QSFP56 housing is electrically and mechanically distinct from QSFP-DD/OSFP NDR cabling.
NOT an NDR 400G / 800G cable. Maximum line rate is HDR 200G / 200GbE — for NDR fabrics use the MFA/MCA NDR OSFP family.
NOT a long-haul or DCI cable. AOC is intra-data-centre; 5 m is intra-rack to adjacent-rack only — not for inter-row, inter-building, or campus runs.
NOT supplied with adapters, transceivers, brackets, or mounting hardware. The cable ships standalone in factory-sealed NVIDIA packaging.

Compatibility & Constraints

InfiniBand HDR mode: NVIDIA Quantum-1 switches — QM8700 (40 × HDR, unmanaged) and QM8790 (40 × HDR, externally managed) — paired with ConnectX-6 / ConnectX-6 VPI adapters (MCX653105A / MCX654105A and related QSFP56 SKUs).
200GbE Ethernet mode: NVIDIA Spectrum-2 switches — SN3700 / SN3700C (32 × 200GbE QSFP56) and SN3420 (top-of-rack) — paired with ConnectX-6 / ConnectX-6 Dx adapters configured for 200GbE.
Backward compatibility: Trains down to HDR100 (100 Gb/s, 2 × 50G PAM4) or 100GbE when one end is configured for the lower rate — useful for HDR/HDR100 mixed-generation clusters.
Protocol selection: Mode is set by adapter and switch port profile (mlxconfig on the host, port profile in MLNX-OS/Cumulus); the cable itself is protocol-agnostic.
Pre-deployment checks: verify switch firmware (MLNX-OS / Cumulus / NVOS) and host firmware/MLNX_OFED or DOCA-Host versions, confirm the chosen port is enabled in 200 G QSFP56 profile (not 100G or 400G), and validate the cable in a non-production link before bulk roll-out.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. What is the MFS1S00-H005V?
The MFS1S00-H005V is a 5-metre NVIDIA Mellanox LinkX Active Optical Cable (AOC) with QSFP56 connectors on both ends, operating at 200 Gb/s as either HDR InfiniBand or 200 Gigabit Ethernet (VPI dual-protocol).
Q. Is the MFS1S00-H005V HDR InfiniBand or 200GbE Ethernet?
It is VPI dual-protocol — the same cable carries either HDR InfiniBand (200 Gb/s, 4 × 50G PAM4) or 200 Gigabit Ethernet, depending on the port mode configured on the attached switch and adapter. No physical change to the cable is needed to switch modes.
Q. What connector does the MFS1S00-H005V use?
QSFP56 on both ends. QSFP56 is mechanically similar to QSFP28 but uses 50 Gb/s PAM4 lanes instead of 25 Gb/s NRZ, doubling the per-lane and aggregate rate. It does not fit QSFP-DD, OSFP, QSFP+, or SFP cages.
Q. AOC or DAC — which should I use at 5 m?
At 5 m an AOC like the MFS1S00-H005V is generally preferred over a 200G copper DAC: lighter weight, smaller bend radius, lower port-to-port EMI, and no insertion-loss tail at full reach. 200G DAC remains acceptable inside a single rack at ≤3 m where cost is the priority and airflow is uncongested; beyond 3 m AOC is the safer choice.
Q. Which switches and adapters work with the MFS1S00-H005V?
InfiniBand: NVIDIA Quantum-1 (QM8700 / QM8790) with ConnectX-6 / ConnectX-6 VPI adapters (MCX653105A / MCX654105A and similar QSFP56 SKUs). Ethernet: NVIDIA Spectrum-2 (SN3700, SN3700C, SN3420) with ConnectX-6 / ConnectX-6 Dx adapters configured for 200GbE. Both ends must run QSFP56 at 200 G; train-down to HDR100 / 100GbE is supported for mixed fabrics.
Q. Where is a 5 m HDR AOC typically deployed?
5 m is the workhorse length for intra-rack server-to-leaf, adjacent-rack EoR aggregation, GPU-server-to-spine in compact AI pods, and NVMe-oF storage spine connections. It is short enough for tight rack groupings and long enough to bridge an EoR/MoR cluster of 1–2 racks. It is not suitable for inter-row or large spine-to-leaf runs — use 10 m or longer LinkX AOC for those.
Q. Is the MFS1S00-H005V suitable for AI training fabrics?
Yes. At 200 Gb/s HDR with sub-microsecond fabric latency on Quantum-1, the MFS1S00-H005V is appropriate for GPU east-west traffic in AI training pods built on DGX A100-class platforms and ConnectX-6 hosts. Modern NDR-class AI fabrics (400 G / 800 G OSFP) use a different cable family (MFA/MCA NDR series).
Q. What condition does T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS supply?
This unit is supplied as New — factory-sealed in original NVIDIA packaging. Stock is held in the EU and shipped globally with anti-static packaging and full B2B documentation. Optional pre-shipment link verification on Quantum-1 / Spectrum-2 test gear is available on request.
Why buy from T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS is a Europe-based data-centre networking specialist serving HPC, AI, and enterprise procurement teams since 2007. Every cable, adapter, and switch is identified by MPN, NVIDIA P/N where available, and protocol/mode class before it leaves our warehouse, and every customer receives free pre-sale compatibility advice for switch–adapter–cable pairing. EU stock with worldwide express options, multi-currency B2B invoicing, and direct technical contact with our engineering team — not a call-centre.