SGI 018-1651-001 56Gb/s VPI QSFP Active Optical Cable, 10m — the 018-1651-001 is a 10-meter SGI-branded active optical cable (AOC) terminated in QSFP connectors at both ends, supporting up to 56Gb/s VPI (Virtual Protocol Interconnect) operation for FDR InfiniBand or 56GbE Ethernet. MPN: 018-1651-001. This product IS a fixed-length integrated QSFP-to-QSFP AOC; it is NOT a passive copper DAC, NOT a transceiver with a removable patch cord, NOT a QSFP28 (100Gb/s) cable. OEM: SGI (HPE-acquired). Condition: refurbished.
Engineering Context
The 018-1651-001 carries 4 lanes of 14Gb/s NRZ over multimode fiber inside a sealed, factory-terminated assembly, aggregating to 56Gb/s line rate. Active optics on each end convert electrical QSFP signaling to and from VCSEL-driven multimode fiber, eliminating the host-side fiber cleaning and connector inspection that loose transceiver-plus-patch-cord deployments require. The cable is lightweight versus copper bundles, provides full EMI immunity, and is appropriate for cable trays where weight or bend radius is a concern. BER targets meet the IEEE/IBTA 56Gb/s FDR specification.
Deployment & Use Cases
FDR InfiniBand inter-switch and host-to-switch links in HPC clusters, including legacy SGI ICE / UV systems, Mellanox SwitchX-2 fabrics, and Mellanox ConnectX-3 / ConnectX-3 Pro VPI host adapters. 56GbE Ethernet links in data center switches that support 56GbE on QSFP. Cross-rack reach beyond passive copper limits in storage and analytics fabrics. Suitable for environments where loose fiber patch cords and removable transceivers are operationally undesirable.
Technical Specifications
OEM: SGI
Part Number: 018-1651-001
Cable Type: Active Optical Cable (AOC), point-to-point
Form Factor: QSFP to QSFP
Data Rate: Up to 56Gb/s (4x 14Gb/s NRZ)
Protocols: FDR InfiniBand and 56GbE Ethernet (VPI)
Length: 10m
Fiber: Multimode, integrated
Termination: Sealed; not field-repairable
Condition: Refurbished — Tested by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
Compatibility & Hard Constraints
Compatible with SGI ICE / UV InfiniBand fabrics, Mellanox SwitchX-2 (SX6000-series) FDR switches, and Mellanox ConnectX-3 / ConnectX-3 Pro VPI host adapters. Host port must be configured for InfiniBand FDR or 56GbE depending on the workload. NOT a QSFP28 (100Gb/s) cable — this is QSFP14 / FDR class, capped at 56Gb/s. NOT compatible with EDR InfiniBand (100Gb/s) or HDR (200Gb/s) ports at native EDR/HDR rate. NOT a 1:4 breakout cable; it is QSFP-to-QSFP fixed point-to-point. NOT a passive copper DAC and cannot be powered from low-power QSFP cages that do not provide AOC-compliant electrical envelope. Length is fixed at 10m and is not field-shortenable.
Why Choose T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS tests all FDR / 56GbE QSFP AOCs for optical output power, lane integrity, and BER margin prior to dispatch. Lab-verified stock, 1–3 business day handling, global shipping. Technical consultation available for FDR InfiniBand and SGI ICE / UV fabric deployments. Visit tes-itsolutions.com.