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Mellanox ConnectX-5 VPI dual-port QSFP28 PCIe card with tall bracket

Mellanox Technologies

Mellanox MCX556A-ECAT ConnectX-5 VPI network card

SKU CH-QQSY-DYW4G

Dual-port QSFP28 adapter delivering 100 Gb/s InfiniBand and Ethernet over PCIe 3.0 x16

  • Dual-port QSFP28 delivers 100 Gb/s InfiniBand and Ethernet
  • PCIe 3.0 x16 interface provides high-throughput host connectivity
  • VPI technology supports both EDR InfiniBand and 100GbE networks
  • NVMe over Fabric offloads accelerate storage workloads
  • Tall bracket fits standard server chassis configurations

Dual-Port 100GbE VPI Adapter

The Mellanox MCX556A-ECAT ConnectX-5 VPI adapter card delivers dual-port 100Gb/s InfiniBand and Ethernet connectivity through a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface. It uses QSFP28 cages for high-density cabling in data-centre racks and supports NVMe over Fabric offloads for storage acceleration. The tall bracket fits standard server chassis.

Suits HPC clusters and storage fabrics

This card targets high-performance computing, cloud, data-analytics and database platforms that require low-latency RDMA and adaptive routing. It also fits environments deploying NVMe-oF or burst-buffer checkpointing. Buyers needing single-port 10GbE uplinks or legacy FDR InfiniBand only should evaluate lower-speed alternatives.

Handles 100Gb/s dual-stream workloads

Each QSFP28 port sustains 100Gb/s for InfiniBand EDR or 100GbE traffic with tag-matching and rendezvous offloads in hardware. The embedded PCIe switch balances bandwidth across both ports without host-bus contention. Throughput drops when cables exceed reach limits or when switch ports negotiate down to 40GbE or 56GbE speeds.

Highlights

  • Dual-port QSFP28 delivers 100 Gb/s InfiniBand and Ethernet
  • PCIe 3.0 x16 interface provides high-throughput host connectivity
  • VPI technology supports both EDR InfiniBand and 100GbE networks
  • NVMe over Fabric offloads accelerate storage workloads
  • Tall bracket fits standard server chassis configurations

Specifications

No published specifications for this item yet.

Questions about this item

Which PCIe generation and lane width does the ConnectX-5 VPI card require to run at full speed?

The card installs in a PCIe 3.0 x16 slot and uses that bandwidth for 100 Gb/s InfiniBand and Ethernet traffic.

Can the dual QSFP28 ports negotiate down to 40 Gb/s or 56 Gb/s links for older switches?

Yes, the VPI ports support 40 Gb/s and 56 Gb/s Ethernet as well as FDR InfiniBand speeds alongside the native 100 Gb/s rates.

How do I confirm the adapter is passing 100 Gb/s traffic after installation?

Check the link status LEDs on the QSFP28 cages and verify 100 Gb/s negotiated speed in the OS network tool or switch management console.

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