Nvidia AI high-speed Optical Interconnect Solutions

NVIDIA Quantum, Spectrum, and LinkX Product Lines:

• The NVIDIA networking product line includes:

• Quantum InfiniBand switches

• Spectrum Ethernet switches

• ConnectX-7 PCIe-based network adapters

• BlueField-3 PCIe-based Data Processing Units (DPUs)

NVIDIA’s 100G-PAM4-based 400Gb/s networking product line:

Accelerated Data Center Focus

NVIDIA’s LinkX cables and transceivers 100G-PAM4 product line focuses exclusively on accelerated and artificial intelligence computing systems:

Data center-oriented reaches up to 2 kilometers but generally <50-meters

High data rates

800Gb/s to the switch

400Gb/s to the network adapter and DPU

Low latency delays in transferring huge amounts of data using 100G-PAM4 line rates

Crossover fibers to directly attach two transceivers together

Unique Connectors in Switches and Adapters

For 100GbE, EDR, 200GbE, and HDR networking, the same QSFP28 or QSFP56 connector is used on both the switches and adapters. For 100G-PAM4 systems, the connector used in the switches is unique from those used in adapters and DPUs. This is an important point and set up the basis for the various products. This creates a wide variety of LinkX parts and specific configurations rules.

• Switches use only 800G twin-port OSFP finned top cables and transceivers.

• DGX H100 systems use a flat top version of the above（800G twin-port OSFP）.

• ConnectX-7 uses 400G flat top OSFP or QSFP112/56/28 cables and transceivers.

• BlueField-3 uses only QSFP112/56/28 cables and transceivers; no OSFP devices.

• QSFP112-based ConnectX-7 adapters and BlueField-3 DPUs accept legacy QSFP56 and QSFP28 slower devices. QSFP112 cannot be used in OSFP switches.

The 100G-PAM4 line uses only four connector types for DAC, ACC, AOC cables and transceivers:

Connectors used in ConnectX-7 and BlueField-3 have flat tops and use the riding cage heat sinks.

The MPO-12/APC is used in all the transceivers, except the 2xFR4 2km twin-port OSFP which uses LC optical connectors.

Twin-port OSFP, OSFP, and QSFP112 Connector Plugs

Important

Twin-port OSFP “finned-top” cables and transceivers are only used in NVIDIA Quantum-2 NDR InfiniBand and Spectrum-4 SN5600 400GbE Ethernet systems.

The 800G twin-port OSFP is also offered in a flat top version and a 400Gb/s single-port, flat-top OSFP is offered. These are all the same size, but the twin-port OSFP finned top version is taller due to the heat sink.

The three OSFP versions are:

• 800G finned-top, twin-port, 8-channel, 2x400G OSFP for Quantum-2 and Spectrum-4 SN5600 Ethernet air-cooled switches.

• 800G flat-top, twin-port, 8-channel, 2x400G OSFP for linking DGX H100 Cedar7 GPU links which use internal cage riding, air-cooled, heat sinks for liquid-cooled systems. This has the same internals as the finned top version.

• 400G flat-top, single-port, 4-channel, OSFP for ConnectX-7/OSFP network adapters using cage riding heat sinks.

Important

• Single-port, 400G OSFP or QSFP112 devices cannot be used in twin-port OSFP switch cages –- only adapters and DPUs.

• 800G twin-port OSFP finned-top connectors are also used to construct passive copper cables, active copper cables, and active optical cables using twin-port OSFP, OSFP, QSFP112, and QSFP56 connector ends. These parts are available in various combinations including 800G twin-port OSFP with flat tops instead of fins.

• Lastly, a long reach single mode, 2km twin-port OSFP called 2xFR4 transceiver will be available at the end of 2023 that uses a finned-top but with a lid on top of the fins creating a closed channel for additional cooling.

Twin-port OSFP Open Finned Top Closed Finned Top