Dolphin MXH94x User manual

MXH94x / MXH95x Transparent Adapter User’s Guide – Dolphin Interconnect Solutions Page 1
Dolphin
MXH94x / MXH95x Transparent
Adapter Users Guide
Version 1.1
Date: 22th March 2022

MXH94x / MXH95x Transparent Adapter User’s Guide – Dolphin Interconnect Solutions Page 2

MXH94x / MXH95x Transparent Adapter User’s Guide – Dolphin Interconnect Solutions Page 3
Table of Contents
DISCLAIMER.......................................................................................................................................................................4
TERMS AND ACRONYMS....................................................................................................................................................5
HIGH LEVEL SPECIFICATION ...............................................................................................................................................6
PCIE GEN4LINK TRANSPARENT PRODUCT VARIANTS....................................................................................................................6
PCIE GEN3LINK TRANSPARENT PRODUCT VARIANTS....................................................................................................................6
DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS......................................................................................................................................................6
MXH94x Maximum DC current across input voltage ranges..........................................................................................7
MXH95x Maximum DC current across input voltage ranges..........................................................................................7
MXH94X MTBF BY TEMPERATURE AND ENVIRONMENT ..............................................................................................................8
MXH95X MTBF BY TEMPERATURE AND ENVIRONMENT ..............................................................................................................8
PACKAGING.......................................................................................................................................................................9
PRE-INSTALLATION QUESTIONS.........................................................................................................................................9
PCIE SLOT DETERMINATION...................................................................................................................................................9
ADAPTER CARD CONFIGURATION ............................................................................................................................................9
OPERATING ENVIRONMENT ...................................................................................................................................................9
CABLE CONNECTIONS ...........................................................................................................................................................9
INSTALLATION .................................................................................................................................................................11
STEP 1-UNPACK BOARD.....................................................................................................................................................11
STEP 3-CONFIGURE THE BOARD FOR PROPER OPERATION ..........................................................................................................11
STEP 4-INSTALL THE ADAPTER CARD .....................................................................................................................................11
STEP 5-INSTALLING AND REMOVING CABLES...........................................................................................................................11
Connecting Cables .....................................................................................................................................................11
Disconnecting Cables.................................................................................................................................................11
STEP 6-INSTALLING THE DOLPHIN MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE .....................................................................................................11
STEP 7–VERIFY INSTALLATION &LEDS..................................................................................................................................12
OPERATION .....................................................................................................................................................................13
CONFIGURATION AND DIP SWITCHES .....................................................................................................................................13
DIP Switch Bank –Configuration................................................................................................................................13
Thermal shutdown.....................................................................................................................................................13
DIP Switch settings for Transparent Host operation....................................................................................................14
DIP Switch settings for Transparent Target operation.................................................................................................14
TRANSPARENT USE CASES ...............................................................................................................................................14
TRANSPARENT USE CASE A-1HOST –SINGLE EXPANSION CONFIGURATION ...................................................................................14
Connecting the cables for single expansion, x16 link...................................................................................................14
Connecting the cables for single expansion, x8 link.....................................................................................................15
TRANSPARENT USE CASE B–1HOST -DUAL EXPANSION CONFIGURATION .....................................................................................15
TRANSPARENT USE CASE C–1HOST -QUAD EXPANSION CONFIGURATION.....................................................................................15
EEPROM AND FIRMWARE UPGRADE.....................................................................................................................................16
IDENTIFYING THE CARD .......................................................................................................................................................16
SUPPORT.........................................................................................................................................................................17
TECHNICAL INFORMATION ..............................................................................................................................................18

MXH94x / MXH95x Transparent Adapter User’s Guide – Dolphin Interconnect Solutions Page 4
BOARD REVISION HISTORY....................................................................................................................................................18
SIMPLIFIED SCHEMATICS......................................................................................................................................................18
COMPLIANCE AND REGULATORY TESTING.......................................................................................................................19
EMC..............................................................................................................................................................................19
ROHS ............................................................................................................................................................................19
LASER EYE SAFETY .............................................................................................................................................................19
LIMITED WARRANTY........................................................................................................................................................20
WARRANTY PERIOD ...........................................................................................................................................................20
COVERAGE.......................................................................................................................................................................20
SERVICE PROCEDURE ..........................................................................................................................................................20
DISCLAIMER
DOLPHIN INTERCONNECT SOLUTIONS RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES WITHOUT FURTHER NOTICE TO ANY OF ITS PRODUCTS
TO IMPROVE RELIABILITY, FUNCTION, OR DESIGN.
TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, DOLPHIN WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS, LOST DATA, OR LOSS OF USE) ARISING OUT OF ANY USE OF DOLPHIN’S
PRODUCTS, SOFTWARE OR SERVICE PROVIDED. DOLPHIN’S MAXIMUM LIABILITY WILL NOT EXCEED THE TOTAL AMOUNT PAID FOR THE
PRODUCT BY THE PURCHASER.
LIFE SUPPORT POLICY
DOLPHIN INTERCONNECT SOLUTIONS’ PRODUCTS ARE NOT AUTHORIZED FOR USE AS CRITICAL COMPONENTS IN LIFE SUPPORT
DEVICES.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Dolphin is minimizing the amount of printed documentation and software CDs in its shipments; please download additional
documentation and software from www.dolphinics.com.

MXH94x / MXH95x Transparent Adapter User’s Guide – Dolphin Interconnect Solutions Page 5
Terms and acronyms
Important terms and acronyms used in this manual
BMC Board Management Microcontroller on the adapter card.
eXpressWare Dolphins software stack for PCIe clustering and IO. Please visit http://www.dolphinics.com/software for
more information.
FireFly™ Optical fiber solution for PCIe over cable from Samtec Inc
Transparent Host mode The card is installed in a root complex / Host PC and configured for Transparent operation.
Transparent Hot Add Attaching an IO Expansion system after the server is booted.
Target mode The card is installed in an expansion chassis or backplane for Transparent IO expansion.
Lane One PCI Express Lane contains a differential pair for transmission and a differential pair for reception.
Link A collection of one or more PCI Express Lanes providing the communication path between an Upstream
and Downstream Port.
NTB mode The card is configured for Non Transparent Bridge operations. Requires Dolphin eXpressWare or custom
NTB drivers.
Port PCIe Cable port. The adapter card, depending on the model, has up four x4 ports, named L0, L1, L2, L3. The
physical ports are identified by text on the PCIe brackets.

MXH94x / MXH95x Transparent Adapter User’s Guide – Dolphin Interconnect Solutions Page 6
High Level Specification
The MXH94x and MXH95x are a family of low profile, half-length PCIe adapters utilizing the Samtec FireFly™ optical transceivers. It is
available in several variants to support various use cases and configurations. All boards are using a Gen4 PCIe switch from Microchip.
The MXH94x boards are equipped with Samtec FireFly™ PCIe Gen4 optical transceivers. The MXH95x boards are equipped with the
Samtec FireFly™ PCIe Gen3 optical transceivers.
This manual covers all transparent variants of these cards. Please reference the tables below for details. Some variants come with NTB
enabled firmware and are bundled with Dolphins eXpressWare. Please reference the Dolphin
MXH94x / MXH95x NTB Adapter Users Guide if you have one of the NTB enabled variants.
Each card operates at the highest common speed shared between the slot and the card (Gen4) and the widest common link-width
(x16).
PCIe Gen4 Link Transparent Product variants
The variants in the table below support PCIe Gen4 link speed, Transparent Host and Target operations and come with a license to use
the eXpressWare Board Management Software. Each Model has different FireFly™ optical engines mounted depending on your use case
and requirements:
SKU / Model
#FireFly™
PCIe Configurations
Required Fiber cable
MXH942
2 x8
Transparent x16 / 2 x8
2 units 24 fiber MPO
MXH945
4 x4
Transparent x16 / 2 x8 / 4 x4
4 units 12 fiber MPO
MXH946
1 x8
Transparent x8
1 unit 24 fiber MPO
MXH947
2 x4
Transparent x8 / 2 x4
2 units 12 fiber MPO
MXH948
1 x4
Transparent x4
1 unit 12 fiber MPO
NOTE: Please note that cards utilizing 24 fiber MPO cannot be connected to cards utilizing 12 fiber MPO.
PCIe Gen3 Link Transparent Product variants
The variants in the table below support PCIe Gen3 link speed, Transparent Host and Target operations and come with a license to use
the eXpressWare Board Management Software. Each Model has different FireFly™ optical engines mounted depending on your use case
and requirements:
SKU / Model
#FireFly™
PCIe Configurations
Required Fiber cable
MXH952
2 x8
Transparent x16 / 2 x8
2 units 24 fiber MPO
MXH955
4 x4
Transparent x16 / 2 x8 / 4 x4
4 units 12 fiber MPO
MXH956
1 x8
Transparent x8
1 unit 24 fiber MPO
MXH957
2 x4
Transparent x8 / 2 x4
2 units 12 fiber MPO
MXH958
1 x4
Transparent x4
1 unit 12 fiber MPO
NOTE: Please note that cards utilizing 24 fiber MPO cannot be connected to cards utilizing 12 fiber MPO.
Detailed specifications
•PCI Express Base Specification, Rev. 4.0.
•PCI Express CEM Specification, Rev. 4.0.
•PCI Express Gen4 16 GT/s per lane signaling –256 GT/s total signaling. Variants utilizing Gen3 FireFly™ modules are
limited to PCIe Gen3 8 GT/S signaling rate on the optical link.
•PCI Express Gen4 x16 edge connector. The card installs in any PCI Express slot that has a physical x16 connector.
•Compliant with PCI Express Gen1 through Gen4 computers and IO systems, auto detection.
•MPO cable connector

MXH94x / MXH95x Transparent Adapter User’s Guide – Dolphin Interconnect Solutions Page 7
•Transparent Cable port configurations, up to
oOne x16
oTwo x8
oFour x4 (Supported using MXH945 and MXH955 only)
•Pre-loaded firmware configurations, DIP switch selectable. Please reference the adapter card firmware release note for
details.
•Microchip / Microsemi Switchtec PM40036B PFX PCI Express Gen4 chipset. (PM40052B used in Rev A and B cads)
•100 nanosecond cut-through latency port to port.
•Support for optical patch cables up to 100 meters.
•Low profile, Half-length - PCI Express Electromechanical Specification, Rev 4.0.
•Dimensions 167.65mm (6.600 inches) x 68.90 mm (2.731 inches)
•Host clock isolation. Automatic support for host running CFC or SSC mode.
•VAUX powered board management controllers for flexible configuration and cable management.
•Flash recovery option. PFX Multi configuration support.
•Operating Temperature: 0°C - 55°C (32°F - 131°F), Air Flow: 600 LFM
•Relative Humidity: 5% - 95% (non- condensing)
•Regulatory
oRoHS
oEMC testing for CE and FCC in progress
•One year warranty
MXH94x Maximum DC current across input voltage ranges
MXH94X
#FireFly™
12V
3.3V
VAUX
1
1.97 A
0.84 A
0.35 A
2
2.30 A
0.84 A
0.35 A
3
2.62 A
0.84 A
0.35 A
4
2.95 A
0.84 A
0.35 A
MXH95x Maximum DC current across input voltage ranges
MXH95X
#FireFly™
12V
3.3V
VAUX
1
1.76 A
0.84 A
0.35 A
2
1.88 A
0.84 A
0.35 A
3
2.00 A
0.84 A
0.35 A
4
2.12 A
0.84 A
0.35 A
Note:
25 W Slot specification for +12V rail is 2.1 A max.
75 W slot specification for +12 V rail is 5.5 A max.

MXH94x / MXH95x Transparent Adapter User’s Guide – Dolphin Interconnect Solutions Page 8
MXH94x MTBF by Temperature and Environment
The MTBF (in hours) for the MXH94x with 1, 2 or 4 Gen4 FireFly modules mounted can be found in the table below. The numbers are
calculated using the Telcordia SR-332 issue 2 (2006) standard.
Ambient
Temp.
[°C]
MXH94x
1 FireFly
mounted
MXH94x
2 FireFly
mounted
MXH94x
4 FireFly
mounted
0
3.695.205
3.043.158
2.249.339
5
3.085.401
2.497.241
1.807.952
10
2.555.388
2.037.075
1.449.193
15
2.100.911
1.653.639
1.159.806
20
1.716.081
1.337.251
927.674
25
1.393.934
1.078.290
742.173
30
1.126.968
867.705
594.276
35
907.657
697.322
476.485
40
728.823
559.986
382.683
45
583.891
449.592
307.936
50
467.021
361.019
248.302
55
373.156
290.036
200.648
Table 1: MXH94x MTBF vs. Temperature for Ground Fixed, Controlled (GB) Environment
MXH95x MTBF by Temperature and Environment
The MTBF (in hours) for the MXH95x with 1, 2 or 4 Gen3 FireFly modules mounted can be found in the table below. The numbers are
calculated using the Telcordia SR-332 issue 2 (2006) standard.
Ambient
Temp.
[°C]
MXH95x
1 FireFly
mounted
MXH95x
2 FireFly
mounted
MXH95x
4 FireFly mounted
0
3.695.205
3.043.158
2.249.339
5
3.085.401
2.497.241
1.807.952
10
2.555.388
2.037.075
1.449.193
15
2.100.911
1.653.639
1.159.806
20
1.716.081
1.337.251
927.674
25
1.393.934
1.078.290
742.173
30
1.126.968
867.705
594.276
35
907.657
697.322
476.485
40
728.823
559.986
382.683
45
583.891
449.592
307.936
50
467.021
361.019
248.302
55
373.156
290.036
200.648
Table 2: MXH95x MTBF vs. Temperature for Ground Fixed, Controlled (GB) Environment

MXH94x / MXH95x Transparent Adapter User’s Guide – Dolphin Interconnect Solutions Page 9
Packaging
The products are delivered includes the following components.
•Adapter Board with pre mounted FireFly™ modules and standard profile bracket.
•Anti-static bag
•Getting started guide with serial number for quick download of Dolphins PCIe software.
Pre-Installation Questions
Certain steps should be taken prior to installing the adapter card. You should determine the following configuration requirements.
•Which PCIe slot will the card be installed?
•What is the speed and link width of the installation slot?
•What is the operating environment around the installed card?
•What quantity, type, and length of patch cable will be used?
•Are the operational conditions proper - temperature and air-flow?
PCIe Slot Determination
The adapter card supports PCIe Gen1, Gen2, Gen3 and Gen4 speeds. The adapter card must be installed in physical x16 connector but
supports x1, x2, x4, x8 and x16 electrical slot-widths. The slot width and speed will affect the performance of the adapter card. The
adapter card will auto configure to the slot speed and width.
NOTE:
•Install the adapter card in a slot connecting directly to the CPU for optimal IO latency.
•Install the adapter card behind a PCIe switch in the IO system for optimal PCIe peer to peer performance (e.g. between GPUs,
FPGAs)
Adapter Card Configuration
The adapter card has a DIP switch bank to control the main configuration of the card. The DIP switch labeled SW1 can be found close to
the upper edge of the board. The default DIP switch setting is Transparent Host operation, singe, full width link.
Operating Environment
To maximize lifespan for the product and maintain the warranty, please honor the specified operating temperature, and make sure the
specified air flow is present. Special care should be considered when the adapter card is used in office type cabinets in combination with
other high energy consuming PCIe devices, e.g. not active cooled GPUs:
Operating Temperature: 0°C - 55°C (32°F - 131°F), Airflow: 600 LFM
Relative Humidity: 5% - 95% (non- condensing)
TIP: After installing the Dolphin management software, you can use the tool dis_diag to determine the actual adapter card
temperatures (PCIe switch, FireFly™ etc.).
NOTE: The adapter card includes an overtemperature overheat protection. The BMC will automatically shut down the card if a PCIe
switch temperature beyond 105°C (221°F) or a FireFly temperature beyond 70 °C (158°F) is detected. The automatic shutdown can be
disabled by setting DIP-Switch OPT6.
NOTE: The adapter card link LEDs will start flashing yellow when a PCIe switch temperature of 95°C (203°F) is reached or when FireFly
reports a temperature of 60°C (14°F).
Cable Connections
The adapter cards are designed for 12 or 24 fiber MPO optical patch cables. Please carefully select the 12 or 24 fiber path cables
specified for each product variant.

MXH94x / MXH95x Transparent Adapter User’s Guide – Dolphin Interconnect Solutions Page 10
NOTE: Please note that all cards utilizing 24 fiber MPO cannot be connected to cards utilizing 12 fiber MPO.