Mellanox Technologies ConnectX-3 MCX312A-XCBT User manual

www.mellanox.com
ConnectX®-3 Ethernet Single and Dual SFP+
Port Adapter Card User Manual
P/N:
MCX312A-XCBT, MCX312B-XCBT, MCX311A-XCAT
Rev 2.3

Mellanox Technologies
350 Oakmead Parkway Suite 100
Sunnyvale, CA 94085
U.S.A.
www.mellanox.com
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
© Copyright 2015. Mellanox Technologies. All Rights Reserved.
Mellanox®, Mellanox logo, BridgeX®, ConnectX®, Connect-IB®, CoolBox®, CORE-Direct®, InfiniBridge®, InfiniHost®,
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and Voltaire® are registered trademarks of Mellanox Technologies, Ltd.
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Virtual Modular Switch™, MetroDX™, Unbreakable-Link™ are trademarks of Mellanox Technologies, Ltd.
All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
NOTE:
THIS HARDWARE, SOFTWARE OR TEST SUITE PRODUCT (“PRODUCT(S)”) AND ITS RELATED
DOCUMENTATION ARE PROVIDED BY MELLANOX TECHNOLOGIES “AS-IS” WITH ALL FAULTS OF ANY
KIND AND SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF AIDING THE CUSTOMER IN TESTING APPLICATIONS THAT USE
THE PRODUCTS IN DESIGNATED SOLUTIONS. THE CUSTOMER'S MANUFACTURING TEST ENVIRONMENT
HAS NOT MET THE STANDARDS SET BY MELLANOX TECHNOLOGIES TO FULLY QUALIFY THE PRODUCT(S)
AND/OR THE SYSTEM USING IT. THEREFORE, MELLANOX TECHNOLOGIES CANNOT AND DOES NOT
GUARANTEE OR WARRANT THAT THE PRODUCTS WILL OPERATE WITH THE HIGHEST QUALITY. ANY
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT ARE DISCLAIMED.
IN NO EVENT SHALL MELLANOX BE LIABLE TO CUSTOMER OR ANY THIRD PARTIES FOR ANY DIRECT,
INDIRECT, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND (INCLUDING, BUT NOT
LIMITED TO, PAYMENT FOR PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA,
OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY,
WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE)
ARISING IN ANY WAY FROM THE USE OF THE PRODUCT(S) AND RELATED DOCUMENTATION EVEN IF
ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
Document Number: 3755
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ConnectX®-3 Ethernet Single and Dual SFP+ Port Adapter Card User Manual Rev 2.3
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
List of Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
List of Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Revision History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
About this Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Intended Audience. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Related Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Document Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Firmware and Software Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Chapter 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
1.1 Product Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
1.2 Features and Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
1.3 Operating Systems/Distributions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
1.4 Connectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Chapter 2 Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2.1 Ethernet SFP+ Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
2.2 PCI Express Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
2.3 I2C-compatible Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
2.4 LED Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Chapter 3 Hardware Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3.1 System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
3.1.1 Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3.1.2 Operating Systems/Distributions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3.1.3 Software Stacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3.2 Safety Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
3.3 Pre-installation Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
3.4 Bracket Installation Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
3.4.1 Removing the Existing Bracket. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3.4.2 Installing the New Bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3.5 Card Installation Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
3.6 Cables and Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
3.6.1 Inserting the Optical Transceiver Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
3.6.2 Cable Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
3.7 Identify the Card in Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
3.7.1 On Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
3.7.2 On Linux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Chapter 4 Driver Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
4.1 Linux Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
4.1.1 Hardware and Software Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

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4.1.2 Installing the Driver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
4.1.3 Loading the Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
4.1.4 Unloading the Driver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
4.1.5 Uninstalling the Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
4.2 Windows Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
4.2.1 Hardware and Software Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
4.2.2 Downloading MLNX_WinOF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
4.2.3 Extracting Files Without Running Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
4.2.4 Installing MLNX_WinOF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
4.2.4.1 Attended Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
4.2.4.2 Unattended Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
4.2.5 Upgrading MLNX_WinOF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
4.2.6 Installation Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
4.2.7 OpenSM Activation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
4.2.8 Uninstalling MLNX_WinOF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
4.2.8.1 Attended Uninstall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
4.2.8.2 Unattended Uninstall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
4.2.9 Assigning Port IP After Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
4.3 Performance Tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
4.4 VMware Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
4.4.1 Installing and Running the VBI Driver on ESXi-5.x. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
4.4.2 Installing and Running the offline_bundle Driver on ESXi-5.x . . . . . . . . . 40
4.4.3 Removing the VIB/offline_bundle Driver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
4.5 FlexBoot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Chapter 5 Updating Adapter Card Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Chapter 6 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
6.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
6.2 Linux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
6.3 Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Chapter 7 Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
7.1 MCX311A-XCAT Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
7.2 MCX312[AB]A-XCBT Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
7.3 Adapter LED Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
7.4 Board Mechanical Drawing and Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
7.5 Bracket Mechanical Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
7.6 Regulatory Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Appendix A Interface Connectors Pinout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Appendix B Finding the GUID/ MAC and Serial Number on the Adapter Card 59
Appendix C Safety Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Appendix D Avertissements de sécurité d’installation (Warnings in French) 63
Appendix E Sicherheitshinweise (Warnings in German) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Appendix F Advertencias de seguridad para la instalación (Warnings in Spanish) 67

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List of Figures
Figure 1: MCX312A-XCBT Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Figure 2: MCX312B-XCBT Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Figure 3: MCX311A-XCAT Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Figure 4: Bracket Screws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Figure 5: Placing the Bracket on the Card (MCX312A-XCBT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Figure 6: Placing the Bracket on the Card (MCX312B-XCBT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Figure 7: Placing the Bracket on the Card (MCX311A-XCAT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Figure 8: Module With Locking Mechanism Closed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Figure 9: Module With Locking Mechanism Open . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Figure 10: PCI Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Figure 11: Support Download Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Figure 12: Mechanical Drawing of the Single-port MCX311A-XCAT Adapter Card . . . . . . . . . . .50
Figure 13: Mechanical Drawing of the Dual-port MCX312A-XCBT Adapter Card . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Figure 14: Mechanical Drawing of the Dual-port MCX312B-XCBT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Figure 15: Dual-port Bracket for MCX312A-XCBT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Figure 16: Dual-port Bracket for MCX312B-XCBT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Figure 17: Single-port Bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Figure 18: Rear View of Module With Pin Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Figure 19: PCIe Connector Pinout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Figure 20: Compatible Connector Plug and Pinout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Figure 21: Card Product Label (Example) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Figure 22: Board Labels for MCX312B-XCBT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

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List of Tables
Table 1: Revision History Table 7
Table 2: Documents List 9
Table 3: Single and Dual 10 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter Cards 11
Table 4: Features 12
Table 5: Software and Hardware Requirements 24
Table 6: Software and Hardware Requirements 26
Table 7: MCX311A-XCAT Specifications Table 47
Table 8: MCX312[AB]-XCBT Specifications Table 48
Table 9: Physical and Logical Link Indication 49
Table 10: SFP+ Connector Pinout 56

ConnectX®-3 Ethernet Single and Dual SFP+ Port Adapter Card User Manual Rev 2.3
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Revision History
This document was printed on March 29, 2015.
Table 1 - Revision History Table
Date Rev Comments/Changes
May 2014 2.3 • Added note on bracket replacement. See Section 3.4.2, “Install-
ing the New Bracket,” on page 18.
April 2014 2.2 • Added Section 4.3, “Performance Tuning,” on page 39
• Added Performance Tuning Guidelines to “Related Documenta-
tion” on page 9
November 2013 2.1 • Added the following note to Chapter 5,“Updating Adapter Card
Firmware” on page 42
- Note: The shown versions and/or parameter values in the exam-
ple below may not reflect the latest or actual values for this prod-
uct, and are included here for illustration purposes only.
• Specified max power available through SFP+ ports in all specifi-
cation tables. See Chapter 7,“Specifications” on page 47.
• Updated link to approved cables list in all specification tables.
See Chapter 7,“Specifications” on page 47.
• Added “GUID of ConnectX-3 Ethernet adapter cards” to
Section 6.1, “General,” on page 44
• Added Appendix B.1, “Retrieving Adapter Card GUID,” on
page 59
June 2013 2.0 Updated User Manual structure
February 2013 1.8 • Added Section 4.4, “VMware Driver,” on page 40
• Updated Figure 10, “PCI Device,” on page 22
• Updated all Web links in the User ManualUpdated the below:
- Figure 12, “Mechanical Drawing of the Single-port MCX311A-
XCAT Adapter Card,” on page 50
•Figure 12, “Mechanical Drawing of the Single-port MCX311A-
XCAT Adapter Card,” on page 50
November 2012 1.8 • Added MCX312B-XCBT to the following locations:
- Section 1.4, “Connectivity,” on page 13
- Figure 2, “MCX312B-XCBT Card,” on page 15
- Figure 16, “Dual-port Bracket for MCX312B-XCBT,” on
page 53
- Table 15, “MCX312B-XCBT VPD Layout,” on page 33
November 2012 1.7 - Updated Web links
October 2012 1.6 • Added single-port SFP+ card to all necessary locations
•FixedTable 5, “Jumper Configuration,” on page 17
• Updated figures in Section 4.2, “Windows Driver,” on page 25
by providing ConnectX-3 examples
October 2012 1.5 • Removed all references to 40 Gigabit Ethernet from the User
Manual
August 2012 1.4 • Added operational and non-operational temperature and humid-
ity level to the following tables:
- Table 8, “MCX312[AB]-XCBT Specifications Table,” on
page 48

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January 2012 1.2 • Minor edits
• Updated LED functions in Section 2.3, “I2C-compatible Inter-
face,” on page 16
• Formatted specification tables in Appendix 7, “Specifications,”
on page 47
October 2011 1.1 Added new OPNs based on ConnectX-3 Step A1 devices
July 2011 1.0 Minor edits
July 2011 0.10 First Release
Date Rev Comments/Changes

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About this Manual
This User Manual describes Mellanox Technologies ConnectX®-3 10 Gigabit Ethernet Single
and Dual SFP+ port PCI Express x4 or x8 adapter cards. It provides details as to the interfaces of
the board, specifications, required software and firmware for operating the board, and relevant
documentation.
Intended Audience
This manual is intended for the installer and user of these cards.
The manual assumes basic familiarity with Ethernet networks and architecture specifications.
Related Documentation
Table 2 - Documents List
Document Conventions
When discussing memory sizes, MB and MBytes are used in this document to mean size in mega
Bytes. The use of Mb or Mbits (small b) indicates size in mega bits. In this document PCIe is
used to mean PCI Express.
Mellanox Firmware Tools (MFT) User
Manual
Document no. 2204UG
User Manual describing the set of MFT firmware management
tools for a single node.
See http://www.mellanox.com => Products => Software => Firm-
ware Tools
MLNX_EN for Linux README Driver Kit
for Mellanox Adapter Cards with 10/
40GigE Support
Document no. 2950
This document provides information on the MLNX_EN Linux
driver and instructions for installing the driver on Mellanox Con-
nectX adapter cards supporting 10Gb/s Ethernet.
WinOF VPI for Windows
User Manual
Document no. 3280
User Manual describing WinOF features, performance, InfiniBand
diagnostic, tools content and configuration. See http://www.mella-
nox.com => Products => Software => Windows SW/Drivers =>
Mellanox OFED for Windows (WinOF)
Mellanox MLX4_EN Driver for VMware
README
Document no. 3527
User Manual describing MLX4_EN driver for WMware features,
performance, diagnostic, tools content and configuration. See
http://www.mellanox.com => Products => Software => Ethernet
Drivers => VMware Drivers
Performance Tuning Guidelines
for Mellanox Network Adapters
Document no. 3368
Manual describes important tuning parameters and settings that
can improve performance for Mellanox drivers.
IEEE Std 802.3 Specification This is the IEEE Ethernet specification
http://standards.ieee.org/getieee802
PCI Express 3.0 Specifications Industry Standard PCI Express 3.0 Base and Card Electromechan-
ical Specifications

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Technical Support
Customers who purchased Mellanox products directly from Mellanox are invited to contact us
through the following methods.
•URL:http://www.mellanox.com => Support
• E-mail: [e-mail]
• Tel: [phone]
Customers who purchased Mellanox M-1 Global Support Services, please see your contract for
details regarding Technical Support.
Customers who purchased Mellanox products through a Mellanox approved reseller should first
seek assistance through their reseller.
Firmware and Software Updates
The Mellanox support downloader contains software, firmware and knowledge database infor-
mation for Mellanox products. Access the database from the Mellanox Support web page,
http://www.mellanox.com => Support
or use the following link to go directly to the Mellanox Support Download Assistant page,
http://www.mellanox.com/supportdownloader/.

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1 Introduction
This is the User Guide for Mellanox Technologies Ethernet adapter cards based on the Con-
nectX®-3 EN integrated circuit device. These adapters connectivity provide the highest perform-
ing and most flexible interconnect solution for PCI Express Gen3 servers used in Enterprise Data
Centers, High-Performance Computing, and Embedded environments
This chapter covers the following topics:
•Section 1.1, “Product Overview,” on page 11
•Section 1.2, “Features and Benefits,” on page 12
•Section 1.3, “Operating Systems/Distributions,” on page 12
•Section 1.4, “Connectivity,” on page 13
1.1 Product Overview
The following tables provide the ordering part number, port speed, number of ports, and PCI
Express speed. Each adapter comes with two bracket heights - short and tall.
Table 3 - Single and Dual 10 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter Cards
Ordering Part Number (OPN) MCX31[2/1]A-XCBT
MCX312B-XCBT
Data Transmission Rate 10GbE
Number of ports MCX312[A/B]-XCBT: dual-port QSFP+
MCX311A-XCBT: single-port QSFP+
PCI Express SERDES Speed PCIe 3.0 x4/x8 8GT/s
RoHS R6
Adapter IC Part Number MT27518A1-FCCR-XE
Device ID (decimal) 4099 for Physical Function
4100 for Virtual Function

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1.2 Features and Benefits
1.3 Operating Systems/Distributions
• Citrix XenServer 6.1
• Novell SLES, Red Hat Enterprise Linux(RHEL), and other Linux distributions
Table 4 - Features
PCI Express (PCIe) Uses PCIe Gen 3.0 (1.1 and 2.0 compatible) through anx4 or x8 edge connector
up to 8GT/s
10 Gigabit Ethernet Mellanox adapters comply with the following IEEE 802.3* standards:
IEEE Std 802.3-2008 Ethernet
IEEE Std 802.3ae 10 Gigabit Ethernet
IEEE Std 802.3ad Link Aggregation and Failover
Memory PCI Express - stores and accesses InfiniBand and/or Ethernet fabric connection
information and packet data
SPI - includes one 16Mb SPI Flash device (M25PX16-VMN6P device by ST
Microelectronics)
EEPROM - accessible through the I2C-compatible interface. The EEPROM
capacity is 4Kb.
RDMA over Converged
Ethernet (RoCE)
Leveraging Data Center Bridging capabilities, RoCE provides efficient low
latency RDMA services over Layer 2 Ethernet.
CPU offload Adapter functionality enabling reduced CPU overhead allowing more available
CPU
GPUDirect RDMA
Using GPUDirect RDMA, adapters can directly read and write CUDA host and
device memory, eliminating unnecessary system memory copies and CPU over-
head, resulting in significant performance improvements.
Sockets Acceleration Applications utilizing TCP/UDP/IP transport can achieve industry leading
throughput over InfiniBand or 10 or 40GbE. The hardware-based stateless offload
engines in ConnectX-3 reduce the CPU overhead of IP packet transport. Sockets
acceleration software further increases performance for latency sensitive applica-
tions.
Quality of Service (QoS) Support for port-based Quality of Service enabling various application require-
ments for latency and SLA
Hardware-based I/O
virtualization
ConnectX-3 provides dedicated adapter resourcesand guaranteed isolation and
protection for virtual machines within the server.
SR-IOV
ConnectX-3 Pro SR-IOV technology provides dedicated adapter resources and
guaranteed isolation and protection for virtual machines (VM) within the server.
I/O virtualization with ConnectX-3 Pro gives data center managers better server
utilization while reducing cost, power, and cable complexity.
Storage Acceleration
A consolidated compute and storage network achieves significant cost-perfor-
mance advantages over multi-fabric networks. Standard block and
file access protocols can leverage InfiniBand RDMA for high-performance stor-
age access.

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• Microsoft Windows Server 2008/2012
• OpenFabrics Enterprise Distribution (OFED)
• OpenFabrics Windows Distribution (WinOF)
• Ubuntu 12.04
• VMware ESXi 4.x and 5.x
1.4 Connectivity
• Interoperable with InfiniBand or 10/40 Gb Ethernet switches.
• Interoperable with 56GbE Mellanox Switches.
• Passive copper cable with ESD protection
• Powered connectors for optical and active cable support
• QSFP to SFP+ connectivity through QSA module

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2 Interfaces
Each adapter card includes the following interfaces:
• “Ethernet SFP+ Interface”
• “PCI Express Interface”
• “I2C-compatible Interface”
• “LED Interface”
Figure 1: MCX312A-XCBT Card

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Figure 2: MCX312B-XCBT Card
Figure 3: MCX311A-XCAT Card
The adapter cards include special circuits to protect from ESD shocks to the card/server when
plugging copper cables.
2.1 Ethernet SFP+ Interface
The network ports of the ConnectX®-3 adapter cards are compliant with the IEEE 802.3 Ether-
net standards listed in Table 4, “Features,” on page 12. The SFP+ port has one Tx/Rx pair of
SerDes. Ethernet traffic is transmitted through the cards' SFP+ connectors.

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2.2 PCI Express Interface
The ConnectX®-3 adapter cards support PCI Express 3.0 (1.1 and 2.0 compatible) through an x4
or x8 edge connector. The device can be either a master initiating the PCI Express bus operations
or a slave responding to PCI bus operations. The following lists the PCIe interface features:
• PCIe Base 3.0 compliant, 1.1 and 2.0 compatible
• 2.5, 5.0, or 8.0GT/s link rate x8
• Auto-negotiates to x8, x4, x2, or x1
• Support for MSI/MSI-X mechanisms
2.3 I2C-compatible Interface
A three-pin header on the adapter cards is provided as the I2C-compatible interface. See
Figure 13, “Mechanical Drawing of the Dual-port MCX312A-XCBT Adapter Card,” on page 51.
for the location on the board.
2.4 LED Interface
There are two I/O LEDs per port. For LED specifications please refer to Figure 13, “Mechanical
Drawing of the Dual-port MCX312A-XCBT Adapter Card,” on page 51.

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3 Hardware Installation
3.1 System Requirements
3.1.1 Hardware
A system with a PCI Express x4 or x8 slot is required for installing the card.
3.1.2 Operating Systems/Distributions
Please refer to Section 1.3, “Operating Systems/Distributions,” on page 12.
3.1.3 Software Stacks
Mellanox OpenFabric software package - MLNX_EN for Linux, WinOF for Windows and ESX
5.1 for VMware. See Chapter 4, “Driver Installation”.
3.2 Safety Precautions
1. Remove any metallic objects from your hands and wrists.
2. Make sure to use only insulated tools.
3. Verify that the system is powered off and is unplugged.
4. It is strongly recommended to use an ESD strap or other antistatic devices.
3.3 Pre-installation Checklist
1. Verify that your system meets the hardware and software requirements stated above.
2. Shut down your system if active.
3. After shutting down the system, turn off power and unplug the cord.
4. Remove the card from its package. Please note that the card must be placed on an antistatic
surface.
5. Check the card for visible signs of damage. Do not attempt to install the card if damaged.
3.4 Bracket Installation Instructions
The card is usually shipped with a tall bracket installed. If this form factor is suitable for your
requirements, you can skip the remainder of this section and move to Section 3.5, “Card Installation
Instructions,” on page 20. If you need to replace it with the short bracket that is included in the
shipping box, please follow the instructions in this section.
To replace the bracket you will need the following parts:
• The new bracket of the proper height
• One new gasket
The adapter is being installed in a system that operates with voltages that can be lethal.
Before opening the case of the system, observe the following precautions to avoid
injury and prevent damage to system components.

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• The 2 screws saved from the removal of the bracket
• The 2 fiber washers saved from the removal of the bracket
3.4.1 Removing the Existing Bracket
Figure 4: Bracket Screws
1. Remove the two screws holding the bracket in place. The bracket comes loose from the card.
2. Save the two screws and the two fiber washers.
3.4.2 Installing the New Bracket
Note: Due to risk of damaging the EMI gasket, it is not recommended to replace the bracket
more than three times.
1. Place the bracket onto the card until the screw holes line up. See Figure 5.
2. Screw on the bracket using the screws and washers saved from the bracket removal proce-
dure above.
Be careful not to put stress on the LEDs.
Do not force the bracket onto the card. You may have to gently push the LEDs using a
small screwdriver to align the LEDs with the holes in the bracket.
Screws

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Figure 5: Placing the Bracket on the Card (MCX312A-XCBT)
Figure 6: Placing the Bracket on the Card (MCX312B-XCBT)

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Figure 7: Placing the Bracket on the Card (MCX311A-XCAT)
3. Make sure that the LEDs are aligned onto the bracket holes.
4. Use a torque driver to apply up to 2 lbs-in torque on the screws.
3.5 Card Installation Instructions
1. Before installing the card, make sure that the system is off and the power cord is not con-
nected to the server. Please follow proper electrical grounding procedures.
2. Open the system case.
3. Place the adapter in an available PCI Express slot.
4. Applying even pressure at both corners of the card, insert the adapter card into the slot until it
is firmly seated. When the adapter is properly seated, the adapter port connectors are aligned
with the slot opening, and the adapter faceplate is visible against the system chassis.
5. Secure the adapter with the adapter clip or screw.
6. Close the system case.
A lesser width adapter can be seated into a greater width slot (x4 in a x8), but a greater
width adapter cannot be seated into a lesser width slot (x8 in a x4). Align the adapter
connector edge with the PCI Express connector slot.
Do not use excessive force when seating the card, as this may damage the system or
the adapter.