Mellanox Technologies MCX353A-FCCT User manual

www.mellanox.com
ConnectX®-3 Pro VPI Single and Dual QSFP+
Port Adapter Card User Manual
P/N:
MCX353A-FCCT, MCX354A-FCCT
Rev 1.5

Document Number: MLNX-15-732
Rev 1.5
Mellanox Technologies
2
Mellanox Technologies
350 Oakmead Parkway Suite 100
Sunnyvale, CA 94085
U.S.A.
www.mellanox.com
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
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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
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AND/OR THE SYSTEM USING IT. THEREFORE, MELLANOX TECHNOLOGIES CANNOT AND DOES NOT
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Mellanox Technologies 3
Table of Contents
Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
List of Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
List of Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Revision History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
1.4 Connectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Chapter 2 Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2.1 InfiniBand Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
2.2 Ethernet Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
2.3 PCI Express Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
2.4 I2C-compatible Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
2.5 LED Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Chapter 3 Hardware Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3.1 System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
3.1.1 Hardware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3.1.2 Operating Systems/Distributions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3.1.3 Software Stacks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3.2 Safety Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
3.3 Pre-installation Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
3.4 Bracket Installation Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
3.4.1 Removing the Existing Bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3.4.2 Installing the New Bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3.5 Card Installation Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
3.6 Cables and Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
3.6.1 Cable Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
3.7 Identify the Card in Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
3.7.1 On Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3.7.2 On Linux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Chapter 4 Driver Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
4.1 Linux Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
4.1.1 Hardware and Software Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
4.1.2 Downloading Mellanox OFED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

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4.1.3 Installing Mellanox OFED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
4.1.3.1 Pre-installation Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
4.1.3.2 Installation Script. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
4.1.3.3 mlnxofedinstall Return Codes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
4.1.3.4 Installation Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
4.1.4 Installation Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
4.1.5 Post-installation Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
4.1.6 Updating Firmware After Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
4.1.7 Uninstalling Mellanox OFED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
4.1.8 Port Type Management on Linux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
4.1.9 Auto Sensing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
4.1.9.1 Enabling Auto Sensing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
4.2 Windows Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
4.2.1 Downloading MLNX_WinOF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
4.2.2 Extracting Files Without Running Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
4.2.3 Installing MLNX_WinOF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
4.2.3.1 Attended Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
4.2.3.2 Unattended Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
4.2.4 Upgrading MLNX_WinOF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
4.2.5 Installation Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
4.2.6 OpenSM Activation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
4.2.7 Uninstalling MLNX_WinOF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
4.2.7.1 Attended Uninstall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
4.2.7.2 Unattended Uninstall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
4.2.8 Assigning Port IP After Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
4.2.9 Port Type Management on Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
4.3 Performance Tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
4.4 VMware Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
4.4.1 Installing Mellanox InfiniBand OFED Driver for VMware vSphere. . . . . . . . . . 53
4.4.2 Uninstalling Mellanox InfiniBand OFED Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
4.5 FlexBoot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Chapter 5 Updating Adapter Card Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Chapter 6 Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
6.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
6.2 Linux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
6.3 Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Chapter 7 Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
7.1 MCX353A-FCCT Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
7.2 MCX354A-FCCT Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
7.3 Adapter Led Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
7.4 Board Mechanical Drawing and Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
7.5 Bracket Mechanical Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
7.6 Regulatory Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Appendix A Interface Connectors Pinout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
A.1 QSFP+ Connector Pinout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

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A.2 PCI Express x8 Connector Pinout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
A.3 I2C-compatible Connector Pinout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Appendix B Finding the GUID/MAC and Serial Number on the Adapter Card . . . . 71
Appendix C Safety Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Appendix D Avertissements de sécurité d’installation (Warnings in French) . . . . . . 74
Appendix E Sicherheitshinweise (Warnings in German) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Appendix F Advertencias de seguridad para la instalación (Warnings in Spanish) . 78

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List of Tables
Table 1: Revision History Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Table 2: Documents List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Table 3: Single and Dual-port FDR Adapter Cards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Table 4: Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Table 5: Software and Hardware Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Table 6: mlnxofedinstall Return Codes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Table 7: Supported ConnectX Port Configurations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Table 8: Software and Hardware Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Table 9: MCX354A-FCCT Specifications Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Table 10: MCX354A-FCCT Specifications Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Table 11: Physical and Logical Link Indications (InfiniBand Mode). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Table 12: Physical and Logical Link Indication (Ethernet Mode) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

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List of Figures
Figure 1: MCX354A-FCCT Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Figure 2: Bracket Screws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Figure 3: EMI Fingers (Example) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Figure 4: Placing the Bracket on the Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Figure 5: PCI Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Figure 6: Support Download Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Figure 7: Mechanical Drawing of the Single-port MCX353A-FCCT Adapter Card . . . . . . . . . . .64
Figure 8: Mechanical Drawing of the Dual-port MCX354A-FCCT Adapter Card . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Figure 9: Dual-port Bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Figure 10: Single-port Bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Figure 11: Connector and Cage Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Figure 12: PCIe Connector Pinout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Figure 13: Compatible Connector Plug and Pinout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Figure 14: Card Product Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71

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Revision History
This document was printed on December 30, 2015.
Table 1 - Revision History Table
Date Rev Comments/Changes
December 2015 1.5 • Updated non-operational temperature in the following specifica-
tions tables:
•Section 7.1,“MCX353A-FCCT Specifications” on page 60.
•Section 7.2,“MCX354A-FCCT Specifications” on page 61
October 2015 1.4 • Updated Device ID. See Product Overview on page 11.
May 2014 1.3 • Added note on bracket replacement. See Section 3.4, “Bracket
Installation Instructions,” on page 16.
April 2014 1.2 • Added Section 4.3, “Performance Tuning,” on page 53
• Added Performance Tuning Guidelines to “Related Documenta-
tion” on page 9
December 2013 1.1 • Added the following note to Chapter 5,“Updating Adapter Card
Firmware” on page 55
- 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 QSFP+ ports in all speci-
fication tables. See Chapter 7,“Specifications” on page 60.
• Updated link to approved cables list in all specification tables.
See Chapter 7,“Specifications” on page 60.
June 2013 1.0 First Release

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About this Manual
This User Manual describes Mellanox Technologies ConnectX®-3 Pro VPI Single and Dual
QSFP+ port PCI Express x8 adapter cards. It provides details as to the interfaces of the board,
specifications, required software and firmware for operating the board, and relevant documenta-
tion.
Intended Audience
This manual is intended for the installer and user of these cards.
The manual assumes basic familiarity with InfiniBand and Ethernet network 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. IB is used in this document
to mean InfiniBand. 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
Mellanox OFED for Linux
User Manual
Document no. 2877
User Manual describing OFED features, performance, InfiniBand
diagnostic, tools content and configuration.See http://www.mella-
nox.com => Products => Software => Linux SW/Drivers => Mel-
lanox OpenFabrics Enterprise Distribution for Linux
(MLNX_OFED)
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
Performance Tuning Guidelines
for Mellanox Network Adapters
Document no. 3368
Manual describes important tuning parameters and settings that
can improve performance for Mellanox drivers.
Mellanox InfiniBand OFED Driver for
VMware vSphere 5.x User Manual
Document no. 3464
User Manual describing OFED driver for VMware features, per-
formance, InfiniBand diagnostic, tools content and configuratio
IBTA Specification Release 1.2.1 InfiniBand Architecture Specification
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: su[email protected]om
• 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 VPI adapter cards based on the ConnectX®-3
Pro VPI integrated circuit device. These adapters connectivity provide the highest performing
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 13
•Section 1.4, “Connectivity,” on page 13
1.1 Product Overview
The following section provides the ordering part number, port speed, number of ports, and PCI
Express speed. Each adapter comes with two bracket heights - short and tall.Single and Dual-port
FDR Adapter Cards.
Table 3 - Single and Dual-port FDR Adapter Cards
Ordering Part Number (OPN) MCX353A-FCCT - single-port card
MCX354A-FCCT - dual-port card
Data Transmission Rate InfiniBand - FDR (56 Gb/s)
Ethernet - 40/56 Gb/s
Network Connector Types single or dual-port QSFP+
PCI Express (PCIe) SerDes Speed PCIe 3.0 x8 8GT/s
RoHS R6
Adapter IC Part Number MT27528A0-FCCR-FV
Device ID (decimal) 4103 for Physical Function
4100 for Virtual Function

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1.2 Features and Benefits
Table 4 - Features
Virtual Protocol
Interconnect (VPI)
VPI-enabled adapters facilitate any standard networking, clustering, storage, and
management protocol to seamlessly operate over any converged network with the
same software infrastructure.
InfiniBand Architecture
Specification v1.2.1
compliant
ConnectX-3 Pro delivers low latency, high bandwidth, and computing efficiency
for performance-driven server and storage clustering applications. ConnectX-3
Pro is InfiniBand Architecture Specification v1.2.1 compliant.
PCI Express (PCIe) Uses PCIe Gen 3.0 (1.1 and 2.0 compatible) through an x8 edge connector up to
8GT/s
10/40/56 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 802.3ba 40 Gigabit Ethernet
IEEE Std 802.3ad Link Aggregation and Failover
InfiniBand FDR A pre-standard InfiniBand data rate, where each lane of a 4X port runs a bit rate
of 14.0625Gb/s with a 64b/66b encoding, resulting in an effective bandwidth of
54.54Gb/s.
InfiniBand FDR10 An InfiniBand transport and link layer running over a physical layer using the
PCS encoding of 64b/66b and a bit rate of 10.3125Gb/s per lane.
InfiniBand QDR A standard InfiniBand data rate, where each lane of a 4X port runs a bit rate of
10Gb/s with an 8b/10b encoding.
Memory
PCI Express - stores and accesses InfiniBand and/or Ethernet fabric connection
information and packet data
SPI - includes one 4MB SPI Flash device (M25PX16-VMN6P device by ST
Microelectronics)
EEPROM - accessible through the I2C-compatible interface. The EEPROM
capacity is 4Kb.
Virtualized Overlay
Networks
ConnectX-3 Pro effectively addresses the increasing demand for an overlay net-
work, enabling superior performance by introducing advanced NVGRE and
VXLAN hardware offload engines that enable the traditional offloads to be per-
formed on the encapsulated traffic. With ConnectX-3 Pro, data center operators
can decouple the overlay network layer from the physical NIC performance, thus
achieving native performance in the new network architecture.
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.

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1.3 Operating Systems/Distributions
• Citrix XenServer 6.1
• RHEL/CentOS 5.X and 6.X, Novell SLES10 SP4;
• SLES11 SP1, SLES 11 SP2, OEL, Fedora 14,15,17, Ubuntu 12.04
• Windows Server 2008/2012
• FreeBSD
• OpenFabrics Enterprise Distribution (OFED)
• OpenFabrics Windows Distribution (WinOF)
• VMware ESXi 4.x and 5.x
1.4 Connectivity
• Interoperable with 10/40GbE 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
• Interoperable with 40/56 Gb/s InfiniBand
• Passive copper cable with ESD protection
Sockets Acceleration
Applications utilizing TCP/UDP/IP transport can achieve industry leading
throughput over InfiniBand or 10/40/56GbE. The hardware-based stateless off-
load engines in ConnectX-3 Pro reduce the CPU overhead of IP packet transport.
Sockets acceleration software further increases performance for latency sensitive
applications.
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 Pro 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.
Table 4 - Features

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2 Interfaces
Each adapter card includes the following interfaces:
• “InfiniBand Interface”
• “Ethernet Interface”
• “PCI Express Interface”
• “I2C-compatible Interface”
• “LED Interface”
Figure 1: MCX354A-FCCT Card
The adapter cards include special circuits to protect from ESD shocks to the card/server when
plugging copper cables.
2.1 InfiniBand Interface
The network ports of the ConnectX®-3 Pro adapter cards are compliant with the InfiniBand Archi-
tecture Specification, Release 1.2.1. InfiniBand traffic is transmitted through the cards' QSFP+ con-
nectors.
2.2 Ethernet Interface
The network ports of the ConnectX®-3 Pro adapter cards are compliant with the IEEE 802.3
Ethernet standards listed in Table 4, “Features,” on page 12. Ethernet traffic is transmitted
through the cards' QSFP+ connectors. For connecting to an SFP+ interface, you can use Mella-
nox QSA (QSFP to SFP+) adapter module (to be ordered separately).

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2.3 PCI Express Interface
The ConnectX®-3 Pro adapter cards support PCI Express 3.0 (1.1 and 2.0 compatible) through
an 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 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
2.4 I2C-compatible Interface
A three-pin header on the adapter cards is provided as the I2C-compatible interface. See Figure 8,
“Mechanical Drawing of the Dual-port MCX354A-FCCT Adapter Card,” on page 65 for the
location on the board.
2.5 LED Interface
There are two I/O LEDs per port. For LED specifications please refer to Section 7.3, “Adapter
Led Operations,” on page 63.

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3 Hardware Installation
3.1 System Requirements
3.1.1 Hardware
A system with a PCI Express 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 13.
3.1.3 Software Stacks
Mellanox OpenFabric software package MLNX_OFED for Linux, WinOF for Windows and
ESX 5.1 for VMware. See Chapter 4,“Driver Installation” on page 22.
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 Installa-
tion Instructions,” on page 18. If you need to replace it with the short bracket that is included in
the shipping box, please follow the instructions in this section.
Note: Due to risk of damaging the EMI gasket, it is not recommended to replace the bracket more
than three times.
To replace the bracket you will need the following parts:
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 new bracket of the proper height
• 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 2: 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
1. Place the bracket onto the card until the screw holes line up. Please make sure to insert the
bracket until the end of the EMI fingers. See Figure 3.
Figure 3: EMI Fingers (Example)
Be careful not to put stress on the LEDs.
Screws

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Mellanox Technologies 18
2. Screw on the bracket using the screws and washers saved from the bracket removal procedure
above.
Figure 4: Placing the Bracket on the Card
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.
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.
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.

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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.
3.6 Cables and Modules
To obtain the list of supported cables for your adapter, please refer to www.mellanox.com => Prod-
ucts => Cables and Transceivers.
3.6.1 Cable Installation
1. All cables can be inserted or removed with the unit powered on.
2. To insert a cable, press the connector into the port receptacle until the connector is firmly
seated.
a. Support the weight of the cable before connecting the cable to the adapter card. Do this by using a cable
holder or tying the cable to the rack.
b. Determine the correct orientation of the connector to the card before inserting the connector. Do not try and
insert the connector upside down. This may damage the adapter card.
c. Insert the connector into the adapter card. Be careful to insert the connector straight into the cage. Do not
apply any torque, up or down, to the connector cage in the adapter card.
d. Make sure that the connector locks in place.
3. After inserting a cable into a port, the Green LED indicator will light when the physical con-
nection is established (that is, when the unit is powered on and a cable is plugged into the port
with the other end of the connector plugged into a functioning port). See Section 7.3,
“Adapter Led Operations,” on page 63.
4. After plugging in a cable, lock the connector using the latching mechanism particular to the
cable vendor. When a logical connection is made the Yellow LED will light. When data is
Do not use excessive force when seating the card, as this may damage the system or
the adapter.
When installing cables make sure that the latches engage.
Always install and remove cables by pushing or pulling the cable and connector in a
straight line with the card.

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Mellanox Technologies 20
being transferred the yellow led will blink. See Section 7.3, “Adapter Led Operations,” on
page 63.
5. Care should be taken as not to impede the air exhaust flow through the ventilation holes. Use
cable lengths which allow for routing horizontally around to the side of the chassis before
bending upward or downward in the rack.
6. To remove a cable, disengage the locks and slowly pull the connector away from the port
receptacle. Both LED indicators will turn off when the cable is unseated.
a. Pull on the latch release mechanism thereby unlatching the connector and pull the connector out of the cage.
b. Do not apply torque to the connector when removing it from the adapter card.
c. Remove any cable supports that were used to support the cable’s weight.
3.7 Identify the Card in Your System
3.7.1 On Windows
1. Open Device Manager on the server. Click start => Run, and then enter “devmgmt.msc”.
2. Expand System Devices and locate your Mellanox ConnectX-3 Pro adapter card.
3. Right click the mouse on your adapter's row and select properties to display the adapter card
properties window.
4. Click the Details tab and select Device Instance Id (Windows 2003) or
Hardware Ids (Windows 2008/R2) from the Properties pull-down menu.
Note: Figure 5 is an example using ConnectX-3 device. This figure will be updated in future
releases.
Figure 5: PCI Device
1. In the Value display box, check the fields VEN and DEV (fields are separated by ‘&’). In the
display example above, notice the sub-string “PCI\VEN_15B3&DEV_1003”: VEN is equal
to 0x15B3 – this is the Vendor ID of Mellanox Technologies; and DEV is equal to 1003 – this
is a valid Mellanox Technologies PCI Device ID.