Arista H-O400-4Q100-3M-Arista | 400G OSFP to 4x 100G QSFP28 Active Breakout Cable, 3m

Q: What is the main use case for this breakout cable?
A: This cable allows you to connect one 400G OSFP port on a spine or aggregation switch to four separate 100G QSFP28 ports on leaf switches or servers. It's ideal for data centre spine-to-leaf architectures where you need to break out high-speed 400G connections into multiple 100G links for maximum flexibility and port density.

Q: How does the signal conversion work in this cable?
A: The cable features integrated gearbox circuits at each QSFP28 connector end that automatically convert between the 400G OSFP electrical interface (8x 50G PAM-4 lanes) and the 100G QSFP28 interface (4x 25G NRZ lanes per port). This conversion happens transparently without any configuration required.

Q: Is this cable compatible with QSFP-DD ports as well?
A: This specific model (H-O400-4Q100-3M) is designed with an OSFP connector. Arista also offers an equivalent QSFP-DD version (H-D400-4Q100-3M) for QSFP-DD ports. Ensure you select the correct version based on your switch port type.

Q: What Arista EOS software version is required?
A: This cable requires a minimum of Arista EOS version 4.25.2 or later. Always verify your switch platform and EOS version are compatible before deployment by consulting Arista's transceiver compatibility guide.

Q: Can I use this cable between different vendor equipment?
A: While this cable is designed and tested for Arista switches, active copper cables generally follow industry standards. However, for guaranteed compatibility and support, it's recommended to use vendor-approved cables. Third-party compatible versions may be available but verify compatibility testing has been performed.