NVIDIA 980-9I98G-00H01A | 200G to 2x100G QSFP56 Breakout DAC, 1.5m Passive Copper

Q: What is the difference between this passive DAC and an active optical breakout cable?
A: This is a passive copper direct attach cable that requires no power and provides the lowest latency and cost for short 1.5m connections. Active optical cables (AOCs) use fiber optics, consume more power, but support longer distances up to 100m. For rack-internal connections under 3m, passive DACs offer superior performance and value.

Q: Can this cable connect a 200G switch port to two separate 100G devices?
A: Yes, this breakout cable is specifically designed to split one 200Gb/s QSFP56 port into two independent 100Gb/s QSFP56 connections. This is ideal for connecting a 200G uplink port on a spine switch to two 100G server NICs or connecting GPU systems with 100G connectivity to 200G network infrastructure.

Q: Is this cable compatible with both InfiniBand and Ethernet applications?
A: Yes, the 980-9I98G-00H01A supports both InfiniBand HDR (200Gb/s to 2x100Gb/s) and Ethernet (200GbE to 2x100GbE) modes. Compatibility depends on the mode configuration of your NVIDIA ConnectX or BlueField adapters and switch ports. The cable itself is protocol-agnostic at the physical layer.

Q: What devices are compatible with this NVIDIA breakout cable?
A: This cable is validated for NVIDIA ConnectX-6 and ConnectX-7 adapters, BlueField-2 and BlueField-3 DPUs, and NVIDIA Quantum InfiniBand switches with 200G QSFP56 ports. It's also compatible with 100G QSFP56 ports on the breakout ends for connecting to servers, storage systems, and GPU clusters.

Q: Why choose a 1.5m length for data center deployments?
A: The 1.5m length is optimized for top-of-rack to server connections in standard 42U racks, middle-of-row switch deployments, and GPU cluster interconnects. It provides sufficient reach for vertical cable management while minimizing excess cable slack that can obstruct airflow and complicate cable management.