3D printable full height PCIe bracket for Mellanox ConnectX-3 / HP 544QSFP 649281-B21

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pinchies

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Apr 8, 2018
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3D Printed PCIe full height bracket

I bought half height cards by mistake, and needed some full height pcie brackets. So I made these up in solidworks, and 3D printed them. Hope this helps somebody out there.

Works on the Mellanox ConnectX-3, which also has product numbers HP 544QSFP 649281-B21. It might work on other cards, or if you send me the dimensions I can tweak it for other cards as well.

Download here: Full Height Bracket for QSFP PCIe Network Adapter (HP/Mellanox 649281-B21 Infiniband)



Flashing firmware on HP 544QSFP 649281-B21

Also for those having trouble with the HP 544QSFP 649281-B21 not detecting any connection while the link lights are on, try updating the firmware. There are a lot of broken links, but I did not need to flash the generic firmware - the latest HP firmware worked great for me.

I found the guides super confusing... but it was actually easy when I figured out the process. Regardless of whether you want the generic firmware or not, you can still update the HP firmware first and try it out...

Download the latest HP firmware bin file here:
Drivers & Software - HPE Support Center.

Download and install the firmware flashing software here for windows (bottom of page):
http://www.mellanox.com/page/management_tools

and then run from an elevated cmd prompt:
flint -d /dev/mst/mt4099_pci_cr0 -i <path to bin file> burn
 
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Spinman

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Apr 21, 2018
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Very nice...

I'm trying to track down full height brackets for MCX311A-XCAT Mellanox Connectx-3 single port SFP+ NIC and was wondering if this would work for my application (if the 2nd port hole was filled in) - or are there other differences as well (such as light port size and position) and (Infiniband vs SFP port positioning and dimensions)?
 
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pinchies

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Unfortunately I don't own any other cards. However, the easy way to find out would be to compare images of the half-height cards - if the single-port card port is in the same position as one of the ports on the double-port, half-height cards, or if the single port cards have a blank space on the PCB where the second port would go, then I would imagine it would be very likely that this bracket would fit. Otherwise, if you let me know some kind of dimensional reference, I can make a STL file for your card too.
 
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JustinClift

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Although this thread is getting a bit old now, it's still probably worth pointing out that Mellanox has the 3D cad files for many of their current cards (including the brackets) available for download:

http://www.mellanox.com/page/3d_models

Using the measurements in those, I've been able model full height brackets for my old MHGH28-XTC and MHQH19B-XTR cards, then cut them out on my workbench CNC machine.

Initial one (left side) was cut from 0.75mm aluminium sheet. The one on the right is 0.75mm stainless steel.

DSCN0134_v1.JPG

These two are both 0.75mm stainless steel:

DSCN0006_v2.JPG

Seems a lot more solid than the 3D printed versions I'd been using previously. :)
 
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JustinClift

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No worries at all. :)

Only remembered them after modeling the first cad file by hand a few days ago. Cut that first one from aluminium then thought... "hang on a sec, didn't Mellanox start publishing their cad files after I uploaded a bracket .stl to their Community site a few years ago?". ;)

Went looking, and yep, found 'em. That made the subsequent modelling for the MHQH19B a bunch easier and more accurate. :)
 
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JustinClift

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Interestingly, these brackets perfectly fit the MCX353A-FCCT (ConnectX-3 Pro, single port) too. I wonder if that means Mellanox are somewhat standardising on their PCB and bracket layouts these days?

As an aside, does anyone know what the thread pitch is for the screws on stock Mellanox card brackets? The screws to hold the bracket to the card are very close to standard M3 in physical dimensions, but the thread pitch is wrong. So, M3 screws won't go on.

If I can figure out what the thread pitch is, I could match the hole in the stock Mellanox cards too so even the screws would be interchangeable. :)
 
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JustinClift

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Thought I did, but looking just now I can't see them anywhere. :(

My best guess is they're on one of my old systems in storage overseas. So, not available at the moment.

If you're any good with 3D modelling, you could adapt the Mellanox 3D models (above). It'll take some time, but will work eventually. :)
 
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efschu3

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Mar 11, 2019
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Does someone has a model of a full height bracket for the ConnectX-4 QSFP dualport?

I would like to print it rather then buy it much overpriced.
 
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JustinClift

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I wish. MellanoxNvidia doesn't seem to be making the 3d models available any more, which is extremely unfortunate. :(
 
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efschu3

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Yes but CX-4 existed before the bought

So maybe someone has laying them around.

I mean, where to ask, if not here :)
 
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JustinClift

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Oh wow. I just had an idea of a different old archive they might be in... and I found a whole bunch of them. I'll throw them online somewhere in a few minutes.
 
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