ConnectX-2 Lx EN network card and optical transceivers

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gustav

New Member
May 17, 2017
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Hello

Recently ive bought set of two Mellanox ConnectX-2 cards along with 3m cisco twinax cable from one of german ebay sellers and it works ok. Tho i was buying cards mainly for optical transceivers that are going to me from china atm (didnt received them yet). Since i have no experience with sfp+ cards im curious if my cards will work with thoose transceivers (at least in theory). Whats bugging me is that "Lx" adnotation in card description using mlxup command.
Does Lx mean this card can also operate on Long range links but will still work on 10G SR 300m transceivers, or maybe Lx mean it wont work?

Thanks for any help

Transceivers info:
S+85DLC03D MikroTik Compatible SFP+ 10G SR 300M Optical Transceiver module

● Operating data rate up to 10.3Gbps
● 850nm VCESL Transmitter
● Distance up to 300m @50 / 125 um MMF
● Single 3. 3V Power supply and TTL Logic Interface
● Duplex LC Connector Interface, Hot Pluggable
● Compliant with MSA SFP+ Specification SFF-8431
● Compliant with 10G 1200-M5-SN-I and 1200-M6-SN-I FC standard
● Compliant with 8.5G 800-M5-SN-I and 800-M6-SN-I FC standard
● Compliant with 4.25G 400-M5-SN-I and 400-M6-SN-I FC standard
● Compliant with 2.125G 200-M5-SN-I and 200-M6-SN-I FC standard
● Compliant with 1.0625G 100-M5-SN-I and 100-M6-SN-I FC standard
● Compliant with IEEE 802.3ae 10GBASE-SR/SW
● Operating Case Temperature Standard:0℃~+70℃

Applications:
● 10GBASE-SR at 9.953Gbps
● 10GBASE-SW at 10.3125Gbps
● 1000Base-SX Ethernet
● 8x FC at 8.5Gbps
● 4x FC at 4.25Gpbs
● 2x FC at 2.125Gpbs
● 1x FC at 1.0625Gbps
● Other Optical Link


Card info:
C:\WINDOWS\system32>mlxup
Querying Mellanox devices firmware ...

Device #1:
----------

Device Type: ConnectX2
Part Number: MNPA19_A1-A2
Description: ConnectX-2 Lx EN network interface card; single-port SFP+; PCIe2.0 5.0GT/s; mem-free; RoHS R6
PSID: MT_0F60110010
PCI Device Name: mt26448_pci_cr0
Port1 MAC: 0002c9515190
Port2 MAC: 0002c9515191
Versions: Current Available
FW 2.9.1000 N/A
PXE 3.3.0400 N/A

Status: No matching image found
 

PithyChats

Active Member
Feb 3, 2015
173
85
28
Hello

Recently ive bought set of two Mellanox ConnectX-2 cards along with 3m cisco twinax cable from one of german ebay sellers and it works ok. Tho i was buying cards mainly for optical transceivers that are going to me from china atm (didnt received them yet). Since i have no experience with sfp+ cards im curious if my cards will work with thoose transceivers (at least in theory). Whats bugging me is that "Lx" adnotation in card description using mlxup command.
Does Lx mean this card can also operate on Long range links but will still work on 10G SR 300m transceivers, or maybe Lx mean it wont work?

Thanks for any help

Transceivers info:
S+85DLC03D MikroTik Compatible SFP+ 10G SR 300M Optical Transceiver module

● Operating data rate up to 10.3Gbps
● 850nm VCESL Transmitter
● Distance up to 300m @50 / 125 um MMF
● Single 3. 3V Power supply and TTL Logic Interface
● Duplex LC Connector Interface, Hot Pluggable
● Compliant with MSA SFP+ Specification SFF-8431
● Compliant with 10G 1200-M5-SN-I and 1200-M6-SN-I FC standard
● Compliant with 8.5G 800-M5-SN-I and 800-M6-SN-I FC standard
● Compliant with 4.25G 400-M5-SN-I and 400-M6-SN-I FC standard
● Compliant with 2.125G 200-M5-SN-I and 200-M6-SN-I FC standard
● Compliant with 1.0625G 100-M5-SN-I and 100-M6-SN-I FC standard
● Compliant with IEEE 802.3ae 10GBASE-SR/SW
● Operating Case Temperature Standard:0℃~+70℃

Applications:
● 10GBASE-SR at 9.953Gbps
● 10GBASE-SW at 10.3125Gbps
● 1000Base-SX Ethernet
● 8x FC at 8.5Gbps
● 4x FC at 4.25Gpbs
● 2x FC at 2.125Gpbs
● 1x FC at 1.0625Gbps
● Other Optical Link


Card info:
C:\WINDOWS\system32>mlxup
Querying Mellanox devices firmware ...

Device #1:
----------

Device Type: ConnectX2
Part Number: MNPA19_A1-A2
Description: ConnectX-2 Lx EN network interface card; single-port SFP+; PCIe2.0 5.0GT/s; mem-free; RoHS R6
PSID: MT_0F60110010
PCI Device Name: mt26448_pci_cr0
Port1 MAC: 0002c9515190
Port2 MAC: 0002c9515191
Versions: Current Available
FW 2.9.1000 N/A
PXE 3.3.0400 N/A

Status: No matching image found
I am not sure what the Lx means per se, but it is part of the model number for many mellanox cards. I have used these particular cards extensively and can attest to the fact that I've never found a SFP+ that didn't work with these. They can use both SR and LR SFP+s and are generally agnostic as to make and coding. So to answer your question, these definitely work with SR optics. I cannot speak to the specific optics you've ordered, but I suspect they will work.

After some searching it seems that Lx indicates Ethernet only, as opposed to Ethernet and IB per:

Mellanox Adapters - Comparison Table | Mellanox Interconnect Community
 
Last edited:
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gustav

New Member
May 17, 2017
6
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Poznań, Polska
I am not sure what the Lx means per se, but it is part of the model number for many mellanox cards. I have used these particular cards extensively and can attest to the fact that I've never found a SFP+ that didn't work with these. They can use both SR and LR SFP+s and are generally agnostic as to make and coding. So to answer your question, these definitely work with SR optics. I cannot speak to the specific optics you've ordered, but I suspect they will work.
Thanks. Later i will find few more of your posts and give u few more likes mate.

After some searching it seems that Lx indicates Ethernet only, as opposed to Ethernet and IB per:

Mellanox Adapters - Comparison Table | Mellanox Interconnect Community
Found that too, i was curious if it will apply to X-2 since they got X-4 there, one is Eth only, second Infiniband only. We have IB version of X2 but it have QSFP connectors with different part number (MHQH19B) while mine got MNPA19-XTR on sticker [edited] and im interested in optical SR connection.

If its ethernet only then it shouldnt work (but again there is very little info about this particular subject)
 
Last edited:

PithyChats

Active Member
Feb 3, 2015
173
85
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Thanks. Later i will find few more of your posts and give u few more likes mate.



Found that too, i was curious if it will apply to X-2 since they got X-4 there, one is Eth only, second Infiniband only. We have IB version of X2 but it have QSFP connectors with different part number (MHQH19B) while mine got MNPA19-XTR on sticker.

If it is Ethernet only then it shouldn't work (but again there is very little info about this particular subject)
The MNPA19-XTR is a super common card. Are you trying to run IB? Because the MNPA19-XTR is an Ethernet only card; afaik it won't run IB. It will however work with SR optics. What are thinking won't work?
 
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gustav

New Member
May 17, 2017
6
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Poznań, Polska
The MNPA19-XTR is a super common card. Are you trying to run IB? Because the MNPA19-XTR is an Ethernet only card; afaik it won't run IB. It will however work with SR optics. What are thinking won't work?
Hey

I will try to run my MNPA19-XTR A2 cards with SR optical transceivers. Its just that my cards came alot quicker than transceivers (chinese new year break) and i was just curious about that Lx adnotation.
So i will keep my cards and just wait for transceivers (created this topic mainly because still got few days where i can return cards to seller, but dont want to return something that should work).

Thanks
 

i386

Well-Known Member
Mar 18, 2016
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I am not sure what the Lx means per se,
I think up to connectx-2 "lx" was mellanox internal code for "limited" cards.
Later release connectx cards with the "lx" suffix have a smaller interface and "limited bandwidth" (ex: the conectx-4 ethernet cards have only an x8 pci interface and up to 2port 50gbe, the normal en cards use x16 and support up to 2 ports 100gbe)
 

PithyChats

Active Member
Feb 3, 2015
173
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I think up to connectx-2 "lx" was mellanox internal code for "limited" cards.
Later release connectx cards with the "lx" suffix have a smaller interface and "limited bandwidth" (ex: the conectx-4 ethernet cards have only an x8 pci interface and up to 2port 50gbe, the normal en cards use x16 and support up to 2 ports 100gbe)

That makes sense. Thanks!