Yes, I have been told that exact same thing, however that doesn't seem to be the case. The cards/adapters definitely don't work in a normal PCIe 3.0 slot. The pin-outs are definitely different, although HP doesn't give/post any type of documentation as to how they wired the pinouts on their Mellanox cards, or what the pinouts actually are/might be.they are supposed to function as x4 nic's in a normal slot (in theory) but that seems to be a theory that hasn't been tested (or you just tested it for us).
Nobody at HP even seems to know, and everyone I spoke with (from HP) said that they are in fact normal PCIe 3.0 x8 adapters (that will in fact work in a normal PCIe 3.0 x8 slot). Which clearly is not the case. Every HP rep that I spoke with was reading EXACTLY what was on their HP website, which wasn't very helpful and then trying to make "educated guesses" based on what was posted on the HP website, but even everyone at HP Sales and HP Technical Sales thought that standard "PCIe 3.0 x8" means "Standard PCIe 3.0 x8" and said that it should work.
Well, I can confirm that it doesn't work. I can also confirm that my Dell systems are now stuck in an endless rebooting loop. With lights 1/3/4 always on (meaning System Board/Hardware failure). So yes, the Dell server mainboards are probably toast.
Although I can't find ANY specific information on the Mellanox/HP 649282-B21 (MCX354A-FCBT) adapter card pinouts, it does seem that the pinouts are in fact different (not standard PCIe 3.0 x8 pinouts), and it does seem that the Dell mainboards (and possibly even the three adapter cards?) are definitely damaged.
It didn't occur to anyone at HP to just use a proprietary Mezzanine card connector/adapter if they are going to create proprietary mezzanine cards/adapters, instead of using a STANDARD PCIe 3.0 connector (that fits into a standard PCIe 3.0 slot) and then attempt to just rewire the pinouts? Which seems to create a LOT of confusion among customers, HP Sales staff, HP Technical Support Staff, and HP Engineers who don't even seem to know what the correct answer even is? (Everyone said that the cards are standard PCIe 3.0 x8 adapters and SHOULD work in a standard PCIe 3.0 x8 slot). One HP Sales/Technical rep told me to use an x16 PCIe 3.0 slot (even though it was only an x8 adapter card) because he said extra buffers were assigned to an x16 slot that would cause the card to perform better. (I'd never head of such a crazy thing, but coming from an HP Sales/Technical rep it's not that surprising).
It was a VERY EXPENSIVE experiment, but yes I can confirm that the adapter cards are definitely different (probably different pin-outs) and they do NOT work in a standard PCIe 3.0 slot, and it does seem that they can/might/will damage your mainboard (and/or possibly even the Mellanox/HP 649282-B21 / MCX354A-FCBT adapter card).
HP seems to believe that the cards will work in a normal PCIe 3.0 x8 slot. It would be extremely helpful if someone (outside of HP) could actually CONFIRM this. Based on what I have tried, the answer is "NO, they do NOT work in a normal PCIe 3.0 x8 slot". Also as far as I can tell "No, they do NOT seem to be wired as a standards-compliant PCIe 3.0 adapter". [If that were the case, then yes they probably would have worked in a normal PCIe 3.0 slot]
It would be nice if HP would at least post the hardware specifications (with exact pinouts) of the adapter cards. So people could at least check/read/see firsthand without having to rely on foolish/ignorant HP Sales Reps (that are only GUESSING based on what they are reading on their own HP Sales Website). HP really didn't do much to educate their Sales Reps, and if that's all they can do is read off of a computer screen (and tell me that they believe that they are in fact STANDARD PCIe x8 Mellanox Adapters and WILL work in a standard PCIe 3.0 slot). That doesn't score many points with "good HP sales reps". The EIGHT HP Sales Reps that I spoke with, all believed that the cards were in fact standard PCIe 3.0 x8 adapters and that they would/should in fact work in a standard PCIe 3.0 x8 slot.
Nobody at HP (not even on the technical side) seems to even know the pinouts (even after I contacted them and told them about the situation). They seemed shocked by it, and they don't believe that the pinouts are any different on their FlexLOM/non-flexLOM adapters, and two people insisted that they are wired exactly the same as a standard PCIe 3.0 x8 slot, so there shouldn't be any problems.
NOBODY can even come up with documentation showing the pinouts, and nobody at HP is even sure of what the pinouts even are. I'll probably have to contact Mellanox, because HP Technical Sales Reps seem fairly useless, and they don't seem to have any resources available to them (technical specifications/documentation) and I did a search on Mellanox's website and I can't seem to find anything on Mellanox website, it keeps referring me to HP Sales for documentation (because apparently it's an HP part number, not a Mellanox part number). It was built (by Mellanox) for HP.
I was hoping that maybe it was just non-standard HP firmware, but it seems now (after trying it) that it's probably different pinouts/wiring, but nobody at HP seems to even know/understand that. There doesn't seem to be ANY technical documentation on HP's website (or available to HP Sales/Technical Reps) so nobody can even send me a technical manual or ANYTHING on the adapters, showing the pinout wiring, or the FlexLOM specification.
I've asked FOURTEEN different times (since Friday) on HP's exact pinout specification for "FlexLOM" and nobody at HP seems to even know, or even have an answer. The simple answer is "HP doesn't KNOW". Their sales reps don't know, their Technical Sales reps don't know, and I don't think any of their HP engineers even know (since there doesn't seem to be any HP documentation written on/about it).
It would be extremely helpful if someone at HP could dig up a copy of an HP/Mellanox technical manual that showed the exact pinouts of the Mellanox/HP adapter, and the pinouts for the "FlexLOM" specification. Nobody at HP can seem to find anything on the Mellanox/HP 649282-B21 / MCX354A-FCBT adapter card pinouts or the FlexLOM specification.
That's what every single HP Sales and HP Technical Sales rep has already told me so far. That it should/will run in a normal PCIe 3.0 x8 slot (possibly in an x8 or x4 mode).well it is thought that it might run as pci-e x4 in a pci-e x8 3.0 slot - but I doubt it would perform that well in pci-e 2.0 at all
I'm not doubting that, I'm sure there probably are some great HP Sales Reps out there, but UNFORTUNATELY I can probably read the HP website just as well as they can... ;-)Just remember there are some really good hp sales rep's on this forum.
That's what every single HP Sales and HP Technical Sales rep has already told me thus far. That it should/will run in a normal PCIe 3.0 x8 slot (possibly in an x8 or x4 mode).well it is thought that it might run as pci-e x4 in a pci-e x8 3.0 slot - but I doubt it would perform that well in pci-e 2.0 at all
It doesn't really help when HP's own website even says this:
PCI express compatibility - Compatible with x8 and x16 PCI Express slots
- When installed in a x8 or x16 slot, the adapter will operate at the x4 speed.
It would be extremely helpful if HP could could actually post the link to an HP/Mellanox Technical Manual that shows the exact wiring/pinouts of the Mellanox/HP 649282-B21 / MCX354A-FCBT adapter card pinouts and/or the FlexLOM specification. So that consumers can actually make an "informed" decision, based on a technical manual, instead of listening to HP Sales/Technical Reps (who don't seem to even know the exact pinouts of either the adapter or the FlexLOM specification).
PCIe Standard Pinouts can be found here: PCI Express - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
But HP claims that their cards are in fact STANDARD PCIe 3.0 x8 Adapters, but I've been unable to get a single Sales Rep or Technical Sales Rep (or even an engineer) to send me a document showing the exact pinouts of the Mellanox/HP 649282-B21 / MCX354A-FCBT adapter card and/or the FlexLOM specification.
HP should at least publish their pinouts in a technical paper (if they are in fact different than a standard PCIe 3.0 connector). HP should make that paper available to ALL HP Sales staff and HP Technical staff and HP Engineers (as well as HP Customers) so that we can actually see whether the pinouts are in fact the same (or not) and what damage the adapter card might/will cause to the motherboard.
Based on HP Sales and Technical Sale's "guessing" they've been wrong 22 out of 22 times so far.
It would be helpful if they could at least post some WRITTEN technical documents (if the HP/Mellanox adapters are in fact NOT PCIe 3.0 x8 standards compliant).
Clearly since I'm not the ORIGINAL OP of this thread, and only stumbled upon this thread by ACCIDENT, that others must be quite confused by the "FlexLOM" PCIe 3.0 x8 standard as well.Sorry then for incorrect post.
I just found these FlexLOM slot are the PCIe 3.0 x8 or x16, But as i see, so i found a little informations.
I've spoke with 22 HP Reps during the past two weeks, and nobody is quite sure whether the adapters will (or will not) work, their original guess was that the adapters WOULD in fact work, but now after I have tried it, they are not quite sure and nobody at HP seems to know/understand why (is it a firmware issue? Can the cards be reflashed to work with a normal PCIe slot? Is it a mechanical pinout issue?)
It certainly doesn't help when HP's own website even says this:
PCI express compatibility - Compatible with x8 and x16 PCI Express slots
- When installed in a x8 or x16 slot, the adapter will operate at the x4 speed.
I still can't get anyone at HP to even come up with an answer, or provide any type of documentation on the technical specifications of the cards (pinouts, etc.) so that this can in fact be confirmed. HP Sales Reps seem to just be guessing and grabbing at straws and they will say ANYTHING to make a sale, but I'm just asking for WRITTEN technical documentation so that we can figure out whether these adapters are in fact PCIe 3.0 x8 standards-compliant, or whether they are not PCIe 3.0 x8 (standards compliant) adapters, and whether HP somehow modified the pinouts of the Mellanox/HP 649282-B21 / MCX354A-FCBT adapter cards (without publishing the technical details or the pinouts of their new "FlexLOM" standard). Which seems to be what is confusing people.
Apparently it's confusing enough that the OP published this thread (that I even happened to stumble upon while doing a search on the adapter card and PCIe compatibility).
Hopefully HP will come forward and post the technical specifications/details of their Mellanox/HP 649282-B21 / MCX354A-FCBT adapter cards and the pinouts on their "FlexLOM" PCIe 3.0 standard.
Yep, as an HP Customer, I just love being HP's guinea pig. ;-)they are supposed to function as x4 nic's in a normal slot (in theory) but that seems to be a theory that hasn't been tested (or you just tested it for us).
Hopefully HP will come forward and post the written technical specifications/details of their Mellanox/HP 649282-B21 / MCX354A-FCBT adapter cards and the pinouts on their "FlexLOM" PCIe 3.0 standard, so we can actually figure out the WHO/HOW/WHAT/WHY as to why it didn't work. I'm guessing that HP probably rewired the PCIe pinouts, but it's still unclear (without any documentation) what those exact pinouts are (at this point). Nobody at HP seems to know, and hopefully someone can post the technical details/specifications/wiring schematics/diagrams or at least pinout details of the Mellanox/HP 649282-B21 / MCX354A-FCBT adapter cards and the HP "FlexLOM" PCIe 3.0 standard.
If it is a "standard" then there should be technical documents outlining that standard, and telling customers/engineers exactly what that standard is. HP should also choose a different adapter connector form factor instead of using a standard PCIe connector (and re-wiring the pins) to avoid future confusion (among Customers, Sales Reps and Technical Sales Reps).
That's exactly what I was told by every HP Sales Reps that I spoke with.Hopefully the cards did not do any damage to your motherboards, they are supposed to function as x4 nic's in a normal slot (in theory)
That's NOT exactly what I was hoping to hear.but that seems to be a theory that hasn't been tested (or you just tested it for us).
The PCIe pinout pitch and pinout spacing on the HP/Mellanox adapter cards seems to be identical. There doesn't seem to be any way for an HP Sales Rep (or Technical Sales Rep) or even an HP customer to visually tell (if HP did in fact re-wire the pins). Without having some WRITTEN HP Technical documentation explaining the detailed pinout diagrams for the adapter and technical documentation on the "FlexLOM" PCIe 3.0 "standard" pinout documentation.
Here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/jg4ht5xu5s2uwce/P1070431.jpg
Here: https://www.dropbox.com/sc/9ozamf8ta8z67d1/5qLRGf3YaS
Here: https://www.dropbox.com/sc/aqxkyzxrc7ev1ul/7h04CEI3z3
Well, it was a VERY EXPENSIVE test. I'd honestly prefer if HP was actually testing/publishing written technical documents (with technical hardware pinout specifications), instead of relying on their HP customers to scratch their heads and be the guinea pigs.but that seems to be a theory that hasn't been tested (or you just tested it for us).