DAC-QSFP-100G-xM-BCC | Dell Compatible QSFP to QSFP Copper Direct-Attach 100GBASE-CR4 Cable | 1 to 5M

Q: Will this work in place of the Dell DAC-QSFP-100G-1M?
A: Yes. The DAC-QSFP-100G-xM-BCC is electrically and mechanically identical to the Dell DAC-QSFP-100G-1M, using the same QSFP28 form factor, 100GBASE-CR4 standard, and passive twinax construction. It is plug-and-play compatible and will initialize correctly in Dell switches that accept the original part.

Q: Which Dell switches support this cable?
A: This cable works in any Dell switch or router with QSFP28 100G ports that comply with the IEEE 802.3bj 100GBASE-CR4 standard. If your Dell platform recognizes the DAC-QSFP-100G-1M or lists QSFP28 100G ports in its datasheet, this cable will function identically.

Q: What is the maximum reach for passive copper at 100 Gbps, and can I mix cable lengths?
A: Passive QSFP28 twinax typically reaches 5 metres at 100 Gbps over 30 AWG copper. Beyond 5M, active cables or optical transceivers are required due to signal attenuation. You can mix 1M, 2M, 3M, and 5M cables freely in the same fabric without compatibility concerns.

Q: Does this cable support InfiniBand EDR, and can I use it in mixed Ethernet and InfiniBand environments?
A: Yes. The cable complies with InfiniBand EDR specifications, which also use four 25 Gbps lanes. You can deploy this cable in converged fabrics where some ports run 100G Ethernet and others run InfiniBand EDR, provided the host adapter or switch supports the protocol you select.

Q: Can I monitor cable health or power consumption through the I2C interface?
A: Yes. The SFF-8636 compliant I2C management interface exposes cable parameters including supply voltage, temperature, and vendor data to the host switch. Unlike optical modules, passive DACs consume minimal power and have no transmit/receive power readings, but you can poll the EEPROM for cable identification and status.