JG331A-BCC | Aruba Compatible 40GB QSFP to 4 x 10GB SFP+ Direct Attach Breakout Cable | 5M

Q: Will this work in place of the Aruba JG331A?
A: Yes. The JG331A-BCC is designed as a plug-and-play replacement for the Aruba JG331A. It meets the same 40GBASE-CR4 and 4x 10GBASE-CU standards, uses identical QSFP+ to 4x SFP+ connectors per MSA specifications, and operates at the same 40Gbps aggregate data rate over 5 meters of passive copper.

Q: Which Aruba and HPE platforms support this cable?
A: This cable works in any Aruba or HPE switch, router, or NIC with a 40G QSFP+ port that supports 40GBASE-CR4, and any device with 10G SFP+ ports supporting 10GBASE-CU. Platform compatibility is determined by the port's support for these standards, not by a specific model whitelist. If your equipment accepts the OEM JG331A, this cable will function identically.

Q: Can I use this cable to connect devices from different vendors, such as an Aruba switch to a Cisco server?
A: Yes. Because this cable complies with industry-standard 40GBASE-CR4 and 10GBASE-CU specifications defined by IEEE, it operates across vendor boundaries. The QSFP+ end can connect to any standards-compliant 40G port, and each of the four SFP+ ends can connect to any standards-compliant 10G port, regardless of manufacturer.

Q: Does this passive cable require additional power or support longer distances than 5 meters?
A: No additional power is required beyond the 3.3V supplied by the host port. Passive DAC cables rely on the signal strength from the transmitter without amplification, which limits reach but eliminates latency and power consumption associated with active cables. For distances beyond 5 meters, an active copper cable (AOC) or fiber optic transceiver pair would be required.

Q: Are all four 10G lanes active simultaneously, and can I populate only some of the SFP+ ports?
A: All four lanes are electrically independent and active when the QSFP+ end is seated. You can use any combination of the four SFP+ connectors; unused lanes remain idle without affecting the active connections. This allows flexible configurations such as connecting the 40G port to one, two, three, or all four 10G devices depending on your topology needs.