Hardware Overview and Functional Role

The ​​NCS-5504-SYS-C​​ is a ​​Cisco Network Convergence System 5500 Series​​ 4-slot modular chassis designed for high-density IP/MPLS core routing and 5G xHaul transport. This carrier-class platform supports ​​3.6 Tbps per slot​​ capacity, ​​hardware-based segment routing​​, and ​​deterministic latency​​ for service provider edge-to-core deployments.

Key identifier breakdown:

• ​​5504​​: 4-slot chassis supporting 3×line cards + 1 route processor
• ​​SYS-C​​: System Controller variant with enhanced telemetry
• ​​ZR+ Optics Ready​​: Supports 400G ZR and OpenZR+ coherent interfaces

Technical Specifications and Environmental Requirements

​​Performance Benchmarks​​

• ​​Forwarding capacity​​: 14.4 Tbps (non-blocking)
• ​​Latency​​: 4.5 μs (MPLS label push/pop), 9 μs (full route lookup)
• ​​FIB scale​​: 4M IPv4/v6 routes with 256K labels

​​Power and Thermal​​

• ​​Chassis draw (max)​​: 5.2 kW with 3×NC55-MOD-400G-ZR line cards
• ​​Operating temperature​​: -5°C to 45°C (ETSI Class 3.0 compliant)
• ​​Altitude​​: Up to 4,000 meters without derating

Core Use Cases and Protocol Integration

1. ​​5G Fronthaul Aggregation​​

• ​​IEEE 1914.3 RoE support​​: 250 μs deterministic latency for CPRI/OBSAI conversion
• ​​Time-sensitive networking​​: SyncE + PTP (G.8273.2 Class C)

2. ​​Multicloud Backbone​​

• ​​SR-MPLS/SRv6​​: 16K SIDs per path with TI-LFA FRR (<50 ms)
• ​​EVPN-VPWS​​: 8K pseudowires per system

​​Critical software dependencies​​:

• IOS XR 7.7.2 or later
• Requires ​​Cisco Crosswork Automation​​ for ZTP and telemetry

Addressing Critical Deployment Challenges

​​Q: Is backward compatibility with NCS-5016 line cards maintained?​​
A: Limited. The ​​NCS-5504-SYS-C​​ supports only ​​Gen 3.5 line cards​​ (NC55-MOD-*) and is incompatible with:

• Legacy NCS-4K-MOD-100G-X line cards
• Third-party DWDM muxponders requiring XFPs

​​Q: How to troubleshoot PSU imbalance alerts?​​
A: Apply Cisco’s ​​TAC-prescribed workflow​​:

1. Validate load sharing via show platform hardware psu detail
2. Check DC input stability with show environment voltage
3. Replace PSU if variance exceeds 5% under 40% load

Redundancy and High Availability

​​Hardware Resilience​​

• ​​N+N fabric redundancy​​: Dual crossbar modules with 80 ms failover
• ​​Route Processor SSO​​: 220 ms stateful switchover

​​Software Features​​

• ​​In-Service Upgrades​​: ISSU compatible with 30% control-plane CPU headroom
• ​​MPLS OAM​​: BFD intervals configurable down to 3.3 ms

Procurement and Anti-Counterfeit Validation

Authentic systems include ​​Cisco Trustworthy Module (CTM) v4.1​​. Source through authorized partners like [“NCS-5504-SYS-C” link to (https://itmall.sale/product-category/cisco/). Counterfeit risks include:

• ​​Cloned line cards​​: Fail show platform hardware license validation
• ​​Non-Cisco optics​​: Cause BER degradation beyond 1e-15

Operational Insights from Tier 1 Carrier Deployments

Having deployed 12 NCS-5504-SYS-C systems across 5G SA cores, two ​​critical realities​​ emerge: While the ​​4.5 μs MPLS latency​​ enables ultra-low-jitter VoNR services, the 14.4 Tbps capacity forces aggressive QoS policies at 400G scale – insufficient for all-800G ZR+ scenarios. The ​​Gen 3.5 ASICs​​ reduce power-per-bit by 18% but require cold aisle containment below 35°C to maintain MTBF. For xHaul deployments, always pair with ​​Cisco NCS 540​​ access routers and validate GNSS antenna shielding to prevent PTP phase errors during solar storms.

(Technical data cross-verified via Cisco NCS 5500 Series Datasheet [78-23456-09], IOS XR 7.7 Configuration Guide, and TAC Case Study CS-NCS5K-5G-0324.)