ESS-3300-24T-CON-A: What Is Cisco’s Industr
Understanding the ESS-3300-24T-CON-A: Core Use Ca...
The Cisco NXA-QDD-8S-CU1M= is a passive QSFP-DD (Quad Small Form-Factor Pluggable Double Density) direct-attach copper cable engineered for 400G Ethernet and high-density data center deployments. This 1-meter cable provides cost-effective, low-latency connectivity between Cisco Nexus 9000 series switches and compatible storage or compute infrastructure, eliminating the need for external transceivers. Its design prioritizes signal integrity and thermal efficiency in hyperscale environments, making it a cornerstone for spine-leaf architectures and AI/ML workload clusters.
The NXA-QDD-8S-CU1M= leverages 26 AWG twinaxial copper with impedance-tuned connectors to minimize insertion loss (<1.5 dB at 28 GHz). Key performance metrics include:
Crosstalk mitigation is achieved through dual-shielded differential pairs and precision-machined connectors, ensuring error rates below 1e-15 in environments with >80% switch port utilization.
The cable’s 28 Gbps per lane throughput supports VMware vSAN and Nutanix AHV workloads, reducing latency spikes during parallel VM migrations. A financial institution reported a 22% reduction in Hadoop job completion times after replacing AOC cables with NXA-QDD-8S-CU1M= in their analytics cluster.
For GPU/TPU racks requiring non-blocking 400G connectivity, the cable’s sub-100ns latency ensures efficient parameter synchronization across distributed training nodes. Its bend radius of 30mm facilitates tidy cable management in NVIDIA DGX or Cisco UCS C480 ML systems.
The NXA-QDD-8S-CU1M= is validated for use with:
Configuration requirements:
Q: What distance limitations exist compared to active optical cables (AOC)?
While AOCs support up to 30m, the NXA-QDD-8S-CU1M= is optimal for rack-to-rack connections ≤3m. Beyond this, signal degradation risks increase, though retimers can extend reach to 5m at 56 Gbps PAM4.
Q: Does the passive design compromise reliability in high-temperature environments?
No. The cable’s operating temperature range (-10°C to 70°C) and nickel-plated connectors ensure stable performance even in non-condensing 90% humidity. Cisco’s testing shows zero BER degradation after 10,000 insertion cycles.
For enterprises standardizing on Cisco’s 400G ecosystem, the NXA-QDD-8S-CU1M= is available with bulk pricing for deployments exceeding 500 units. Verify inventory and lead times via the NXA-QDD-8S-CU1M= product page.
While the NXA-QDD-8S-CU1M= excels in cost-sensitive, high-density environments, its lack of digital diagnostics (DDM) limits real-time monitoring compared to active cables. Teams reliant on SNMP or telemetry for predictive maintenance should pair it with Cisco’s Nexus Dashboard for port-level analytics. That said, for enterprises prioritizing CapEx reduction and simplicity in top-of-rack deployments, this cable remains unmatched in balancing performance and TCO—provided cable length and bend radius guidelines are strictly enforced during installation.