Detailed Specifications
EXTREME NETWORKS 40G-DACP-QSFP3M - Direct Attach Copper Cable
Overview
The EXTREME NETWORKS 40G-DACP-QSFP3M is an enterprise-grade, passive direct attach copper (DAC) twinaxial cable assembly engineered for top-of-rack (ToR) data center switching deployments, server virtualization clusters, and high-density storage area networks. This short-range copper interconnect establishes immediate line-rate link optimization without the added power footprints, cost, or thermal overhead associated with fiber optic transceivers. It operates on a completely passive baseline, relying strictly on the host hardware's integrated electronic dispersion compensation (EDC) circuitry to manage signal fidelity across the 3-meter span.
The assembly features twinaxial shielded copper cabling terminated with hot-pluggable Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable Plus (QSFP+) MSA-compliant hardware housings on both endpoints. Utilizing four discrete, full-duplex parallel transmit and receive lanes, the interconnect handles an aggregate throughput of 40 Gbps by driving 10.3125 Gbps per lane. The heavy-gauge 28 AWG wire structure minimizes insertion loss and cross-talk, ensuring clean signal transition and optimal Bit Error Rate (BER) execution across adjacent server enclosures.
Designed for structural deployment inside corporate data center racks and isolated branch communication closets, this 3-meter cable provides a dedicated link bridging core switches, upstream distribution arrays, and high-capacity network attached storage (NAS) devices. It interfaces natively with ExtremeXOS, SLX, and VDX hardware architectures for plug-and-play validation and full port configuration sync. Avoid deploying this passive DAC cable for cross-row vertical data center building runs exceeding 3 meters, or in legacy, non-MSA uncompressed ports that require active signal amplification modules.
Key Features
Passive twinaxial architecture draws zero operating power from host ports.
Four independent 10Gbps parallel lines sustain a 40Gbps line throughput.
28 AWG heavy-gauge wire core blocks signal attenuation over 3 meters.
Factory-terminated pluggable QSFP+ shells enable zero-downtime hot swapping.
Full SFF-8436 MSA conformance preserves peripheral hardware interoperability.
Specifications
| Spec Parameter | Technical Data |
| Brand | EXTREME NETWORKS |
| Part Number | 40G-DACP-QSFP3M |
| Product Type | Direct Attach Copper Cable |
| Cable Assembly Type | Passive Twinaxial Copper Cable Assembly (PDAC) |
| Connector Type A | QSFP+ (Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable Plus) |
| Connector Type B | QSFP+ (Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable Plus) |
| Maximum Data Rate | 40 Gbps Aggregate (4 x 10.3125 Gbps Lanes) |
| Nominal Impedance | 100 Ohms Differential |
| Copper Wire Gauge | 28 AWG Solid Shielded Copper Conductor |
| Hardware Conformance | SFF-8436, IEEE 802.3ba 40GBASE-CR4, QSFP+ MSA |
| Native Platforms | Extreme Switching, Core Routing, and SLX Data Center Modular Arrays |
| Core Protocols | 40G Ethernet, InfiniBand QDR, Fibre Channel Storage Loops |
| Operational Voltage | 3.3V DC (Passive Component - Signaling Only) |
| Operational Range | Standard Commercial 32°F to 158°F (0°C to 70°C) |
