The NVIDIA ConnectX‑7 family of adapter cards delivers high‑performance networking solutions for cloud and data‑center environments, integrating InfiniBand and Ethernet connectivity with best‑in‑class hardware acceleration and security features. Based on official technical documentation, this article systematically outlines the supported interfaces and technical specifications of ConnectX‑7 adapter cards.
Product Models and Interface Form Factors
ConnectX‑7 adapter cards are available in multiple variants based on port count, port type, and functional positioning:
Detailed Description of Core Interfaces
PCI Express Interface
Supports PCIe Gen 5.0 (backward compatible) through an x16 edge connector, with support for bifurcation, Multi‑Host (up to 4 hosts), and SR‑IOV virtualization features.
Networking Interfaces and Interconnect Solutions
Supports Ethernet (IEEE 802.3) and InfiniBand (Specification 1.5).
Physical interface types vary by model, including QSFP112, OSFP, QSFP56, SFP56, etc. They can be used with DAC, AOC, and optical modules (multimode/singlemode) to cover short‑reach to long‑reach interconnectivity. For specific optical module models, please refer to Section 4 of this document.
PPS IN/OUT Interface (MCX713114TC‑GEAT only)
Integrates a hardware clock (PHC) supporting sub‑20 µs time synchronization accuracy, suitable for ORAN fronthaul and PTP precision time synchronization.
SMBus Management Interface
Supports out‑of‑band management via BMC using MCTP over SMBus or MCTP over PCIe protocols.
Networking Ports LED Indicators Description
The LED indicator scheme for ConnectX‑7 varies by OPN: MCX713104AS‑ADAT and MCX713104AC‑ADAT use Scheme 1, while all other OPNs use Scheme 2.
Scheme 1: Single Bi‑Color LED (Yellow/Green)
Scheme 2: Two LEDs (Bi‑Color + Single Green)
Optical Modules for ConnectX‑7 Adapters Provided by Tarluz
