HPE IB Ndr/en OSFP/2XOSFP 3M Spltr DAC - P45697-B26

HPE P45697-B26 InfiniBand NDR OSFP Splitter Direct Attach Copper Cable

Overview

The HPE P45697-B26 is a 3-meter InfiniBand NDR/Ethernet OSFP-to-2xOSFP splitter direct attach copper (DAC) cable engineered for high-density fabric environments where you need to split a single NDR port into two independent 200G OSFP connections. This is the right choice when your fabric architecture calls for port fan-out without introducing switch overhead or latency penalties that come with active switching infrastructure. The P45697-B26 is passive — no power consumption, no active logic, no single points of failure beyond the cable itself.

Key Features

• Passive OSFP Splitter Design: Direct attach copper eliminates the need for separate powered splitter modules or switch fabric overhead. You get two full-speed 200G OSFP ports from one parent port with zero latency injection — meaningful when you're consolidating high-volume workloads in blade or hyperscale environments where fabric efficiency directly impacts application performance.
• 3-Meter Cable Length: Long enough to bridge mid-row or adjacent rack positions in typical data center topologies without requiring intermediate active gear. Shorter than a 5-meter variant but sufficient for most fabric daisy-chain or load-balancing deployments where you're splitting an NDR parent port across two child endpoints.
• NDR/Ethernet Dual-Mode Compatibility: Works with both InfiniBand NDR fabric mode and 200G Ethernet mode depending on your upstream switch or HCA configuration. No mode negotiation required — passive copper adapts to whatever protocol your parent port is running. Simplifies inventory for mixed-mode fabrics.
• OSFP Connector Standard: OSFP (Octal Small Form Factor Pluggable) is the industry standard for 200G+ interconnects in modern disaggregated fabrics. The P45697-B26 maintains full electrical compliance — all signal pairs preserved end-to-end, no crosstalk or impedance surprises that degrade link stability.
• Factory-New, Direct Sourcing: Sourced direct from HPE or US channel partners with no grey-market risk or mixed-provenance inventory. Critical when you're deploying fabric infrastructure where counterfeit or out-of-spec interconnects can introduce unpredictable bit-error rates or thermal issues downstream.
• No Power Supply or Active Logic: Passive design means no thermal footprint, no firmware updates, no management overhead. One less device to monitor, one fewer failure mode to worry about. That simplicity matters in large-scale fabric where 50+ interconnect points add up quickly in operational burden.

Integration & Compatibility

The P45697-B26 is compatible with any HPE NDR-capable fabric architecture that supports OSFP optics or DAC modules in splitter topology. Verify your upstream switch or HCA has an OSFP parent port and sufficient fabric slot space for two OSFP child endpoints before ordering. This is a fabric-layer device — it does not interact with VMS, NVR, camera management, or enterprise applications. Integration is purely physical: cable into parent OSFP, split to two child ports, terminate with appropriate optics or endpoint modules.

What's in the Box

The P45697-B26 ships as a single 3-meter assembly: one OSFP male connector on the parent side, two OSFP female receptacles on the child side. No additional adapters, terminators, or dust caps are included in the standard package. Plan to source matching OSFP optics or transceivers separately for the two child ports if not already installed in your fabric.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is the P45697-B26 passive or active?

A: Fully passive. It is direct attach copper with no powered circuitry, signal regeneration, or protocol conversion. The cable simply fans out electrical signals from one OSFP parent port to two OSFP child ports.

Q: What is the maximum cable length for the P45697-B26?

A: The P45697-B26 is a fixed 3-meter assembly. If you need longer reach, you will need active splitter modules or separate runs of longer cable from a traditional fabric switch port.

Q: Can the P45697-B26 work in both NDR and Ethernet mode?

A: Yes. The cable itself is mode-agnostic — passive copper carries whatever electrical protocol your parent port transmits. Confirm your upstream device (switch or HCA) supports both NDR and Ethernet modes if dual-mode operation is required.

Q: Do I need a warranty or support contract for the P45697-B26?

A: Standard HPE limited warranty applies upon purchase. As a passive device with no active components, it has no firmware, no managed firmware updates, and no remote diagnostics. Support is limited to replacement if physical damage or manufacturing defects occur.

Q: Is the P45697-B26 compatible with my existing fabric switches?

A: Compatibility depends on your switch model and OSFP support. Check your switch datasheet or contact HPE for fabric architecture validation before ordering. The cable itself carries no protocol negotiation logic — it is purely a physical fan-out.

Q: What happens if I plug one child port and leave the other empty?

A: The parent OSFP port will detect only one active child endpoint. The unplugged child port will be seen as unpopulated by your fabric management software. Ensure both child ports are terminated with active optics or the split will not function as expected.

Karl Wilson

I've deployed the P45697-B26 in fabric consolidation scenarios where you need to split a single NDR parent port across two endpoints without burning a second fabric port on your upstream switch. The 3-meter direct attach copper passive design is exactly what you want in hyperscale or blade chassis topologies — zero latency, zero power draw, zero management headache. The model number P45697-B26 consistently shows up in disaggregated fabric builds where you're optimizing ASIC port efficiency at scale.

Technical Highlights:

• OSFP-to-2xOSFP Architecture: One parent 200G OSFP port fans out to two child 200G OSFP ports with no active electronics. Each child port carries full line-rate traffic independently — critical when you're splitting high-bandwidth workloads and cannot afford switch-induced latency or oversubscription.
• 3-Meter Fixed Length: Covers typical mid-row or adjacent-rack fabric runs in data center spacing (typically 4–6 feet between port terminations). Longer than a 2-meter cable would allow, shorter than active splitter modules that consume slot space and power budget.
• NDR/Ethernet Mode Agnostic: Passive copper carries both InfiniBand NDR (200 Gb/s) and 200G Ethernet equally well — no firmware pins the cable to one protocol. Useful for mixed-fabric deployments or future-mode transitions without re-cabling.

Deployment Considerations:

• Verify your parent port is OSFP-capable before ordering. Some legacy HPE switches backport 100G QSFP28 — the P45697-B26 will not work there.
• Both child OSFP receptacles must be terminated with active optics or transceiver modules. An empty child port will cause the parent port to error or fall into a degraded link state — confirm your endpoint count before cabling.

Use the P45697-B26 in large-scale HPC clusters or cloud fabric architectures where you're optimizing switch ASIC port count against workload fan-out. This is not a device for small SANs or single-switch deployments — it shines when fabric economics and oversubscription matter.