200G QSFP56 Passive DAC Twinax Copper Cable (0.5-3m): 200G-PDAC-QSFP56

Our EDGEOPTIC 200G-PDAC-QSFP56 is a multi-vendor compatible 200G QSFP56 passive direct attach copper cable designed for ultra-high-performance 200 Gigabit Ethernet and InfiniBand HDR applications within modern data center environments. The 200G-PDAC-QSFP56 cable features point-to-point configuration with QSFP56 connectors on both ends, delivering reliable high-bandwidth connectivity for short-reach interconnects between spine and leaf switches, high-performance compute nodes, and AI/ML training clusters.

The cable supports multi-rate operation from 100 to 224 Gbps based on its 4×25G/4×28G NRZ or 4×50G/4×56G PAM-4 lane structure, accommodating the demanding bandwidth requirements of next-generation data center architectures. For Ethernet deployments, the cable handles 200G Ethernet (4×50G PAM-4) at full line rate, supporting the latest generation of network infrastructure. The cable also handles 100G Ethernet (4×25G NRZ) for backward compatibility during phased migrations from 100G to 200G environments. Additionally, the cable supports InfiniBand HDR at 200 Gbps for high-performance computing clusters, AI/ML training fabrics, and large-scale distributed storage systems where low-latency, high-throughput interconnects are critical.

As a passive DAC solution, the 200G-PDAC-QSFP56 requires no external power and introduces zero latency to signal transmission, making it the preferred choice for latency-sensitive applications such as financial trading platforms, real-time analytics, and tightly coupled HPC workloads. The cable construction utilizes high-quality twinax copper with optimized wire gauges for each length range: AWG30 for 0.5 to 1.5 meters and AWG26 for 2 to 3 meters. This progressive wire gauge selection ensures optimal signal integrity at 50 Gbps PAM-4 per lane while maintaining practical cable flexibility for installation in high-density 200G environments.

The electrical interface conforms to QSFP56 MSA and SFF-8636 specifications, ensuring broad compatibility with standard QSFP56 host systems from multiple equipment vendors. Our 200G QSFP56 DAC cables can be encoded for compatibility with over 80 different equipment brands including major networking, server, and storage vendors. The cable incorporates an I2C two-wire interface for DDM/DOM (Digital Diagnostic Monitoring) functionality, providing real-time diagnostic data including module temperature and supply voltage through the MSA-compatible interface for proactive network monitoring.

Standards compliance includes IEEE 802.3bj and IEEE 802.3cd alongside HDR InfiniBand specifications. The cable supports hot pluggability and is engineered with low crosstalk and low return loss characteristics for excellent signal integrity at PAM-4 modulation rates. The cable operates within a 0 to 70°C temperature range, suitable for controlled data center environments. With an MTBF rating of 1,000,000 hours, the cable delivers long-term reliability for mission-critical 200G infrastructure deployments.

Typical deployment scenarios include 200G spine-leaf switch interconnects, server-to-ToR connectivity in hyperscale environments, GPU cluster fabric links for AI/ML training, and HDR InfiniBand backbones in HPC supercomputing facilities. The passive design eliminates power consumption and reduces overall system power budget compared to active alternatives, which is particularly valuable in densely packed 200G server racks where thermal headroom is constrained.

Our 200G QSFP56 passive DAC is CE/RoHS certified and compliant with product safety standards. Because our focus is providing top quality service, we perform comprehensive quality checks before delivery including electrical parameter measurements, connector inspection tests, and QSFP56 EEPROM memory data validation tests.