MXH94x / MXH95x Transparent Adapter User’s Guide –
Dolphin Interconnect Solutions
Page 8
Packaging
The products are delivered includes the following components.
•
Adapter Board with pre mounted
FireFly™
modules and standard profile bracket.
•
Anti-static bag
•
Getting started guide with serial number for quick download of Dolphins PCIe software.
Pre-Installation Questions
Certain steps should be taken prior to installing the adapter card. You should determine the following configuration requirements.
•
Which PCIe slot will the card be installed?
•
What is the speed and link width of the installation slot?
•
What is the operating environment around the installed card?
•
What quantity, type, and length of patch cable will be used?
•
Are the operational conditions proper - temperature and air-flow?
PCIe Slot Determination
The adapter card supports PCIe Gen1, Gen2, Gen3 and Gen4 speeds. The adapter card must be installed in physical x16 connector but
supports x1, x2, x4, x8 and x16 electrical slot-widths. The slot width and speed will affect the performance of the adapter card. The
adapter card will auto configure to the slot speed and width.
NOTE:
•
Install the adapter card in a slot connecting directly to the CPU for optimal IO latency.
•
Install the adapter card behind a PCIe switch in the IO system for optimal PCIe peer to peer performance (e.g. between GPUs,
FPGAs)
Adapter Card Configuration
The adapter card has a DIP switch bank to control the main configuration of the card. The DIP switch labeled SW1 can be found close to
the upper edge of the board. The default DIP switch setting is Transparent Host operation, singe, full width link.
Operating Environment
To maximize lifespan for the product and maintain the warranty, please honor the specified operating temperature and make sure the
specified air flow is present. Special care should be considered when the adapter card is used in office type cabinets in combination with
other high energy consuming PCIe devices, e.g. not active cooled GPUs:
Operating Temperature: 0°C - 55°C (32°F - 131°F), Airflow: 700 LFM
Relative Humidity: 5% - 95% (non- condensing)
TIP:
After installing the Dolphin management software, you can use the tool dis_diag to determine the actual adapter card
temperatures (PCIe switch,
FireFly™
etc.).
Cable Connections
The adapter cards are designed for 12 or 24 fiber MPO optical patch cables. Please carefully select the 12 or 24 fiber path cables
specified for each product variant.
NOTE:
Please note that all cards utilizing 24 fiber MPO cannot be connected to cards utilizing 12 fiber MPO.
