BlueField-3 IC technical selection Q&A

These questions were prepared for technical evaluation from cited documentation. They are not a measured list of frequently asked customer questions. The applicability line belongs to each answer; do not transfer a statement between order-code, firmware, cooling, length, form-factor or crypto variants.

The products listed below are the applicable catalog references. Answers use owner-confirmed manufacturer-origin product data, scoped public documentation, or explicitly stated engineering guidance. Genuine conflicting values are qualified individually.

Is this a ready-to-install PCIe adapter?

Applicable catalog candidates: BF03-VB0AS8N03C-A1.

No. BF03-VB0AS8N03C-A1 is an integrated circuit / system-on-chip for a qualified board design. An adapter card adds connectors, PCB routing, memory where applicable, power delivery, cooling and firmware configuration.

Public references: MCX631102AN-ADAT card questions - Network Management Products - NVIDIA Developer Forums.

Which network and host-interface parameters are specified?

Applicable catalog candidates: BF03-VB0AS8N03C-A1.

The owner technical description specifies eight Arm cores, 400GbE/NDR VPI ports and PCIe 5.0 x32. It does not specify a board memory capacity or a number of populated external cages.

Public references: MCX631102AN-ADAT card questions - Network Management Products - NVIDIA Developer Forums.

Which security variant is this?

Applicable catalog candidates: BF03-VB0AS8N03C-A1.

Hardware crypto is enabled in this exact owner-confirmed description. Secure-boot status is not supplied for this bare-IC order code and should not be copied from a finished card.

Public references: MCX631102AN-ADAT card questions - Network Management Products - NVIDIA Developer Forums, NVIDIA ConnectX-7 NDR InfiniBand datasheet, NVIDIA ConnectX-7 product brief hosted by PNY (printed DEC21).

Is Multi-Host capability established for this suffix?

Applicable catalog candidates: BF03-VB0AS8N03C-A1.

Multi-Host capability is not stated in the exact owner description for this variant. Do not infer its presence or absence from a related suffix or a finished adapter card.

Public references: MCX631102AN-ADAT card questions - Network Management Products - NVIDIA Developer Forums, H3C network adapters: NIC-ETH641F-LP-2P, Table 24, NVIDIA ConnectX-7 NDR InfiniBand datasheet, NVIDIA ConnectX-7 product brief hosted by PNY (printed DEC21).

Can finished-card power, size or connector specifications be used for this IC?

Applicable catalog candidates: BF03-VB0AS8N03C-A1.

No. Those values depend on the board implementation. Keep chip package dimensions, chip power and thermal limits separate from completed-card dimensions, cage types, brackets and board power.

Public references: MCX631102AN-ADAT card questions - Network Management Products - NVIDIA Developer Forums, H3C network adapters: NIC-ETH641F-LP-2P, Table 24, NVIDIA ConnectX-7 NDR InfiniBand datasheet, NVIDIA ConnectX-7 product brief hosted by PNY (printed DEC21).

What engineering details are needed before board design?

Applicable catalog candidates: BF03-VB0AS8N03C-A1.

Obtain the exact package drawing and pinout, power-rail requirements, thermal limits, supported port modes, clocking and firmware/strap requirements. Public adapter-card documentation provides family context, not a complete silicon design specification.

Public references: MCX631102AN-ADAT card questions - Network Management Products - NVIDIA Developer Forums, NVIDIA ConnectX-7 NDR InfiniBand datasheet, NVIDIA ConnectX-7 product brief hosted by PNY (printed DEC21).

Availability is on request. Sales provides the USD quotation after the exact configuration is confirmed. No stock, condition or delivery promise is made here.

Technical illustrations