Overview

The PCIe2 16 Gb 2-port Fibre Channel Adapter is an x8, generation 2, PCIe adapter. This adapter is a high-performance 8x short form adapter also referred to as a PCIe Host Bus Adapter (HBA). The adapter provides two ports of 16 Gb Fibre Channel capability using SR optics. Each port can provide up to 16 Gb Fibre Channel functions simultaneously.

Each port provides single initiator capability over a fibre link or with NPIV, multiple initiator capability is provided. The ports are SFP+ and include an optical SR transceiver. The ports have little connector-type (LC) and utilize shortwave laser optics. The adapter operates at link speeds of 4, 8 and 16 Gbps and will automatically negotiate to the highest speed possible. LEDs on each port provide information on the status and link speed of the port.

N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV) capability is supported through VIOS.

The following figure shows the adapter.

Figure 1. EL5B adapter

Specifications

Item

Description

Adapter FRU number

00E3496 (Designed to comply with RoHS requirement)

Wrap plug FRU number

12R9314

I/O bus architecture

PCIe2 x8

Slot requirement

One available PCIe x8 or x16 slot

Voltage

3.3 V, 12 V

Form factor

Short, MD2

FC compatibility

4, 8, 16 Gb

Cables

Cables are the responsibility of the customer. Use multimode fiber optic cables with shortwave lasers that adhere to the following specifications:

• OM4: Multimode 50/125 micron fiber, 4700 MHz x km bandwidth
• OM3: Multimode 50/125 micron fiber, 2000 MHz x km bandwidth
• OM2: Multimode 50/125 micron fiber, 500 MHz x km bandwidth
• OM1: Multimode 62.5/125 micron fiber, 200 MHz x km bandwidth

Because core sizes are different, OM1 cables can only be connected to other OM1 cables. For best results, OM2 cables must not be connected to OM3 cables. However, if an OM2 cable is connected to an OM3 cable, the characteristics of the OM2 cable apply to the entire length of the cables.

The following table shows the supported distances for the different cable types at the different link speeds.

Table 1. Supported distances for cables

Header	Cable type and distance
Rate	OM1	OM2	OM3	OM4
4.25 Gbps	0.5 - 70 m (1.64 - 229.65 ft)	0.5 - 150 m (1.64 - 492.12 ft)	0.5 - 380 m (1.64 - 1246.71 ft)	0.5 - 400 m (1.64 - 1312.34 ft)
8.5 Gbps	0.5 - 21 m (1.64 - 68.89 ft)	0.5 - 50 m (1.64 - 164.04 ft)	0.5 - 150 m (1.64 - 492.12 ft)	0.5 - 190 m (1.64 - 623.36 ft)
14.025 Gbps	0.5 - 15 m (1.64 - 49.21 ft)	0.5 - 35 m (1.64 - 114.82 ft)	0.5 - 100 m (1.64 - 328.08 ft)	0.5 - 125 m (1.64 - 410.10 ft)

Maximum number

For the maximum adapters supported, see the PCI adapter placement topic collection for your system.

Operating system or partition requirements

If you are installing a new feature, ensure that you have the software that is required to support the new feature and that you determine whether there are any prerequisites for this feature and attaching devices. To check for the prerequisites, see IBM® Prerequisite website.

Adapter LED states

Green and yellow LEDs can be seen through openings in the mounting bracket of the adapter. Green indicates firmware operation, and yellow signifies port activity. Table 2 summarizes normal LED states. A 1 Hz pause occurs when the LED is off between each group of fast flashes (2, 3 or 4). Observe the LED sequence for several seconds to ensure that you correctly identify the state.

Power-on-self-test (POST) conditions and results are summarized in Table 3. These states can be used to identify abnormal states or problems.