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SERVER

OCP NIC Community Update�August 2025

for Server Project

�����Sub-group Project Wiki: https://www.opencompute.org/wiki/Server/NIC�

Mailing List: https://ocp-all.groups.io/g/OCP-NIC

NIC3.0

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Agenda

  • 2025 OCP Global Summit
  • Thermal Test Fixture update
  • SI workstream PCIe Gen7 kick-off
  • Thermal workstream update
  • NIC form factor workstream update

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OCP Global Summit

  • 2 presentation conditionally accepted. Awaiting review feedbacks

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  • Innovation Village accepted, expect more info from OCP foundation this week

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DSFF Thermal Test Fixture Overview

  • Dell developing a new TTF will support SFF / TSFF / DSFF / TDSFF form factors at PCIe® speeds up to Gen 7
  • Metal housing with a PCB designed to extend PCIe lanes from a DC-MHS compatible server to a mounted OCP 3.0 DUT card
  • Intended to attach to a wind tunnel or flow bench
  • Pre-defined sensor locations for test repeatability
  • Onboard MCU shall operate same as prior thermal test fixtures and codebase will be uploaded to the Github repository
  • Update: Next rev PCB protos arrive before OCP Summit
    • Issues found: VRegs settings updated, SMBus mis-wired, MCU power fix, clock buffers not powered, 2nd clock mis-wired
    • Next steps
      • TDSFF, TSFF, SFF brackets developed (next slide)
      • Thermal testing underway

DSFF Thermal Test Fixture

DSFF TTF Airflow Operation

Please note: PCIE® design mark is a registered

trademark and/or service mark of PCI-SIG.

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Other TTF brackets

SFF

TSFF

TDSFF

Files in the OCP NIC google drive

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SI workstream: Setting limits for Gen 7

  • Kick off the SI workstream focused on PCIe® Gen 7 for OCP NIC 3.0 form factors
  • Participants must be from companies with active PCI SIG membership

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  • Determine if the CLB, CBB need to be revised

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Thermal Workstream Update

DSFF Thermal Test Fixture (TTF)

  • Dell shared the initial draft of mechanical files uploaded to the OCP NIC WIP drive
    • Workstream will use these files to start spec work
      • Create detailed thermal model
      • Generate appropriate design guidance and plots
      • Spec update target for end of September
  • Liquid Cooling Feasibility Study Ongoing
    • Thermally this option offers lots of capability
    • Detailed mechanical feasibility study still needs to be completed
      • TSFF is target of study

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Form-factor workstream: What are we try to solve for?

  • Higher density & higher bandwidth NIC solution than PMM offering today

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  • Bifurcation of x32 solutions that hard to converge

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Existing NIC form-factor ecosystems

Long-side attachment

PCIe CEM

APEC

HyperScale #1 FF

Short-side attachment

OCP NIC (T)SFF

PMM

HyperScale #2 FF

Vendor #1 FF

x16

x16

x32

x32

x32

x32

x32

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Proposed x64 Concept

  • Up to x64. Support x32.
  • Up to PCIe Gen7
  • 2x OSFP concept study
  • Up to 600W @ 12v
  • Support BE-NIC use-case with additional x8/x4 to CPU
  • Expect liquid cooling
  • No hot-swap support

Stay Tuned for Next Month Update