PCIe 8 Gb 2-Port Fibre Channel adapter (FC 5273, FC 5735, FC EL2N, and FC EL58; CCIN 577D)

Learn about the specifications and operating system requirements for the feature code (FC) 5273, FC EL2N, FC 5735, and FC 5738 adapters.

Overview

FC 5273 and FC EL2N are low-profile adapters. FC 5735 and FC EL58 are full-height adapters.

The PCIe 8 Gb 2-Port Fibre Channel adapter is a high-performance adapter based on the Emulex e12002 PCIe Host Bus Adapter (HBA). Each port provides single initiator capability over a fiber link. The ports have LC type connectors that use shortwave laser optics. The adapter connects to Fibre Channel switches and direct attached storage devices, operating at link speeds of 2, 4, and 8 Gbps. The adapter automatically negotiates with the switch to the highest speed that the switch is capable of. LEDs on each port provide information about the status and link speed of the port.

N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV) capability is supported through Virtual I/O Server (VIOS).

Figure 1. PCIe 8 Gb 2-Port Fibre Channel adapter (FC 5273 and FC EL2N)
PCIe 8 Gb 2-Port Fibre Channel adapter (FC 5273 and FC EL2N)
Figure 2. PCIe 8 Gb 2-Port Fibre Channel adapter (FC 5735 and FC 5738)
PCIe 8 Gb 2-Port Fibre Channel adapter (FC 5735 and FC 5738)

Adapter specifications

Item
Description
FRU number
10N9824
Wrap plug FRU number
12R9314
Note: The wrap plug is included with the card, and can also be purchased from IBM®.
I/O bus architecture
PCI Express (PCIe) Base and Card Electromechanical (CEM) 2.0
x8 PCIe bus interface.
Slot requirement

For details about slot priorities, maximums, and placement rules, see PCIe adapter placement rules and slot priorities and select the system you are working on.

Voltage
3.3 V.
Form factor
The FC 5273 and FC EL2N are short, low-profile adapters; the FC 5735 and FC EL58 are short, full-height adapters.
FC compatibility
2, 4, 8 Gigabit.
Cables
Cables are the responsibility of the customer.
Use multimode fiber optic cables with shortwave lasers that adhere to the following specifications:
  • 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 should 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 fiber optic cable types at different link speeds.
Table 1. Supported distances for multimode fiber optic cables
Header Cable Type and Distance
Rate OM1 OM2 OM3
2.125 Gbps 0.5 meters to 150 meters (1.64 feet to 492.12 feet) 0.5 meters to 300 meters (1.64 feet to 984.25 feet) 0.5 meters to 500 meters (1.64 feet to 1640.41 feet)
4.25 Gbps 0.5 meters to 70 meters (1.64 feet to 229.65 feet) 0.5 meters to 150 meters (1.64 feet to 492.12 feet) 0.5 meters to 380 meters (1.64 feet to 1246.71 feet)
8.5 Gbps 0.5 meters to 21 meters (1.64 feet to 68.89 feet) 0.5 meters to 50 meters (1.64 feet to 164.04 feet) 0.5 meters to 150 meters (1.64 feet to 492.12 feet)

Adapter LED

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 the link rate conditions. There is a 1-second pause when the LED is off between each group of fast flashes (2, 3, or 4). Observe the LED sequence for several seconds to be sure that you have correctly identified the state.

Table 2. Normal LED states
Green LED Yellow LED State
Slow flash Off Normal, link inactive or not started
On 2 fast flashes 2 Gbps link rate - normal, link active
On 3 fast flashes 4 Gbps link rate - normal, link active
On 4 fast flashes 8 Gbps link rate - normal, link active
Power-on self test (POST) conditions and results are summarized in Table 3. These states can be used to identify abnormal states or problems. Follow the action to be taken for each condition.
Table 3. POST conditions and results
Green LED Yellow LED State Action to be taken
Off Off Wake-up failure (dead board) Perform AIX®, IBM i, or Linux® operating system diagnostics procedure.
Off On POST failure (dead board) Perform AIX, IBM i, or Linux operating system diagnostics procedure.
Off Slow flash Wake-up failure monitor Perform AIX, IBM i, or Linux operating system diagnostics procedure.
Off Fast flash POST failure Perform AIX, IBM i, or Linux operating system diagnostics procedure.
Off Flashing POST processing in progress None
On Off Failure while functioning Perform AIX, IBM i, or Linux operating system diagnostics procedure.
On On Failure while functioning Perform AIX, IBM i, or Linux operating system diagnostics procedure.
Slow flash Slow flash Offline for download None
Slow flash Fast flash Restricted offline mode, waiting for restart None
Slow flash Flashing Restricted offline mode, test active None
Fast flash Off Debug monitor in restricted mode None
Fast flash On Not defined None
Fast flash Slow flash Debug monitor in test fixture mode None
Fast flash Fast flash Debug monitor in remote debug mode None
Fast flash Flashing Not defined None

Replacing Fibre Channel adapters by using hot swap

When hot swapping Fibre Channel adapters, be aware that device-related software for the storage devices might have extra devices (for example, the disk array router (dar) device that is associated with the fiber array storage technology (FAStT) or DS4800) that need to be removed. See the specific storage device documentation for information about how to remove these additional devices.

The new adapter has a unique worldwide port name (WWPN). Check the zoning and logical unit number (LUN) assignments to ensure that the new adapter functions as expected.

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 you must determine any prerequisites that must be met for this feature and the attached devices. For information about operating system and partition requirements, see one of the following topics: