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Cisco and NVIDIA announced a planned Ultra-Dense Small Form Factor Pluggable (USFP) optical module on October 12, 2026, at the Open Compute Project Global Summit. The design targets next-generation Ethernet networks inside large AI factories: its first version is planned with 16 full-duplex electrical lanes at 400Gb/s each, for up to 12.8Tb/s of aggregate capacity in an OSFP-sized footprint.
This is an ecosystem and specification announcement, not a product launch. Cisco and NVIDIA have not provided a shipping date, retail SKU, or purchase listing for a USFP transceiver.
What Cisco and NVIDIA announced
The companies are proposing USFP as a new pluggable optical form factor for AI-factory Ethernet fabrics. The goal is to move more bandwidth through the same front-panel area while retaining the replaceability and field-service model associated with pluggable optics.
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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →USFP is part of broader work to make NVIDIA Spectrum-X Ethernet networking interoperate with Ethernet networks based on Cisco Silicon One. The intended customers are enterprises, neocloud operators and sovereign-cloud providers building very large AI clusters.
#1 Best Overall
- 400G QDD SR8 is a QSFP-DD Optical transceiver for 8 x 26.56GBaud (53.12 Gbps with PAM4 modulation) optical links. It is compliant with the QSFP-DD MSA specifications. It operates at 26.56GBaud up to 100m over OM4 Multi-mode fiber
- Wavelength: 850nm. Flexible breakout options allow for 2 x 200G-SR4 and 8 x 50G-SR configurations, enhancing versatility in various network setups
- Connector: MTP/MPO-16 (APC) .Max reach: 100m, over multimode OM4(MMF) fiber
- Form factors: QSFP-DD. Monitors for VCSEL bias, transmitted, received power , module temperature, and module supply.
- Modulation format: PAM4. 850nm VCSEL laser and PIN receiver. High speed I/O electrical interface (400GAUI-4).
How USFP is designed to work
400Gb/s electrical lanes
The first planned USFP transceivers target 400Gb/s per electrical lane. A lane is a high-speed electrical path between the host system and the optical module; it is not the same thing as the module’s total optical throughput or the speed of an individual fiber.
Sixteen lanes and 12.8Tb/s
The initial design uses 16 full-duplex lanes in an OSFP-sized footprint. Multiplying 16 lanes by 400Gb/s in each direction gives Cisco’s stated aggregate capacity of up to 12.8Tb/s. The companies describe a roadmap toward 32 or more lanes, although they have not published a final lane count, optical configuration or product specification for those future versions.
Rank #2
- Flat-top OSFP for InfiniBand and Ethernet; Used in ConnectX-7/OSFP adapters linked to Twin-port transceivers in 2x400G IB/EN switches; ConnectX-7 adapters are offered on both OSFP and QSFP112; BlueField-3 adapters only accept QSFP112 devices
- 400G SR4 multimode transceiver; 4-channels of 100G-PAM4 electrical and optical modulation; Single MPO-12/APC optical connector; Operates as a 200Gb/s NDR200 transceiver with 2-fiber splitter ends
- Maximum reach: 30m @OM3 fiber; 50m @OM4 fiber
- 8.5 Watts (max) power using 4-channels & 5.5 Watt (max) low-power using 2-channels; Single 3.3V power supply
- OSFPmsa.org compliant; IEEE 802.3ck; CMIS 4.0 compliant; Class 1 laser safety compliant; Case temperature range 0°C to +70°C
More 1.6Tb/s endpoints without another tier
Cisco says the density could let operators connect more 1.6Tb/s endpoints without adding network tiers. That is an architectural claim: whether a particular fabric can eliminate a tier will depend on switch port layouts, cabling, reach, oversubscription targets and the rest of the system design.
What the announced performance claims mean
| Measure | USFP announcement | Comparison supplied by Cisco and NVIDIA |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical signaling rate | 400Gb/s per lane | Compared with 200Gb/s-per-lane pluggable optics |
| First planned lane count | 16 full-duplex lanes | Not stated for the comparison products |
| Aggregate capacity | Up to 12.8Tb/s | Not stated for the comparison products |
| Bandwidth density | Planned for an OSFP-sized footprint | Claimed to be four times higher than 200Gb/s-per-lane pluggable optics |
| Power efficiency | Claimed improvement | Approximately 1.3 times the power efficiency of 200Gb/s-per-lane optics |
The four-times bandwidth-density and approximately 1.3-times power-efficiency figures are vendor claims from the 2026 announcement. The published material does not include independent laboratory benchmarks, a shipping module, test conditions or a measured watts-per-bit figure, so they should not be treated as an independently verified product comparison.
Rank #3
- 400G QSFP-DD SR8 Optical Transceiver Module Compatible With Junipre QDD-400G-SR8 400G QSFP-DD PAM4 850nm 100m OM4 MPO-16 DDM MMF
- 400GBASE-SR8 module Support 8x50G PAM4 retimed 400GAUI-8 electrical interface 400Gbps QSFP-DD SR8, 850nm wavelengths, MTP/MPO-16 Connectors, 70m on OM3 or 100m on OM4 with FEC, 0°C~+70°C, with DDM
- It is compliant to IEEE 802.3bs protocol and 400GAUI-8/CEI-56G-VSR-PAM4 standard.It can be used in data centers, high-performance computing networks, enterprise core and distribution layers, and service provider applications.
- Compliant with QSFP-DD MSA and IEEE 802.3cm 400GBASE-SR8 Ethernet transmission protocol built-in DSP chip Support 2× 200G-SR4 and 8× 50G-SR
- Compliant with QSFP-DD MSA CMIS Rev4.0, OIF 56G PAM4,Built-in Inphi DSP Chip, Max. Power Consumption 10W
Why density and power matter in AI factories
AI clusters increasingly require high-radix switching and very large numbers of accelerator-to-accelerator links. If each front-panel position carries more bandwidth, an operator may be able to scale compute within the same rack and network footprint rather than adding as many switches or tiers.
Networking also consumes a meaningful share of an AI facility’s power budget. A more efficient bit-per-watt result could reduce that share, but the actual facility impact will depend on switch ASICs, module cooling, reach, fiber plant and traffic patterns. USFP’s stated operational objective is to improve both density and efficiency while keeping pluggable optics serviceable in the field.
Rank #4
- 400G QSFP-DD PAM4 Optical Transceiver Module Compatible With Broadcom AFCT-91DRDHZ 400G QSFP-DD PAM4 1310nm 500m DOM MPO-12/APC SMF FEC
- 400GBASE-DR4 Transceiver Module Support 4 x 100G-DR PAM4 1310nm wavelengths MTP/MPO-12 connector, up to 500m over parallel single-mode fiber. with FEC,0°C~+70°C, with DDM
- It is compliant with QSFP-DD MSA, IEEE 802.3bs protocol and 400GAUI-8 standards.It can be used in data centers, high-performance computing networks, enterprise core and distribution layers, and service provider applications.
- Protocols IEEE 802.3bs, QSFP-DD CMIS Rev 5.0, QSFP-DD MSA HW Rev 5.1
- Built-in Inphi Chip, Max. Power Consumption, Support 4x 100G，QSFP-DD Port is Backward Compatible with QSFP+, QSFP28
USFP compared with existing pluggable approaches
| Axis | USFP (planned) | Existing 200Gb/s-per-lane pluggable approach |
|---|---|---|
| Per-lane electrical rate | 400Gb/s target | 200Gb/s reference used in the announcement |
| Lane count and total | 16 lanes and up to 12.8Tb/s in the first design | Not stated in the announcement |
| Front-panel density | Four-times claim versus the 200Gb/s-per-lane reference | Baseline for that claim |
| Power efficiency | Approximately 1.3-times claim versus the reference | Baseline for that claim |
| Serviceability | Designed to retain pluggable replacement | Pluggable service model |
| Deployment flexibility | Intended to retain the flexibility of pluggable optics | Established operational model |
| Network-tier requirements | Could connect more 1.6Tb/s endpoints without an added tier, depending on the fabric | Not stated |
| Openness and sourcing | Open, community-led multi-source specification is planned | Varies by existing module and standard |
| Product maturity | Announcement and design plan; hardware availability not announced | Existing products are available, but specific alternatives were not identified in the announcement |
USFP is intended to occupy an OSFP-sized space, but “OSFP-sized” describes the physical envelope rather than guaranteeing electrical, optical or mechanical compatibility with every existing OSFP module or cage. Operators should wait for the formal specification before assuming interchangeability.
The planned ecosystem and open specification
Cisco and NVIDIA say they will create an open industry specification through an upcoming community-led, multi-source project. TE Connectivity and Amphenol are named collaborators for USFP cages, connectors and modules, with more partners expected.
Best Value
- 400G QSFP-DD PAM4 Optical Transceiver Module Compatible With Cisco QDD-400G-DR4-S 400G QSFP-DD PAM4 1310nm 500m DOM MPO-12/APC SMF FEC
- 400GBASE-DR4 Transceiver Module Support 4 x 100G-DR PAM4 1310nm wavelengths MTP/MPO-12 connector, up to 500m over parallel single-mode fiber. with FEC,, 0°C~+70°C, with DDM
- It is compliant with QSFP-DD MSA, IEEE 802.3bs protocol and 400GAUI-8 standards.It can be used in data centers, high-performance computing networks, enterprise core and distribution layers, and service provider applications.
- Protocols IEEE 802.3bs, QSFP-DD CMIS Rev 5.0, QSFP-DD MSA HW Rev 5.1
- Built-in Inphi Chip, Max. Power Consumption, Support 4x 100G，QSFP-DD Port is Backward Compatible with QSFP+, QSFP28
A multi-source approach could reduce dependence on a single supplier and make it easier for equipment makers to build compatible cages and modules. Until the specification is published, however, details such as connector pinout, thermal limits, host electrical requirements, optical reaches, management interface and compliance tests remain unsettled in the public announcement.
When can you buy a Cisco-NVIDIA USFP transceiver?
There is no announced buying date. The October 12, 2026 statement describes a planned form factor, a future open specification and ecosystem collaboration; it does not announce a shipping transceiver, Cisco orderable part number, NVIDIA retail module or marketplace listing. Any listing that uses “USFP” today should be checked carefully against an official product announcement and a published specification.
Quick Recap
What network planners should verify before adopting it
- Whether the final USFP specification is publicly released and governed by the promised community-led project.
- Host switch support, including electrical lane rate, firmware, management and error handling.
- Thermal and power envelopes in the intended chassis and rack cooling design.
- Optical reach, fiber type, breakout options and interoperability testing.
- Availability from more than one qualified module and cage supplier.
- Whether the extra front-panel bandwidth actually removes a tier in the planned topology rather than simply increasing port capacity.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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