TCJC2 Dell 1 Port 32GB Fibre Channel Short Wave Optical–lc Sfp+ HBA.

Dell TCJC2 — 1-Port 32GB Fibre Channel Short-Wave Optical LC SFP+ HBA

The Dell TCJC2 is a high-performance 1-port Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter engineered for data centers and enterprise storage environments. With a 32Gb/s link rate, short-wave optical LC SFP+ interface and PCIe Gen3 x8 host bus, this compact, low-profile card delivers low latency, reliable connectivity and broad OS and platform compatibility.

Key Features & Benefits

• High throughput: Supports native 32Gb/s Fibre Channel for accelerated storage I/O.
• Compact form factor: Short, low-profile PCIe card suitable for dense server deployments.
• Single-port simplicity: One LC SFP+ port minimizes cabling complexity while providing enterprise connectivity.
• Interoperability: Works with multiple server architectures (PowerPC, SPARC, x86, x64, Intel Itanium).
• Standards-compliant: Implements current and legacy Fibre Channel and PCIe standards for broad compatibility.
• Wide OS support: Drivers and partner support available for Oracle Solaris, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, VMware vSphere and more.

Manufacturer & Model Details

• Manufacturer: Dell
• Part Number / SKU: TCJC2
• Product Category: Fibre Channel
• Sub-Category: Host Bus Adapter (HBA)

Physical & Mechanical Specifications

The TCJC2 is designed for space-constrained systems and rack servers where a low-profile card is required without sacrificing performance.

• Form factor: Short, low-profile PCIe card
• Card dimensions: 167.64 mm × 68.91 mm (6.60″ × 2.71″)
• Host bus type: PCIe Gen3 x8
• I/O controller: XE501

Optical & Cabling Characteristics

Uses short-wave laser optics with an LC connector (SFP+), delivering multi-rate autonegotiation across common Fibre Channel speeds. Ideal for multi-mode fibre links in modern SAN fabrics.

• Port count: 1 (LC SFP+)
• Optical type: Short-wave lasers, LC connector
• Supported link distances (multi-mode fibre):
  • 100 m at 32Gb on 50/125 µm OM4 MMF
  • 70 m at 32Gb on 50/125 µm OM3 MMF
  • 20 m at 32Gb on 50/125 µm OM2 MMF
• Auto-detected data rates: 28.05 Gb/s, 14.025 Gb/s, 8.5 Gb/s

Dell TCJC2 1 Port 32GB Fibre Channel HBA

The Dell TCJC2 1 Port 32GB Fibre Channel Short Wave Optical–LC SFP+ FC Host Bus Adapter represents a high-performance storage connectivity solution designed for enterprise SAN environments that demand ultra-low latency, strong data integrity, and sustained throughput. Built to deliver 32 gigabits per second Fibre Channel performance over short-wave optical links and packaged in an LC SFP+ form factor, the TCJC2 adapter is engineered for reliability, backwards compatibility with established Fibre Channel fabrics, and simplified deployment inside rack servers and storage arrays. For category-level pages and shoppers comparing FC host bus adapters, the Dell TCJC2 stands out for combining modern 32Gb FC bandwidth with an industry-standard SFP+ connector and Dell-validated firmware and driver support.

Key technical characteristics and what they mean for enterprise storage

At the core of the Dell TCJC2 adapter is native 32Gbps Fibre Channel signalling that’s optimized for short-wave optical media, making it ideal for densely packed data-center topologies where short-reach LC multimode fiber runs are common. The SFP+ package ensures a compact footprint and hot-pluggable convenience, which helps reduce downtime during field replacements or upgrades. This adapter supports a rich set of FC features such as full fabric login (FLOGI), N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV), and Class 3 and Class 2 services—ensuring that host connectivity, zoning, and multipathing integrate cleanly with existing SAN architectures. From a performance perspective, 32Gb FC enables rapid block-level access for high IOPS workloads like databases and virtualization hosts, while the optical short-wave design balances throughput with the cost-effectiveness of multimode fiber cabling.

Form factor and connectivity: LC SFP+ explained

The LC SFP+ interface on the Dell TCJC2 is a deliberate choice. LC connectors are among the most commonly deployed in modern data centers due to their compact size and the wide availability of compatible fiber patching infrastructure. An SFP+ 32Gb FC transceiver in the TCJC2 provides hot-swap capability and modularity that simplify replacement and spare management. For administrators, this means easier inventory control and faster field serviceability compared to fixed-port mezzanine cards. Because the TCJC2 adheres to SFP+ mechanical and electrical specifications, it integrates smoothly with server bays and PCIe slots designed to accept FC mezzanine or optical breakout modules.

Compatibility and certified environments

Compatibility is a primary consideration when selecting a Fibre Channel HBA for production environments. Dell validates the TCJC2 adapter across numerous PowerEdge server models and pairs it with certified drivers for supported operating systems such as various Red Hat Enterprise Linux and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server releases, Microsoft Windows Server versions, and VMware ESXi hypervisors. This validation reduces risk when integrating the TCJC2 into existing infrastructures and provides peace of mind that firmware updates and driver releases will be accessible via Dell’s support channels. The adapter’s firmware often includes interoperability testing results with major SAN switch vendors and storage array manufacturers, which is critical for customers who require verified compatibility matrices for regulated or high-availability deployments.

Performance considerations: throughput, latency and workload fit

The performance profile of the Dell TCJC2 is designed around high-throughput, low-latency storage access. With a physical link rate of 32Gbps per port, the adapter enables substantial aggregate bandwidth for block storage operations. In practice, a single port 32Gb FC HBA like the TCJC2 is well-suited for workloads where consistent I/O performance matters more than raw parallelism, such as transactional databases, virtual machine datastore traffic, and high-performance backup streams. Latency is minimized by offloading FC protocol handling to the HBA hardware, reducing CPU overhead on the host and allowing more CPU cycles for application processing. For SAN architects, understanding these performance characteristics helps align the TCJC2 with the correct host roles—application hosts requiring deterministic storage performance, replication nodes, or backup servers.

Comparisons with alternative connectivity options

When evaluating the TCJC2, buyers often compare Fibre Channel HBAs to converged network adapters, NVMe over Fabrics (NVMe-oF) options, and Ethernet-based iSCSI or RoCE solutions. Each approach has trade-offs. Fibre Channel continues to excel in ultra-reliable, low-latency block transport backed by mature management and zoning tools. NVMe-oF over Fibre Channel or RDMA can offer even lower latency for NVMe storage, but may require end-to-end NVMe support on arrays and orchestration changes. iSCSI or RoCE can reduce infrastructure complexity by using Ethernet, but these technologies generally have higher variable latency and may require careful network engineering for consistent performance. The Dell TCJC2 remains a strong choice for existing SANs that rely on Fibre Channel’s deterministic behavior and proven manageability.

Power, thermal, and reliability expectations

Enterprise HBAs like the Dell TCJC2 are designed for continuous operation and typically adhere to strict mean time between failures (MTBF) specifications. While the adapter’s power draw is modest compared with disk or GPU components, it contributes to the server’s thermal budget. Monitoring tools and server management interfaces can report adapter temperature and link health metrics, enabling preemptive maintenance. Dell’s support and warranty services for validated adapters help ensure rapid replacement or RMA handling when necessary, maintaining high availability.