900-9D3B6-00CV-AA0 Nvidia BlueField-3 16 Arm-cores PCI-E 200 Gigabit QSFP Network Adapter

Product Positioning of Nvidia Advanced DPU Architecture 

The NVIDIA BlueField-3 P-Series B3220 network adapter represents a next-generation Data Processing Unit (DPU) designed to unify networking, storage acceleration, and security offload in a single PCIe card. Built around the BlueField-3 SoC, this adapter is engineered for hyperscale data centers, AI clusters, and high-performance computing environments where ultra-low latency and massive throughput are non-negotiable.

With dual QSFP112 ports and native support for both InfiniBand and Ethernet, the adapter delivers flexible deployment across modern fabrics while reducing CPU overhead through intelligent offloading and embedded Arm processing.

General Information

• Manufacturer: Nvidia
• Part Number: 900-9D3B6-00CV-AA0
• Product Type: Network Adapter

BlueField-3 P-Series SoC  

• 16 Arm-based processing cores optimized for infrastructure workloads
• Core frequency scaling up to 560 MHz with memory support up to 2133 MHz
• Dedicated engines for networking, storage, and security offloads

PCIe Interface Capabilities

• PCIe Gen 5.0 SerDes operating at 32.0 GT/s
• Sixteen PCIe lanes for maximum throughput
• Optional auxiliary PCIe x16 Gen 4.0/5.0 expansion via passive cards and CA-II Plus harnesses

Memory Architecture

• Dual-channel DDR5 memory with ECC protection
• Total capacity of 32 GB operating at up to 5200 MT/s
• 128-bit data path plus 16-bit ECC for enhanced reliability

Embedded Storage

• 40 GB pseudo-SLC eMMC for firmware and system services
• Integrated 128 GB SSD for local data, logs, and applications

Supported Data Rates

• InfiniBand: NDR200, HDR, HDR100, EDR, FDR, and SDR modes
• Ethernet: 200 Gb/s, 100 Gb/s, 50 Gb/s, 25 Gb/s, and 10 Gb/s

InfiniBand Protocol Capabilities

• Compliance with IBTA specification v1.5a
• Automatic negotiation across multiple link speeds and lane configurations
• Support for NDR200 using two lanes at 100 Gb/s per lane
• Backward compatibility with HDR, HDR100, EDR, FDR, and multi-lane SDR

Ethernet Standards Supported

• 200GAUI-4 C2M and 200GBASE-CR4
• 100GAUI-2 C2M, 100GBASE-CR4, CR2, and CR1
• 50GAUI-2 and 50GAUI-1 C2M variants
• 40GBASE-CR4 and 40GBASE-R2
• 25GBASE-R and 10GBASE-R options
• Legacy interfaces including 1000BASE-CX and 10GBASE-CX4

Key Security Advantages

• Hardware-accelerated cryptographic operations
• Isolated execution environments for sensitive workloads
• Reduced attack surface by offloading security tasks from the host CPU

Card and Bracket Dimensions

• Card size: 111.15 mm × 167.65 mm
• Tall bracket: 121.0 mm × 21.6 mm

Heatsink Profile

• Length: 139.6 mm
• Width: 92.7 mm
• Height: 10.2 mm

Electrical Requirements

• Operating voltage: 12 V

Thermal Operating Ranges

• Operational temperature: 0°C to 55°C
• Non-operational temperature: −40°C to 70°C

Humidity and Altitude Support

• Operational humidity: 10% to 85% relative humidity
• Non-operational humidity: up to 90% relative humidity
• Maximum operational altitude: 3050 meters

Outline of Advanced DPU and SmartNIC Architecture

The NVIDIA BlueField-3 P-Series B3220 network adapter belongs to an advanced category of data processing units and intelligent network interface cards that are purpose-built for modern data centers, cloud service providers, hyperscale environments, and high-performance enterprise infrastructures. This category focuses on offloading, accelerating, and isolating networking, storage, and security workloads directly on the network adapter, enabling host CPUs to concentrate on application logic and core business workloads. The evolution from traditional NICs to SmartNICs and DPUs represents a fundamental shift in data center architecture, driven by increasing east-west traffic, virtualization density, containerized workloads, and zero-trust security models.

Role of BlueField-3 in Modern Networking Categories

Within this category, the BlueField-3 P-Series B3220 adapter stands as a high-end solution designed to meet the demands of ultra-fast data transport, intelligent packet processing, and hardware-accelerated infrastructure services. It integrates high-bandwidth networking with programmable Arm cores, advanced offload engines, and deep integration into the NVIDIA accelerated computing ecosystem. As data center networks move toward 200 Gigabit and beyond, adapters in this category provide the deterministic performance, scalability, and security isolation required for next-generation workloads.

Transition from Traditional NICs to DPUs

Traditional NICs were primarily responsible for basic packet transmission and reception, relying heavily on host CPUs for protocol handling, security enforcement, and virtualization tasks. In contrast, DPUs like the NVIDIA BlueField-3 redefine this category by embedding compute, memory, and acceleration directly on the adapter. This architectural transformation reduces CPU overhead, minimizes latency, improves throughput consistency, and enables advanced services such as in-line encryption, microsegmentation, and virtual switching to run independently of the host operating system.

PCI Express 5.0 x16 Interface Capabilities

The category of PCIe 5.0 network adapters introduces a significant leap in host-to-device bandwidth, and the BlueField-3 P-Series B3220 fully leverages this advancement. The PCIe 5.0 x16 interface provides double the bandwidth of PCIe 4.0, ensuring that the adapter can sustain full 200 Gigabit line-rate traffic without bottlenecks. This capability is critical in environments where multiple virtual machines, containers, or bare-metal workloads generate high volumes of network traffic simultaneously.

High-Bandwidth Host Connectivity

Adapters in this category are engineered to support massive data flows between the host system and the network. PCIe 5.0 x16 ensures low-latency, high-throughput communication, enabling efficient data movement for storage protocols, AI workloads, and real-time analytics. The BlueField-3 adapter’s interface design aligns with modern server architectures that demand predictable performance under heavy load conditions.

Future-Proofing Data Center Investments

By adopting PCIe 5.0, this category of network adapters offers long-term value and compatibility with future server platforms. Organizations deploying BlueField-3 solutions benefit from an infrastructure that is ready to support emerging workloads, faster interconnects, and evolving standards without requiring frequent hardware replacement.

Dual 200 Gigabit QSFP112 Network Connectivity

The inclusion of dual 200 Gigabit QSFP112 ports places this adapter squarely in the highest tier of networking hardware categories. This level of connectivity is designed for environments that require extreme bandwidth density, low latency, and high availability. QSFP112 technology enables efficient signaling, improved power efficiency, and support for a wide range of optical and copper transceivers.

High-Speed Data Center Fabrics

In spine-leaf architectures and high-performance computing clusters, adapters with dual 200 Gigabit connectivity serve as critical endpoints that sustain massive east-west traffic. The BlueField-3 P-Series B3220 supports these architectures by delivering consistent throughput, reduced packet loss, and optimized flow control, all of which are essential for scalable data center fabrics.

Support for Advanced Networking Protocols

This category of adapters is optimized for modern protocols such as RDMA over Converged Ethernet, NVMe over Fabrics, and advanced virtualization overlays. The high-speed ports of the BlueField-3 adapter enable direct memory access and low-latency communication between nodes, significantly improving performance for storage and compute-intensive applications.

Integrated Arm-Based Processing Architecture

A defining characteristic of the BlueField-3 P-Series category is the integration of multiple Arm cores directly on the adapter. With six Arm cores, this adapter provides dedicated processing resources for networking, storage, and security tasks. This architectural approach separates infrastructure services from application workloads, enhancing both performance and security.

Offloading Infrastructure Services

By running networking stacks, virtual switches, and security services on the adapter itself, this category enables complete offload from the host CPU. The BlueField-3 adapter executes these tasks independently, reducing CPU utilization and improving overall system efficiency. This is particularly valuable in multi-tenant cloud environments where predictable performance and isolation are paramount.

Programmability and Flexibility

The Arm-based architecture allows developers and administrators to deploy custom services, control planes, and telemetry agents directly on the adapter. This programmability positions the BlueField-3 within a category of highly flexible infrastructure accelerators that can adapt to evolving operational requirements and software-defined networking strategies.

Hardware Acceleration for Security and Isolation

Security is a central focus of this category, and the BlueField-3 P-Series B3220 incorporates dedicated hardware engines to enforce isolation, encryption, and policy enforcement at line rate. By moving security functions closer to the data path, this category minimizes attack surfaces and ensures consistent enforcement across all workloads.

Inline Encryption and Decryption

Adapters in this category support hardware-accelerated cryptographic operations, enabling secure communication without sacrificing performance. The BlueField-3 adapter processes encryption and decryption tasks at full network speed, making it suitable for zero-trust architectures, secure multi-tenant environments, and compliance-driven deployments.

Isolation Between Tenants and Workloads

By running infrastructure services on the adapter rather than the host, this category provides strong isolation between tenants and applications. The BlueField-3 adapter enforces policies independently of the host operating system, reducing the risk of lateral movement and improving overall security posture.

Virtualization and Cloud-Native Enablement

The category encompassing the NVIDIA BlueField-3 adapter is closely aligned with virtualization and cloud-native technologies. As organizations adopt containers, microservices, and hybrid cloud models, network adapters must support high levels of virtualization efficiency and scalability.

Acceleration of Virtual Switching

BlueField-3 adapters accelerate virtual switching and overlay networking by offloading these functions from the host CPU. This approach reduces latency, improves throughput consistency, and enables higher virtual machine density per server. The category is particularly well-suited for software-defined data centers and network function virtualization environments.

Container Networking and Kubernetes Integration

In containerized environments, adapters in this category provide fast and secure networking for Kubernetes clusters and cloud-native applications. The programmable nature of the BlueField-3 adapter allows seamless integration with container networking interfaces and service meshes, supporting dynamic scaling and automated orchestration.

Storage Acceleration and Data Services

Beyond networking, this category of adapters plays a critical role in accelerating storage workloads. The BlueField-3 P-Series B3220 supports advanced storage protocols and offloads storage processing from the host, enabling higher performance and lower latency for data-intensive applications.

NVMe over Fabrics Optimization

By accelerating NVMe over Fabrics traffic, the BlueField-3 adapter enables fast, efficient access to remote storage resources. This capability is essential for disaggregated storage architectures and software-defined storage solutions that rely on high-speed, low-latency networking.

Data Path Efficiency and Reduced CPU Load

Offloading storage processing to the adapter reduces CPU overhead and frees host resources for application workloads. This category of adapters improves overall system efficiency and supports higher throughput for databases, analytics platforms, and AI pipelines.

Integration with NVIDIA Accelerated Computing Ecosystem

The BlueField-3 P-Series B3220 belongs to a category that is deeply integrated with the NVIDIA accelerated computing ecosystem. This integration enables seamless interoperability with GPUs, AI frameworks, and data center software stacks.

Synergy with GPU-Accelerated Workloads

In AI and machine learning environments, adapters in this category provide high-speed data movement between GPUs, storage, and network endpoints. The BlueField-3 adapter ensures that data flows efficiently, minimizing bottlenecks and maximizing GPU utilization.

Unified Management and Software Stack

This category benefits from NVIDIA’s unified management tools and software frameworks, which simplify deployment, monitoring, and lifecycle management. Administrators can manage networking, security, and acceleration services through a consistent interface, reducing operational complexity.

Reliability, Scalability, and Enterprise Readiness

Enterprise and service provider environments demand reliability and scalability, and the category represented by the BlueField-3 adapter is engineered to meet these requirements. High availability features, robust error handling, and support for large-scale deployments make it suitable for mission-critical applications.

Consistent Performance at Scale

By offloading infrastructure services and providing dedicated processing resources, this category ensures consistent performance even as workloads scale. The BlueField-3 adapter maintains predictable latency and throughput across diverse and demanding environments.

Support for Hyperscale and Multi-Tenant Deployments

Adapters in this category are designed for hyperscale data centers and cloud providers that operate at massive scale. The combination of high bandwidth, programmability, and security isolation enables efficient multi-tenant operation and rapid service delivery.

Use Cases Across Industries

The category of NVIDIA BlueField-3 P-Series network adapters serves a wide range of industries, including cloud computing, telecommunications, financial services, research institutions, and enterprise IT. Each use case benefits from the adapter’s ability to accelerate, secure, and isolate infrastructure services.

Telecommunications and 5G Infrastructure

In telecom environments, adapters in this category support high-throughput, low-latency networking required for 5G core and edge deployments. The BlueField-3 adapter enables network function virtualization and secure service chaining at scale.

Financial Services and High-Frequency Trading

Low latency and deterministic performance are critical in financial services. This category provides the performance consistency and security controls required for trading platforms, risk analysis systems, and real-time transaction processing.

Positioning Within High-Performance Networking Categories

The NVIDIA BlueField-3 P-Series B3220 occupies a premium position within the high-performance networking and DPU categories. It combines cutting-edge interconnect technology, embedded processing, and hardware acceleration to deliver a comprehensive solution for modern data centers.

Alignment with Next-Generation Data Center Trends

As data centers evolve toward composable infrastructure, zero-trust security, and AI-driven workloads, this category of adapters provides the foundational capabilities needed to support these trends. The BlueField-3 adapter aligns with the shift toward intelligent, software-defined, and highly automated infrastructure.