900-9D3B6-00CV-AA0 Nvidia Bluefield-3 P-Series B3220 6 Arm-Cores PCIE 5.0 X16 200 Gigabit QSFP112 X 2 Network Adapter

Overview of the Network Adapter

The Nvidia BlueField-3 P-Series B3220 SmartNIC is engineered for next-generation data centers that demand extreme throughput, low latency, and advanced offload capabilities. Built on the BlueField-3 SoC architecture, this network adapter delivers accelerated networking, security, and storage workloads while reducing CPU overhead.

Details Information

• Part Number: 900-9D3B6-00CV-AA0
• Brand: Nvidia 
• Device Type: Network Adapter

Key Hardware Highlights

• Powered by BlueField-3 P-Series system-on-chip technology
• Sixteen Arm® processing cores optimized for data-plane acceleration
• Dual QSFP112 ports supporting ultra-high-speed connectivity
• Designed for enterprise, cloud, and AI-driven infrastructures

Processor and Architecture Details

• BlueField-3 P-Series SoC
• 16 Arm cores with efficient clock scaling
• Optimized for high-bandwidth, low-latency workloads

Form Factor and Mechanical Design

• Single-slot FHHL card layout
• Compact dimensions for dense server deployments
• Integrated heatsink for stable operation under load

PCI Express Connectivity

• PCIe Gen 5.0 x16 interface with 32.0 GT/s signaling
• Backward compatibility with PCIe Gen 4.0, 3.0, 2.0, and 1.1
• Optional auxiliary PCIe expansion via passive card and harness

Integrated Memory

• Dual-channel DDR5 memory with ECC protection
• Total on-board capacity up to 32GB at high transfer rates
• Embedded storage including eMMC and SSD for local data handling

Networking Interfaces and Speeds

• Support for InfiniBand NDR200, HDR, HDR100, EDR, FDR, and SDR
• Ethernet speeds ranging from 10Gb/s up to 200Gb/s
• Flexible lane configurations with automatic negotiation

Protocol Compatibility

• Compliance with IBTA v1.5a specifications
• Multi-lane configurations supporting various bandwidth profiles
• Backward compatibility with legacy InfiniBand speeds

Ethernet Standards

• Support for 200G, 100G, 50G, 40G, 25G, and 10G Ethernet modes
• Compatibility with CR, R, and C2M signaling variants
• Broad support for CAUI, GAUI, XLAUI, and SFI interfaces

Power, and Environmental Specifications

• 12V power input
• Operational temperature range from 0°C to 55°C
• Non-operational tolerance from -40°C to 70°C
• Operational humidity range of 10% to 85>#/li###
• Supported operating altitude up to 3050 meters

Advanced Data Processing Unit Architecture and Positioning

The Nvidia 900-9D3B6-00CV-AA0 Bluefield-3 P-Series B3220 Network Adapter represents a specialized category of high-performance infrastructure acceleration hardware designed for modern data centers, cloud service providers, hyperscale environments, and enterprise networking backbones. This category focuses on intelligent network interface controllers (SmartNICs) and data processing units (DPUs) that offload, accelerate, and isolate networking, storage, and security workloads directly at the edge of the server. BlueField-3 P-Series adapters are positioned at the intersection of compute, networking, and security, enabling organizations to redefine server architecture by shifting infrastructure services away from host CPUs.

PCI Express 5.0 Integration and System-Level Bandwidth

A defining characteristic of this category is full adoption of PCI Express 5.0 x16 connectivity. PCIe 5.0 doubles the per-lane throughput of PCIe 4.0, enabling up to 128 GT/s of aggregate bandwidth in a x16 configuration. This level of host interconnect performance is essential for advanced DPUs such as the BlueField-3 P-Series, which must simultaneously manage networking, cryptographic processing, virtualization, and storage services without becoming a bottleneck.

200Gigabit QSFP112 Connectivity and Network Scalability

The inclusion of dual 200 Gigabit QSFP112 ports places this adapter squarely within the ultra-high-speed networking category. QSFP112 is engineered to support 200G Ethernet per port using advanced modulation techniques and high-density cabling, making it ideal for spine-leaf architectures, high-performance computing clusters, and data center interconnects. This category emphasizes extreme throughput combined with low latency and high signal integrity.

ARM-Based Processing and Offload Capabilities

At the core of this category is the use of embedded ARM processing cores, with the BlueField-3 P-Series B3220 featuring six dedicated ARM cores. These cores are responsible for executing infrastructure software independently of the host CPU, enabling true separation between tenant workloads and infrastructure services. This architectural model aligns with modern zero-trust and confidential computing strategies.

Security, Isolation, and Zero-Trust Networking

Security is a foundational pillar of the BlueField-3 P-Series category. By relocating critical security functions to the DPU, organizations can enforce isolation at the hardware level. This category supports inline encryption, secure boot, hardware root of trust, and isolated execution environments that are independent of the host operating system.

Virtualization, Containerization, and Cloud-Native Enablement

Another defining aspect of this category is deep integration with virtualization and container orchestration platforms. BlueField-3 P-Series adapters are designed to accelerate virtual switches, virtual routers, and overlay networks used in cloud-native environments. By offloading these functions, the adapter reduces CPU overhead and improves overall cluster efficiency.

Storage Acceleration and NVMe-over-Fabrics

Storage acceleration is a major use case for this category. BlueField-3 P-Series adapters are designed to handle NVMe-over-Fabrics, iSCSI, and other high-performance storage protocols at line rate. By offloading storage processing to the adapter, latency is reduced and throughput is increased, even under heavy I/O workloads.

High-Performance Computing and Workloads

High-performance computing and artificial intelligence workloads place extreme demands on networking infrastructure. This category addresses those demands by combining ultra-high-speed connectivity with intelligent offloads. In GPU clusters, BlueField-3 P-Series adapters enable efficient GPU-to-GPU communication using RDMA and GPUDirect technologies.

Operational Efficiency and Data Center

Beyond raw performance, this category delivers significant operational benefits. By consolidating networking, security, and storage processing onto a single adapter, data centers can reduce the number of discrete appliances and software agents required. This simplification leads to lower power consumption, reduced cooling requirements, and easier management.

Future-Proof Design and Ecosystem Compatibility

The BlueField-3 P-Series category is designed with future scalability in mind. Support for PCIe 5.0, QSFP112, and programmable ARM cores ensures compatibility with emerging server platforms and networking standards. This forward-looking design protects investments by enabling gradual upgrades rather than disruptive overhauls.