Cisco N9K-X9564TX Full Official Technical Specification Document

1. Product Overview

Official Full Designation

Cisco N9K-X9564TX:Cisco Nexus 9500 Cloud-Scale Hot-Swappable I/O Line Card, 48-Port 10/100/1000/10GBASE-T Copper Downlinks + 4-Port QSFP+ 40G Breakout Uplinks, Access/Aggregation Layer Hybrid Copper-Fiber Module for Modular Clos Data Center Fabrics

Core DefinitionN9K-X9564TX is a cloud-scale hot-pluggable line card exclusively designed for Cisco Nexus 9500 modular data center switch chassis (4-slot N9K-C9504, 8-slot N9K-C9508, 16-slot N9K-C9516)Cisco. It delivers hybrid copper-fiber port density optimized for leaf-layer server access deployments: 48 multi-speed RJ45 copper ports for direct wired server/NAS connections, paired with four universal QSFP+ uplink ports for leaf-to-spine fabric interconnection. This cloud-scale generation line card features a large 104MB dynamic shared packet buffer, full non-blocking wire-speed forwarding, and native support for NX-OS data center core features including VXLAN EVPN routing & bridging, vPC multi-chassis redundancy, hardware security pipelines, and ACI external leaf integration.

SKU Naming Breakdown

1. N9K: Standard prefix for Cisco Nexus 9000 series modular chassis switch hardware
2. X9564: Cloud-scale generation line card identifier; total port count equals 48 downlink + 4 uplink ports
3. TX: Port type suffix;T= 1/10GBASE-T multi-speed copper RJ45 downlink ports,X= QSFP+ 40G breakout-capable fiber uplink ports
4. =: Optional suffix for standalone spare-only line card kits (N9K-X9564TX=)Cisco

Product Lifecycle Notice

• Official Global Release Year: 2018
• End-of-Sale (EoS) Announcement Date: 2022; Cisco ceased manufacturing new unitsCisco
• Direct Replacement Model: N9K-X9464TX2 (newer classic-generation copper line card)Cisco
• Minimum Supported NX-OS Software Version: NX-OS Release 7.0(3)I1(2) and later; fully compatible up to NX-OS Release 10.x 64-bit NX-OS imagesCisco
• Software Maintenance Status: Only critical security vulnerability patches are provided for customers with active Cisco DNA support contracts; no new feature development
• Legacy Status: End-of-sale hardware; genuine refurbished spare parts, certified firmware upgrades, and 24×7 TAC technical support remain accessible through authorized Cisco distribution channels

Supported Chassis Compatibility

This line card is fully hot-swappable and interoperable with all three Nexus 9500 modular chassis models:

1. N9K-C9504 (4-slot chassis)
2. N9K-C9508 (8-slot chassis)
3. N9K-C9516 (16-slot chassis)Cisco

Mandatory Fabric Module Requirement

To achieve full non-blocking chassis bandwidth capacity, each chassis must be populated with a minimum of three matching fabric modules corresponding to the chassis model (N9K-C9504-FM / N9K-C9508-FM / N9K-C9516-FM).

Standard Factory Complete Bundle Contents

Each factory-sealed N9K-X9564TX retail/spare package includes all hardware for chassis installation:

1. N9K-X9564TX base hot-swappable cloud-scale line card with integrated passive aluminum heat sink assembly
2. Front panel dust blanking plugs for unused RJ45 and QSFP+ ports
3. Chassis mounting retention screws and anti-static ESD handling bag
4. Quick-start hardware installation guide for line card insertion/removal
5. Global regulatory compliance, safety, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) certification documentation packet

Core Integrated Functional Capabilities

• Non-blocking wire-speed packet forwarding for all 48 copper downlink ports and 4 QSFP+ uplink ports simultaneously
• Hardware-accelerated Layer 2 / Layer 3 forwarding: IPv4/IPv6 unicast/multicast, MPLS label switching, VXLAN EVPN tunnel termination for leaf/spine data center Clos fabrics
• Comprehensive Layer 2 feature suite: IEEE 802.1Q VLAN trunking (4096 VLAN IDs), vPC multi-chassis link aggregation, LACP/static EtherChannel, RSTP/MSTP spanning tree, UDLD, private VLANs, PVLAN edge isolation
• Layer 3 dynamic routing protocols: Static routing, RIPv2, OSPFv2/v3, EIGRP, HSRP/VRRP first-hop redundancy, uRPF loose/strict anti-spoofing mode
• Hardware security pipeline: Ingress/egress TCAM ACL filtering, DHCP snooping, dynamic ARP inspection, broadcast/multicast/unicast storm control, control-plane policing (CoPP)
• Hardware QoS scheduling: DSCP/802.1p CoS traffic classification, traffic policing/marking, ingress buffer tuning, egress DWRR weighted queuing, WRED congestion avoidance
• Dedicated hardware multicast replication engine: PIM-SM, PIM-SSM, BiDir-PIM, MSDP, optimized for IPTV broadcast video and media fabric workloads
• Advanced data center automation features: PoAP zero-touch provisioning, NX-API REST API, NETCONF/YANG, Python scripting, EEM embedded event manager
• Full jumbo frame support up to 9216-byte MTU, SPAN/ERSPAN port mirroring, IEEE 1588 PTP boundary clock, NTP time synchronization, SSHv2 encrypted management, AAA/RADIUS/TACACS+ access control
• Native ACI external leaf integration support for hybrid fabric deployments
• Compatible with Cisco Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extenders (FEX) via breakout QSFP+ uplinksCisco

2. Hardware & Performance Specifications

Core Forwarding & Buffer Performance

• Shared Packet Buffer: 104MB dynamic tunable buffer pool shared across all 52 ports (unique large buffer advantage over classic X9464TX2’s 12MB buffer)
• Total Bidirectional Switching Throughput: 1.28 Tbps full-duplex non-blocking crossbar
• Packet Forwarding Rate: Wire-speed L2/L3 forwarding for all frame sizes
• MAC Address Table Capacity: Up to 160,000 unique MAC addresses
• Maximum LPM IPv4/IPv6 Routes: 128,000 prefixes
• Multicast Route Scale: Up to 32,000 multicast routes

Port Hardware Specifications

Downlink Ports (48 × RJ45 10/100/1000/10GBASE-T Copper)

• Auto-negotiated supported speeds: 10 Mbps, 100 Mbps, 1 Gbps, 10 Gbps
• Cable Compatibility: CAT5e, CAT6, CAT6A copper twisted-pair cabling
• Maximum Cable Reach: 100 meters for all supported speeds
• Port Features: Auto-MDI/MDI-X, IEEE 802.3af/802.3at PoE capable (PoE power supply modules sold separately for host chassis)

Uplink Ports (4 × QSFP+ Universal 40G Fiber Ports)

• Native Supported Speed: 40 Gbps QSFP+
• Breakout Mode Support: Each QSFP+ port can be split via QSFP+ to SFP+ breakout cables into four independent 10 Gbps SFP+ lanes for FEX or low-bandwidth uplink deploymentsCisco
• Supported Transceiver Types: QSFP+ 40G SR4/LR4/ER4 optical transceivers, QSFP+ 40G passive/active copper direct-attach cables, QSFP+ breakout cables

Electrical & Thermal Specifications

Power Consumption

• Typical Line Card Operating Power Draw: ~300 Watts
• Maximum Full-Load Power Consumption: ~400 WattsCisco
• Power Delivery: Powered via chassis backplane; no external power connectors on the line card

Thermal & Environmental Operating Parameters

• Certified Continuous Operating Temperature Range: 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F) standard data center environment
• Extended Validated Short-Term Operating Temperature: 0°C to 55°C (32°F to 131°F)
• Storage & Transport Temperature Range: -40°C to 70°C (-40°F to 158°F)
• Operating Relative Humidity: 10% to 90% RH, non-condensing
• Operating Altitude: Certified operational range -150 m to 2,000 m (-500 ft to 6,500 ft); extended validated range up to 3,000 m (10,000 ft)
• Cooling Design: Passive aluminum heat sink assembly on the line card PCB; cooling airflow supplied by the host Nexus 9500 chassis rear fan trays
• Airflow Direction: Port-side intake, rear exhaust standard airflow design

Physical Form Factor & Weight

• Form Factor: Standard Nexus 9500 hot-swappable vertical cloud-scale line card form factor
• Bare Line Card Net Weight (without transceivers/dust plugs): ~4.9 kg

3. Regulatory & Compliance Certifications

Fully compliant with global international industry, safety, EMC, and carrier-grade standards when installed in certified Nexus 9500 chassis:

1. Safety Standards: UL 62368-1, CSA C22.2 No. 62368-1, EN 60950-1, IEC 60950-1Cisco
2. EMC & EMI Standards: FCC CFR Title 47 Part 15 Class A, VCCI Class A, EN55022 Class A, CISPR 22 Class ACisco
3. Carrier-Grade Compliance: NEBS Level 3 (GR-1089-CORE, GR-63-CORE), ETSI ETS 300 386-2, EN 50121-4 railway EMC compatibility
4. Environmental Directive: EU RoHS 2 hazardous substance restriction compliance

4. Core Deployment Advantages

1. Large 104MB Dynamic Shared Packet Buffer: The industry-leading large buffer pool significantly reduces packet loss during heavy traffic bursts for mixed copper server downlink and high-speed 40G uplink leaf workloads, outperforming classic-generation line cards with only 12MB buffers.
2. Hybrid Copper-Fiber Port Layout for Server Access: 48 multi-speed 1/10G copper RJ45 ports deliver low-cost, plug-and-play wired server/NAS rack connections, paired with four flexible 40G QSFP+ uplinks that support native 40G leaf-spine interconnections or breakout to 10G lanes for flexible bandwidth scaling without hardware replacement.
3. Full Hot-Swappable Chassis Compatibility: Fully pluggable into all three Nexus 9500 modular chassis models (4/8/16-slot), enabling consistent copper leaf access layer port design across data centers of different fabric scale.
4. Complete NX-OS Feature Parity: Supports the full suite of modern data center features including VXLAN EVPN leaf/spine fabrics, ACI hybrid fabric external leaf integration, hardware multicast replication for media workloads, and comprehensive automation APIs for SDDC orchestration.
5. Chassis-Level Redundancy Compatibility: Works seamlessly with all Nexus 9500 high-availability components, including redundant fabric modules, redundant AC power supplies, and redundant fan trays, enabling zero-downtime line card replacement without chassis power cycling.
6. Broad Transceiver & FEX Compatibility: RJ45 ports support standard low-cost CAT5e/CAT6 copper cabling for server access, while QSFP+ uplinks natively support Nexus 2000 FEX deployment to extend port density on leaf racks.

Supplementary Product Specification Notes

UNSPSC Classification Code

43222612 (Hot-swappable cloud-scale I/O line card for Cisco Nexus 9500 modular data center switch chassis, N9K-X9564TX, 48-port 10/100/1000/10GBASE-T copper downlink ports, 4-port QSFP+ multi-speed 40G / breakout 10G uplink ports, 104MB large dynamic shared packet buffer, hardware-accelerated L2/L3 forwarding, VXLAN EVPN fabric support, compatible with Nexus 2000 FEX, for enterprise and cloud data center leaf access layer copper server and storage aggregation deployments).

K9 Security Compliance Note

All N9K-X9564TX supported NX-OS firmware releases implement AES 128-bit encrypted remote CLI, web portal, SNMP, and NETCONF management traffic, meeting Cisco K9 secure network hardware classification standards required for government, military, healthcare, and financial regulated data center deployments.

Factory Hardware Warranty Terms

Standard 1-year limited hardware warranty coverage for brand-new factory-sealed N9K-X9564TX line card spare kits purchased through official Cisco authorized global distribution channel partners. Extended 3-year / 5-year hardware support contracts are available as optional add-ons via Cisco DNA Support Services, covering spare part replacement, 24x7 Cisco TAC engineering technical support, and certified NX-OS firmware upgrade releases.