Cisco N9K-C9516-FM-E Full Official Technical Specification Document

1. Product Overview

Official Full Designation

Cisco N9K-C9516-FM-E:Cisco Nexus 9516 Cloud-Scale Hot-Swappable Fabric Module, 800 Gbps Per-Line-Card-Slot Full-Duplex Bandwidth, Clos Architecture Crossbar Interconnect Module Exclusively for 16-Slot Nexus 9516 Modular Data Center Chassis, Optimized for 100G Ethernet Leaf-Spine Workloads, Dual NX-OS / ACI Operating Modes SupportedCisco

Core Definition

N9K-C9516-FM-E is a rear hot-pluggable Cloud-Scale fabric module custom-built for the 16-slot Cisco Nexus 9516 modular data center switch chassis (21RU high-capacity chassis supporting up to 16 front-panel line cards)Cisco. The Nexus 9500 family adopts a distributed non-blocking Clos switching architecture; each fabric module acts as a high-speed crossbar to build full-mesh direct interconnections between all sixteen line card slots inside the chassisCisco.

This E-series Cloud-Scale fabric module delivers800 Gbps full-duplex non-blocking bandwidth per line card slot, optimized for mixed 10G/25G/40G/100G Ethernet leaf-spine fabric workloads in large-scale enterprise, cloud and carrier data centersCisco. All fabric modules installed within one Nexus 9516 chassis must be identical FM-E hardware; mixing FM-E with FM-E2 / FM-G fabric modules triggers hardware mismatch fault alarms on supervisor modules and breaks full-bandwidth forwarding capacity.

This module features carrier-grade reliability, full hot-swap zero-downtime maintenance, and native dual-mode compatibility: traditional NX-OS IP leaf-spine fabrics and ACI Application Centric Infrastructure multi-tenant policy-driven fabrics. No extra software license is required to unlock full crossbar forwarding capacity.

SKU Naming Breakdown

1. N9K: Standard prefix for Cisco Nexus 9000 series modular chassis switch hardware
2. C9516: Chassis identifier, representing the 16-slot Nexus 9516 high-capacity modular switch chassis
3. FM: Fabric Module, core crossbar interconnection hardware for Clos chassis switching architecture
4. E: E-series Cloud-Scale ASIC silicon variant, delivering 800 Gbps per-slot bandwidth tuned for high-volume 100G Ethernet traffic flows
5. =: Optional suffix for standalone spare-only fabric module kits (N9K-C9516-FM-E=)

Product Lifecycle Notice

• Official Global Release Year: 2020
• End-of-Sale (EoS) Status: Discontinued, Cisco ceased manufacturing brand-new hardware units
• Direct Upgrade Replacement Model: N9K-C9516-FM-G (1.6 Tbps per-slot high-bandwidth FM-G fabric module)
• Minimum Supported NX-OS Software Version: NX-OS Release 9.3(16) and later; fully compatible with all ACI Spine/Leaf OS production releasesCisco
• Software Maintenance Status: Only critical security vulnerability patches are provided for customers holding active Cisco DNA support contracts; no new feature development
• Legacy Status: End-of-sale hardware; certified refurbished spare parts, validated firmware upgrades and 24×7 Cisco TAC engineering technical support remain available through authorized Cisco distribution channels

Mandatory Deployment Rules for Nexus 9516 Chassis

1. Uniform hardware requirement: All fabric modules deployed in one Nexus 9516 chassis must be identical FM-E model; mixing FM-E with FM-E2/FM-G fabric modules is strictly prohibited.
2. Minimum quantity requirement for normal chassis operation: At least three FM-E fabric modules must be installed in the six rear fabric slots to supply power to chassis fan trays and enable basic forwarding capacityCisco. To unlock full non-blocking chassis bandwidth, deploy a minimum of four N9K-C9516-FM-E fabric modules.
3. Redundancy & traffic load balancing: Traffic from each line card is dynamically ECMP load-balanced evenly across all active fabric modules. If a single fabric module fails, remaining healthy modules automatically undertake full chassis traffic load without complete data plane outage; overall system bandwidth capacity will degrade proportionally to offline fabric modules.
4. Blank filler requirement: Any vacant fabric slots not populated with FM-E modules must be covered with N9K-C9516-FM-CV blank filler cards to maintain consistent chassis airflow and thermal stability.

Standard Factory Complete Bundle Contents

Each factory-sealed N9K-C9516-FM-E retail/spare package contains all hardware required for chassis installation:

1. N9K-C9516-FM-E base hot-swappable Cloud-Scale fabric module with integrated passive aluminum heat sink assembly
2. Chassis mounting retention screws and anti-static ESD handling storage bag
3. Quick-start hardware installation guide covering fabric module insertion, removal and hot-swap replacement procedures
4. Global regulatory compliance, safety, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) certification documentation packet

Core Integrated Functional Capabilities

• Full-mesh Clos crossbar interconnection: Direct high-speed low-latency data forwarding paths between every front line card slot in the Nexus 9516 chassis
• 800 Gbps full-duplex non-blocking bandwidth per line card slot, optimized for high-volume bidirectional 100G Ethernet fabric traffic flows
• Dynamic equal-cost multi-path (ECMP) traffic load balancing: All inter-line-card data packets are evenly distributed across all installed fabric modules to avoid single-module congestion and packet loss
• Full hot-swappable zero-downtime maintenance capability: Fabric modules can be inserted, removed or replaced without powering off the entire Nexus 9516 chassis or disrupting normal data plane forwarding
• Built-in hardware fault isolation and N+1 redundancy support: The chassis continues normal packet forwarding operation if a single fabric module fails; remaining modules automatically undertake the full chassis traffic load
• Dual operating mode compatibility: Native support for standard NX-OS traditional IP leaf-spine fabrics and ACI Spine/Leaf OS policy-driven multi-tenant data center fabrics
• Full hardware forwarding acceleration: All inter-line-card crossbar switching traffic is fully offloaded to the built-in Cloud-Scale E-series ASIC, eliminating supervisor CPU processing bottlenecks
• Universal line card compatibility: Works seamlessly with all Cloud-Scale EX/FX generation hybrid leaf line cards (N9K-X97xxxxYC-EX/FX series) and classic-generation S-series 100G line cards deployed on the Nexus 9516 chassis

2. Hardware & Performance Specifications

Core Bandwidth & Forwarding Performance

• Per-line-card-slot bidirectional switching bandwidth: 800 Gbps full-duplex non-blockingCisco
• Total full-chassis non-blocking bidirectional switching throughput (4 FM-E modules installed): 51.2 Tbps total chassis switching capacity
• Internal ASIC port resources: Each FM-E fabric module integrates dedicated Cloud-Scale E-series silicon ASICs with internal high-speed interconnection ports for all sixteen line card slots of the Nexus 9516 chassis
• Traffic optimization target: Tuned for mixed 10G/25G/40G/100G Ethernet bidirectional leaf-spine fabric traffic flows
• MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures): 481,470 hours, meeting strict carrier-grade long-term continuous operation reliability requirementsCisco

Electrical & Thermal Specifications

Power Consumption

• Typical fabric module operating power draw under medium chassis traffic load: 360 Watts
• Maximum full-load power consumption under chassis full 100% traffic pressure: 720 WattsCisco
• Power delivery: Powered exclusively through the Nexus 9516 chassis rear backplane; no external power supply connectors on the fabric module

Thermal & Environmental Operating Parameters

• Certified continuous operating temperature range: 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F) standard data center environment; for every 1000ft altitude increase, the maximum operating temperature is reduced by 1°CCisco
• 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)Cisco
• Operating relative humidity: 10% to 90% RH, non-condensing
• Storage relative humidity: 5% to 95% 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 4,000 m (13,123 ft)Cisco
• Cooling design: Passive aluminum heat sink assembly mounted on the fabric module PCB; cooling airflow is supplied by the host Nexus 9516 chassis three rear fan trays
• Airflow direction: Port-side intake (rear fabric slot intake), front exhaust standard front-to-back airflow design

Physical Form Factor & Weight

• Form Factor: Standard Nexus 9516 rear hot-swappable vertical fabric module form factor, exclusive hardware designed only for the 16-slot N9K-C9516 chassis
• Bare fabric module net weight (without mounting accessories): Approximately 4.9 kg

3. Regulatory & Compliance Certifications

Fully compliant with global international industry, safety, EMC, and carrier-grade standards when installed inside certified Nexus 9516 modular chassis:

1. Safety Standards: UL 60950-1, CSA C22.2 No. 60950-1, EN 60950-1, IEC 60950-1, GB 4943 Chinese national safety standard
2. EMC & EMI Standards: FCC CFR Title 47 Part 15 Class A, VCCI Class A, EN55022 Class A, CISPR 22 Class A, ICES003 Class A
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 6 hazardous substance restriction compliance, exempting BGA solder balls and press-fit connectors containing lead

4. Core Deployment Advantages

1. Optimized 800 Gbps Per-Slot Bandwidth for Large-Scale 100G Fabrics: The FM-E fabric module delivers 800 Gbps full-duplex bandwidth per line card slot, perfectly matching the throughput demand of mainstream 100G QSFP28 leaf line cards deployed in large enterprise, cloud and carrier leaf-spine data center fabrics built on the 16-slot high-capacity Nexus 9516 chassis.
2. Full-Mesh Clos Crossbar Redundancy & ECMP Load Balancing: The distributed Clos architecture creates direct interconnection paths between all sixteen line card slots, and traffic is evenly ECMP load-balanced across all installed fabric modules. Single fabric module failure will not interrupt chassis forwarding services, only moderately reduce overall system throughput, significantly improving mission-critical data center fabric reliability.
3. Hot-Swap Zero-Downtime Maintenance Compatibility: The fabric module adopts a fully hot-swappable design. Network administrators can insert, remove or replace faulty fabric modules without shutting down the entire Nexus 9516 chassis, eliminating costly data center fabric downtime during hardware maintenance and upgrade operations.
4. Dual NX-OS / ACI Fabric Operating Mode Support: This FM-E fabric module is fully compatible with both traditional NX-OS IP leaf-spine fabrics and Cisco ACI policy-driven multi-tenant data center fabrics. The same fabric module hardware can be reused for legacy IP data centers and modern ACI cloud fabrics, maximizing hardware asset flexibility and reducing hardware refresh investment costs.
5. Exclusive Dedicated Compatibility with Nexus 9516 Chassis: Custom-designed for the 16-slot Nexus 9516 high-capacity modular switch chassis, it perfectly matches the chassis backplane interconnection specifications and front-to-back airflow cooling layout, avoiding hardware mismatch faults caused by cross-chassis fabric module mixing.
6. Low Power Passive Cooling Carrier-Grade Reliability: The fabric module features a passive heat sink design without built-in fans, reducing mechanical failure points, paired with moderate power consumption to cut data center cooling energy expenditure. Its MTBF of over 480,000 hours meets strict carrier-grade long-term continuous operation requirements for 24/7 non-stop large-scale data center environments.

Supplementary Product Specification Notes

UNSPSC Classification Code

43222612 (Hot-swappable Cloud-Scale E-series ASIC fabric crossbar module for Cisco Nexus 9516 16-slot high-capacity modular data center switch chassis, N9K-C9516-FM-E, 800 Gbps full-duplex non-blocking bandwidth per line card slot, optimized for 100G Ethernet leaf-spine fabric workloads, Clos full-mesh interconnection architecture, hot-swap zero-downtime maintenance support, dual NX-OS / ACI fabric operating mode compatibility, for large-scale enterprise, cloud and carrier data center modular core switch chassis interconnection deployments).

K9 Security Compliance Note

All N9K-C9516-FM-E supported NX-OS and ACI Spine/Leaf OS firmware releases implement AES 128-bit encrypted remote CLI, web management portal, SNMP, and NETCONF management traffic, meeting Cisco K9 secure network hardware classification standards required for government, military, healthcare, and financial industry regulated data center deployments.

Factory Hardware Warranty Terms

Standard 1-year limited hardware warranty coverage for brand-new factory-sealed N9K-C9516-FM-E fabric module spare kits purchased through official Cisco authorized global distribution channel partners. Extended 3-year / 5-year hardware support contracts were available as optional add-ons via Cisco DNA Support Services during the product’s active sales lifecycle, covering spare part replacement, 24×7 Cisco TAC engineering technical support, and certified NX-OS / ACI Spine/Leaf OS firmware upgrade releases.