Specifications

32 Getting Started with the McDATA Intrepid FICON Director
The required distance between the FICON channel and the FICON CU has to be considered.
Refer to Table 3-3 on page 33 for zSeries and 9276 G5/G6 FICON Channel distance
specifications.
Conversion kits may be required if the connectors are of differing types (LC Duplex, SC
Duplex, or ESCON Duplex).
When connecting a single mode port of the Director to an existing multimode cable, mode
conditioning patch (MCP) cables are required at both ends of the existing multimode fiber
optic cable. Verify the MCP cable type (connector, receptacle, and fiber (50 or 62.5 micron)),
needed.
3.8 FICON channel support for zSeries and 9672 G5/G6 servers
There are two types of FICON features available: FICON and FICON Express. Both types
support a long wavelength (LX) laser version and a short wavelength (SX) laser version for
the transceiver.
The z900 is the only server that supports both types of FICON features. However, for new
z900 configurations only the FICON Express features is orderable. The z800 family only
supports the FICON Express features, whereas the 9672 G5/G6 servers only support the
FICON features.
FICON and FICON Express features
Table 3-1 lists the FICON and FICON Express feature codes with the appropriate laser type
(short wavelength (SX) or long wavelength (LX)), number of ports per card, and the server
type that supports them.
Table 3-1 FICON and FICON Express feature codes
Table 3-2 maps the supported FICON topologies to their corresponding FICON and FICON
Express feature codes.
Table 3-2 FICON topologies with supported FICON and FICON Express feature codes
Note: With a FICON channel, MCP cables can only be used with a link data rate of 1 Gbps
(100 MBps). Hence, a link data rate of 2 Gbps is not supported with MCP cables.
Feature Code Ports per adapter 9672 G5/G6 z900
a
a. Can intermix FICON and FICON Express cards at driver level 3C or later.
z800
b
b. Only supports FICON Express cards.
FC 2314 (FICON LX) one X
FC 2316 (FICON SX) one X
FC 2315 (FICON LX)
c
c. Can no longer be ordered.
two X
FC 2318 (FICON SX)
c
two X
FC 2319 (FICON Express LX) two X X
FC 2320 (FICON Express SX) two X X
FICON topology FC 2314 FC 2316 FC 2315 FC 2318 FC 2319
a
FC 2320
a
Switched point-to-point Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes