The Cisco A9K-40GE-B is a 40-port Gigabit Ethernet (GE) Medium-Queue line card designed for the ASR-9000 Series routers. It requires SFP transceivers (optical or copper, depending on the SFP module) to provide versatile connectivity for high-density carrier Ethernet networks. This line card is built for service-provider edge or aggregation environments, where both performance and feature richness are required. It supports 10/100/1000 Mbps on the GE ports, offers a medium number of queues (balancing between cost and performance), and delivers robust packet forwarding with support for full line-rate traffic under Cisco IOS XR. Its design includes high memory (4 GB of DRAM) for handling large routing / forwarding tables, packet buffers, and traffic queueing. The physical size is substantial — it occupies a full line-card slot in ASR-9000 chassis such as ASR-9006 and ASR-9010, and consumes considerable power under load. Environmentally rated for typical data-center temp ranges and built to meet carrier-grade reliability standards. Key Features & Benefits 40 × 1 Gigabit Ethernet ports (requires SFPs) for flexible deployment. Medium-queue version (“-B”) gives better queue depth vs low-queue line cards, helpful for traffic bursts and buffering. Supports 10/100/1000 Mbps on GE ports. 4 GB DRAM for improved buffering, routing tables, and forwarding state. Compatible with Cisco IOS XR software on ASR-9000 platforms: ASR-9006, ASR-9010 (both AC & DC, versions V2) etc. Physical robustness: Able to sustain carrier environment conditions, proper thermal design. Technical Specifications Specification Detail Model / Part Number A9K-40GE-B Description 40-Port Gigabit Ethernet Medium Queue Line Card (requires SFPs) Supported Speeds per Port 10 / 100 / 1000 Mbps Ethernet Queues ≈ 96,000 – 192,000 queues depending on software / buffer version Memory 4 GB DRAM Supported Platforms ASR-9000 series routers (e.g. ASR-9006, ASR-9010; AC and DC chassis, V2 variants) Physical Dimensions (HxWxD) ≈ 14 in × 1.72 in × 20.5 in (≈ 35.56 × 4.37 × 52.07 cm) Weight ≈ 14-19 lb (≈ 6.35-8.62 kg) depending on version Power Consumption Maximum ~350-630 W; Typical ~310-565 W depending on software load and card variant Environmental / Operating Temp 0-40 °C nominal (standard carrier environment) Regulatory / Compliance Designed to meet telecom / carrier reliability standards; Cisco IOS XR compatibility; SFP optics interoperability See all Line Cards / Interface Modules Available
