N9K-C9516-B3-E - Cisco Nexus 9516 Chassis Bundle

N9K-C9516-B3-E Sixteen-Slot Starter

N9K-C9516-B3-E is the FM-E starter package for the sixteen-line-card-slot Nexus 9516: one supervisor, three power supplies, two system controllers, four FM-E fabric modules and three fan trays.

Partial population is intentional

The 9516 can accept sixteen line cards, ten power supplies, six same-family fabric modules and two supervisors. The B3-E bundle is a starting configuration, not a fully engineered sixteen-slot switch.

Fabric expansion decision

Four FM-E modules must be matched to selected line cards and required per-slot bandwidth. Confirm whether six compatible fabrics are needed for capacity or redundancy before installation.

Power is a primary constraint

Three power supplies cannot be assumed to cover a fully populated chassis. Model normal and failed-feed power for all cards, optics, supervisors and fabrics, then design independent input circuits.

Card/optic scope

No line cards, optics or cables are stated in the bundle. Validate software mode, card generation, buffers, airflow, rack loading and cable management as separate design items.

Compare smaller chassis

uses eight slots and uses four. Do not transfer their rack, power or line-card plan to the 9516.

Sources: Cisco official PID index listing N9K-C9516-B3-E; Cisco Nexus 9516 capacity table.