Table of Contents
Introduction
It’s time for the much-anticipated teardown! Today, we introduce a versatile router switch on Marvell OCTEON DPU with Falcon ASIC —the Asterfusion CX306P-48Y-M-H. With 2T SONiC switching capacity, it can serve as a data center leaf. Equipped with two Marvell OCTEON 10 CN103 DPUs, each providing 100 Gbps routing performance, it can also function as an edge router, handling concurrent traffic, complex routing policies, and multi-service forwarding. This makes it a unified platform for switching, routing, and security.
Optional PTP and GNSS modules deliver precise time synchronization, enabling deployment in latency- and precision-sensitive scenarios such as 5G O-RAN fronthaul, broadcasting, financial trading, and smart grids.
In short, a single CX306P-48Y-M-H can perform the roles of switch, router, and security gateway, operating reliably across media & entertainment (M&E), data centers, campus cores, 5G O-RAN, financial networks, and carrier environments.
Let’s take a closer look at this remarkable router switch on Marvell OCTEON DPU with Falcon ASIC.
CX306P-48Y-M-H: Powerful 2T-Class Switch
CX306P-48Y-M-H is designed for Campus Core, Data Centers, 5G O-RAN, and Media/Live Streaming Networks as a router switch on Marvell OCTEON DPU with Falcon ASIC.
It is a high-performance 2.0T Ethernet switch powered by the Marvell Falcon ASIC and preloaded with Enterprise SONiC. The Falcon ASIC delivers outstanding forwarding performance, achieving up to 2.63 Bpps (billion packets per second) at line rate. It also supports large-scale routing tables with 504K IPv4 prefixes and 252K IPv6 prefixes, leading its class in scalability and performance.
Front-Panel
This front view showcases the robust design of the router switch on Marvell OCTEON DPU with Falcon ASIC.
Let’s first take a look at the exterior.
The front panel of the device provides 6 × 100G QSFP28 ports (downward compatible with 40G) and 48 × 25G SFP28 ports (supporting downward compatibility with 10G). The 6 uplink ports increase network bandwidth and, while providing redundancy and reliability, support multi-link connections for higher network resilience and availability.
Unlike typical 2T-class switches, which usually have 8 × 100G QSFP28 ports, the CX306P-48Y-M-H has only 6. So what happened to the remaining two 100G ports? These two 100G ports are directly connected to the Marvell OCTEON DPU and built into the switch to handle high-performance routing and security tasks. Details can be found in the “Inner Working” section.
On the right side of the front panel, there are 3 management ports from top to bottom: 1 × MGMT RJ45, 1 × USB port, and 1 × Console RJ45.
- The MGMT RJ45 is used for remote device management.
- The USB port can connect to a flash drive for debugging, recovery, or maintenance.
- The Console port provides local CLI access, especially useful when the network interfaces are unavailable, allowing configuration, troubleshooting, and recovery operations.
Rear-Panel
The rear section of the router switch on Marvell OCTEON DPU with Falcon ASIC houses essential modules for cooling, power, and timing.
From left to right are the hot-swappable fans, Timing I/O, and hot-swappable power supplies.
Hot-Swappable Fan Module in 3+1 Configuration
The 3+1 redundancy design, with 3 active fans and 1 standby fan, allows a fan to be replaced without shutting down the device. This ensures continuous operation while reducing maintenance and operational costs.
Timing I/O
This module provides an overview of the time synchronization features. Externally, the following timing interfaces are available:
(1) 1x SMB for 10MHz：Frequency reference signal interface. Connects to an external high-precision clock to provide a stable reference frequency for the device, enabling SyncE frequency synchronization.
(2) 1x SMA for GNSS：Connects to an external satellite antenna to receive GNSS signals, providing high-precision positioning and time synchronization.
(3) 1x SMB for 1PPS：Provides a pulse signal every second for high-precision time synchronization, working with the PTP module to align the internal clock.
(4) 1x TOD port in RJ45: Time of Day ports provides standard time information, typically used together with 1 PPS to synchronize the internal clock.
All of the above timing interfaces can be flexibly combined according to actual requirements.
Additionally, the rear panel provides a redundant management port for out-of-band management, complementing the front-panel port to form a dual management interface design for high reliability.
Under normal operation, the LNK LED remains lit, and the ACT LED blinks during data transmission.
1+1 Hot-Swappable Power Supplies
The dual power supplies work in load-sharing mode. If one fails, the other maintains operation.
When a power supply fails, the panel LED and web interface alert the user to replace it.
Inner Workings
After reviewing the exterior, let’s open the device to take a look at the internal components of the router switch on Marvell OCTEON DPU with Falcon ASIC.
Marvell Falcon ASIC
The first component that catches the eye is the Marvell Falcon ASIC. As the core of the switch, it provides high-performance hardware forwarding.
A key feature of the Falcon ASIC is its support for ultra-large routing tables, handling up to 504K IPv4 prefixes and 252K IPv6 prefixes, leading its class.
Additionally, it delivers a forwarding rate of up to 2.63 Bpps. Combined with its high-capacity switching architecture and diverse interface types, it forms a complete high-performance networking solution.
COM Express (COMe) Module
Inside the router switch on Marvell OCTEON DPU with Falcon ASIC, the COMe module handles control-plane processing.
Hardware-wise, the CX306P-48Y-M-H uses a COM Express Type 7 CPU module conforming to standard specifications, allowing for flexible replacement.
The default Intel® Pentium® can be upgraded to higher-performance CPU modules to meet different processing needs.
On the software side, Enterprise SONiC OS – AsterNOS runs on the COMe module, providing comprehensive Layer 2/3 and data center networking features, including VXLAN, BGP EVPN, EVPN-MH, MPLS, and PTP, ensuring high reliability in campus core deployments and stable operation in cloudified data center leaf environments.
The figure below shows the COMe module with an installed heatsink, ensuring stability and reliability during extended operation.
Optional Time Modules
The CX306P-48Y-M-H supports optional GNSS and PTP time modules, providing precise synchronization for 5G O-RAN, media/broadcast platforms, and latency-sensitive networks.
Despite its compact size, the GNSS module can simultaneously receive GPS/QZSS, GLONASS, BeiDou, and Galileo signals and features a snap-on design for easy replacement and upgrade.
The rear panel integrates a unified Timing I/O, including 1 PPS, 10 MHz, TOD, and GNSS interfaces, supporting flexible time synchronization methods:
Using the GNSS module:
The GNSS antenna receives satellite signals, and the GNSS module (shown on the left below) generates a reference time, which is then passed to the PTP module (shown on the right below) to achieve precise network-wide synchronization.
Without the GNSS module:
The device can use 10 MHz, 1 PPS, and TOD interfaces to connect to external clock sources and distribute time via PTP.
The 10 MHz interface alone can also be used to achieve SyncE frequency synchronization.
The table below summarizes the timing interface combinations and their use cases.
| Mode | Time Source | Connection Interface | Synchronization Type | Use Case |
| GNSS + PTP | Satellite clock (GPS/Galileo/BeiDou/GLONASS) | GNSS Antenna | High-precision absolute time synchronization | Commonly used in 5G O-RAN fronthaul and base station synchronization; also applied in latency-sensitive scenarios such as live broadcast and media & entertainment |
| 10 MHz + 1 PPS + TOD + PTP | External clock source | 10 MHz SMB 1 PPS SMB TOD RJ45 | High-precision absolute time synchronization | Suitable for streaming/OTT, media data centers, enterprise networks, and other synchronization scenarios |
| 1 PPS + TOD + PTP | External clock source | 1 PPS SMB TOD RJ45 | High-precision absolute time synchronization | Suitable for data centers, enterprise networks, and media/live broadcast environments |
| 10 MHz only | External clock source | 10 MHz SMB | Frequency synchronization (SyncE) | For scenarios where absolute time is not critical |
Learn more about GNSS and PTP modules on the CX306P-48Y-M-H in our upcoming blog updates.
Dual Marvell OCTEON 10 CN103 DPUs: Unified Routing and Security Engine
What truly sets the Router Switch on Marvell OCTEON DPU with Falcon ASIC —— CX306P-48Y-M-H apart is its unique scalable design, supporting two optional Marvell OCTEON 10 CN103 DPUs dedicated to high-performance routing and security tasks.
With these dual intelligent engines, the switch goes beyond a simple data forwarder. Leveraging the SONiC platform, it becomes a smart computing platform capable of simultaneously delivering switching, routing, and security, enabling multi-service convergence.
Each DPU provides:
- 100 Gbps routing performance
- 80 Gbps firewall throughput
- 80 Gbps encryption/decryption processing
- Support for 10K+ ACL policies
With this design, the CX306P-48Y-M-H delivers efficient, flexible, and secure network services across broadcast/media production, large campus networks, cloud access layers, 5G edge, and medium-scale carrier egress scenarios.
Even more impressive, the DPU modules can be deployed on-demand as routing, security, traffic analysis, or computing platforms. How is this achieved? Details are provided below:
Fully Flexible DPU Software under User Control
On the software side, the Asterfusion CX306P-48Y-M-H offers high flexibility, allowing users to select according to their needs:
1. AsterNOS-VPP
Users can choose to pre-install Asterfusion’s proprietary AsterNOS-VPP, upgrading the switch to a unified routing and security appliance.
- Key features:
- Supports 1000K+ BGP route reflections, 10K+ ACL wildcard filtering, IPSec/WireGuard , HQoS, and 100 G NAT/CGNAT.
- It also provides PPPoE-Radius, Geosite/GeoIP for user authentication and policy control.
- Example performance:
- The 8-core DPU platform, under the SONiC control plane, can deliver 100 G NAT/CGNAT performance, supporting 20K+ concurrent users.
- Learn more: Enterprise SONiC Routing OS Overview | Open Router OS
2. FusionNOS
Users can also choose to install Asterfusion’s proprietary FusionNOS, upgrading the switch to a switch + network traffic analysis appliance.
- Key features:
- Supports NetFlow/IPFIX traffic collection and analysis, suitable for packet capture, traffic visualization, and behavior monitoring.
- Integrates ntopng, enabling direct monitoring of network-wide user traffic and application activity even in environments without NetFlow output.
- Example performance:
- Supports exporting 100 G of full north-south and east-west traffic via NetFlow/IPFIX for global network visibility.
- Alternatively, with ntopng built into the SONiC core switch, it can perform real-time traffic and behavior analysis for networks with up to 20K users.
- Learn more: FusionNOS | Asterfusion Network Visibility OS
3. OpenWiFi Compatible Controller
Users can also choose to install an OpenWiFi compatible controller to achieve full-coverage visual management of campus networks.
- Key features:
- Unified management of wireless, wired, and routing devices, supporting OAuth 2.0 and RADIUS dual authentication.
- Benefits:
- Enables the switch to function as both a switch and full-network management appliance, reducing the need for additional management devices.
- Learn more: OpenWiFi Cloud Network Controller
4. Custom Deployment
If the above solutions do not meet requirements, users can install a default Ubuntu or Debian system for fully customized development and deployment.
- Benefits:
- The built-in DPU functions like a high-performance server, comparable to an 8-core CPU with 2T switching, supporting containerization and Kubernetes (K8s) applications.
- Supports optional NVMe SSDs for flexible, on-demand storage expansion.
SSD on Marvell OCTEON 10 CN103 DPU
The CX306P-48Y-M-H stands out in DPU expansion: each Marvell OCTEON 10 CN103 DPU is equipped with an NVMe SSD slot directly connected via a high-speed PCIe channel, enabling high-bandwidth, low-latency data read/write.
This design eliminates the need for the DPU to transfer data to the CPU for storage, allowing the DPU to independently handle traffic buffering, security policy enforcement, and data analysis locally. It truly enables data-plane processing, significantly reducing latency and offloading the main CPU.
Conclusion: Enhanced Capabilities under SONiC Architecture
Built on the SONiC open networking architecture, the router switch on Marvell OCTEON DPU with Falcon ASIC extends its native switching capabilities with high-performance routing and security functions.
Leveraging the combined design of Marvell Falcon ASIC and OCTEON 10 CN103 DPU, along with optional PTP/GNSS time synchronization modules, it delivers data center-grade forwarding while providing an integrated platform for switching, routing, and security.
The SONiC-based CX306P-48Y-M-H retains the core advantages of the SONiC platform:
- Unified API and management interfaces, enabling seamless integration with existing systems.
- Consistent user experience and toolchain, allowing users to continue using familiar commands and operations.
- Low-cost routing feature expansion, without requiring relearning or adapting configuration frameworks.
With a unified SONiC architecture and powerful hardware acceleration, the CX306P-48Y-M-H provides consistent configuration experience, precise time synchronization, and high-reliability deployment across broadcast/media production networks, campus cores, data centers, and 5G O-RAN fronthaul scenarios.
Additionally, the CX306P-48Y-M-H includes a powerful network packet broker capability, which warrants a detailed dedicated article—stay tuned ！
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