BCM56880 / 56870 / 56277 · Three sub-variants · Shipping since 2018

Broadcom Trident 3 Trident 3 Switches Three sub-variants. Three roles. Nine validated platforms.

The DC leaf workhorse — mature merchant silicon shipping since 2018, validated across TD3-X7 (3.2 Tbps · 25G/100G leaf-spine), TD3-X5 (1–2 Tbps · 10G/25G ToR), and TD3-X2 (120 Gbps · 1G management). All nine platforms run the same OcNOS-DC image as TH4 and TH5.

X7TD3-X7 · 3.2 Tbps X5TD3-X5 · 1–2 Tbps X2TD3-X2 · 120 Gbps 04Inside Trident 3
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3variants
X7 · X5 · X2
9SKUs
OcNOS-DC Validated
3ODMs
Edgecore · UfiSpace · Celestica
2018+
Shipping in volume
1G→100G
Port Speed Range
X7
TD3-X7 · 25G/100G DC leaf-spine
Sub-variant 1 · the DC leaf workhorse

TD3-X7 — 3.2 Tbps · 25G ToR or 100G spine.

The most-deployed Trident 3 sub-variant. Modern 25G server attachment with 100G uplinks (AS7326-56X) or pure 32×100G spine (AS7726-32X / S9110-32X). Same OcNOS-DC image, same EVPN-VXLAN feature surface as TH-class. Shipped at scale across hyperscaler fleets, Tier-2 cloud providers, and enterprise DC.

Edgecore 2.0 Tbps

AS7326-56X

DC leaf · 25G ToR with 100G uplinks
48 × 25G SFP28 + 8 × 100G QSFP28
1RU

25G server access ToR with eight 100G uplinks. Right ratio for densely populated server racks.

DatasheetPDF
Edgecore 3.2 Tbps

AS7726-32X

DC spine · 32 × 100G
32 × 100G QSFP28
1RU

100G spine in a small/mid Clos fabric. Pair with TD3-X7 leaves at the bottom.

DatasheetPDF
UfiSpace 3.2 Tbps

S9110-32X

DC spine · 32 × 100G
32 × 100G QSFP28
1RU

Architectural twin of AS7726-32X — same chip, same port mix, different ODM. Pick by procurement.

DatasheetPDF
X5
TD3-X5 · 10G/25G DC leaf
Sub-variant 2 · cost-effective ToR

TD3-X5 — 1–2 Tbps · 10G/25G ToR with 100G uplinks.

Lower-tier Trident 3 silicon for legacy 10G server fleets (AS5835-54T copper, AS5835-54X fiber) and 25G refresh deployments (S8901-54XC). Six 100G uplinks per box. Same EVPN-VXLAN feature plane as TD3-X7 — different capacity envelope and per-port economics.

Edgecore 1.08 Tbps

AS5835-54T

10G ToR · copper SFP+
48 × 10G RJ45 + 6 × 100G QSFP28
1RU

Copper-based 10G ToR with 100G uplinks. Right shape for legacy server fleets on copper.

DatasheetPDF
Edgecore 1.08 Tbps

AS5835-54X

10G ToR · fiber SFP+
48 × 10G SFP+ + 6 × 100G QSFP28
1RU

Fiber-based 10G ToR with 100G uplinks. Same TD3-X5 chip as the -54T but SFP+ optical cages instead of copper.

DatasheetPDF
UfiSpace 2.0 Tbps

S8901-54XC

25G ToR · TD3-X5
48 × 25G SFP28 + 6 × 100G QSFP28
1RU

25G ToR sized for the TD3-X5 envelope. Step up from -54T/-54X without going to TD3-X7 capacity.

DatasheetPDF
X2
TD3-X2 · 1G management / OOB
Sub-variant 3 · management network

TD3-X2 — 120 Gbps · 1G access · 10G uplinks.

Out-of-band / management switches for the DC fleet. 48 × 1G ports for IPMI, console, and OOB connectivity. 6–8 × 10G uplinks. Three platforms across all three ODMs (Edgecore, UfiSpace, Celestica) — the broadest vendor coverage in the OcNOS HCL specifically because management networks need third-source procurement diversity.

UfiSpace 120 Gbps

S6301-56ST

1G management · 8 × 10G
48 × 1G + 8 × 10G SFP+
1RU

Management network or out-of-band switch for the DC fleet. 1G everywhere, 10G uplinks.

DatasheetPDF
Celestica 120 Gbps

DS1000

1G management · 8 × 10G
48 × 1G + 8 × 10G SFP+
1RU

Celestica build of the same TD3-X2 management profile. Pick by vendor relationship — only Celestica platform in the OcNOS HCL.

DatasheetPDF
Edgecore 120 Gbps

AS4625-54T

1G management · 6 × 10G
48 × 1G RJ45 + 6 × 10G SFP+
1RU

Copper-RJ45 1G management with 10G uplinks — the most common shape for OOB networks in legacy DC.

DatasheetPDF
Inside the Trident 3 family

Three chips, one architectural family. Mature, predictable, proven.

Trident 3 is Broadcom\'s 2018-era DC merchant silicon — built on TSMC 16 nm, with 25G NRZ SerDes and a packet pipeline architecture that\'s been refined over six-plus years of production deployment. The family has three chips at three capacity tiers, each with its own typical role.

The shared family DNA matters: identical EVPN-VXLAN control plane support, same OcNOS-DC image, same gNMI/NETCONF feature set. Brownfield refresh between sub-variants — for example, TD3-X5 to TD3-X7 — keeps configuration and automation intact. Forward refresh to TD4 also stays clean (same OcNOS-DC).

PRINCIPLE 01

Three chips, one family.

BCM56880/56873 (X7), BCM56870 (X5), BCM56277 (X2 / Maverick). Different capacity envelopes, same forwarding architecture, same OcNOS-DC feature parity.

3 chips · 1 NOS image
PRINCIPLE 02

25G NRZ SerDes.

Older lane technology than TD4\'s 50G PAM4 — but proven, low-latency, and sufficient for 100G QSFP28 cages (4 lanes × 25G NRZ = 100G).

25G NRZ · 100G cages
PRINCIPLE 03

EVPN-VXLAN at line rate.

Hardware VXLAN VTEP encap/decap. ESI-LAG multi-homing on the leaf, symmetric/asymmetric IRB, full BGP EVPN control plane on OcNOS-DC.

VXLAN · ESI-LAG · IRB
PRINCIPLE 04

Mature 16 nm silicon.

Six-plus years shipping in volume. Predictable thermal envelope, predictable per-port pricing, predictable bug surface. The boring-and-reliable choice for the leaf tier.

2018+ · TSMC 16 nm
Brownfield migration is clean. The same OcNOS-DC image runs across TD3, TD4, TH4, and TH5. Refresh selectively — keep TD3 where it works (10G ToR, OOB), upgrade to TD4/TH-class where 400G is required.
Frequently Asked

The questions DC architects actually ask.

Nine open-hardware platforms across three sub-variants. TD3-X7 (3.2 Tbps): Edgecore AS7326-56X, AS7726-32X; UfiSpace S9110-32X. TD3-X5 (1–2 Tbps): Edgecore AS5835-54T, AS5835-54X; UfiSpace S8901-54XC. TD3-X2 (120 Gbps management): UfiSpace S6301-56ST, Celestica DS1000, Edgecore AS4625-54T. All run the same OcNOS-DC image — pick by capacity tier and port mix.
Three different roles. TD3-X7 (BCM56880 / BCM56873) — modern 25G/100G DC leaf and small-fabric spine. 3.2 Tbps capacity. TD3-X5 (BCM56870) — 10G/25G DC leaf at lower per-port cost. 1–2 Tbps. TD3-X2 (BCM56277, also called Maverick) — 1G management / out-of-band switch with 10G uplinks. 120 Gbps. They're the same Trident 3 family DNA at three capacity tiers.
TD4 (BCM56780) is the modern 400G upgrade path — 12.8 Tbps with 32 × 400G in 1RU and iPo-DWDM. TD3 maxes at 100G ports. Refresh when: rack densities push you beyond 25G server NICs, or you want 400G ZR coherent direct in the leaf, or 100G uplinks are no longer enough headroom. Same OcNOS-DC image runs on both — brownfield refresh keeps configs and gNMI pipelines intact.
Yes — for the right roles. TD3 has been shipping since 2018, so the silicon is mature and per-port pricing is excellent. Where it fits: 10G/25G DC leaf at scale, 100G smaller-fabric spine, 1G management/OOB networks. Where it doesn't fit: 400G uplinks (use TD4), AI fabric with 100G+ NICs (use TH-class), or SP edge with timing (use Q-family). The OcNOS-DC validation list keeps TD3 because real fleets still run it.
Yes — full RFC 7432 EVPN control plane with hardware VXLAN VTEP encap/decap. ESI-LAG multi-homing, symmetric/asymmetric IRB, mass-withdraw convergence. The TD3-X7 and TD3-X5 sub-variants are both validated EVPN-VXLAN platforms. TD3-X2 (management role) typically runs simple L2/L3 — EVPN-VXLAN is not a fit for the 1G-class.
Vendor diversity at the management-switch tier. Celestica is the third major open-hardware ODM, and DS1000 is their TD3-X2 management/OOB platform. For DC operators who want a third-source procurement option specifically for the management network — without putting Celestica in the production data plane — this is the validated path. The DS1000 is the only Celestica platform in the current OcNOS HCL.
For 400G ports today (use TD4). For DC spine above ~3.2 Tbps (use TH-class). For SP edge with timing (use Qumran). For AI fabric with RoCEv2 lossless at 100G+ NICs (TD3 lacks the deep buffer headroom — use TH4 or TH5). Trident 3's sweet spot is "mature, predictable, cost-effective DC leaf or management at 10G/25G/100G."

Refreshing a Trident 3 fabric — or growing into one?

30-minute architecture session with an OcNOS network architect. Bring your DC topology, server NIC speeds, and timeline — leave with a sized BoM across TD3 sub-variants and a forward-compatible path to TD4 or TH-class.

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